By Michael Bielawski
Some of the latest police reports to come out of the state, Burlington, and other municipal departments include a suspect in multiple robberies was caught, fentanyl is showing up more in other drugs, and an assault suspect is on the loose, and more.
Baseball bat wielding incident at homeless encampment?
The Montpelier Police Department broke up an altercation that took place at an “encampment” within the city. The incident involved a violent person wielding a bat.
The report states that they responded to calls about a physical altercation involving multiple people “at an encampment.” It states, “It was determined one party assaulted other involved parties with a stick. Another party struck and damaged city property with a baseball bat and threatened others with specific bodily harm. All involved displayed violent and tumultuous behavior in a public space.”
2X robbery suspect caught
On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Burlington Police investigators and their emergency response unit arrested Richard Vardenski, 56, of Peabody, Massachusetts. He was wanted for a robbery conviction in Massachusetts as well as a robbery from two days before at the Old North End Variety store on North Winooski Ave.
Assault suspects on the loose
The Burlington Police Department’s Detective Services Bureau is in the process of investigating an assault that happened on Walnut Street and Archibald Street on Aug. 23. There have been four persons of interest identified. BPD has provided photos, and it states that the suspects were “last seen in the area of Dot’s Market in Burlington, leaving the scene in a black Nissan Sentra.”
More fentanyl showing in drugs
The Williston Police Department on their X page shared a post on Tuesday that the synthetic drug fentanyl is showing up more often in other drugs. The repost which originally was by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, states, “#DEA lab testing reveals 7 out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake Rx pills analyzed in 2023 now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. Just 2 mg of fentanyl, a small amount that fits on a pencil tip, is considered a potentially deadly dose. #OnePillCanKill”
102 mph in a posted 65 mph
Police caught a speedster on Interstate 89 North in the Town of Milton. The operator was Evan Charbonneau, 22, of St Albans., he hit 102 mph in a posted 65 mph zone. He had another person in the vehicle, and he was found to be driving with a civilly suspended license.
Police dog training
The Burlington Police Department had an announcement on their Facebook on Thursday that their K9 Max along with Corporal Tyler Kahlig passed their Narcotics Detection and Tracking schools.
The release states, “Corporal Kahlig has put in a tremendous amount of work with K9 Max over the spring and summer – they are shaping up to continue the legacy of Burlington Police K9 teams. Currently, they are in Patrol School working on Building Searches, Officer Protection, Evidence Detection, and Area searches.”
According to an article from PoliceMag.com, K9 units play an essential role in policing. It states, “A police K-9 unit is instrumental in myriad missions, including drug enforcement, search and rescue, fugitive apprehension, and of course, public relations. So when a K-9 is injured or killed, they are treated with nearly as much reverence and respect as when a police officer suffers a similar fate.”
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle.