by Guy Page
Video released Monday afternoon, January 15 by the Burlington Police Department shows an attempted murder, with a car as the murder weapon, at the corner of Church and Main streets.
Hamza Velic, 18, of South Burlington was arrested January 12 for first-degree murder.
Thursday, January 11, at about 2:07 AM, BPD dispatchers received a call stating an individual had been hit by a car. Officers responded and contacted the victim, who was transported to the hospital and treated for his injuries. He is not currently hospitalized.
Police say a dark-colored vehicle followed the victim in the vicinity of downtown. The vehicle’s operator made multiple apparent attempts to strike the victim with the vehicle. Eventually the vehicle crossed onto the sidewalk and accelerated into the victim at the intersection of Church Street and Main Street, sending the victim into the air. The vehicle then drove away.
The victim was injured and stunned. After a few moments the victim rose and entered the empty roadway to retrieve items that had been dispersed by the impact. At that point the suspect vehicle returned and, at a high rate of speed,
clipped the victim a second time in the street. The victim fled to the sidewalk. The vehicle returned again and made another, unsuccessful attempt to strike the victim on the sidewalk before fleeing.
On Friday, January 12, BPD officers located the vehicle and arrested Hamza Velic, 18, of South Burlington. Velic was taken into custody and interviewed by investigators. The arresting detective
recommended a charge of first-degree attempted murder owing to the manner in which the suspect allegedly stalked the victim across multiple locations and a span of time, and willfully and deliberately
struck the victim with his vehicle more than once.
A judge ordered the suspect held on $5,000 bail. Mr. Velic is expected to be arraigned on the morning of Tuesday, January 16.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Police Department.
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Categories: Crime
$5,000 bail!,,,,,, what!
Yes, unbelievable.
Unfortunately, only 10% of the ordered bail is required to post bond… $500 and he’s out..
Wow. He was lucky to survive that impact.
I’m guessing Sarah George will reduce it down to speeding and driving on the sidewalk…. Mostly because race.
Have you seen the driver yet?
And she’ll say, “The driver han a green light”. Which he did in the video.
I would assume Sarah George, will let this POS skate, as it was probably a vehicle steering malfunction, and she’ll buy it from his legal council, and then the Judge put a
$5k bond on this clown………..what !!, he was arraigned for attempted murder with
a vehicle……..sounds like another bleeding heart liberal with a robe !!
murder is common in vermont/// nothing to see here folks/// will this be listed as car violence/// this is the new normal///
No one died
The point is he tried to kill somebody. The fact that he failed to do so does not lessen the intent or the systemic crime that has become commonplace in VT compared to previous standards.
Ban cars!
If cars are outlawed, only outlaws will have cars.
Do we know if the weapon used was one of those “assault automobiles” with the scary looking features such as racing stripes, aftermarket exhaust or tinted windows?
If it was a EV, the guy might have been electrocuted.
Ask our pro tem of the senate. He should be on top of this situation, I mean what is with “assault vehicles on the streets of the “queen city”? Baruth must be outraged.
But Sarah George will argue that Mr. Veliic did have the green light and want bail reduced.
And don’t forget the handles, with cutouts for the fingers like a rifle stock, to like, open the doors..!
Was the auto fully automatic?
It was an assault car.
$5000 for 1st degree attempt murder? And will this be looked at as a hate crime? “You reap what you sow”. And Burlington has sown a lot off bad seeds.
can not believe the person that was hit is still alive///released from the hospital///
wait a minute, the car was black so it must be an assault weapon. Where is LaLonda and Baruth??
Say “Thank you” to our States Attorney Susan George for the absolutely asinine five grand bail for deliberate and multiple attempts at first degree murder. I suppose we ought to be grateful that she’s even prosecuting the crime. From the level of crime in Burlington, I’d say that her office can’t be very busy.