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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 13 February 2018

Police:

Man pointing gun at his own head killed by officers

By WILSON RING pelier High School.
Associated Press Birmingham said Brown was
WILLISTON, Vt. (AP) — A removed from the state
distraught man who was police tactical services unit
pointing a pistol at his own about two weeks ago but
head was shot by police as would not say why.
he walked toward two of- The number of police
ficers next to a busy inter- shootings in Vermont has
state and refused repeat- gone up this decade, said
ed commands to drop the Major Glenn Hall, the head
weapon, state police said of the state police criminal
Monday. division. Between 2000 and
The man died at a hospi- 2010 there were 22 police
tal shortly after the Sun- shootings. Since 2010 there
day shooting in the break- have been approximately
down lane of Interstate 89 25. “These are very chal-
in Bolton, said state police lenging, complicated and
Col. Matthew Birmingham. so as the director I don’t
Benjamin Gregware, 42, of want any fatal shootings to
Sheldon, did not point his happen, but that’s not real-
weapon at police before istic,” he said. “In this world,
he was shot three times, Bir- they happen and we do ev-
mingham said. State police erything we can to mitigate
Trooper Christopher Brown and de-escalate these situ-
and an officer from the ations.” Less than an hour
nearby Richmond Police before the Bolton shooting,
Department fired 12 shots Gregware’s ex-wife called
total at him. It was the third police to say her husband
fatal shooting involving was distraught and had
Brown in the last six months. Vermont State Police Col. Matthew Birmingham speaks to the purchased ammunition.
He also was involved in media Monday, Feb. 12, 2018, in Williston, Vt., regarding an A different trooper spoke
a nonfatal shooting sev- officer involved shooting that took place on Sunday in Bolton. to Gregware, who said he
eral years ago, Birming- (AP Photo/Wilson Ring) was going to continue driv-
ham said. Brown has been shootings as it relates to the 1 in Poultney when he was ing south until he ran out of
placed on administrative health and well-being of among five troopers who gas and then “end it.”
leave for the duration of our members,” Birmingham shot and killed a man they When Gregware’s car was
the investigation into the said during a Monday news were trying to arrest on a spotted, Brown and Rich-
latest shooting, a process conference. domestic assault charge mond Cpl. Richard Gree-
that could take several A representative of the Ver- who turned out to be nough stopped the vehicle.
months. “This decision is not mont Troopers Association armed with two BB guns. Gregware got out of his car
an indication of any wrong- did not immediately return Last month, Brown was one and walked toward the of-
doing by Trooper Brown, an email seeking comment of eight state troopers and ficers, ignoring repeated
but merely a change in on Brown’s behalf. a Montpelier city police of- demands that he drop the
the way the state police The first of the three recent ficer who shot and killed a weapon, a machine pis-
will now manage our re- state police shootings in- bank robbery suspect on tol commonly known as a
sponse to officer involved volving Brown came Sept. the athletic field of Mont- Mac-10.q