By Michael Bielawski,
These are the latest crime headlines from around the state. One headline includes an officer being assaulted in South Winooski, also a car thief was caught in Montpelier.
Some unusual stories include an irate man over high taxes, an alleged biting bike thief, a son reporting his mother over a social media feud, and more.
Police chase/assault on an officer in South Winooski
There was a chase by an officer of a suspect that resulted in the officer sustaining injuries. The incident occurred in South Winooski on Main Street on Tuesday.
At first, the officer saw a suspicious idling vehicle and was about to identify it as a stolen vehicle. Next, there was a chase.
The report states, “The officer observed Walls exit the vehicle and flee the scene. The officer pursued on foot, continued to identify himself as a Burlington Police Officer, and ordered Walls to stop multiple times.”
Then the officer was attacked. It further states, “When the officer attempted to take Walls into custody, Walls punched and injured the officer. Walls continued to fight and resist arrest, until several officers arrived on scene to assist. Walls was taken into custody for simple assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.”
Walls has a lengthy rap sheet, including “11 failures to appear, 7 violation of court orders or conditions charges, 6 violation of court orders or conditions convictions, 19 felony charges, 5 felony convictions, 18 misdemeanor charges, 10 misdemeanor convictions, 3 assaultive crime charges, 1 sex crime charge, 1 sex crime conviction, 1 dangerous/deadly weapon-related charges, 8 violation of probation/parole charges.”
FoxNews reports that the rate of assaults on law enforcement throughout the nation was at a 10-year high for last year with 79,000 recorded attacks according to new FBI data.
“Sixty officers nationwide were killed last year — one fewer slain officer than the previous year — but more officers were killed between 2021 and 2023 than in any other three-year period to date, according to the agency's Law Enforcement Killed and Assaulted data collection,” the report states.
Car thief caught in Montpelier
The Montperlier Police reportedly stopped a car theft and caught the alleged perpetrator. Their report states that they “responded to a report of a vehicle theft in progress in the driveway of a residence on Hill Street in Montpelier. MPD Officers arrived quickly and intercepted the vehicle as it was departing the area. They took the operator into custody without incident, who was identified as Deshawn Keene (age 30), transient.”
Man angry at high taxes harasses police
Residents that are facing double-digit tax increases and one man lost his composure and decided to let his local law enforcement know about it. The incident occurred at the Barre Police Department on Tuesday.
The report states, “Disorderly male yelling at the dispatchers in the lobby of the Police Department. The male had come into the lobby to complain about the rise in taxes in the State of Vermont and the fact that people can't afford to live here anymore.”
Woman allegedly bites bike owner
Investigators responded to an attempted bike theft report. NBC News reports, “Officers learned that a woman attempted to steal a bicycle, and when the owner confronted her, she bit them and ran away.”
Son reports mom to police over social media posts
Also on Tuesday and in Barre, an angry son reported his mother to police over her allegedly “harassing him and posting things on social media about him.”
Person borrows home for meal and sleep
In an unusual police report, WMUR Manchester is reporting that “Someone broke into New England home, ate a meal and slept before leaving, police say.”
Stateline.org reports that squatting in homes is becoming a national problem.
“So far, lawmakers in at least 10 states have floated legislation this year that would address squatting by revoking tenancy rights, making it easier for police to remove squatters, or making squatting a criminal offense. Several have quickly enacted new laws,” their report states.
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle
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