STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

 

Rhode Island man extradited to Vermont to face multiple charges arising from shooting at state troopers in Burke

 

BURKE, Vermont (Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024) — A Rhode Island man has been returned to Vermont to face charges including attempted aggravated murder in connection with his shooting at multiple Vermont State Police troopers last month in Burke.

 

Brenden Sackal, 30, of Hopkinton, Rhode Island, was discharged earlier this week from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, where he received treatment after being shot multiple times July 14. The New Hampshire State Police arrested Sackal earlier this week on a warrant from Vermont. Following his discharge from the hospital, he was taken to jail, appeared Wednesday afternoon in Grafton County District Court in Haverhill and waived extradition.

 

Vermont state troopers brought Sackal to VSP’s Bradford Outpost for processing before he was jailed without bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield pending arraignment on a host of state charges. His arraignment is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Johnsbury.

 

The Vermont State Police continues to conduct interviews and analyze evidence related to this incident, in which Sgt. Joshua Mikkola and Trooper Richard Berlandy of the Derby Barracks fired their department-issued weapons. Once detectives complete the investigation, VSP will turn over the case to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the relevant State’s Attorney’s Office for independent reviews of the troopers’ use of force.

 

Following standard protocol after a critical incident, Sgt. Mikkola and Trooper Berlandy remain on administrative duty status at the barracks pending the independent reviews.

 

Thursday’s arraignment is expected to be conducted by video. Members of the media should contact the Criminal Court Clerk’s Office in St. Johnsbury to confirm details of the hearing. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court and made public following the arraignment.

 

The Vermont State Police received assistance during this investigation from the New Hampshire State Police, the Grafton County (New Hampshire) Attorney’s Office, and staff at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

 

 

***Update No. 4, 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2024***

A Rhode Island man faces more than a dozen charges including attempted aggravated murder arising from a shootout late Sunday, July 14, 2024, on Vermont Route 114 in the town of Burke.

 

Brenden Sackal, 30, of Hopkinton, Rhode Island, could receive a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of all the charges.

 

A judge in Caledonia County signed an arrest warrant late Tuesday afternoon, July 16, for Sackal on the following charges:

 

• Attempted aggravated murder, three counts.

• Aggravated assault on a law-enforcement officer, three counts. These charges are related to Sackal’s shooting at three Vermont State Police troopers.

• Aggravated assault with a weapon, two counts. These charges are related to Sackal’s driving his pickup truck into two state police cruisers attempting to stop his vehicle.

• Grossly negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

• Attempting to elude law enforcement.

• Possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, seven counts.

 

As of Tuesday afternoon, Sackal remains in critical but stable condition at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Vermont State Police troopers returned fire and shot Sackal several times when he fired multiple rounds at them after crashing his truck during attempts by police to arrest him.

 

The Vermont State Police has worked closely with the Caledonia County State’s Attorney’s Office on this investigation. The warrant has been entered into law-enforcement databases, and Sackal is expected to be extradited to Vermont following his arrest.

 

The affidavit of probable cause is filed with the court. The Vermont State Police will continue to share updates on this case as the investigation proceeds.

 

 

***Update No. 3, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2024***

The Vermont State Police is identifying the two troopers who fired their duty weapons Sunday night in Burke as Sgt. Joshua Mikkola and Trooper Richard Berlandy. Both are assigned to the Derby Barracks.

 

Sgt. Mikkola has served with the state police since 2016 and was promoted to sergeant in February 2021. Trooper Berlandy joined VSP in 2019. Both troopers have spent their careers working out of the Derby office. Their department photographs are attached to this release.

 

The investigation into the shooting continues, and no further information is available at this time.

 

 

***Update No. 2, 3:35 p.m. Monday, July 15, 2024***

The Vermont State Police investigation into Sunday night’s trooper-involved shooting in Burke remains active and ongoing Monday afternoon, July 15, 2024.

 

The man who was shot is identified as Brenden Sackal, 30, of Hopkinton, Rhode Island. He initially was treated at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury and subsequently transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, where he remains Monday afternoon. He was reported to be in critical condition with non-life-threatening injuries.

 

The situation began Sunday evening when police in Rhode Island notified law-enforcement authorities in northern New Hampshire and Vermont that Sackal was believed to be traveling in the region and was the subject of an arrest warrant on charges related to possessing illegal high-capacity firearm magazines. Rhode Island police had executed a search warrant Friday, July 12, at Sackal’s home but were unable to locate him.

 

Sunday night, an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol observed Sackal’s pickup truck in the area of Pittsburg, New Hampshire, and initiated a traffic stop. After briefly pulling over, Sackal drove away, and Border Patrol agents followed him through Stewartstown, New Hampshire, and eventually into Canaan, Vermont. From Canaan, Sackal continued north on Vermont Route 114, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection used a tire-deflation device on his truck due to concerns that Sackal might try to cross the border into Canada. Sackal then headed south at relatively slow speeds on Route 114 driving on flat tires and rims, followed by Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection and one deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.

 

Vermont state troopers became involved in the area of Morgan and continued to follow Sackal with their lights and sirens activated. Once in Burke, troopers attempted to bring Sackal’s vehicle to a stop. Video reviewed by investigators shows that Sackal collided with two VSP cruisers and then lost control, with the truck coming to rest on the shoulder and partially in the northbound lane of Route 114 near Pinkham Road in Burke.

 

During the arrest, the suspect fired a weapon at troopers. Two troopers returned fire, injuring the suspect. Troopers took Sackal into custody and immediately began rendering first aid until rescue crews arrived. No troopers or other individuals were injured in the exchange of gunfire.

 

Charges in Vermont against Sackal arising from this incident are pending.

 

The troopers involved who fired their department-issued handguns have been placed on paid relief-from-duty status, following standard procedure after a critical incident.

 

The Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit investigates all officer-involved shootings in the state. When the investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the relevant county’s State’s Attorney’s Office for independent reviews of the use of force.

 

New Hampshire law enforcement has been made aware of Sackal’s presence at Dartmouth Hitchcock and the extraditable arrest warrant for his arrest from Rhode Island.

 

The Vermont State Police will provide additional updates as the case progresses.

 

 

***Update No. 1, 12:20 p.m. Monday, July 15, 2024***

Maj. Dan Trudeau, commander of the Vermont State Police Criminal Division, will be available to speak with members of the media at 3 p.m. Monday, July 15, at VSP’s St. Johnsbury Barracks, 1068 U.S. Route 5.

 

As of 12:15 p.m. Monday, the man who was shot is hospitalized and receiving care at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Maj. Trudeau will provide further updates on this investigation at the media availability.

 

 

***Initial news release, 11:45 p.m. Sunday, July 14, 2024***

The Vermont State Police is investigating an incident in which a man was shot during a confrontation with state troopers late Sunday, July 14, 2024, in the town of Burke.

 

The shooting occurred at about 10:05 p.m. near the intersection of Vermont Route 114 and Pinkham Road. The man was transported to Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury for treatment of his injuries. As of 11 p.m. Sunday, his condition was unknown.

 

The troopers involved were uninjured.

 

This investigation is in its infancy and involves detectives with the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Crime Scene Search Team, uniformed troopers from Field Force Division, and the Victim Services Unit.

 

The identity of the man who was shot will be released following notification of relatives and further investigation.

 

Following standard protocol, the Vermont State Police will withhold the names of the troopers who fired their weapons for at least 24 hours.

 

Anyone with information that could assist in this investigation is asked to call the state police barracks in Derby at 802-334-8881 or provide an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit. 

 

No additional information is available at this time. The state police will provide updates as the investigation unfolds.

 

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