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Saluted along the 65-mile caravan
By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First. Photo by Dana Gray, Caledonian-Record.
ST. JOHNSBURY — St. Johnsbury Police Capt. D. Jason Gray, who officials say was struck by two shotgun blasts fired by a convicted felon during a domestic abuse call, returned home to a hero’s welcome on Wednesday evening.
Gray, who had spent five days at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. for his serious injuries, received a police escort for the lengthy trip home.
There were sirens sounding and blue lights flashing on many of the more than two dozen police vehicles that passed by the St. Johnsbury Public Safety Building on Main Street.
Police administrators across Vermont and New Hampshire got only about 90 minutes notice about the 65-mile procession that began near the Interstate exit for Hanover, N.H..
Even the ongoing rain could not dampen the joy coming from the caravan, which was captured on videos posted to several social media accounts.
The Caledonian-Record newspaper reported Gray arrived home with family members, including his wife Holly, and friends. Gray offered a few words.
A picture of Gray at his kitchen table by Cal Rec Editor Dana Gray showed a right black eye — the results of some of the shotgun pellets striking his throat and neck area.
Capt. Gray told the newspaper he is unable to see out of his right eye and his vision is blurry in his left eye. He also sustained a collapsed lung, possibly from the impact on his bullet-proof vest.
Asked how many pellets of birdshot struck him, Capt. Gray said, “I don’t know. They told me they stopped counting after 40,” the newspaper reported.
Gray was one of four St. Johnsbury Police officers that responded to 261 Portland St. about 4:30 p.m. last Friday for a domestic abuse complaint by a repeat offender, court records show.
Gray had climbed the stairs to a second-floor apartment and was blasted with a .410-gauge shotgun, police said. Gray had been at the scene for five seconds. Prosecutors maintain the shooting was premeditated.
Officer Jasmine Hendry, who was behind him on the stairs, later rushed Gray to Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital a few miles away not wanting to wait for an ambulance. He was soon airlifted to Dartmouth Hitchcock.
The shooting suspect, Scott Mason, 38, of St. Johnsbury is believed to have fled out an open window onto the roof of a garage where police found footprints.
Police searched several residences over the next 33 hours as Mason remained elusive, but investigators struck gold on a tip that led to a search warrant early Sunday.
State police obtained the search warrant for 251 Portland Street — the residence next door to the shooting scene after a local man reported he had seen Mason in a first-floor apartment about 11 p.m. Saturday.
State and St. Johnsbury Police, along with deputy sheriffs surrounded the residence and a loudspeaker was used to urge Mason to surrender peacefully.
A half dozen people, who were in the apartment and denied Mason was inside, came out first, police said. They were identified and released without any charges as the investigation continues.
Investigators told Mason they would be sending in a K-9 if he did not come out. The career criminal filed out, but not before damaging a state police drone being used to monitor the dangerous situation, police said.
Mason pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court on Monday afternoon to a litany of charges, including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
Mason also is facing a habitual offender designation in both Caledonia County and in an unrelated case in Essex County. At the time of the shooting, Mason was wanted for his third failure to appear in court in the last year in a case involving 26 forgery charges. He had pleaded not guilty to those 26 felonies and the Habitual Offender designation was added Monday, records show. It carries a possible life sentence as does the attempted murder count.
Mason has a lengthy criminal record, including six felony convictions — two are for aggravated assault in Caledonia County and two are for burglaries in Essex County.
A judge ordered Mason held without bail pending a so-called “Weight of the Evidence” hearing.
Click on the image below to read more VDC headlines and thumbnail descriptions about Vermont’s Public Safety Crisis. In response to reader interest, in 2025 VDC intends to be more active than ever covering Vermont’s criminal justice system, including proposed legislation.
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Categories: Public Safety
Yup, and Charity Clark’s lawyers will prosecute the shotgun to the full extent of the law, and the drug addled perp will go to rehab . And the Caledonia County judge that will hear this case will be ? But enough my non-existent expectations that the Vermont legal system will do the proper thing . I’m glad that Capt. Gray is out of the hospital, and I wish him a full, and speedy recovery, and thank you Sir for your service.
Give the Man a medal, for going above and beyond the call, and then throw this POS that shot him in the slammer for attempted murder……………….
But Vermont’s AG will file a suit against the shotgun manufacturer because it’s all their fault………………………Wake up people, you vote these inept clowns in !!
The victim is lucky that it was not a slug or buckshot. This is why you do not use 410 birdshot in your judge revolver for self defense. This is a poor educational example.
as I understand it, some criminals mistakenly think that shotgun ammo is more deadly by the number of the shot such as #9 birdshot is better than 00 buckshot
Mine is loaded with 2 buckshot rounds if that don’t do the trick we move to the.45 option
Very thankful to Mike Donoghue and Caledonian-Record editor Dana Gray for telling this story. VDC will be more focused on public safety than ever in 2025.
Why are these felons allowed to skirt the legal system. Every one of these recent cases shows that the courts and the prosecutors are not taking these dangerous people off the streets and roads all over the state. Instead of wasting time and money on the ridiculous idea that Vermont has to much carbon they should be reducing the criminal element by putting them behind bars. Where is the money for corrections?Where is the money for a real prison? Where is the money for the mental health facilities that are so drastically needed? Carbon isn’t as dangerous to our health as these criminals are running amuck with numerous felonies that have been returned to the streets to hurt or kill others. It also demonstrates that gun control doesn’t work for criminals, it only works to disarm people who are not the problem just so the politicians can say they did something. What they really did is ignore the reality that it is criminals causing the problems and criminals could care less how many gun control laws are passed because they are criminals. Are we starting to get it yet? VDC’s focus should highlight every felon that is let go by the courts. The courts, the prosecutors and the legislature are all just as responsible as the thugs doing the crime by not protecting the citizens by allowing these criminals to continue to prey on others. But hey, let’s all worry about the earth while the crime explodes all over Vermont.
Just my two cents, but I’m worried about the 1st degree charge…that might difficult to prove absolutely. Seems to me 2nd would be the better route, I would think that would be an iron clad irrefutable charge and with his lengthy habitual record it should be pretty doable to get him sentenced for life. Just sayin’…why not just do what it takes to get him permanently behind bars and not risk an acquittal because of an unsupportable charge.
Welcome home Captain Gray. This will be a special Christmas for him and his family. Thank God he had the foresight to wear the body armor. I understand that domestic incidents are the calls that Police dread the most. I can understand why. I am hoping that with the new legislature this and other incidents of “catch & release” will be addressed. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be to keep arresting the same people over and over only to have them walk out with a citation. This has to stop. I am so glad he is home and recovering. His family must be so grateful. Thank you for your service sir.
And after all that…retirement!!