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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:
@Luke-406706 "They see me rollin'... they hatin' .... patrolin'.... Trying to catch me ridin' dirty."
FTW!! lol
I feel bad for the taxpayers in VT who will have to foot the bill for this clown's revenge. The cars and equipment can't be cheap to replace. Even if it's covered by insurance, most likely the insurance rates will increase.
This is hilarious. I give this man a standing ovation. I wish I was on that jury. He would be walking free. All police agencies are full of bullies, and brutes. Don't give me the BS of: you would change your tune if you were in danger and needed them. Again BS....SERVING THE PUBLIC IS THEIR JOB !!! It is not their job to be arrogant, hateful, nasty bullies. And NO, I have never been arrested.
"Hey forget it, after all it is Vermont." Ah, Vermont, land of whack-jobs and most of the others on some form of wacky-weed. Ever been there? --Some of the dumbest people to be found anywhere.
Kung Pao Squid:
You are an uninformed idiot. Vermont has more colleges, and universities, per capita than any other state. Vermont also has more college educated people per capita. Though I doubt that you even know what per capita means.
Vermont is also one of the most progressive, and open minded, places in the United States. Medical marijuana is legal, as well as gay marriage. The citizens happen to be the nicest you will meet anywhere.
Next time check your facts before giving you idiotic opinion.
Dear sensitive ddshzo:
You used three comma faults in your rant; must be all that wacky-weed fermenting in your brain n'est-ce pas? Or perhaps you learned your English at one of those fine Vermont institutions of higher learning, and no doubt while on wacky-weed.
And some of the ugliest to boot, outside of Congress that is.
Dear brutish ddszho:
We noticed in one of your eccentric prior posts that you would "give this man a standing ovation," for his crimes of smashing those police cars with his tractor--yours is an interesting comment, and you have many interestingly bizarre views by your prior-posted comments bashing police officers. We wonder had people been injured, which was quite possible to have occurred if you would then be cheering such calamity and human suffering. Heh?
If it were police that got crushed, i certainly would be cheering!
From the news this summer, "Vermont official apologizes for Facebook comments," that were racist and just dumb; now that is Vermont seed. He said it wasn't like him and apologized for the many weedy comments after the fact. Okay so now we know the real story.
This guy is a loose cannon and should be lock up for life. If he get this mad over an marijuana arrest just think how mad he would get over anything else. Its was the police this time, but it could be anyone next and the results will not be property damage.
There also won't be any cruisers to rush to a convenience store robbery or possible rape in progress or a mugging, etc. But hey! Who cares about that? Right?
Ernest T, ERNEST T !........Now you cain't come afta me!
If liberals would just leave the drugs alone things like this wouldn't happen.
If we weren't a police state, these things wouldn't happen.
Sublime!
also, glad no one got hurt.
8 PIGmobiles flat as a plancake! Very Satisfying!
A little governmental control never hurt anyone!
OMG !!!! We have to outlaw and confiscate all tractors now!!!
And speaking about tractors, The intelligent administration that is in power now has
just declared 80 % of the counties in the US disaster areas due to the drought. WHY HASN'T
THE PRESIDENT SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO STOP THE USE OF CORN FOR ETHANOL SINCE
WE WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH CORN FOR FOOD DUE TO THE DROUGHT? Hire prices, less corn for
food but the dummies in Washington want to have corn in gas.
VOTE THE INCOMPETENT OUT IN NOVEMEBER !!!!!!!!!
Vote early and vote often !!
I thought this was only seen in the movies, guess not.
Way Cool I Wished I would Have Thought Of That Way Cool
Legalize Marijuana 2012
I applaud this guy for what he did. Every government official that is suposed to be here to "keep the peace" or run the country is croupted by money. Not to mention all religions are also croupted by sex or marters. The olny true way to "Fix" the worlds problems to to start helping others instead of thinking that "your better than them" for one reason or another.
All this man was doing was serving up some good old fashined humble pie.
I personally understand the frustration of this guy, I bet he did it not because of the pot bust , but probably because of the rough treatment that he received, police are there to serve and protect, not intimidate and abuse, I know for a fact, that Hoffman estates police, manhandled me for no reason other than I gave my name and SS for ID< instead of my driver licence, they arrested me , said I touched them during the arrest and slammed me down in my own driveway and charged me with battery, what a laugh, I'm 63 years old , Viet-NAM vet , full of pain in all my joints, and now it's going to cost me money for a layer because they think they are Gods by wearing the badge and that gun. I see where that guy is coming from, FRUSTRATION !!!
What we need is WE the people to wake up, smell the coffee and do something about it
I hear you! These demigods have a reputation for a reason and it certainly isn't to serve and protect. They are more corrupt than most of the mofias and once you're in their "system" they don't let leave you alone. This poor guy probably had ENOUGH!
Good for this guy!!!!!. I wish I had a tractor to run over the stinkin pig cars in my county.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to say to "You GO Roger!" Fortunately no one as hurt except the taxpayers who have to replace the vehicles. Remember those "Question Authority" bumper stickers? I would love to have one on my vehicle except I do not want to become a target to local police or any other control freaked agencies. This story made me laugh. Except for the taxpayers who have to buy more squad cars. Want another amusing anti-government story? Google Grand Lake homemade tank in 2004. He was pissed at the local government he took out a good portion of the town before he killed himself. No one was hurt but boy did he make a statement before he died.
I wish he could bring his tractor to my town, we have way too many patrol cars around here!
The right wing keeps telling us to get government out of our lives. OK, let's start with pot. It causes much less social problems than alcohol ever could. I remember when Masschusetts finally decriminalized possession of an ounce or less to a small fine. All I heard was various police departments saying they didn't understand the lae, they didn't know what to do. blah, blah, blah. They sure know what to do when you're speeding. They sure know what to do when you jay walk. I also remember whent the state took away guaranteed state trooper police patrols from side road construction jobs. Some cops harassed and even tried to run over the guards. So, maybe NO ONE should be able to take the law into their own hands BUT maybe some of our laws are STUPID. I think this guy is saying exactly that.
One sniper bullet to this dirtbag's cortex may save innocent lives later!!!
Hmmm... we all were thinking the same about you bro. You must be a cop or a cop wannabe. Get real.
law and laws. With laws come freedom those that stop the crooks from stealing or killing like wall street, bankers and murderers or those that distroy property and the environment for their own gain. This guy broke the law distroying property. He should pay for that. However, marijuana is a plant and isn't stealing from anyone or killing anyone or distroying property. Because he uses marijuana doesn't mean the marijuana caused this crime. This guy has serious anger issues and doesn't think he needs to use the law to abide by it.