Vermont public safety coverage
VTDigger reports on public safety issues across Vermont, covering crime, the court system, fire and EMS services, law enforcement and corrections.
Here you’ll find reporting on legal proceedings, emergency response and public safety policy, with context to help readers understand how safety and justice systems function statewide.
Suspect surrenders and faces second-degree murder charge in downtown Burlington stabbing
Hassan O. Haji, 24, of Winooski, pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail at his arraignment Tuesday afternoon.
1 dead in spate of violent incidents in Burlington
One victim was stabbed to death, and the city reported one other stabbing and two instances of gunfire over the weekend.
Payouts soar as use of force by Burlington police on Black residents hits record high
“The fact that the data show record-high disparities in use-of-force on Black subjects demands our immediate attention and a meaningful response,” Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said.
Vermont Supreme Court shuts door on appeal to use police misconduct findings in murder defense
“The decision to send an ill-equipped, untrained officer into an ongoing chase was a decision that cost her life,” a defense attorney said of law enforcement actions in a deadly pursuit.
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Local police aid in Border Patrol’s deportation efforts raises questions on statewide compliance to policies on immigration enforcement
“Vermont’s existing framework for keeping local police out of the deportation business clearly needs to be stronger, and there must be accountability when local officials violate that policy,” ACLU told VTDigger. “Vermont should not be complicit in ICE and Border Patrol abuse.”
A traffic stop, a deportation and a test of Vermont’s Fair and Impartial Policing Policy
Records show a sheriff’s deputy used his personal phone to summon federal agents — then offered to buy them Subway.
Windsor County Sheriff candidate placed on administrative leave from Bellows Falls PD
Joshua Lake is one of three Democrats seeking to replace embattled Sheriff Ryan Palmer, who himself is facing a raft of criminal charges stemming from his work as sheriff.
ICE agents arrest several in Londonderry operation
The people arrested were targeted while traveling to a construction job site, according to a member of Two Rivers Area Indivisible, an immigrants rights activist group in the area.
Judge allows clergy abuse claimants to sue for parish assets in Vermont Catholic bankruptcy case
The state’s largest religious denomination has yet to respond to a court decision permitting creditors to file a lawsuit for an estimated $500 million in local properties and possessions the church has sheltered in trusts.
Vermont keeps a list of where large crowds gather. The feds get a copy.
For nearly a decade, the state has quietly compiled the list of large public gatherings. Town clerks are just now finding out about it.
‘My thoughts were distorted’: Woman gets at least 10 years in Rutland fatal shooting
Courtney Samplatsky, initially charged with second-degree murder in the June 2022 killing, pleaded guilty Friday to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter.
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