STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

NEWS RELEASE

CASE#: 21A203195

RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Trooper Nicholas Olson                         

STATION: St. Albans Barracks      

CONTACT#: 802-524-5993

DATE/TIME: 08/19/21 – 1951hours

INCIDENT LOCATION: Exit 18 Maplefields, Georgia, VT

VIOLATION: Weapons offense - aggravated assault, reckless endangerment

ACCUSED: Sami Ettouzar

AGE: 17

CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: South Burlington, VT

SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:

Following further investigation, the Vermont State Police identified the suspect in this incident as Sami Ettouzar, 17, of South Burlington. The South Burlington Police Department located Ettouzar on Friday and issued him a citation on suspicion of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. At the direction of the Franklin County State’s Attorney’s Office, Ettouzar is being charged as an adult. He is scheduled to appear for arraignment at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans.

The Vermont State Police is unable to comment further at this time. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court and made public following arraignment. Members of the media should call the Court Clerk’s Office prior to arraignment to confirm details of the hearing.

***Initial news release, 9:05 a.m. Friday, Aug. 20, 2021***

On August 19th, 2021, at approximately 1951 hours the Vermont State Police received a report of a male that pulled a gun on another male at the Exit 18 Maplefields in Georgia, VT.  The caller reported that the suspect fled the scene in a black four door older model VW Jetta with a white temporary plate last seen heading toward the interstate on US Route 7 in Georgia.  Troopers from the St. Albans Barracks responded to the scene and met with the victims.  The victims said that they had agreed to meet the suspect at the Maplefields as he was reportedly selling a Go-Pro on Facebook Marketplace that had been stolen recently out of the truck of one of the victims.  Upon confronting the suspect with the information that it was their Go-Pro, the suspect grabbed the camera back and pulled a gun on the victim and his friends. The victims described the gun as a black semi-automatic handgun and said that the suspect racked the slide of the handgun as he drew it from underneath his coat and then pointed it at them. Attached are pictures of the suspect who has yet to be identified.  Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect is asked to contact the Vermont State Police St. Albans Barracks at 802-524-5993. Tips also may be submitted anonymously online at http://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

COURT ACTION: Y

COURT DATE/TIME: 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, 2021

COURT: Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans

LODGED - LOCATION: N/A

BAIL: N/A

MUG SHOT: N/A

*Please note:  court date and time are subject to change at the discretion of the court. Please call the criminal court clerk to confirm arraignment time.