Updated Sunday at 11:33 a.m.
The Vermont State Police on Sunday identified the Franklin County sheriff’s deputy critically injured during a traffic stop Friday night as 42-year-old Cpl. Jeffery Barriger.
As of Sunday morning, Barriger’s condition at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington was reported as critical but stable, police said. He was transported there Friday with what police described as serious bodily injury after he was allegedly dragged by a pickup truck during a traffic stop.
Alexander T. Seagroves, 32, of Fletcher, was charged with attempted second-degree murder and arrested hours after the incident at a residence in Fletcher. He was ordered held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1 p.m. Monday in Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans.
According to the Vermont State Police, a sheriff’s deputy stopped a silver Chevrolet Silverado for speeding near 1408 Main St. on Route 104 in Fairfax at about 8 p.m. Friday. The driver identified himself as Seagroves, police said.
After speaking with the driver, the deputy returned to his cruiser. The Silverado then began to move, and the deputy approached the truck and ordered the driver to turn off the engine and exit the vehicle, police said. The driver did not comply, instead driving south on Route 104 and dragging the deputy, who was holding onto the front door, before braking and throwing the deputy from the truck, according to police.
The driver then fled the scene, police said. A bystander witnessed the incident and called 911.
Troopers located Seagroves at a residence on Hemlock Road in Fletcher, where a vehicle matching the description and registration of the truck involved in the incident was found behind the home.
In addition to attempted second-degree murder, Seagroves was charged with aggravated assault, gross negligent operation, eluding a police officer, driving with a suspended license, and arrested on an existing warrant.
The investigation involves the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Crash Reconstruction Team, Crime Scene Search Team and Victim Services Unit. The St. Albans Police Department and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife also assisted.
Barriger has been a member of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office since March 2024. He joined the department after seven years as a full-time police officer with the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.
