Timely help prevents worse outcome, police say
By Michael Bielawski
An officer of the Burlington Police Department was severely punched in the head at the intersection of Church Street and Main Street at about 1:30 in the morning on Friday, July 26. He may have suffered a concussion.
The assaulted officer was out along with a female Community Service Officer – which is an unarmed officer – as they were on foot patrol together.
The man they encountered was Michael Gbenusola, 41. He was initially observed leaning against a wall on the north side of Main Street. Both officers were in uniform and near a fully marked police car.
The release notes why it is important that officers be on street patrol especially late on a busy Friday night. It states, “Performing foot patrol and standing post at this site is a key lawful duty for police officers, given the fact that violence and disorder have been recurring concerns at the location and at this time of day (i.e., weekend bar closing).”
The officers then saw Gbenusola walking south on Church Street, He is described as “yelling at nobody in particular, stating in sum and substance ‘these [racial epithets] have nothing on me, they ain’t [expletive].’”
The release continues that Gbenusola “approached the police officer aggressively, pounding his own chest with both fists.”
The officer then asked if the man was OK. Then came the violent attack.
“Gbenusola responded with profanity and then, unprovoked and without hesitation, violently punched the officer in the head/face with such force that it physically injured the officer and knocked him backwards,” the report states.
Witnesses including the woman CSO and a nearby male CSO as well as a security camera saw Gbenusola “aggressively pursuing the officer” as he was evading the assault. The officer gave a strong verbal command that Gbenusola stop, which he ignored and postured to strike again the officer again.
Despite the dramatic blow, the officer was still able to draw his taser and use it to stop the next attack. However, it did not “create the neuromuscular incapacitation, or bodily lockup, that a fully effective CEW deployment can create” meaning the man was still able to move and was potentially still dangerous.
Then timely armed help arrived. The release continues, “Fortunately additional officers quickly arrived on scene.” They were able to prevent Mr. Gbenusola from continuing his assault. The officer “had suffered a significant head injury with signs of concussion.”
The officer was transported to UVM Medical Center where he was evaluated for “possible traumatic brain injury.”
Police noted the video may be available, VDC may add it once it is obtained.
Multiple failures to appear in court
As is often the case in Chittenden Couty, when Gbenusola’s record was looked up it was revealed that he has a lengthy record. This includes three failures to appear in court, six violations of conditions of release or court orders, and six felony charges, one resulting in a conviction.
There are another two assaultive crime charges, one of them resulting in a conviction.
The report concludes, “Mr. Gbenusola has an extensive history of violence in Vermont and a criminal history out of New York. Mr. Gbenusola was lodged at Northwest Correctional Facility and held without bail.”
This news comes after a Burlington Police report recently highlighted that 93% of those who have violated a conditions of release order under Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George have been released.
The same report noted that the department continues to struggle with dealing with record rates of crime with just about half the officers the department typically has had through most of the previous decade.
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle