[A]rmed police officers will be posted outside two state office buildings while police search for a man suspected of threatening violent attacks against the state, apparently upset about losing custody of his daughter.
Agency of Human Services Secretary Al Gobeille said extra protection will be deployed at state buildings in Williston and Burlington.
“We had a general threat by an individual, meaning not aimed any particular person,” Gobeille said late Wednesday evening. “We are working through Buildings and General Services Commissioner Chris Cole to get sheriffs on site to make sure that any threat does not become real.”
The building in Burlington houses the state Department of Corrections probation and parole offices, while the one in Williston is home to employees with the state Department for Children and Family. Each building has about 30 employees, Gobeille said.
“We take these matters very seriously and as soon we hear any threat of violence we react swifty and try to get protection for folks who need it,” he said “As we’ve seen these issues are real and serious and can never taken lightly.”
In August 2015, state social worker Lara Sobel was fatally shot outside the state DCF office in Barre by Jody Herring, who was upset over losing custody of her daughter.
Herring has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing Sobel as well as three of Herring’s own relatives.
An email about the latest situation was sent to DOC staff at the probation and parole office in Burlington on Wednesday afternoon with a subject: “sheriff onsite.”
That email refers to an “M. Buswell” as the person law enforcement is looking to arrest.
“DOC is making arrangements to post a sheriff at the office until the apprehension of M. Buswell,” the email stated. “He failed to show for his parole revocation hearing today at (Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility).”
The email added, “There is now two warrants or will be two issued for him. One by parole board and one by Burlington for VAPO.”
VAPO stands for violating an abuse prevention order.
The email sent to the DOC staff also stated, “Should a staff member see M. Buswell in the community, call police, do not attempt to engage.”
Gobeille said late Wednesday afternoon he couldn’t provide additional information about the person making the threats.
According to a schedule of the state DOC website, the agenda for parole hearings Wednesday at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility included one set for 9 a.m. for Malachi Buswell.
VTDigger also has obtained an email reportedly from Buswell containing threats he made to DOC and DFC. In that email, which was circulated among state employees on Wednesday, Buswell talks about “not allowing them to take my daughter.”
That email stated, “They are about to learn that one man can take out 3 state building and all their employees while sitting in his pos (sic) office.”
Also, the email stated, “I’m taking everyone of them to my grave with me.”
Steve Howard, Vermont State Employee Association executive director, said Wednesday evening that the situation underscores that security upgrades made following Sobel’s death remain lacking at state office buildings and parking lots.
In most cases, he said, the public can walk right into state buildings.
“We have these incidents that keep popping up, but we don’t have the kind of response from management that shows that they value the lives and safety of state employees,” Howard said.
“The pace of which state government has moved to secure employees and the worksites they work in has been a snail’s pace,” he added.
He also said the situation highlights the need to allow probation officers to be armed with guns, citing the dangerous encounters they are involved in daily on their jobs.
