Editor’s note: This article in by Domenic Poli of the Brattleboro Reformer, in which it was first published April 4, 2014.
BRATTLEBORO — A man was shot dead by police Friday morning as authorities attempted to execute a court-ordered search warrant in Room 301 at the America’s Best Inn at 959 Putney Road, state police said.
According to Vermont State Police, the search warrant was obtained as part of an ongoing drug investigation and, during the initial entry of the room, a Brattleboro Police officer fired his weapon and struck the man at roughly 5:40 a.m. VSP has stated rescue personnel were staged nearby and immediately responded to the scene, where the man was pronounced dead. His identity is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin. The name of the officer who fired the fatal shot is also being withheld.
According to a news release, state police got a call from the Brattleboro Police Department regarding a shooting at the lodging facility. Detectives with the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and troopers from the Brattleboro Barracks responded and began an investigation at the request of Brattleboro Police. Members of the Crime Scene Search Team also responded to process the scene.
The deceased was reportedly set to be brought to the Vermont Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington for a post-mortem exa
According to information from the Town Manager’s Office, the Vermont State Police are investigating, as mandated by statewide protocol. Members of the Brattleboro Police Department are at the scene as well and the State Police had a K9 unit there. Authorities had no more information at around 9:15 a.m.
A portion of the hotel’s parking lot has been cordoned off.
Windham County State’s Attorney Tracy Kelly Shriver could not confirm if there were any deaths or injuries from the incident, but around noon said a news conference would be held “later.”
It was business as usual in the area surrounding the crime scene, as passers-by and vehicles went on about their day. A woman at the front desk of the hotel said she had no comment for the Reformer.