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Officer out 4-6 weeks in already undermanned police force
[Editor’s note. On August 1 the Times Argus, the daily newspaper published in Barre, reported that Joseph Edgar White, 41, pleaded no contest to a felony charge of failure to comply with the state sex offender registry (second offense), simple assault, and simple assault on a protected professional. He received a suspended sentence and four years’ probation.]
by Barre City Police Chief Braedon Vail
In the Times Argus article “Barre man settles multiple criminal cases with a plea agreement” dated August 1, 2025 it reads, “The state agreed to dismiss a felony count of embezzlement, a felony count of forgery, a felony count of first-degree aggravated domestic assault with a deadly weapon and a felony count of impeding a public officer, as well as misdemeanor counts of criminal threatening, a second misdemeanor count of simple assault on a protected professional and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest…The state also amended a felony count of first-degree aggravated domestic assault to a misdemeanor attempted simple assault by menace.”
Chief of Police, Barre City Police Department
This man’s defense attorney said in his conversations with him, “it’s clear that he’s taken full responsibility for these convictions and is committed to taking advantage of the support outlined in the plea agreement.” All these dismissals and amendments resulted in a sentence of 90 days to 3 years; all suspended except for 36 days to serve with credit for time served and be placed on probation for four years.
Vermont Statutes Annotated Title 28 § 200 “Purpose of probation” reads: It is the policy of this State that the purpose of probation is to rehabilitate offenders, reduce the risk that they will commit a subsequent offense, and protect the safety of the victim and the community. In simpler words, it is rehabilitative, not punitive.
Recently, Barre City officers responded to a problematic residence as information was learned that this aforementioned violent individual who had received such a sweet deal from the State (as he clearly took full accountability for his actions) had an active arrest warrant and was inside the residence. The warrant was issued, in part, due to four (4) counts of violation of probation with a bail of $750. When officers attempted to take him into custody, he fought the officers for several minutes. The officers appropriately followed the use of force continuum and utilized their training and tools at their disposal. Unfortunately, one officer subsequently suffered a broken hand and may require surgery. He will now be out of work for 4-6 weeks at a minimum, having an adverse impact on an already short-staffed department.
As a result of this incident, the second time he violently fought with officers within a few months by the way, this “rehabilitated gentleman” is now being charged with impeding public officers, assault on officers, and resisting arrest…more felonies…which hopefully aren’t reduced to misdemeanors and/or dismissed!
When offenders are not held accountable in the criminal justice system, and/or are released on conditions which they often violate without appropriate consequences, it lends to the theory that the if certainty of punishment is zero, then the associated fear is also zero. Inasmuch, assaults on police officers, or other members of the community, inevitably become more prevalent.
One of my officers recently describing this situation commented, “We are running out of police officers. Those who remain are overburdened, burnt out, injured, and have given far too much of themselves to a state, county, and community that has forgotten the meaning of justice and accountability; a state, county, and community that lets the minority rule over the majority.” Sadly, I agree.
It is time (past time) for the criminal justice system to hold offenders more accountable for their offenses.
The views and opinions expressed are my own and may not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Barre City Police Department or the City of Barre.
The author is Chief of Police of the Barre City Police Department.
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Categories: Commentary, Public Safety
If you fight with a LEO to the extent that it results in broken bones, that, in my observation constitutes imminent physical harm to the degree that said LEO should be justified in using deadly force. Forget the tazer. Some miscreants dont learn life’s lessons well, and should be lawfully dispatched by law enforcement in the manner that would be used against a rabid skunk. Deceased criminal perpetrators have a ZERO PERCENT recidivism rate. No do-over, no second and third and fourth chances, no reset button.
This isn’t going to end well. We’ll see what the VTGOP do/say and what the Governor says…or supports. My guess is this man, looking to bring sanity to the Vermont Crime and Drug epidemic will be cancelled for speaking the truth.
He should be supported and elevated. He should be in charge of Burlington. He should be in charge of recruiting the 105 state troopers we seem to be short of. He should be in charge of help picking the judges.
One has to be restored in order to have restorative justice. When one keeps walking in the same direction, they are being led by the wrong spirit. This is all part of our state’s subversion, this is planned, it’s not an accident. They know the outcome, before they passed the laws and they are getting the results desired, chaos, waste of money, waste of time and waste of life, bringing things down on purpose.
Don’t be fooled, they know what they do.
Vermont citizens could support this man, they could demand the governor support this man……..
Cancel culture has power because they know, no person walking this earth is innocent, nobody is sinless. The easiest thing on planet earth is to find that somebody has done something wrong, without question. The populace in general knows this, and because of this are afraid to speak up, are afraid (rightfully so) they will lose their job, their standing, their friends.
Of course there is saving grace……there is true repentance. And as I’ve been told and hopefully learning from last night there is power in lack, there is power in dependance, just have to depend upon what is truth, love and joy…..
TGBTG
We have a governor? What, where, when?
Any judge, like this one, that holds up a sign that says “Don’t you fools realize I am an inept judge and must be removed immediately before I release more dangerous criminals to hurt innocents,” and has not been removed, we are the ones that are inept.
The young woman on the train in Charlottesville, SC was murdered the other day by a repeat offender. He was released I believe multiple times by the same judge who profited from the half way house where he resided. Media was silent about this murder until the video was released by the transit authority who equipped cameras in their trains. Some pundits are now calling this right wing racist reporting. Really? How on earth can people fall for this?
And these losers aren’t even afraid of police officers…..wait until Communist Mamdani gets elected as mayor in NYC where crime has already been a major problem for years under democrat leadership. Once the police there are totally disappeared (gangsta slang there that democrats seem to enjoy using within their propaganda campaigns) and his social workers descend upon the city & active crime scenes wielding no weaponry whatsoever!
If you like horror shows, just wait until January 2026….
Rehabilitative justice without retributive justice results in impotent to zero justice. The scales are so far out of balance in Vermont, deterrence has gone out the window.
If we didn’t know any better, it would appear that many of our legislators, prosecutors, and judges are intentionally creating chaos and increased danger to public safety with their woke and wimpy ideologies and decisions.
Here we go again! How about Vt goes the way of many other states by having the voters elect the judges, not the good old boy network that promotes their own from within the pool of lawyers they promote. This is a system with no input from the taxpayers who are the ones that foot the bill and ultimately pay again by the violence inflicted upon them.
Unfortunately in modern-day Vermont, elected judges would all still be moonbats, like they are now. Look at the twice-elected State’s Attorney of Chittenden County…we can’t seem to get rid of her despite her attestation that “incarceration is obsolete”.
Thank you Chief Vail – I very much appreciate a public safety officer speaking up for public safety. If only City Hall, the State House, and the top floor of the Pavillion would listen and take action, rather than pander and watch our communities descend into madness. They see it and they ignore it. A clear violation of the public Trust and their oaths. A clear and present danger to public health and safety. They could take executive action, yet they don’t. Why? The big over-arching question that will never be answered with any honestly or ethical fortitude.
In Barre City, a few influential, seated and selected officials are more concerned about raising taxes, raising fees, securing grants for pet projects and more development. The truth is people are leaving Barre City, others are trapped under debt yokes, and housing prices are an abomination. Their answer is to keep smearing lipstick on the pig. Others claim we must vote harder to topple Sodom and Gomorrah.
I recall the grisly stories former Barre City Chief Trevor Whipple related back in 2004 – during the time a young lady, Tara Stratton, was brutally murdered in 2003 among other heinous acts against children, and drug issues all over the city. Here we are 22 years later – the death and destruction is much worse because those selected choose to whistle past our grave yards rather than do their job to protect our communities – what is the real root cause of the criminality going on here and why are they getting away with it?
Thank you, Chief Vail. Many of us appreciate our devoted law enforcement and do not take you for granted. I wave at police now, to express my gratitude. I wouldn’t want their job for twice the pay, given the risks, aggravation, and BS bureaucracy they must endure. Burlington is a disgrace because it has elevated crime, nudity, gang members, and illegals above public safety WHILE defunding and disparaging police. Please protect Barre from this sinister ideology that leaves children, women, and law-abiding citizens vulnerable and targets police unjustifiably. Perhaps we should have a new slogan: “APAB: All Progressives Are Bad.” I bet they would whine about stereotyping and how they merely seek “justice” for marginalized fentanyl dealers!