By Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First

A Montpelier fugitive is facing multiple felony charges after South Burlington Police said he stole a truck, led officers on a chase, broke into a South Burlington home and held a knife to the throat of an elderly woman.

Two police officers, who helped rescue the Brewer Parkway resident from the knife-wielding burglar, were also treated at the hospital for stab wounds, Police Chief Shawn Burke said.

Shannon F. Edwards, 39, who was on escape status from the Vermont Department of Corrections, pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to seven felonies, including three counts of aggravated assault. He also denied two misdemeanor charges during his arraignment from his hospital room at UVM Medical Center.

Judge Michael Harris ordered that Edwards remain held without bail.

South Burlington Officer Caleb Moore and Burlington Detective Cpl. Eric Kratochvil were slashed during the Monday night arrest, which was made with help from South Burlington Cpl. Darren Beers as they wrestled the knife away to save the woman, court records show.

“There were some very brave actions by officers,” Burke said about the life-saving efforts during the random attack.

He said the 74-year-old victim, identified in court papers as Regina F. Mushabac, also was fortunate. The probable cause affidavit to charge Edwards includes color pictures of the three injured victims and the folding knife.

“I have a hostage,” Edwards screamed when Moore called out to him upon entering the back door at the Brewer Parkway home about 7:30 p.m..

“I will kill her. I will kill her. I will kill her,” Edwards is captured yelling at Moore on his body worn police camera, Detective Martin Maloney said.

Police said Mushabac reported she had been immediately attacked when Edwards forcibly entered her home. He then knocked the elderly woman, who has Parkinson’s Disease, to the floor and threw her head to the ground causing a large bruise to her face, police reported.

Mushabac also received a cut to her right cheek, a cut to her chest and injuries to her knees and a right knuckle, Maloney said in court papers.

The detective then tells of the dramatic rescue.

“Ofc. Moore and Det. Kratochvil rush Edwards and try to control the knife. Body worn camera shows Det. Kratochvil using his arm to shield Mushabac as Edwards repeatedly slashes the knife toward her, Det. Kratochvil and Ofc. Moore,” Maloney wrote.

“Edwards continues to violently assault (the three victims), including kicking and thrashing at them. Officers ultimately free Mushabac from Edwards grasp and evacuate her from the room,” Maloney said.

He said Moore and Kratochvil “can be seen continuing to wrestle with Edwards who still has the knife. Ofc. Moore ultimately secures the knife, grabbing the sharp edge and prying it away from Edwards to end (the) violent encounter,” Maloney wrote.

Burke said Edwards is well known to law enforcement as a career criminal.

Edwards had been on the run from authorities since at least July 10 when he violated the terms of his Washington County furlough that had put him back into the community, police said. His criminal history in just Vermont includes 18 felony arrests with 10 felony convictions, the chief said. Edwards also has amassed 31 misdemeanor arrests that netted him 15 misdemeanor convictions, Burke reported.

Edwards also has faced 12 cases of violations of judicial orders or conditions of release resulting in 4 convictions, police said.

Barre Probation and Parole reported him on escape status two weeks ago.

The latest incident began about 5:25 p.m. Monday when South Burlington Police responded to Hannaford Drive off Shelburne Road for reports of a disturbance near a homeless encampment near the Tesla dealership. Officers located a man wanted for an unrelated aggravated domestic case.

As South Burlington Police took him into custody, the man reported that Edwards had threatened him and others with a machete while in the adjacent wooded area, Maloney said.

Investigating officers learned Edwards had an active arrest warrant from July 15 in Washington County for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, assault and robbery with injury, larceny from a person, and reckless endangerment – all based on a Vermont State Police investigation.

Officers set a perimeter and began a search with help from UVM and Burlington Police and a Colchester Police K-9. Edwards was located further south at the Champlain Water District Facility on Queen City Park Road.

Police tried to detain Edwards, but they were hampered by a large fence, Burke said.

Officers lost sight of Edwards during which time he confronted a Champlain Water District employee and stole a white taxpayer-owned pickup, the chief said.

Police said they were able to successfully deploy a tire deflation device as Edwards drove the stolen taxpayer-owned truck toward the officers at a high rate of speed while fleeing the CWD property.

Edwards continued to drive the stolen truck onto Shelburne Road, then into the Brewer Parkway residential neighborhood in a reckless manner, Burke said. During his attempt to escape, Edwards drove the truck on a pedestrian/bike path at a high rate of speed and drove against traffic into the residential neighborhood, Maloney said.

Edwards abandoned the stolen truck on Brewer Parkway and entered a private residence, where he violently assaulted the 74-year-old homeowner and held her at knifepoint, Burke said. A caregiver was uninjured.

Moore and Beers for South Burlington Police and Kratochvil for Burlington entered the residence and they could hear the victim screaming. The officers were immediately confronted by Edwards holding the homeowner against her will at knifepoint stating he was going to kill her, Burke said.

“The officers bravely took actions to free the female hostage and disarm Edwards. Edwards fought the officers violently before he was subdued and handcuffed,” Burke said.

The victim sustained significant cuts to her face and neck during the struggle in addition to bruises she sustained to her head and knee during the initial confrontation with Edwards, police said.  She was taken to the hospital, but was home resting on Tuesday.

Due to Edwards actions, Kratochvil, the Burlington detective, sustained a deep cut to his left bicep that required multiple sutures to close, while Moore, the South Burlington officer sustained a cut to his left index finger that required multiple sutures, police said.

Edwards received a cut on his face and complained of a stomach pain, police said.

Judge Kate Gallagher, newly appointed by Gov. Phil Scott, ordered Edwards jailed without bail overnight pending his court arraignment on Tuesday.

Besides the aggravated assaults on the woman and two injured police officers, Edwards is charged with unlawful restraint of Mushabac, burglary into her residence while armed with a deadly weapon, attempting to elude police and aggravated operation of a stolen vehicle — all felony counts.

He also denied resisting arrest and unlawful trespass into a CWD truck — both misdemeanors.