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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 $15,000 bail.
He is expected to appear in Orleans County Criminal Court Friday to answer to seven counts of felony unlawful mischief, one count of misdemeanor unlawful mischief, one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, one count of gross negligent operation, and one count of leaving the scene of an accident.
A man driving a tractor crushes 7 police vehicles parked at a sheriff's department headquarters in Vermont. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
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Leave a Comment:
Well, at least they are trying to recycle.
And I just washed that sum'bitch!!!!!!!!!
Ha, ha! @!$%# those pigs! I have absolutely NO sympathy for them. I HATE COPS, 99% are nothing but tax-collecting, public harassing SCUMBAGS. The rest either quit being a pig due to their own personal integrity or they died. Too bad this dumbass pot-head guy is going to spend most of the rest of his life behind bars. What a shame. I call dibs on the CIH farm tractor - I could use another car-crusher, I - I mean... farm tractor! LOL
It is not tractors that kill people, it is the guns in those tractors. NTA (National Tractormen's Association) is an organization that has promoted the use of tractors to protect our 2nd Amendment rights since 1789. Of course, then they were called mules, but the all wise SCOTUS has ruled that tractors are actually mules just like assault weapons are actually flint locks and corporations are actually human beings. Ain't America great?
GOD -- I am sick and tired of people (especially re-PUBIC-ans) whining about what they as taxpayers have to pay. As someone who has chosen not to breed, I have had it with subsidizing the fact that you can't keep it in your pants or your wife can't keep her legs shut. I tell you what -- you don't have to pay for this guy if you are willing to give up your breeder credit. Your spawn use the services and I have to pay for it now. If we really want to be fair, I should get a tax credit for NOT having dependents....
Until you are willing to give up your breeding subsidy, stop whining and agree that we all have to pay for our neighbors. I for one would rather pay for this guy than your moron children.
Democrats appear to pay more taxes. Is this a whine about mere money?
My thoughts are with most of ya'lls on this. I think it's funny as hell and the only shame in doing this is that he wasn't able to destroy the rest of the police cars. Having said that, good job Sir!
Well I know as much as the next guy that cops can often be as stupid & stubborn as a Kenyan Communist in the White House, but dude, you should really consider switching to decaf!
How does no HOPE & CHANGE for the worse equal moving FORWARD folks? ROMNEY - BELIEVE IN AMERICA!
Week old news. Really?
Laziness has reached new heights.
Where can I get one of those tractors?
Post bail for this guy
This is another fine example of our brain washed law dogs doing what they do best bothering good hard working people for the exact same things that they infact do themselfs.The fact of the mater is all law dogs should be tested for drugs just like we were tested in the nuclear industry, then we would be rid of half of the self centered morons. The farmer that ran their cheriots over should in fact be decorated with the medal of honor for standing his ground against the enemy's of society hiding behind a crummy badge. Perhaps a few more such displays of intolerance for these morons & we will be a Free country again, cause we for sure arn't now when you got uncle sap watching every move you make!!