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Demian Warner / The Newport Daily Express
Police say a man drove a tractor over eight police vehicles Thursday. The damage is estimated to be about $250,000.
A man driving a farm tractor ran over eight vehicles in the parking lot of a Vermont police station in an apparent revenge scheme, according to local reports.
Police said Roger Pion, 34, of Newport, Vt., flattened seven marked police cruisers and one unmarked personal vehicle at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department in Derby, Vt., around 12:40 p.m. Thursday.
“We came out and sure enough there was someone who had run over our cruisers with a tractor,” Chief Dep. Philip Brooks of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Dept. told WCAX.
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,” Sheriff Kirk Martin told the Associated Press.
With the vehicles crushed, police had no way to pursue Pion after he drove off in the tractor.
Demian Warner / The Newport Daily Express
Police say Roger Pion took out more than half of the sheriff department's fleet -- some of its newest vehicles were only four months old.
“It felt like I was in a Monster Jam rally or something,” 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.”
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Police eventually caught up with Pion a mile and a half from the police station and arrested him. The motive is still under investigation, but witnesses believe Pion was angry about his recent arrest for marijuana possession and resisting arrest.
Stephanie Dasaro / Vermont State Police
Police arrested Roger Pion of Newport, V.T., after the tractor incident. He also was arrested recently for marijuana possession and resisting arrest.
The damage is estimated to be about $250,000, according to police.
No one was injured. At least two deputies had gone inside a few moments before after washing their vehicles, officers said.
Brooks said the destroyed vehicles constituted more than half of the fleet of sheriff’s cruisers in the rural county on the Canadian border. The others were out on patrol. Since the incident, neighboring counties have offered their help.
“We have other county sheriff’s departments who are offering cruisers to us,” Brooks said. “We’ve already had one county that’s dropped one off to us and we’ve got two others that are on the way.”
It’s not known where Pion got the tractor but police said he comes from a farm family.
Demian Warne / The Newport Daily Express
Police don't know where Pion got the tractor from but say he comes from a farm family.
Pion was held at the Northern State Correctional Center in Newport in lieu of $15,000 bail.
He is expected to appear in Orleans County Criminal Court Friday to answer to seven counts of felony unlawful mischief, one count of misdemeanor unlawful mischief, one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, one count of gross negligent operation, and one count of leaving the scene of an accident.
A man driving a tractor crushes 7 police vehicles parked at a sheriff's department headquarters in Vermont. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
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Leave a Comment:
Awesome!!!! I bet that was the best five minutes of his life.
I see many of the local idiots are commenting. There is a need for stiffer punishing.
Keep shining your g-man badge! Move along folks, ain't nothing funny to see here.
You are exactly right! You speak of local idiots, are you talking about the police force? I AGREE, everyone of those hooded cowards who participated in the raid on the farmer should be held accountable. They should receive at least 5 years for theft of private property, as well as pay what the government claims the value is for each plant. Glad to see such intelligence out of you. I really don't feel the need for any more punishment than that. Wait, it does need to be stiffer! The cops should lose their jobs as well as all pensions. Thanks for coming to this conclusion. You couldn't be closer to the truth and I am SURE everyone is going to agree with me :)
Thanks LittlemissV!
As usual, your posts leave me laughing all day!
I really appreciate your inane humor.
No doubt this will save countless marijuana users from being arrested! When law enforcement violates the U.S. Constitution, as in the drug laws in this country are unconstitutional, there will be consequences! END PROHIBITION!!!!!
I have to agree with the several other comments...I am laughing and after this rotten morning just brought some cheer. The poor guy is going to pay, literally and figuratively, for it.
I wonder if it is because has anything to do with the general mood in the country about authority?
This is a local government thing. If we legalize it (pot) then the government will have to find some other way to make up the lost revenue they make on the fines. They'll never legalize it. Heck, now they are spending tons of money in my area to put up cameras at every intersection. That isn't for our protection. It's so they can issue more traffic tickets..... They gotta make up the shortfall from the bad economy somewhere and this is their solution.
correct but they would be able to tax it- which would make up for the lost revenue. people are going to keep selling it as long as people keep buying it. there's no reason mexico gets to keep bringing that dust weed up here and we don't tax them for it.
How can I resist but say Thank you from Peter McWilliams and Jack Herer from the great beyond. They are both smiling down at someone finally standing up for what is right. How much monetary value did they do to his plants? He just got restitution for their corrupt doings. Who is going to feel sorry for cops who do nothing about crime and go after innocent pot growers? They go after all of the little people while they protect the real criminals who are the government and corporate America.
The tax payers
should beat him with a bat.
did i get to beat bush with a bat when he wasted my tax dollars on a war i didnt support?
What can I do but laugh. I'm sure that Jay Leno will have some comments on this guy.
Too bad the cops were not in them at the time.
what a rush that would have been, but lucky for Mr.Peon that was not the case.
This puts a spotlight on just how frustrated the people are with the police and the obsolete laws designed to do nothing more than generate revenue and take people off the voter rolls. I'm glad no one got hurt. Maybe it is time we ALL began to express out displeasure in louder voices. The pen, historically, has been mighter than the sword ... but it seems our government no longer fears the pen.
I guess you did not read what the citizens of Mexico did recently.
One charge of "leaving the scene of an accident"?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Sorry fellas, this was NO accident.
If the cops were actually out on patrol and doing their job, they would have had a car or two not damaged.
they were doing their job; they were supporting the local donut maker!
Let's you show why MJ is a drug that should be restricted. A person who thinks driving up taxes that punishes everyone but the police is an idiot. If he had run over the arresting officers personal vehicle or home that would be more of an inconvenience than giving the police an opportunity to buy new vehicles.
Pion for President
Looks like a tweaker to me.
Smokey and the Bandit has been on cable a lot recently.
"and one count of leaving the scene of an accident"
Really, it was not an accident, think the cops went a little over board!!!
get kennedys lawyer you will be home free in no time
He gives a whole new meaning to getting Smashed.
I suggest that you find out if he really had permission for the harvest, then send him the bill (for what the insurance doesn't cover). If he can't afford it then allow him to work it off by serving time or with community service.
Score another one in the loss column for the futile, multi-billion dollar 'War on Drugs'.
"Don't even think about messing with my stash!"
Signed: Cletus Clyde McCoy
Clearly, we need legislation on the size of farm tractors. Look at the size of that thing. No one needs a tractor that big.......look how many tires that thing holds. We can't let a machine like that get into the hands of criminals...... Ignition locks all around! :)
Nice tractor
ATTICA, ATTICA, ATTICA.... Well Done!!!!!!
"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,” Sheriff Kirk Martin told the Associated Press."
Yep, good use for the jaws of life, salvaging weapons to later kill with. Maybe said sheriff has salvaged some of that pot too? He should smoke one, and re-assess his thinking.