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Suspected armed robbers may be tried as juveniles
by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First
A South Burlington store clerk, who police said had a gun pointed at him during an armed robbery this month, is facing an aggravated assault charge for shooting at the fleeing robbers.
Domonic Ali-Koarti, 34, of South Burlington is due in Vermont Superior Court on Dec. 5 for the felony charge, police said.
Ali-Koarti was the victim in an armed robbery at the Interstate Shell Store on Williston Road and Dorset Street about 6 p.m. Nov. 5.
Two masked teenagers from Lamoille and Caledonia Counties carried out the armed robbery in the belief they could get $2,000, police said. The teens got to split only $640.
At least one of their cases is headed to juvenile court, while the office of State’s Attorney Sarah George petitioned for the second case also to be held behind closed doors. A judge denied the request for the time being.
August C. Hatch, 16, of Wolcott confronted the store clerk and flashed a gun that turned out to be a BB gun, police said. He pleaded not guilty in adult court on Tuesday to a felony charge of assault and robbery with a weapon for his part in the Election Night robbery.
His accomplice was later interviewed and has been ordered into Vermont Family Court in Burlington to face a juvenile proceeding next month, police said.
The two teens fled the store on foot toward a truck they had parked near Barnes and Noble book store on Dorset Street.
The store clerk has claimed, as he gave chase, two shots were fired at him and he fired 3 or 4 shots back, police said.
Ballistic evidence was recovered at the scene, according to police, who said no injuries were reported.
South Burlington Police said the clerk, Ali-Koarti, has cooperated throughout the investigation. A decision to issue Ali-Koarti a court citation was made because the initial gun threat by the teen had ended and the robbers had fled the store, police said. Ali-Koarti later fired shots, police said. It will be up to George’s office to decide if it will follow through on the court citation or reduce the case to a misdemeanor. It could also be sent to Court Diversion.
Police got a break in the case four days after the robbery when Hatch’s mother said she recognized her son from media reports that showed a photograph of a partially masked robber, court papers note.
Hatch is charged as an adult in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington with using a dangerous weapon to assault and rob a store clerk, according to Deputy State’s Attorney Lucas Collins.
Before the arraignment, Collins filed a motion to try to get the case transferred to Family Court for Hatch to be considered as a Youthful Offender. It would have meant Hatch would have faced a confidential process with very limited consequences as a juvenile due to few state options.
Judge David Fenster rejected the motion during the arraignment Tuesday and ruled the criminal case would remain transparent in adult court for the time being.
South Burlington Police said two young people wearing partial masks, dark pants and hoodies pulled over their heads entered the Interstate Shell Store.
One bandit pointed the handgun at the clerk and demanded money from the cash register, police said. The teens fled with about $640, police said.
Hatch admitted the armed robbery to his parents, who brought him to the Morristown Police Department, records show. Morristown Police Sgt. Cole Charbonneau did a preliminary interview and developed enough information to alert South Burlington Police.
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Categories: Crime
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? VT has lost it’s values not to mention it’s laws! Good GOD! But catch and release and not using the word ‘gang’ is perfectly okay in this state. And pointing a gun at a store clerk and robbing the place is just fine too! I hope the OUTRAGE from Vermonters is so overwhelming you will change your mind and NOT charge this person. But you can release one of those idiots back to the parents. Perfectly fine to rob and point a gun at someone but they can’t run after them and defend themselves whom are in fear of their life. Yeah I know, if you can retreat you MUST according to the illegal law. WE NEED STAND YOUR GROUND LAW IN VT. No wonder it’s turning purple and keep going DEMS/PROGRESSIVES, you will eventually turn it RED!
It’s all OK. This is fine. It’s actually coyotes and fishers that are the true causes of murder and bodily injury in VT.
Any law forbidding the use of overwhelming force in self defense violates 2 Amendments of the Bill Of Rights.
We don’t need a stand your ground law, or any other new laws. A fleeing felon can still be a deadly threat. I don’t know all of the specifics, but this was your beloved POLICE that you love so much and could never do any wrong, that used their discretion to charge this individual, not a politician…
Why aren’t you backing the blue right now? Did you all learn something yet? Just maybe, the violent force of government won’t always be just, or on your side. Is it possible the police are there as a weapon used by the prevailing political perils of the day?
Yes, this is what you get in Blue Vermont, it’s always ” ass backwards ” by the liberals in charge at all levels, they have ” no ” common sense, but then again you elect this inept clowns !!
It’s not the criminal that’s breaking the law, nope, its the store owner that’s the problem…………let that sink in !!
This wasn’t a politician who charged this individual, it was your beloved police discretion at work to keep us safe. Back the blue. Raise taxes to give police a lot more money for killer drones and advanced spying tools please.
How did I know this was going to happen?? When we get tired of thugs that robs us, and return fire, we’re the enemy and the one that imitated it, is the good guy. SMH at the prosecutor in Burlington. We told you this was going to happen due to your lax consciences set forth. It is only the first of many.
We warned you this was going to happen, and eventually it will kill the predator. You might get away with it in the courts but the ones that lose will always be the ones that fight back. Shame you in prosector and DA. This is your mess with catch and release. More to come if you keep with your lax punishments with catch and release. You’re not reaching these criminals anything.
The kid is lucky the store clerk did not recognize it as a BB gun, pull his own gun and shot the kid. Let the police sort that one out.
No one would be questioning whether it was a case of “imminent threat” and if the clerk’s aim was good and ammo suitable, there may be one less junkie regularly robbing stores…
I guess the lesson here is that if you are going to fight back…do it on the premises. Do not give chase and don’t fire a weapon outside of the place being robbed…even if the robber shoots first. So, if you are a clerk in a store being robbed and some little crud points a gun in your face…if you are armed, maybe you should just take him down then and there. I mean, if you are going to get charged with assault anyway… make sure the delinquent threatening you feels some pain first. Watch…someone will whine that the kid had a hard childhood and shouldn’t be charged…and maybe he should even be allowed to keep the money. He’s a good boy, you know, he didn’t understand that it was wrong.
This
This situation brings up what you’re allowed to do vs law enforcement. Why aren’t they the same?
Police would be justified in shooting suspects fleeing a felony with a weapon. But the store clerk can’t? If the clerk feared that they having committed an armed robbery, might use weapon against anyone in their path while fleeing. (Same justification Police would use while using deadly force on armed fleeing suspects) So why should standards and law be applied differently?
I’m just sorry that the clerk missed. Now we have two juvenile delinquents that will be in and out of the court system and a financial burden on us all.
Yeah… whether we like it or not, you can’t claim self defense when the threat is fleeing. 1 minute earlier, different story.
Spot on!
Insane. Another case where the criminals have more rights than the victim, whose property was stolen. Those two punks should have lost all their rights when they tried to rob the store, let alone when they pulled a gun.
The judge would have solved this problem in the store. Shooting outside the store could kill an another person other than the crooks. Not a wise move. JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE VERMONT ZOO.
Obviously, fleeing after an armed robbery situation, BB gun or real firearm notwithstanding, is not a situation of legally-justified “imminent threat” to the clerk under current Vermont law. That is why we need a national set of standards regarding “stand your ground” situations, that are backed up by state statute. Common sense to me means that if someone puts a gun in your face, and you immediately afterward can get the jump on them, you should pretty much be able to shoot them in the back while they flee. Someone who would threaten a store clerk would certainly be expected to similarly threaten another person who may subsequently intervene, and THAT possibility DOES constitute an imminent threat to the general public. One fact is certain, for a criminal who is justifiably killed during an act of violence, their recidivism rate is ZERO PERCENT.
Re: Robbed at gunpoint, store clerk charged with aggravated assault
Aggravated assault? They came in the store to rob him; I think they did the aggravating first. All the actions he took was after a gun was pointed at him. Maybe the legislature should ban BB guns so they can’t be used in the commission of a crime, only real guns should be used.
I’m sure some D/P’s will consider your suggestion!
At least one of their cases is headed to juvenile court, while the office of State’s Attorney Sarah George petitioned for the second case also to be held behind closed doors. A judge denied the request for the time being. SARAH GEORGE, is our problem here, remember her name.