McConnell had prior random assault arrest
by Timothy Page
On Saturday, May 18, a shocking incident unfolded, leaving an elderly man wounded. Around 2:15 PM, BPD received calls that a man had been seen attacked by another on South Winooski Avenue, near the intersection with College Street. Police say the perpetrator, a man in his prime, approached the unsuspecting octogenarian (82) and unleashed a single, devastating punch. The force of the blow robbed the victim of consciousness, causing him to crumple to the unforgiving sidewalk.
The attack seemed random, a senseless act of violence that left the elderly gentleman with facial injuries and significant bleeding. As he lay there, vulnerable and hurt, the emergency services sprang into action. The Burlington Fire Department swiftly transported the injured man to the University of Vermont Medical Center, where he received the urgent care he desperately needed.
Amidst the chaos, the police managed to locate the assailant, a man named Shawn McConnell, age 41, officially a transient, at the entrance to the Marketplace parking garage on Bank Street. They wasted no time in taking him into custody for his suspected role in the brutal assault. However, the investigation revealed a peculiar twist – city cameras captured Mr. McConnell removing the shirt he wore during the attack and handing it over to a female acquaintance.
Police say the court ordered Mr. McConnell’s release just hours after the alleged crime. Instead of being held until his arraignment on Monday, he was issued a citation to appear in court on that day. The court also imposed conditions of release, including a mandate to steer clear of the city’s “Inner Fire District,” which encompasses much of the downtown core.
Mr. McConnell’s history casts a long shadow, with a criminal record in New Hampshire and a concerning pattern of behavior since his arrival in Chittenden County in January 2023. In just a few short months, he has had more than fifty local police engagements, a staggering number that underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement and the community. No connection between the perpetrator and his victim has been released as of yet.
During the arraignment, the judge commented that McConnell was also working to resolve a previous incident from February 14, in which McConnell also allegedly assaulted a random man on Church Street in downtown Burlington. In
that incident, the 23-year-old victim was walking on Church Street when he observed McConnell, involved in an altercation with a woman, who allegedly stated “get away from me.” McConnell apparently noticed the victim watching him, and aggressively approached the victim, stating allegedly asking “What the f–k are you looking at?”
The victim stated that he would call the police at which point McConnell allegedly punched him in the throat. The victim told police he felt pain and fear and tried to leave, but McConnell followed him in a threatening manner and was still on scene when police arrived. Police arrested him for assault.
Another incident occurred not even two hours later, at 4PM, when Burlington Fire called their colleagues in the Police to request urgent aid in the wake of a routine medical check gone suddenly pear-shaped.
The FD personnel responded to a reported incident outside a residence on North Willard Street, near the intersection with Henry Street. There, they encountered Michael Reynolds, a 46-year-old man whose behavior raised immediate concerns.
Reynolds appeared to be under the influence of substances, rendering him uncooperative and aggressive towards the Fire personnel. As the situation escalated, the firefighters found themselves in a precarious position, prompting them to request immediate police assistance with an expedited response.
Police say the encounter took a disturbing turn as Reynolds physically menaced the firefighters, and assaulted a fire captain with bodily fluids. Undeterred by the presence of emergency responders, Reynolds fled the scene, leaving the firefighters to witness him attempting to break into random houses on Henry Street.
Responding swiftly to the call for backup, police officers found Reynolds on Pearl Street and took him into custody. However, the ordeal was far from over, as Reynolds proceeded to assault a police sergeant with bodily fluids as well, necessitating an urgent trip to the emergency room for the injured officer.
In the aftermath of this chaotic incident, the court ordered that Reynolds be lodged at the Northwest State Correctional Facility. At his upcoming arraignment, police expect him to face charges of two counts of Assault of Protected Professional and one count of Aggravated Disorderly Conduct.
Reynolds’ history with law enforcement is a cause for grave concern. Since 2012, Reynolds has had a staggering 1,700 police encounters.
A review of his criminal history reveals a pattern of violence and disregard for the law, with six felony convictions, 42 misdemeanor convictions, and 13 assaultive crimes, including assault on an officer and the use of dangerous or deadly weapons. Additionally, he has one escape charge and ten failures to appear, further underscoring his disregard for the judicial system.
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Categories: Crime
So does the victim need to die for the perpetrator to be held??? Multiple offenses!!!
No not necessarily. If he hits a judge or Pelosi’s husband then he gets no bail and thirty years.
Is it possible to include the names of the judges that care so little about the safety of the public that they let these thugs back on to the street? I mean, do they really think that “conditions of release” matter one iota to these people? Anyone who punches an 82 year old so hard that he is rendered unconscious really doesn’t deserve to be out walking the streets. What is it going to take to make the judges actually protect the public?
I will bet that States Attorney Sahara George determined that the McConnell perp is a “fine upstanding young man”. Worthy of trust.
Is the Coulter rule in effect here? No description? No pictures? Going to go out on a limb and guess that this should be considered a hate crime, but won’t, for some mysterious reason. Lock this clown up. And I mean the one who set this guy free after just two hours. This is communist style anarcho-tyranny.
This is the ” Queen City ” 2024 or its new moniker ” Cesspool City ” as progressives have turned into just that, homelessness, drugs, crime, and now assault on its senior citizens ……… and Vermont’s legal system lets the ” Bums/ Thugs ” back on the street
outstanding in the blink of an eye……………. Outstanding !!
Burlingtonians the ” real ” citizens of the city, home-owning taxpayers, are you getting your money’s worth ?? it surely doesn’t sound it to me, maybe it’s time to stop paying your city taxes until things are fixed, starting with removing the feckless progressive city council, this ” gaggle of fools ” is the boil that needs to be lanced.
But then again you vote these clowns in, I guess you get what you wanted.
Just another typical liberal run city. It’s the voters who are to blame for the continually voting for progressives. Crazy is defined as doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome. The voters are either ignorant or crazy as nothing improves but gets worse. Good job Burlington voters. This is the result of feeling good about yourselves while your city turns into a dystopian cesspool.
Everyone should write Sara George a nice note thanking her for the revolving door she has installed on our local jails. Thanks to her, people like McConnell are back on the streets mere hours after what could have easily been a deadly assault.
And then we have Mr. Reynolds, a man with a staggering 1,700 police interactions, 6 felony convictions and 42 misdemeanor convictions. With a record like that, one has to wonder why he’s out on the streets. Vermont has a law that allows the State to lock up habitual offenders, with a sentence of up to life in prison. One has to wonder why it isn’t being used in this case. My guess is that our soft-on-criminals State’s Attorney won’t use it.
Totally agree with this, why aren’t these felons off the street. Statistics show 75% of the crimes are done by 10 % of the criminals, how many man hrs have these 2 generated for the Police ?
just another day at the vermont zoo////
Why would any sane, law abiding citizen get within a 10 mile radius of Burlington given the absolute lawlessness that engulfs that City? They have zero interest in your safety and well being. For the few citizens who still haven’t figured this out, you are NOT safe in Burlington. You patronize at your own risk.
When living in a state mismanaged by Progressive Democrat Socialists, letting the criminals run free is simply a recipe for re-election.
I committed to not doing business, dining or even visiting Burlington three years ago.
All told, probably been 7 or 8 years since I set foot there. Crimes like this only confirm I made another, good choice. Let the place rot to the ground. Its citizens have exactly the city they voted for.
WPTZ reported that “he has had more than 50 encounters with officers since he came into Chittenden County last year” including a previous random attack on a stranger. I wonder which innovative progressive program lured him to the area?
Title 13 : Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter 001 : General Provisions
(Cite as: 13 V.S.A. § 11)
§ 11. Habitual criminals
A person who, after having been three times convicted within this State of felonies or attempts to commit felonies, or under the law of any other state, government, or country, of crimes which, if committed within this State, would be felonious, commits a felony other than murder within this State, may be sentenced upon conviction of such fourth or subsequent offense to imprisonment up to and including life. (Amended 1971, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; 1995, No. 50, § 1.)
“A review of his criminal history reveals a pattern of violence and disregard for the law, with six felony convictions, 42 misdemeanor convictions, and 13 assaultive crimes, including assault on an officer and the use of dangerous or deadly weapons. Additionally, he has one escape charge and ten failures to appear, further underscoring his disregard for the judicial system.”
When the judicial system fails and is derelict of sworn duties (evidence is clear,) the People have the authority and duty to remove them. The People will continue to be targeted by the installed, belligerent regime and will continue to be brutalized and murdered with impunity. Wake up Vermont!
And Mr Reynolds has bragged to me about his contempt for the legal system. He wears his >1700 encounters with police as a badge of honor from what he has told me.