A Rhode Island man has been returned to Vermont to face charges including attempted aggravated murder in connection with his shooting at multiple Vermont State Police troopers last month in Burke.
Brenden Sackal, 30, of Hopkinton, Rhode Island, was discharged earlier this week from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, where he received treatment after being shot multiple times July 14.
The situation began Sunday evening when police in Rhode Island notified law-enforcement authorities in northern New Hampshire and Vermont that Sackal was believed to be traveling in the region and was the subject of an arrest warrant on charges related to possessing illegal high-capacity firearm magazines. Rhode Island police had executed a search warrant Friday, July 12, at Sackal’s home but were unable to locate him.
Sunday night July 14, an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol observed Sackal’s pickup truck in the area of Pittsburg, New Hampshire, and initiated a traffic stop. After briefly pulling over, Sackal drove away, and Border Patrol agents followed him through Stewartstown, New Hampshire, and eventually into Canaan, Vermont.
From Canaan, Sackal continued north on Vermont Route 114, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection used a tire-deflation device on his truck due to concerns that Sackal might try to cross the border into Canada. Sackal then headed south at relatively slow speeds on Route 114 driving on flat tires and rims, followed by Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection and one deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.
Vermont state troopers became involved in the area of Morgan and continued to follow Sackal with their lights and sirens activated. Once in Burke, troopers attempted to bring Sackal’s vehicle to a stop. Video reviewed by investigators shows that Sackal collided with two VSP cruisers and then lost control, with the truck coming to rest on the shoulder and partially in the northbound lane of Route 114 near Pinkham Road in Burke.
During the arrest, the suspect fired a weapon at troopers. Two troopers returned fire, injuring the suspect. Troopers took Sackal into custody and immediately began rendering first aid until rescue crews arrived. No troopers or other individuals were injured in the exchange of gunfire.
The New Hampshire State Police arrested Sackal earlier on a warrant from Vermont. Following his discharge from the hospital, he was taken to jail, appeared Wednesday afternoon in Grafton County District Court in Haverhill and waived extradition.
This week, Vermont state troopers brought Sackal to VSP’s Bradford Outpost for processing before he was jailed without bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield pending arraignment on a host of state charges. His arraignment is scheduled for 11 a.m. today, Aug. 8, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Johnsbury.
The Vermont State Police continues to conduct interviews and analyze evidence related to this incident, in which Sgt. Joshua Mikkola and Trooper Richard Berlandy of the Derby Barracks fired their department-issued weapons. Once detectives complete the investigation, VSP will turn over the case to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the relevant State’s Attorney’s Office for independent reviews of the troopers’ use of force.
Following standard protocol after a critical incident, Sgt. Mikkola and Trooper Berlandy remain on administrative duty status at the barracks pending the independent reviews.