Man shot by Vermont State Police officer outside his Orange home – NECN

A man was shot and killed by a Vermont state trooper outside a home in Orange on Wednesday, police said.
State police said an investigation is ongoing.

The man was shot at around 1:25 p.m. and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

State police said a trooper stationed at Berlin Barracks responded to a 911 call on Spencer Road in Orange and found a man unconscious in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. Suspecting drug use, the trooper called 911 and asked that emergency personnel be dispatched to the scene because of a possible overdose. The trooper also noticed a sawed-off shotgun in the vehicle next to the man.

The officer attempted to speak to the man and he regained consciousness. After repeated commands from the officer, the man eventually exited the vehicle. A struggle then ensued between the man and the officer as the officer attempted to retrieve the shotgun from the vehicle.

During the altercation, the officer fired his weapon, hitting and killing the man, police said.

Police said they have tentatively identified the man as a central Vermont resident in his early 40s. His name will be released after his identity is confirmed, an autopsy is performed and relatives are notified.

The officer involved was not injured but was taken to a hospital for evaluation as a precaution, police said. The officer’s name will be released Thursday, the day after the shooting, according to the police report. According to standard procedure, he was placed on “paid release status.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.