Shooting in Cambridge

[Chris Santee]

STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE

PRESS RELEASE
Burglary Suspect Located, Officer-Involved Shooting in Cambridge

Colonel Tom L'Esperance, Director Vermont State Police

Cambridge, VT - 4/30/12 - Today April 30, 2012 at 12:18 PM the Vermont State Police responded to a request from the Lamoille County Sheriff's Department to "be on the lookout" for a suspect, and the suspect's vehicle, that was involved in a residential burlgary in Johnson, Vermont earlier in the day. The vehicle was pursued after the burglary incident, but the suspect eluded deputies. Troopers from the Williston Barracks responded to the area to assist in the search for the suspect vehicle, a black Jetta with Florida plates.

At approximately 12:33 PM deputies and troopers in the vicinity of Route 15 in Cambridge received a report that the vehicle was on Westman Road in Cambridge. Troopers located the vehicle a short time later on Iron Gate Road. The vehicle was unoccupied. Troopers began setting up a perimeter and deployed a K9 unit to track the suspect.

At approximately 12:45 PM the suspect was located, a trooper discharged his duty weapon, and the suspect sustained injury. An ambulance responded immediately and the suspect was transported to Fletcher Allen Medical Center. The suspect died while enroute to the hospital.

In accordance with Vermont State Police protocol state police detectives from outside of the troop area were called in to investigate the incident. The Vermont State Police Crime Scene Search Team was called and is processing the scene. The suspect will be transported to the Office of the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy to verify the cause and manner of death. The investigation is happening in cooperation with the Lamoille County State's Attorney's Office, as well as the Attorney General's Office.

The suspect will not be named pending notification of next of kin.

The trooper involved in the shooting will not be named, at this time, for officer safety reasons. The trooper was immediately placed on administrative leave, with pay, per policy.

Once the investigation is completed the case will be reviewed by the Vermont Attorney General's Office, as is customary in an officer-related shooting.

When more information becomes available, an updated press release will be issued.

[Chris Santee]

elsewhere in Vermont................

STATE OF VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:Unlawful Trespass into an Occupied Dwelling, Possession of Marijuana and Driving License Suspended.

CASE #:12A301784
TROOPER:Schneider                    STATION:Middlesex
 CONTACT#:229-9191
DATE/TIME:4/30/12, 1326hrs

LOCATION (specific):Eagle Ledge Road in the town of Worcester
VIOLATION:Unlawful Trespass into an Occupied Dwelling, Possession of Marijuana and Driving license Suspended
ACCUSED:Keith Capron
AGE:45
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE:Berlin, VT

VICTIM:Joy Seadeek
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE:Worcester, VT

SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:
On April 30, 2012 at approximately 1326hrs, the Middlesex State Police Dispatch Center received a call from Joy Seadeek who advised an individual was trying to break into her residence located on Eagle Ledge Road in the town of Worcester.
While Sgt. Carbo, Sgt. LeBlanc, Trp. Partin and Trp. Schneider were en route they were advised that the individual had left the residence and was operating a gray dodge truck with a ladder rack.  Sgt. Carbo was able to locate and stop the vehicle on Worcester Road.  The operator was identified as Keith Capron who was criminally suspended.
While at the roadside Capron ran into the woods but was catch a short distance away by Trp. Schneider.  When Capron was searched he was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana.
It was determined that Capron was attempting to force his way into the Seadeek's residence by using a tool to unlock the back door.
Capron was lodged at the Chittenden County Correction Center and bail was set for $1,500 dollars.  Capron was ordered to appear in court on 5.11.12.

[Chris Santee]

Vermont State Police gave the following Press Release Tuesday at 2:00pm regarding the Cambridge incident:

STATE OF VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE

PRESS RELEASE
Suspect and Trooper Identified in Cambridge Incident, Autopsy Still Pending

Colonel Tom L'Esperance, Director Vermont State Police

Cambridge, VT - 5/1/12 - At a press conference today, Tuesday May 1st, Colonel Tom L'Esperance announced the identity of the suspect from yesterday's officer involved shooting in Cambridge, Vermont. Jonathan Martel, age 40 from Stowe, was the suspect wanted in connection to a burglary call that occurred yesterday at 5 Sargent Drive, Johnson, Vermont. Martel subsequently died as a result of injuries sustained from a gunshot wound.

Detectives with the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations responded to the incident to conduct a thorough investigation. Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned the following:

Deputies from the Lamoille County Sheriff's Department responded to a report of a burglary, that was called in by the property owner's son. The son, Joseph Carpenter, witnessed a black Jetta with Florida plates pull into his father's residence on Sargent Drive. Joseph Carpenter was about to enter the residence, confronted Martel, and then Martel quickly left the scene in the black Jetta. Based on the report, sheriff deputies tracked down the suspect vehicle to Route 15, traveling west. Deputies entered into a pursuit with the suspect vehicle down Route 15 and lost sight of the fleeing vehicle near Pumpkin Hill Road and Route 15 at approximately 12:18 PM.

Lamoille County Sheriff deputies requested assistance from the Vermont State Police to locate the suspect vehicle. Responding to the area, troopers received a report at approximately 12:33 PM from a resident on Westman Road in Cambridge reporting a suspicious black vehicle in a neighbor's driveway. Troopers and deputies responded to the area and found the suspect's vehicle abandoned on Iron Gate Road. Using a Vermont State Police K9 unit, a trooper and Chittenden County Sheriff's deputy began tracking the suspect into the woods. While another responding trooper began setting up a perimeter from a private road, St. Pauli Hafenstrabe Rd.

While setting up a perimeter search for Martel in the woods from St. Pauli Hafenstrabe Rd., Senior Trooper Dustin Robinson came across the suspect at approximately 12:45 PM. Trooper Robinson ordered Martel repeatedly to stop and to show his hands. Martel had his back to Trooper Robinson and was fidgeting with his waistband. Martel then then quickly turned around in a shooters type stance, pointing a metallic object in Trooper Robinson's direction.

Trooper Robinson, believing the object was a gun, fired seven rounds towards Martel from his .40 caliber duty weapon. Martel then moved out of sight, down a knoll. Trooper Robinson reaches the top of the knoll and sees Martel again. Trooper Robinson issues further verbal commands to stop and show his hands. Martel again takes a shooters type stance pointing the metallic object in Trooper Robinson's direction. Still believing it is a gun Trooper Robinson fires a single round and then takes cover behind a tree. Trooper Robinson then sees Martel fall to the ground.

Trooper Robinson immediately rendered medical assistance to Martel, and called for an ambulance. Trooper Robinson noticed that Martel was holding a cell phone and asked Martel why he pointed it at him. Martel responded, "I wanted to die."

Martel was transported to Fletcher Allen Medical Center, but died while enroute to the hospital as a result of his injuries.

At the scene, a cell phone was located and collected as evidence. It is believe that the cell phone is the object Martel pointed at Trooper Robinson. A weapon has not been recovered at the scene, at this time.

The autopsy report for Martel is not yet complete and is pending further examination. However on cursory examination, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reports the projectile's entry wound as being in the lower back. A ballistic analysis will be conducted by the Vermont Forensic Laboratory when the projectile is recovered from Martel's body.

Through several interviews, detectives also learned that Martel had been suicidal for several weeks.

Senior Trooper Robinson, age 31, was hired by the Vermont State Police on January 12, 2009 and is currently assigned to the Traffic Safety Operations, North, with his drug detection K9. Trooper Robinson remains on paid administrative leave, as is customary in an officer-related shooting.

It is still unclear if anything was stolen during the burglary on Sargent Drive; however Lamoille County Sheriff's Department is still investigating the incident.

The Lamoille County Sheriff's Department cruiser that was damaged yesterday occurred while the deputy was responding to the incident. No one was injured.

"We will await the completion of the investigation and the review from Lamoille County State's Attorney's Office and the Attorney General's before drawing any conclusions about yesterday's events," said Colonel L'Esperance. "The vital decision to use deadly force is something that will stay with our trooper, throughout his career. And we will provide support to our member, as needed."

The investigation is on-going and when more information becomes available, an update will be issued.