Vt. police: Man angry about arrest used tractor truck to crush 7 police cars

[MikeG]

Vt. police: Man angry about arrest used tractor like monster truck to crush 7 cop vehicles - Yahoo! News

No one was hurt. I hope this guy has insurance or money to reimburse the county.

After that, there are some humorous gems in article.

Working in a stout former bank building with windows closed and air conditioners humming, Orleans County sheriff's deputies didn't know what was happening in their parking lot until a neighbour called 911.

At least two deputies had gone inside a few moments before after washing their vehicles, officials said.

A man on a big farm tractor, angry about his recent arrest for resisting arrest and marijuana possession, was rolling across their vehicles — five marked cruisers, one unmarked car and a transport van.

By the time they ran outside, the tractor was down the driveway and out onto the road.

With their vehicles crushed, "We had nothing to pursue him with," said Chief Deputy Philip Brooks.

Vermont State Police said in a statement that Pion would face seven counts of felony unlawful mischief, one count of misdemeanour unlawful mischief, one count aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, one count of gross negligent operation, and one count of leaving the scene of an accident.

Not only were their roofs and hoods caved in, but "the radios are ruined, the radar detectors, the cages in the cars ... We're going to have to get the jaws of life up here to pry the trunks open and see about the rifles and shotguns," Martin said.

I know it's not funny, but all I could picture was Napoleon Dynamite running into the parking lot surveying the damage, watching the tractor escape at tractor speed and saying "Dang!".

And some teenager calling in the 911 call: "Operator: 911, what's your emergency? caller: umm, well, I don't know if you know this or not but, like, there's some dude in your parking lot and he's, like, driving all over your police cars with, like, this tractor or somethin'. It looks like it's on purpose or, like, he's angry about somethin'. I first thought it was, like, this freak accident with maybe some, like, runaway farm vehicle or somethin' but after like the fifth or sixth police car, this wasn't, like, an accident."

The article left something out if they charged agg assault on LEO. They also glossed over the other half of the department that was out on patrol so I doubt the lack of pursuit was very long.

Still, I chuckled at the "and one count of leaving the scene of an accident." Just imagining Samuel's avatar Buford T. Justice at the press conference announcing all the charges and that last one with jaw clenched. Also, pictured him yelling at the tractor as it crawls away "I saw that, you sombitch! You did that on purpose! You're going away till you're gray! I got the evidence! "

[retdetsgt]

Insurance doesn't pay for intentional damage. Maybe the county will sue and get a judgment against him. Tractors are pretty expensive, maybe they'll take his.

[MikeG]

Insurance doesn't pay for intentional damage. Maybe the county will sue and get a judgment against him. Tractors are pretty expensive, maybe they'll take his.

I'd bet he's already forfeited it. That may be Monday's PPV.

[retdetsgt]

It seemed like such a good idea at the time though.

[rwreagan]

I'd bet he's already forfeited it. That may be Monday's PPV.

Ill bet someone's career is In trouble, probably now have a parking lot watch 24/7 that's gotta be about 130K worth of cars. I guess someone's walking foot beats for now.

[MikeG]

It seemed like such a good idea at the time though.

I was surprised not to see DUI in the list. Usually it takes something extra to kick the stupidity up a notch. All of this apparently escalated over a marijuana possession charge into resisting arrest into one man wrecking crew. How bad could the Marijuana laws be in Vermont to go apeshiat like that? I'd love to see the story on the initial MJ charge and if he POP'd his way into an actual arrest with attitude.

No DUI and that long drive in the tractor to think about it. Still looked like a good idea when he got there. Temporary insanity due to the "crazy weed?". I wonder what the defense will be?t

[rwreagan]

Did some more reading. The tractor belonged to the suspects parents, not the suspect.

also the tragic humor is that, the county never arrested him, the police in the nearest city did, so for facing 7 felony counts he didn't even jack up the right agency!

[MikeG]

$50,000 bail for Vermont man accused of crushing police cars — Nation — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine

Nearest city police tried to stop him and he started backing the tractor towards them. Apparently he didn't make contact but the officers had to flee their vehicles in fear for their safety and that's where the agg assault comes from. The guys lawyer is trying to get the assault charge dropped because there was no battery.

Some more gems (Greg will appreciate that they are still able to make arrests). And a video interview had a little bit of a smile on the deputies face so I think they are seeing some of the humor in a ridiculous situation. It was Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at Fenway.

Converging city and state police and county sheriffs then surrounded Pion and ordered him from the tractor at gunpoint. He was found to be carrying a loaded pistol, authorities said. Sheriff’s deputies got there in a borrowed civilian vehicle.

Chief Deputy Philip Brooks marveled that the rifle, shotgun and other items stored in his cruiser’s trunk were unharmed. “Even my hat held its shape,” he said.

Sheriff Kirk Martin said in an interview at the county courthouse that he was in Boston, preparing to attend a Red Sox game on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at Fenway Park, when he got word of the vehicular carnage back home. He hurried back north, with New Hampshire and Vermont State Police escorting him.

Martin missed the game, in which Boston lost to the Minnesota Twins, 5-0. “Even watching them lose yesterday would have been better” than what he came home to, he said.

[retdetsgt]

I guess someone's walking foot beats for now.

Contrary to popular belief, that's a prized assignment.

[MikeG]

The tractor. They cost $130k.

Vermont farmer goes CRAZY, smashes 7 police vehicles with massive

Brooks is the guy that mentioned his hat was okay in the trunk. I like him already.

Orleans County Chief Deputy Sheriff Phil Brooks described the tractor as really big, really red" and added that "it looked like an army tank."

Police initially tried to stop Pion by laying a tack strip across the road, said Wells, having no effect on the giant tractor's solid rubber wheels. ("Dang!") Cops eventually brought the low-speed chase to a halt a mile from the Sheriff's office.

Despite the destruction of half of the department's vehicles, Brooks' sense of humor remained. He mentioned that it was a good thing they had recently moved to a bigger office with a bigger parking lot - "big enough for a giant tractor to fit."

Also, when asked about how Pion was apprehended, Brooks replied that he "was not involved with the actual apprehension of him, obviously we had no vehicles left to apprehend him."

[Joel.R]

I think I may have failed to mention that I live in Vt. but I'm from NY in my hello post, just going to go ahead and throw that out there now!!!

If he had put any thought in this I think he would have found he should've run his own vehicle over since HE was the one with the Marijuana and HE was the one to resist arrest. Just like "Two Gun" Crowley who wrote, "Under my coat is a weary heart, but a kind one-one that would do nobody any harm."- (shortly after killing a Long Island police officer that was attempting to check his license.) They still didn't think that they were the bad guys here! People are really unbelievable sometimes.

[retdetsgt]

The hell with gun control, we need tractor control!

[ET109]

Contrary to popular belief, that's a prized assignment.

Not with me....

[retdetsgt]

Not with me....

We used to have a walking beat downtown, it was a kick to work and hard to get.

[ET109]

Yeah I guess it depends on where you work. Here it's hot and crowded, so bikes are preferred, followed by cars.