08-02-2012, 07:02 PM
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Burlington Free Press
A farmer who was arrested last month expressed his displeasure Thursday afternoon in Newport by driving a heavy tractor over seven police vehicles owned by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, authorities said.
Roger Pion, 34, has been taken into custody, according to the Sheriff’s Department and Newport City Police.
“It’s more than half our fleet. We have 11 cars,” Chief Deputy Sheriff Phil Brooks told the Burlington Free Press.
“It’s pretty much the biggest tractor you can get,” Police Chief Seth DiSanto said.
“It was a massive tractor. It has four six-foot tandem wheels on the back. It was red. It must be at least a 15-ton tractor,” said Newport Express Publisher Ken Wells, who was at the scene.
Brooks said five of the damaged vehicles were marked cruisers, and two were unmarked, including a transport van. He said an eighth car, belonging to the department bookkeeper, was pushed out of the way in an effort to get at the cruisers. It had minor damage.
The incident happened early Thursday afternoon on the Derby Road near the new office for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. The department had moved from downtown into the former Passumpsic Savings Bank last year.
Brooks said he ran to a nearby service station where the department had a cruiser being worked on and jumped in to pursue the tractor, but soon learned that Newport City Police had the vehicle stopped about two miles down the road.
Brooks said Pion was turned over to the Vermont State Police, which will conduct an independent investigation.
Newport police arrested Pion on July 3 on charges of resisting arrest and possession of marijuana, DiSanto said. Pion was due in court next Tuesday.
The U.S. Border Patrol also was assisting at the scene.
Burlington Free Press
A farmer who was arrested last month expressed his displeasure Thursday afternoon in Newport by driving a heavy tractor over seven police vehicles owned by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, authorities said.
Roger Pion, 34, has been taken into custody, according to the Sheriff’s Department and Newport City Police.
“It’s more than half our fleet. We have 11 cars,” Chief Deputy Sheriff Phil Brooks told the Burlington Free Press.
“It’s pretty much the biggest tractor you can get,” Police Chief Seth DiSanto said.
“It was a massive tractor. It has four six-foot tandem wheels on the back. It was red. It must be at least a 15-ton tractor,” said Newport Express Publisher Ken Wells, who was at the scene.
Brooks said five of the damaged vehicles were marked cruisers, and two were unmarked, including a transport van. He said an eighth car, belonging to the department bookkeeper, was pushed out of the way in an effort to get at the cruisers. It had minor damage.
The incident happened early Thursday afternoon on the Derby Road near the new office for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. The department had moved from downtown into the former Passumpsic Savings Bank last year.
Brooks said he ran to a nearby service station where the department had a cruiser being worked on and jumped in to pursue the tractor, but soon learned that Newport City Police had the vehicle stopped about two miles down the road.
Brooks said Pion was turned over to the Vermont State Police, which will conduct an independent investigation.
Newport police arrested Pion on July 3 on charges of resisting arrest and possession of marijuana, DiSanto said. Pion was due in court next Tuesday.
The U.S. Border Patrol also was assisting at the scene.