by Guy Page
A day before their scheduled participation in Mayor Miro Weinberger’s second Community Forum on Public Safety, workers at a Burlington anti-incarceration organization were terrorized Monday afternoon by a knife-wielding man with a lengthy police history, including missing 13 court dates.
Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform supports drug abuse treatment rather than incarceration for drug crimes, “ending unnecessary incarceration,” and “ending the use of out-of-state prisons,” according to its website and Facebook page.
At about 2:36 pm, BPD dispatchers received calls stating that a man was brandishing a knife in the 109 Bank Street offices of Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform. Dispatchers reported hearing loud yelling in the background and had trouble communicating with the caller.
Responding officers made contact with the suspect at gunpoint, and issued hard commands for him to show his hands. He was taken into custody without incident and a knife was recovered from the ground near his feet.
Jason Casey, 40, of Colchester was arrested for Aggravated Disorderly Conduct and jailed with bail. Police have had hundreds of previous encounters with Casey, among them numerous incidents involving assaults, including assaults on Howard Center workers and incidents where police officers have been injured. He has been involved in more than 20 police encounters in December 2023 so far, including in Barre, Berlin, Essex, Montpelier, South Burlington, and Burlington.
Police said Casey entered the Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform office and engaged in tumultuous, threatening behavior including yelling and making stabbing gestures with a knife. Several employees were ushered away from him into safer rooms while one remained to attempt to de-escalate Casey.
Casey’s criminal history reflects 13 failures to appear. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Police Department at 658-2704.
Jess Kirby, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform will be a panelist at Community Forum Part 2: Substance Use Disorder and Property Crime Tuesday, December 19 from 6 – 7:30 pm at Contois Auditorium, City Hall.
The other scheduled panelists are:
- Commissioner Mark Levine, Vermont Department of Health
- Chief Jon Murad, Burlington Police Department
- Mayor Miro Weinberger
- State’s Attorney Sarah George
- Rachel Jolly, Community Justice Center
- US Attorney Nikolas Kerest.
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