by VDC staff

The Vermont State Police is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred Thursday night in Springfield.

According to authorities, the incident took place at about 9:30 p.m. Aug. 21 on Valley Street between Common Street and Elm Terrace. Officers with the Springfield Police Department and deputies from the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department were on the scene when the shooting happened.

A man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured.

Valley Street is a frequent crime scene in Springfield. Located in Windsor County and formerly a thriving mill town, Springfield in recent years has had a particularly intense drug abuse and trafficking problem.

In keeping with state protocol, the Vermont State Police has taken the lead in investigating the circumstances of the shooting. Detectives with the Major Crime Unit, the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and the Crime Scene Search Team are all involved in the case.

The identity of the officers involved will be released after 24 hours, police said. The name of the deceased man is being withheld pending notification of family members and additional investigation.

Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to both the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Windsor County State’s Attorney’s Office for independent reviews of the use of deadly force.

Anyone with information that could assist investigators is asked to call the Vermont State Police Westminster Barracks at 802-722-4600 or submit an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

Police said no further information is available at this time, but updates will be provided as the case develops.

Feature photo from Windsor County Sheriff’s Dept. Facebook page.