Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is identifying the individuals involved in the nearly 12-hour standoff that began Sunday afternoon, December 6, 2020, and concluded safely at 1:21 am Monday.
The suspect is Reginald Book, 70, of West Haven. He is facing charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and simple assault. The first two charges arise from Book’s use of his vehicle in an attempt to run over a state trooper at the scene of the standoff on Main Road in West Haven. The third charge stems from an incident earlier Sunday in which he and an adult male relative became involved in a physical altercation, which started this investigation.
VSP photo: Reginald Book, 70, of West Haven
According to investigators, troopers located Book at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday inside his van on a property at 3490 Main Rd. and attempted to arrest him on suspicion of simple assault related to the domestic dispute.
Book refused orders to exit the van and began to drive aggressively around the property, at times in the direction of troopers.
Troopers deployed spike strips to prevent Book from leaving the area. At one point, Trooper Jeremy Sullivan fell near the front of Book’s vehicle, and troopers on scene reported hearing the engine rev while the van accelerated toward Sullivan, placing him in fear of his life.
As Trooper Sullivan stood back up, Trooper Craig Roland discharged his department-issued handgun at the van, striking the vehicle at least one time, at which point the van stopped. Book was uninjured.
VSP photo: Trooper Craig Roland
In addition to Troopers Roland and Sullivan, Vermont State Police personnel on scene at the time of the shooting were Sgt. Blake Cushing and Trooper Katrina Ducharme. All four members are assigned to the Rutland Barracks. Roland has been a member of the Vermont State Police since 2017.
Troopers were able to take Book into custody without further incident at 1:21 a.m. Monday. He was evaluated at Rutland Regional Medical Center and ordered held without bail.
Book was transported to the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield and was scheduled for arraignment by video in the 1 p.m. block Monday, Dec. 7, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in White River Junction.
Per policy, Trooper Roland is on paid administrative leave for a minimum of five days, after which he will return to administrative duty while the investigation into the use of force is under review by the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Rutland County State’s Attorney’s Office.
No additional information is currently available. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court and made public following Book’s arraignment.
***Update, 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7***
Following a lengthy standoff, the subject in this incident was taken into custody without further incident at 1:21 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7, 2020.
No injuries were reported.
The investigation into this incident is in its preliminary stages, and no further details are currently available. Additional information, including the names of those involved, will be released as the investigation proceeds.
***Initial news release, 10:05 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6***
The Vermont State Police are working to peacefully resolve a standoff with a suspect in a domestic assault in West Haven. During the ongoing standoff, a state trooper fired his weapon, but there are no known injuries at this time.
The situation began at about 8:39 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, when troopers from the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks responded to 1434 Book Rd. in West Haven following a report of a domestic dispute involving two men who are related to each other. Upon arrival on scene, troopers were unable to locate one of the involved parties, who had left the area. Troopers learned that the situation involved a physical altercation between the two men that resulted in minor injuries.
At 2:30 p.m., while continuing to investigate the domestic dispute, troopers responded to Main Road in West Haven to attempt to speak with the man who had previously left the scene on Book Road. Troopers located the man in his vehicle, a shuttle-bus-style van, but the man refused to cooperate, and a standoff ensued. At one point during the standoff, a trooper discharged his department-issued handgun in the direction of the van. No injuries have been reported.
Vermont State Police personnel on scene include members of the Field Force Division, the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Major Crime Unit, and the Crisis Negotiation Unit.
This is a dynamic and unfolding situation, and no further details are available. The situation is contained, and there is no threat to the general public, although members of the public are asked to avoid the scene of the standoff.
Updates will be issued as further information becomes available.
Source: WEST HAVEN, Vermont (Monday, Dec. 7, 2020) — The Vermont State Police