During his weekly briefing Wednesday, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and members of his administration were quizzed about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in South Burlington last week that led to a violent confrontation between law enforcement and protesters.
Throughout the day last Wednesday, protesters peacefully gathered in front of a home where ICE agents believed an individual was located. The situation became chaotic after agents received a warrant and knocked down a door to get into the house. A number of people were injured during the fracas as flash bangs and tear gas were deployed. Scott, a Republican, criticized ICE actions.
“From my perspective what unfolded was totally preventable with an injection of just a bit of common sense on the part of federal officials in particular. With that said, when South Burlington reached out for assistance from the State Police, which was the right thing to do under the circumstances, we sent troopers to help out. And for the majority of the day the protest was peaceful, which is what we were all striving for in order to keep people safe.”
State and local police agencies that were on scene are conducting reviews of the protest.
While South Burlington Police Chief Bill Breault said his department did not aid ICE and followed Vermont’s Safe and Impartial Policing mandates, residents have been critical of the local police department's response.
