another reason to legalize pot - save police vehicles.

I LOVE THIS GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He gets more done than Congress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like the story a couple years ago about the German farmer who used his honey wagon to spray doo-doo all over the front of City Hall.

Doubtful if the PD will recover the losses from this guy ! I mean did you see him? Whoa. Some people ya don't want to piss off.

That is one hell of a tractor. Maybe we should go after Congress in some of these to get their butts moving and get to work.

I started laughing as soon as I read they could not pursue him because he had ran over all of their cars. I'll bet the look on their faces was priceless.

If the guy can use the family tractor to do the damage then the tractor can be sold to pay for the damage. That tractor looks as though it has got some value.

Kaptain Krunch, don't be too impressed. How much taxpayer money do you think is going to be used to replace the destroyed police vehicles?

Chuckle!

100% agreement. Legalize it now. And yeah, this story is very funny. Maybe from now on they will go and arrest real criminals. That is after they get their fleet back in order. And the next farmer should spray cow doo-doo all over their station.

Not sure if they can make the leaving the scene of an accident charge stick... I am thinking it wasn't an accident at all but intentional. I could be mistaken.....lol

KaptainKrunch

I LOVE THIS GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He gets more done than Congress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

uhh, you realize that was a quarter million taxpayer dollars he destroyed? that will now be replaced...for another quarter million....*sigh*

I would not be surprised if we see similar acts of individual civil disobeience in the future. The people of the United States continue to be pushed to the breaking point by those who are meant to serve.

Woooo Hoooo !!!!!

The man was remarked to have yelled as he was destroying the police cars...........

"...and one count of leaving the scene of an accident."

Don't think it was.

This was wrong in that it will cost the taxpayer. However, we the people need more freedom and fewer laws. If congress needs to get something done, it needs to be in the form of reform and fewer fredom robbing laws. Live Free Ameica!

Hope their vehicle insurance was paid up in this "apparent revenge scheme"

I ditto what FRED says

Imagine the resources our PD can say (and conversly the taxpayer) by legalizing drugs?

Not just marijuana but all drugs. Tax them, and use that tax to pay for treatment and incarceration (if they do something ELSE that is illegal while on drugs - like stealing or abusing someone).

I dont care if people want to waste their lives away on drugs...but im tired of warehousing them in prison, and warehousing people who deliver/produce the drugs - they are business people, just like alcohol bootleggers were. Make it legal, let these people do what they are good and be "productive members of society...just like the manufactures of liquor and beer are today (and big pharma who pushes highly addictive pain meds like street dealers).

the consumption of a mind altering substance shouldnt be illegal - though, what you do while inhibited might be.

drunks kill people, but we havent banned booze have we? it's every american's god given right to get wasted...my choice just happens to be pot, instead of booze.

if you drink, dont you even THINK of judging me...we are no different.

How the heck they didn't hear this loud, massive destruction going on, right outside their windows, is beyond me. It took a 911 call to alert them? I know this is serious and response capability was cut in half and it's going to cost a lot to replace the vehicles.....but.....but......this is an absolute laugh riot! Too funny!

Sigh, a few of you guys are ruining what is a good stupid criminal story with politics. Let it rest for a bit. Now, not being able to pursue him, because the cars were damage made me lol'd. Classic!

LMAO-Non Violent Protest and Taking One for the Team.........a true American hero! Roger Pion-we salute you! LOL.......

"Zelda Mae, git yur tamater baskits, yur gunna be busy.

Why is this unexpected? It happened in Vermont after all.

(No, I don't think this guy is representative of every person in Vermont, but with some much despised for whatever totally subjective reason, for some states, a lot of people start bashing them anytime anything negative hits the news, even if its something that occurs in their own state.)

They see me rollin'... they hatin' .... patrolin'.... Trying to catch me ridin' dirty.

I thought Stoners were mellow.

Man made booze, God made pot. Who would you trust

12:40 pm and he was able to run over 8 vehicles individually and repeatedly right in front of the police station.

witness Rene Morris told WCAX. “I just couldn’t believe it. He’s backing up, going over it, turns around, makes his way to the other vehicles smashes those up, did his business and headed right down Route 5.”

Love to know exactly how much time he spent doing this. Evidently he didn't come in at full speed, run over them like a monster truck rally and just run off. Seems like he had a good 5 or 10 minutes at least....right in front of the police station!

Luuucyyy....you got some 'splaining to do!

great now some politician will jump on the bandwagon about how farm tractors are dangerious and want them outlawed

I know that for someone who needs the police, this is a huge problem. Nonetheless, I can't help chuckling!

Rob- Seattle

uhh, you realize that was a quarter million taxpayer dollars he destroyed? that will now be replaced...for another quarter million....*sigh*

If the taxpayers have a problem with it, I suggest they take a bigger stand against the stupid drug policy of the US. It obviously hasn't worked, Marijuana in particular has only become easier and easier to find as years go by. Until then, as always, taxpayers can simply shut up and roll over and take it, like they always do. $250K is paltry in comparison to how they bent over for Wall Street.

This made me laugh 8)

uhh, you realize that was a quarter million taxpayer dollars he destroyed? that will now be replaced...for another quarter million

Rob: So, he made his point at the cost of taxpayers' cash... $250k, roughly. I'd say he worked FAR CHEAPER and with more honesty and integrity than any one of those sleazy politicians who are pilfering our country's coffers!

I am upset and appalled that the police arrested me. How should I react in this situation? Should I be more careful with my drug habits? Should I fight for the legalization of drugs?

WAIT, I KNOW!

I'll piss off the police and government EVEN MORE by running over their cars with my tractor, and I'll be sure to get away with it this time!

I laughed very hard at what happened, don't get me wrong. But this is a prime example of "moron logic" If I get caught in a bad situation, I can "fix" it by doing something even worse to add to my legal problems.

@Inadaze: It actually makes pretty good sense, considering drugs are easier to find in prison than outside. Which is almost laughable, since they're so easy to find outside.

Personally witnessed the aftermath... Hilarious.

Actually if you go the news for that town, the article is hysterical:

http://newportvermontdailyexpress.com/content/pulverized

Just a few tidbits:

drivers and pedestrians alike were distracted by the sight of a 10 1/2 foot high, Case MX 255 Tractor being pursued by police officers, many of whom were on foot.

Inside the station, deputies were not immediately aware of what was going on because of the soundproof nature of the building, until a 911 call came in to alert them that they were under attack in their own parking lot.

Pion was finally apprehended at gunpoint on The Causeway in Newport in front of Passumpsic Bank, where he put the tractor into reverse, causing the pursuit vehicle to take evasive action and cause another minor collision.

I don't know why, but Mr. Pion (and the tractor) are my heroes today!

--And what happens if he is vindicated for the first arrest, because he is a farmer and may actually grow these inside--(not likely outside in Vermont)--Then a 250 K harassment fee/wrong arrest etc would be about right, compared to northern EU standards, so these PD people with a couple of month education, can be put on the spot, instead of just shoot and kill 2-3 people every day in the USA. --He is lucky he escaped the shooting, I wonder if this is an insider job?--to get those new super harass and collect vehicles, complete with "cell phone sniffers"

As far as the pot, just put a name on it like Monsanto, Bayer, Merck, and then it will be ok, so corporate America can make their money on it like the trillions they make every year on drugs!

That is the entire problem, they have gotten police to enforce the corporate cash collection on the public as usual!

But at least we may be saving a couple of lives now there since the police can not chase people to their death and while the police in general is speeding and killing people in those police created accidents (3655 last year US).---We had 7 police cars stacked behind the town hall in this town a few years ago, all ,from "accidents" 4 people killed in just one year.

So no I do not need responders, I need highly educated police that can actually investigate Romney, without being turned away because he is rich!!!

You are right, something has to be done, but this is not the way, they actually win this way, so they can get more surveillance etc on ordinary people.

$250K is paltry in comparison to how they bent over for Wall Street.

Exactly, B Murphy. I would much rather contribute my portion of taxes to civil disobedience than bailing out the real criminals on Wall Street and the banks.

On another note- Those bemoaning the loss of police coverage... The Orleans county Sheriffs are nothing but over paid traffic cops anyway. There is one I REPEAT ONE major road through the entire county... the waste of tax payer money was when they opened the county sheriff'sbarracks within three miles of a State police Barracks, Boarder patrole Barracks, Fish and Game Barracks (In VT Fish and Game have the same training and rights as a normal state police officer) and a town police barracks. Not having half of their cruisers will increase their response time from "I'll swing up some time tomorrow morning to have a look" to "I'll get to you tomorrow afternoon some time" Seriously these guys are worse then cable installers.

The last thing... someone said Suburbs... Orleans county is far from a suburb... if its any kind of Burb its a subsubsuburb, nothing but trees and cows asses for miles.

Since the cops are using those cruisers to arrest people for marijuana possession, I'd say they don't really need them anyway.

George-369262

Like the story a couple years ago about the German farmer who used his honey wagon to spray doo-doo all over the front of City Hall.

Somebody did that exact same thing in Washington, DC but nobody noticed.

I'm not about to try to psychoanalyze this guy, I doubt I'm up for the task, but --

There are times in life we do something just because it feels so damned good. In retrospect we may question what the h&ll we were thinking but in those exquisite moments of pleasure we just roll with it [pun intended]

Not only did Mr. Pion have the exhilarating and, no doubt, satisfying experience of hearing the crunch and grind he also provided thousands of us with vicarious gratification.

Indeed, Black Kettle, he's a hero whose earned suitable commemoration.

"Cannabis Aficionados aren't going to simply lay down and take it anymore, WE WILL RESIST!!"

Better not smoke a joint first then. Whenever I smoke a joint I pretty much want to just lay down or eat. LOL

RESIST hell! I'm going to go eat some ice cream and take a nap. I'll RESIST later.

This guy is a real American. It says he's 34 he looks 54. But a least he had the balls to do what we all should be doing. The police state is getting out of hand and if we want to be free we will have to fight.

Actually,, although pretty funny at first, the cars were bought with our money, and it will be our money that repairs or replaces them. And if the town runs low on funds for them, the council will just raise taxes to pay for them. Not so funny anymore for some.

See .... smoking marijuana leads to violent bevavior. Bwahahaha

I like this guy! Who says pot smokers are too lazy to do anything or don't know how to exact justice. The man will do some easy time. He'll be a folk hero inside and out. I think he should run for mayor.

his name was mr. pion thats funny

I agree that his act is a serious matter, but I must admit that it is the best laugh I have had all month. You have to give this guy credit for boldness. That is something only Medina (the character from the Tyler Perry shows) would have the courage to do.

Black Kettle: Thanks for the extra information. It really gave me a belly-aching laugh.

"Tax money" may have initially purchased the cars, but I'll bet the insurance the city carries will pay for the replacement/repairs to the vehicles. Not more "tax money".

Black Kettle: Thanks for the extra info. This whole bit made my day!

I don't like this at all. The guy just ruined his life, and his family, business and the community will suffer for it. And for what? Some minor infraction? What if there was someone sitting in one of those cars? Either way, destroying property is not cool. Taking the law into your own hands is foolish. No society can function that way, because everyone has different ideas of right and wrong. We need laws, and to obey those laws, and the ability to fight unjust laws in court, not the street. This man is dangerous, clearly. He should be on probation forever, and pay back for all the damage.

To all of the morons who want to legalize and tax drugs, do you not think that we are being overtaxed as it is, people? I mean, you all claim to be against excessive taxation and yet here we are being taxed in one way or another. Furthermore, the reason that the War on Drugs hasn't worked is that we have not made a serious enough threat on the drug cartels. When we become savage, brutal, evil bastards and make the drug cartels piss in their pants every time that they see people like us, not to mention doing the same for Big Pharma as well because they are just two heads of the Typhon known as the New World Order, among many other names, then maybe they will get the damn point that making drugs by either natural or synthetic means that do not benefit humanity at all but only an agenda for one group of people or another is not a good idea. Now with that being said, as amusing as that it may sound (and
I have played many a Need for Speed game myself), the reality is that it is going to come out of your pockets to get new patrol cars for this part of the country. If you do not agree with my words, then you are a New World Order sheeple. Argue with me otherwise and you will only be like the Yakuza wanting to make a MITI-like organization. (Look it up on the internet and see the corruption that organization has caused to Japan and why we would be wise not repeat the same mistake.) I do not trust police departments but I also do not trust druggies or drunks, either.

I think Stoopid is an undercover cop.

Maybe we need to start a fund online to pay for his defense and restitution. We'll have to name it "revenge is sweet.com", or something like that!

In relayed news, it was revealed that the same man recently set his hair on fire and used an ax to beat it out.

Fred Evil,

I agree marijuana should be legalized.

What does that have to do with a law officer's job?

Protest of a law should start at the legislative level...or with the full understanding that you could be arrested for protesting the law by breaking it.

It isn't the job of a police officer to repeal or pass legislation on the street. If you break the law, he or she has the sworn duty to cite or arrest.

No police department--or the township it represents--deserves the loss of emergency response vehicles because some idiot is miffed he got nailed for breaking current drug laws.

"CASE".....dismissed!

It sounds like it wasn't his tractor since the article says it came from a family farm not "his" family farm. Although it should be legalized I believe that since it is illegal you have to be willing to man up and take the problems you caused yourself if you get caught with it. Common sense never carry more than a small amount. This jerk sure showed them. He turned a minor pot bust into some serious prison time. That will teach them now won't it! Once they figure out that he did or did not have premission to drive that tractor he may get a charge for stealing a 250K vehicle and more prison time. You can be sure there will not be a plea deal.

All he accomplished was to reinforce the stereotype for those who do not want legalization.

Can't fix stoopid... he's going to be charged with attempted murder and most likely it will stick. As mentioned in a post above, during the "pursuit" he reversed his tractor towards pursuing cops. He was obviously already free from his previous arrest; this time he won't be so lucky.

Hilarious. That guy has some balls. He will be a hero... in prison.

And, to the person that said it will cut their call capacity in half, well, that is where it probably should be to begin with. Most police departments are way overstaffed. Most hang out at doughnut shops and give tickets to hard working citizens for stupid things like failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. Go bust real criminals.

He has done what every male over the age of 6 has wanted to do all his life- it's hilarious!

To all the morons saying that this will cost money to the tax payers, no it won’t, it shouldn’t!!! They’re insured, and those insurance companies have been collecting premiums for years probably without having to pay back a single penny on claims. So stop the stupidity, the insurance company has to take care of the bill. WE SHOULD START A FUND TO HELP THE NEW AND ONLY HERO THAT WE HAVE. THIS GUY MADE MY DAY, HAT’S OF TO YOU MY FRIEND, AND WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU. If we could get two or three guys like this and their tractors to pay a visit to congress it would be great!!!

This is unacceptable. We must ban tractors.

I’m pretty sure Congress paid for that Tractor with Farm Substitutes.

To all of the morons who want to legalize and tax drugs, do you not think that we are being overtaxed as it is, people?

You are calling others moron? Any tax on marijuana would be a sales tax or a tax on growers or distributors. Don't want to pay that tax, don't buy or sell the product.

Wow the level of stupid that I see posted here is unreal. He is a hero huh? Police enforce the laws they dont write the laws. If you want to change the laws the go through the court system where things like this are decided. Currently pot is illegal which means dont have it on you. When it is legal then you can. 250k in taxpayer funds were just flushed. Probably will be covered by insurance and the cost of an increase in premiums passed on to the taxpayers who now have lost half the ability of their police force. Damn you people are f****** stupid. Hero yeah thats real funny.

LOL......LOVE IT!!!!!

But here's where I get confused, and I think the cops are confused too....really don't understand their reasoning sometimes:

Police say a man drove a tractor over eight police vehicles Thursday

He drove over eight police vehicles, than they say:

Police said Roger Pion, 34, of Newport, Vt., flattened seven marked police cruisers and one unmarked personal vehicle

"Unmarked personal vehicle?" Is that like YOU buy myself a "personal" car and let the sheriffs dept pay for it?

P.S. I see there are a lot of folks posting with the name "Bend-Over," they hate when you have fun with their cops, Bend-Overs are so seriously SCARED of authority!! LOL!!!!

Well I can say this, I did get a chuckle out of the photo and that was furthered when I read they couldn't chase him because he smashed all the cars, but this truthfully isn't funny and sucks because it will come out of the taxpayers pocket to replace these cars.

I'll save the thoughts about drugs for another time. However, I do have to agree with another poster, how in the world did they not hear him crushing the cars in the parking lot? Yes not like a bomb going off but not super quiet either. Or how could they not see him out the window? I see tractors like that all the time and they are hard to miss. Trivial yes, but makes one wonder. Anyways at least they got him.

It is time

i have absolutely no idea how anybody can get upset because taxpayers have to replace these cars for a quarter million dollars.

how does it not bother you that you waste billions of dollars each year locking up people for possessing illegal flowers?

or that you have to make up the billions in lost tax revenue that drug sales siphon out of the economy.

or that mexican drug lords drain hundreds of billions of dollars worth of american capital straight out of this economy and into their swiss bank accounts?

what the hell is wrong with you people.

One of his charges was "leaving the scene of an accident". That was no accident.

but this truthfully isn't funny and sucks because it will come out of the taxpayers pocket to replace these cars.

Wrong, I'm pretty sure, insurance will take care of it. Now you can twist it as, taxpayers are paying the insurance premiums....LOL

I wonder if they would have shot him over destroying property?

"Police say they don't know where Pion got the tractor from, but say he comes from a farm family"

Well, Well, let me take a wild azz guess -- HIS FARM! I believe these cops were from Keystone, VT., right?

Flashy, how can you justify crushing 250k in public property because you got caught with weed. Do I think weed is worse than booze? No. Its for the courts to decide the legality not the cops and you are clearly more upset a dope getting caught with an illegal substance than with the destruction he later caused. I might have asked what the hell is wrong with you?

Shartorius - Fred Evil, I agree marijuana should be legalized.

Good, thanks, this wouldn't have even happened but for the Nanny Staters imposing their will on others.

What does that have to do with a law officer's job?

Law Enforcement ENFORCES these ridiculous laws. If more LEO actually came out for FREEDOM instead of advancing CONTROL of the populace, they would face less resistance from the people. And often officers have some discretion in ignoring or WARNING someone for silliness like possession.

Protest of a law should start at the legislative level...or with the full understanding that you could be arrested for protesting the law by breaking it.

Agreed. And after FORTY YEARS of protest, how much listening has been done? NONE. Indeed, the DEA has been mandated by Congress to fight any attempts to regulate or legalize cannabis. The Cops have been told not only to ignore what the people want, but to fight against the people's will at every opportunity. I donate to MPP and NORML regularly, and while we make SMALL advances state by state, the larger issue is that the Federal government exerts it's authority regardless of state laws (witness the CA dispensaries being closed VERY recently). Sometimes a public display is necessary, and sometimes people go to jail for it. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES. Nobody got hurt, and in other versions of the story the guy made every attempt NOT to damage private vehicles, but deliberately targeted the police vehicles. And with good reason IMHO.

It isn't the job of a police officer to repeal or pass legislation on the street. If you break the law, he or she has the sworn duty to cite or arrest.

Yes, but they also often have discretion. Ever get off on a speeding ticket? That's discretion. The officers obviously chose not to exercise it, and they got the response they deserved.

No police department--or the township it represents--deserves the loss of emergency response vehicles because some idiot is miffed he got nailed for breaking current drug laws.

While I agree the public cost is unfortunate, the government continues to ignore the will of the people WITH IMPUNITY. They DO NOT CARE what we think, they have their laws, and they will shove them down our throats regardless of the lack of judicial review or the lack of any science backing the laws. So long as you ignore the will of the people, you risk uprisings such as these. This may be the first, but it wont be the last. We are tired of being vilified, demonized and incarcerated. WE ARE AMERICANS, and what we do harms NO ONE. STOP making us out to be evil, the VAST majority of us are hard-working, tax-paying, child-rearing, home-owning, college-educate American CITIZENS, who have the unfortunate preference for a substance that is demonstrably SAFER than alcohol or tobacco.

Go ahead, vilify us some more. We wont stop until you're stopped, DEA!

We should start a account and donate money for his Bail....Job well done!

I never knew smoking could make you violent they got a new weed out there, this sets getting it legalized back years, I can just here them now. Look at the guy who use the farm equipment to attack the police, this is a dangers drug! Bet he wasn't even high at the time.

I too am a Green Mountain Boy.... www.CopBlock.org

Quick, OUTLAW TRACTORS, they are dangerous. Tractors can kill you, pass the bill to outlaw them and go back to the horse and plow.

Would of been funnier at a donut shop lol if it was one of their friends or family or themselve no one would of got charged for pot and no one would of got their vehicles ran over. to bad laws are only for people out of the circle.

had a bad day till i read this.... 1st a smile about the title of the article and the laughs kept going right to the end. Family farm tractor can mean anything. even his folks past, and left the farm to him. that is besides the point however i would think.

indeed the cruisers have insurance, but he will have to reimburse the insurance company.

uhh, you realize that was a quarter million taxpayer dollars he destroyed? that will now be replaced...for another quarter million....*sigh*

BS!

Those 7 cars do not add up to 250k.

thetruthteller-3478699

To all of the morons who want to legalize and tax drugs, do you not think that we are being overtaxed as it is, people?

Before you start calling people names, maybe you should take a step back and realize that the only times in recent history that taxes have been higher in the US are 1988-91, and the late 20's. You do recall the Bush era tax cuts (EGTRRA of 2001 and JGTRRA of 2003) which were fully extended via the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 that Obama signed, right?

In fact, the US collects roughly 10% of GDP less in taxes, than all other developed countries. And we wonder why our debt skyrocketed. Go figure. Obviously the cretins at the top don't realize you can't climb out of a massive deficit without cutting tax loopholes, exemptions and raising taxes back to levels that made this country so successful. Why wouldn't you take advantage of an obvious source of revenue that legalized Marijuana would bring?

8 PIGmobiles flat as a plancake! Very Satisfying!

Better than NASCAR..........

I need one of those tractors for morning traffic.

"Tractors don't flatten cop cars, People flatten cop cars"

Remember that when they try to outlaw tractors! Machines of the devil I say!

THIS is directly the fault of LIBERALS and Justin Bieber's malign influence!! He's obviously a dope fiend Democrat on the dole!

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

I guarantee you that at least one of them looked outside and said "Wait -- I just washed that car!!!"

The damage is estimated to be about $250,000.

What an idiot. It isn't going to be the cops who pay to replace that equipment. It's going to be his neighbors; tax money that could have been better used somewhere else.

How much was spent to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate him for the possession? My guess is it approached $250,000.

This man is a hero. No two ways about it.

That anger management class isn't doing you much good, Rob.

A change in meds, perhaps?

Speaking of morons, why would you put an apostrophe before the s in a plural noun? Also, "amoung"? Your god, why do we let people like you live among us?

Wowzers Rob-1699252 posted some idiotic @!$%#. Nothing personal, I'm sure he's a great dude, just did you see the brainless crap he posted.

almost every day now something in the news sounds like a subplot in a Janet Evonavich/Stephanie Plum mystery

What an idiot. It isn't going to be the cops who pay to replace that equipment. It's going to be his neighbors; tax money that could have been better used somewhere else.

Insurance will pay the bill then cancel their insurance because they used their policy. You are not supposed to use your insurance, just pay for the insurance.

See I told you Rob is at it already!

My God why do we let people like you live amoung us!

Because if I didn't pay as much as I do in taxes, your mom couldn't afford her subsidized trailer anymore.

YOU SHOULD THANK US!

This guy is getting free smokes in prison for sure.........

I think the guy was.... plowed...... This story got more.... traction... than most political articles.

He had it backwards...His pappy told him to take the tractor and go "cop the squash"...

Deere John ... I mean Jersey Bob, don't you hate it when people try to cultivate favor with stories like this? I also hate that they have to drag politics into the discussion or plant their biases so they can harvest like-minded opinions; I guess we need to separate the wheat from the chaff when reading. The 3-points that hitched this to my wagon were the calculated logic of the act itself, the handsome picture of the perpetrator, and the well thought out getaway plan.

Yes, unfortunately the police cars were the victims........

Yup, US the taxpayers.

It cuts both ways in this case. Usually its just the person's life and property getting damaged by these laws, and in this case it was the cops and the taxpayers. The whole thing is pretty rediculous. In rural areas sometimes those cops are pretty full of themselves. I wonder how they treated this guy before this happened.

You just gotta LOVE civil disobedience!!!!!!

What I can't figure out is why the taxpaying people of that county (who I am assuming are just POOR working stiffs like the rest of us) are ALLOWING the sheriffs dept alone (not including fish and game, state police, etc.) to claim they "NEED" and then pay for a total of 16 patrol cars??? The article says that 8 vehicles were crushed while the "other half" were out on patrol. Patrolling what??? 20 dairy cows grazing in a field!?!?

If this county is so rural and nothing but farm land and cows, (and a hilarious story it is) there is absolutely NO reason to need to employ SO MANY overpaid cops and to purchase such very expensive equipment as 16 patrol cars...... ALL the while, HALF the police force is hiding out in a soundproof, bulletproof, and air conditioned building that leaves them TOTALLY unaware of what is going on right OUTSIDE their own building.

AND people wonder why in a case of an emergency and where SECONDS count, the police are ALWAYS minutes to hours away................

IF I were any of these cops, I would want to resign and quietly slither away BACK to under the rock from where I was born......... just from the incredible embarrassment and ineptitude these cops have demonstrated by having to physically run down RT 5 in pursuit of a farm tractor with maybe a top speed of 25MPH.

MORONS ALL................ never mind the fact that the Vermont people allow these guys to wear badges and carry guns.

Nuff said..........

Yup, US the taxpayers. ..........

Nope, the Insurance Company.

I think the police cars drove under the tractor, he was just trying to get out of the way, ya that's what happened. Those new remote controlled cars we are hearing about, they will remove the controls before you can inspect them so they can deny it.

Mike you got that right! I live about 30 minutes south of this area. North east VT has become dramatically over policed. The creation of the County Sheriff's departments across the state were a product of a movement by people in Burlington VT and Southern VT ( largly pople who moved north to retire in 'quaint' surroundings or old rich hippies) The NEK (North East Kingdom) of Vermont is one of the most sparsley populated areas in the country. (The only state with fewer people per square mile then VT is Wyoming, and the NEK is the least populated part of the state. Making us the least populated area of the second least populated state) The fact remains that the ENTIRE county Sheriff's department is uneeded in an area with a State police Barracks, Fish and Game Barracks and Municipal barracks in the 3 "Major" towns (Population of the 3 'Major towns' is about 10,000 combined). We have a name for Sheriff's in the Kingdom (actually a few.. but some not so appropriate) Gas Burners. These guys sit on the side of the highway, cars running, waiting to catch someone driving 5 miles an hour too fast. The county sheriff's work on a quota, they need to hand out a certain number of tickets to justify their exsistance.

The people here often police for themselves, when something goes wrong you don't call the cops you call the neighbors. You don't steal from your neighbors because the towns so small your gonna get caught. No spike in crime will occur with half of the department out of service, isn't that a sign that they are not needed? The real waste of money was creating the County Sherif's department to begin with. We were doing just fine up here without them.

If you ever make it up here just remember:

I'm a Vermonta, I do what I wanna.

You can't get there from here.

It's called a creemee, and if you don't like it get the @!$%# out.

In Vermont authenticity is all, they do not try to keep it real, they are real.

There ant no grass like good old Vermont grass

Forgot My favorite, This is the quote that started the armed resistance against New York, eventually leading to Vermont becoming a Sovereign nation, quoting wikipedia 'The Vermont Constitution was in 1777, and remains, among the most far reaching in guaranteeing personal freedoms and individual rights. It is the first constitution in the New World to prohibit slavery, guarantee universal manhood suffrage regardless of property ownership, and universal free education, a mandate for public funding of primary and secondary education available to all citizens. The Vermont Republic's constitution's Declaration of Rights of the Inhabitants of the State of Vermont anticipates the United States Bill of Rights by a dozen years.'

Anyway to the quote:

The gods of the valley are not the gods of the hills, and you shall understand it.

Ethan Allen, in reply to the King's attorney-general, in a New York court case decided against him, prior to his armed resistance to claims of New York authority over Vermont

Thats right we started and finished our revolutionary war before years before the rest of you caught up.

Sorry i love my state and all it stands for sometimes i get carried away.

What cars? I must have been sleep farming I dreamed it was rocks in my field.

Good one.

most towns are self insured. for all the laughing folks are doing about it, this guy is an idiot.

"Must be a trickle down 'publican..."

It's hard to trickle DOWN when you are starting at the bottom.

It sure wasn't. While I don't condone this guys actions, I can understand the frustrations some go through with our local, state, and federal government. While we have so many problems in this country. the government still sets its priorities on screwing with people who are only doing thing to THEMSELVES. Leave people alone.

"I fell asleep behind the wheel".........sorry!

Yeah, Aginn (#6.1): Leave people alone! My Grandma said that she sure hopes the farmer got those bubble gum machines on the cop-car roofs. Those things scare the Be-Jesuz out of people if they're a little stoned. Known to have caused heart attacks.

Let people live their lives

Typical uninformed media reporters. The are Radar Units, not detectors. That's what happens when you hire grade school dropouts as reporters.

Yep...Radar unit is used to detect speeders, not radar.

Well I think what they were referring to were the radar detector detectors that police carry. My understanding when I lived in Virginia were radar detectors are against the law to own, they have a system that dects if you have one. Just a thought

maybe the 'Cops" are illigal, and need radar detectors for they on protection.

Nobody but the guy who will now live with a 'drug arrest' on his record.

"Nobody was hurt'?! BS, this guy will be dealing with his brush with the 'War on Drugs' for the rest of his life!

END IT!!

Some tender feelings there Fred Evil.

.. and he already was living with a drug arrest. FOOL!

I thought they rode bicycles in Vermont!! LMFAO!!!!

Are you crazy John? I'm a Vermonter and everything is so spread out you HAVE to have a car.

Or a tractor evidently...

looking for feathers in their hats and a high five thats about it should of left him the hell alone

111 I'm with You :) Chronic...!

Instead of a 'Dear John' message the police got a John Deere message! Just too funny!

I am with you, and I do NOT smoke.

I know Dennis! Next thing you know we'll have a bunch of potheads running over cop cars...they need to be put to death! We'll teach those stoners they can't go around in a free country doing things we don't like because we don't like them. That won't be ludicrous or hypocritical at all, will it?

scrambolo...I just KNEW there was a perfect joke about this out there! You got it! Kuddos to you!!! Made my day!

@ Dennis-387683- if he had used a gun you would have thought it a fine thing to do. Go figure.

SCRAMBOLO--------- LMFAO. That's the best commet on this thread. Great Job !

Actually Dennis, it makes the argument that cops should be driving tractors. They are clearly superior vehicles. Tractor beats cop cruiser, 8 out of 8 times.

Now the taxpayers get the bill and Farmer Fred will have his farm seized as restitution. He can get a small plot in the Vt. State Prison garden.

Nope, taxpayer get to vote on whether they pay for this. Vote no! Not until they quit enforcing drug laws.

Reaper, I guess you would rather he go into a theater and hose the place down with an automatic weapon.

Dennis:

RE: your post #10.3

Better yet Dennis, lets just make ALL crimes, large and small, punishable by death. If we do that there will be no crime and no people! I just know you were kidding, right? Right?

Dennis one of these idiots who says it was alright for them to shoot him 50 times and walk over and shoot him in the head he was brandishing a tractor

I'm divided on this issue. The M.J. on the market now is not our fathers M.J. it is much more potent (about 3-5x). I just attended a drug conference and the withdrawal from the new M.J. makes the body go through heroin-like withdrawals. We all know how pleasant that must be. Further, relapsing is a BIG problem.

I do like the idea of legalizing it and taxing it. I just am a bit cautious of the full ramifications of our decisions to legalize. My 2 cents.

James that is bull@!$%#. Though modern strains are more potent. The chemical reaction stays the same. There is no physical dependency developed from THC. It is physically impossible to ingest an amount that could cause physical dependency. even the most potent strain would require pounds and pounds of material in an incredibly short time to develop physical dependency. Your two cents weren't worth much.

Leaving the scent of a Crime..

How does it smell?

A good lawyer could have all these charges dismissed because of the wording.

The misdemeanor unlawful mischief was likely from running over the car that wasn't a police cruiser (and thus it wasn't a felony.) The seven felonies were from the cruisers.

If he resisted arrest the first time, it's not hard to imagine he resisted arrest when they pulled over his tractor.

Negligence doesn't mean you've lost control, it means you didn't care about what you were doing. The fact that it was intentional is WHY it was such GROSS negligence, as opposed to him just falling asleep at the wheel or something.

I believe they call every incident where you hit one car with another car an 'accident', even if it was intentional. There's no need to be so specific with nomenclature.

They're trying to hit him with everything he he DID -- he committed 8 counts of mischief (destroying 8 vehicles), while negligantly operating a vehicle, then ran off and (presumably) assaulted a police officer when they tried to arrest him. My only surprise is that 'destruction of property' isn't on there numerous times.

8 cop cars, but one unmarked. Destruction of the known (marked) cars are felonies, the unmarked one is not. Not uncommon for enhanced penalties when it against law enforcement.

The charge for assault on a police officer stems from the pursuit that happened after the incident. An officer in one of the cruisers not at the scene at the time of the attack pursued Pion. At one point in the chase, he stopped and put the tractor in reverse and attempted to run over the occupied cruiser. At that point, the officers drew their weapons and arrested him.

Negligent operation also includes operation of a vehicle in such a way as to put other people and/or property at risk of damage. Whether or not he was "in control" is irrelevant. As a resident of Vermont who lives in the general area I am dismayed at the comments, not just in this forum but also locally, actually cheering this miscreant.

Here's the deal: He is a "regular" at the County Court-Criminal Division. He's got many counts of driving under suspension/revocation. Apparently, he has done enough to result in the loss of his license in the past and has since decided that the rules the rest of us live under shouldn't apply to him. Unfortunately for him, he also appears to be one of those guys who always gets caught. Since he always gets caught (I'd bet that he has friends who do the same as he does without being caught), he feels like he's being "harassed". During his latest run-in with the police, he was found to be in possession and under the influence. He resisted arrest and reportedly received a bump to the head in his scuffle with police. SOOO...... he decided to "get even" and stole his father's tractor and drive to town, where he destroyed County property (btw, it was the Newport City police who arrested him, not the Sheriff). He was stopped while on his way to the Newport City Police Dept., obviously intending similar actions there.

He's a criminal, he should be prosecuted. Sadly, Vermont Courts don't have a very good record of holding criminals accountable for their actions.

Hummmmmmmmmmm ... If the witness conveniently forgot what he saw ...... LOL

I know ... they would use the "Tireprints" as evidence ..

He's a criminal, he should be prosecuted.

He wasn't until the failure that is the 'War on Drugs' got a hold of him.

Let's all praise the Nanny State abomination that is the 'War on Drugs!'

YAY For ruining Americans lives for OVER FORTY YEARS!!

Thank you for the local perspective, it would be nice if the article mentioned some of that. I have no sympathy for him except about the pot charge. I think we need to legalize, regulate and tax the hell out of it. But it sounds like he's just an hick with anger issues. Hope they put him away for a while.

too bad our court system and logic are mutually exclusive.. other wise Jeremy you have a great point

Larry: You're not seeing the bigger picture here by attempting to villainize this man, including your own colored commentary:

(I'd bet that he has friends who do the same as he does without being caught)

None of us are saints, but it's obvious many of us are becoming sick and tired of law enforcement playing god; judge, jury and sometimes executioner. We the people have had enough of the "police state".

This fellow did what others have only fantasized and people are applauding him.

felony is the 7 police cars

misdemeaner is the unmarked one

So this man commits felony crimes and is a hero. I commit felony crimes and am a criminal. Can someone please post a list of desirable felonies? If this man can be lauded for destroying cop cars, I see no reason why I should not be lauded for burglarizing a wealthy homeowner. Same thing. I am just having a difficult time making these fine distinctions. Right now, I would like to commit sexual assault on a cute 17 year old girl with a tire iron, but I hesitate now, not knowing if this would be laudable. I am in a quandary.

police have been brutalizing citizens for years. turn on the news. that's what people are protesting about. it is HILARIOUS to see someone take justice against them into their own hands. sexual assault and burglary are not funny because the victims don't deserve to have bad things happen to them. police do.

stoopid:

If this man can be lauded for destroying cop cars, I see no reason why I should not be lauded for burglarizing a wealthy homeowner.

You can't see the difference between those deserving civil disobedience who legally are allowed to mete out lethal actions against the people they are supposed to serve (police state) and those minding their own business (the wealthy homeowner)?

Debi-1314897

And can you not understand the difference between some yahoo who was probably just acting like a typical dipsh*t druggie with typical brilliant, under-the-influence thinking and not as some upstanding citizen exercising civil disobedience against a tyrannical government and it's corrupt servants?

Everyone seen he forgot to put the parking brake on

This guy could become a folk hero... All he needs is a little more publicity.

Why is stupidity the norm?: I could care less if whoever wants to show civil disobedience is black, purple, green, illiterate, disabled, good guy or bad guy.

EVERYONE has the opportunity to change a dysfunctional system, by whomever and whatever means necessary. In fact, those a little more "experienced" in disobedience of the law may have more courage than some who do not.

Civil disobedience is not exclusionary.

Doesn't matter. his property will go with the tractor.

It was a Case 255.

That's probably a stock photo, tractors that size aren't typically used in up-state Vermont. The fields are too small and they are nearly impossible to get down the roads.

Dinsmo- Are you kidding me? Apparently you have not been to up-state Vermont, because you would see a dozen 7920 rolling threw town on any given day, along with Case & New Hollands.

Comon Sense - To answer your question, it was a Case 255.

I didn't know that was a big row crop area, I stand corrected.

I was with you until the "yet not" part.

Actually they found him in the tractor as he was attempting to back it up over an occupied police car which is why he is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. So, I'd say they caught him red handed.

I didn't see anything. Did you? Help a brother out! Especially one whom made a point showing the "boys" they are not untouchable. Law enforcement officials have been getting way to big for their britches and this was a good lesson in humility for them. If you read the article carefully, the pigs are already lying about circumstances of the case. That proves they need another dose of humility.

"never rat on your friends, and ALWAYS keep your mouth shut"

Meth does that to you.

That's what pot addiction does to you. Probably should have kept it recreational.

That is what working hard on a farm instead of hiring illegals does to you. This guy could outwork any of you keyboard tough guys.

I think it was so people would know where the town is. I'm from VT, and that's how I would describe Newport to people: It's on the Canadian border. I'm not sure why that would be offensive.

fo' real. from this discussion alone there's proof that pot heads think this is funny.... but when it comes to actually DOING something.... that's pretty much the line in the sand for a stoner....

What kind of person thinks this is funny? The kind that doesn't care about tax payers money, police officer or public safety or the fact that this guys family is now minus a tractor they probably need to earn a living. If I were in the 'legalize marijuana' crowd, I am not so sure I would want this guy as my poster child. Seriously, take a look at him. He cost a rural county a couple hundred thousand dollars and I am CERTAIN he wasn't considering 'the greater good' or trying to make a point on behalf of a philosophy. If the allegations are true, he was just ticked off and didn't care who or what he hurt. That is very typical anti-social, criminal behavior. And, it is beyond ignorant to say that 'no one on marijuana is capable of this kind of violence.' Drugs affect different people differently. If you are naturally paranoid or violent, then marijuana certainly CAN make you more so. Alcohol makes some people mellow and others angry, etc. I do agree that with very few exceptions (LSD, maybe) drugs (including alcohol) do not cause people to behave in a way they would never normally behave. Drugs tend to exaggerate your natural tendencies and lower your inhibitions.

Dick!

@kriskatz we support what he did because the prison industrialization complex is very real and it is a huge drain of tax payers money. the war on drugs is a waste of time and our tax dollars and we applaud this guy for taking matters into his own hands and saying "if you're going to waste my time and money, i'm going to waste yours."

Sorry mindyabusiness, but I think this guy's actions are going to hurt the cause more. His actions (and photo) may put him in the candicy for 'poster child of the year' with the movement against legalizing certain drugs. They'll just point to his photo as one more reason not to legalize.

Actually he was caught as he attempted to run over someone: a cop in a patrol car. So your argument is wrong. He did go after more than just physical objects. That's why he was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer.

If he wanted to run over the occupied cop car, he would have.