A file photo of a Vermont State Police trooper.
Vermont State Police say a man was shot during a confrontation with state troopers in the town of Burke on Sunday night.
The shooting occurred shortly after 10 p.m. near the intersection of Route 114 and Pinkham Road, state police said. The man was taken to Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury for treatment of his injuries and later transferred to Dartmouth Hitchock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
State police identified the man who was shot as 30-year-old Brenden Sackal, of Hopkinton, Rhode Island. He remains in critical condition but is expected to survive.
State police said the situation began Sunday when police in Rhode Island notified authorities in Vermont and New Hampshire 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 at his home on Friday but were unable to locate him.
On Sunday night, an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol saw Sackal's pickup truck in the area of Pittsburg, New Hampshire, and attempted to initiate 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. Sackal continued north on Route 114 in Vermont, 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 on Route 114 at relatively slow speeds, driving on flat tires and rims, followed by Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection and a deputy from the Orleans County Sheriff's Department.
State police joined the pursuit in the area of Morgan, and continued to follow Sackal's pickup truck with their lights and sirens activated. Once in Burke, troopers attempted to bring the vehicle to a stop. Sackal collided with two state police cruisers and then lost control, with his truck coming to rest on the shoulder and partially in the northbound lane of Route 114 near Pinkham Road in Burke.
During the arrest, Sackal fired a weapon at troopers. Two troopers returned fire, injuring him. He was then taken into custody and the troopers began providing medical aid until rescue crews arrived at the scene.
The troopers involved were not injured, state police said.
Following standard protocol, the troopers who fired their handguns have been placed on paid, relief-from-duty status. They were identified Tuesday as Sgt. Joshua Mikkola and Trooper Richard Berlandy.
