Press Releases

LAW ENFORCEMENT REMINDS PUBLIC:
CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN STARTS MAY 20
As the Memorial Day holiday approaches, Windham County Sheriff’s Office is reminding all drivers of the importance of seat belt use. This annual campaign is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort that runs from May 20 to June 2, 2019. Aimed at enforcing seat belt use to help keep families safe, the national seat belt campaign runs concurrent with the busy travel season.

During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. We cannot overstate the importance of wearing a seat belt. It’s the law, but it’s more than that: By far, buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt.

For this year’s Click It or Ticket seat belt mobilization effort, NHTSA is asking all states to participate in the kickoff event, Border to Border (B2B), a one-day national seat belt awareness event on May 20 that is coordinated by participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. The B2B program aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled, highly visible state border checkpoints.

According to NHTSA, in 2017, there were 10,076 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 55 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In Vermont, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $100.

In 2017, we lost 62 community members to fatal crashes, of them 33 because they did not buckle their seat belts. If the enforcement crackdown wakes people up to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we’ll consider our mission to be a success.

If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of this senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone—front seat and back, child and adult—needs to remember to buckle up—every trip, every time.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.



CONTACT: Cpl. Jonathan Griffus, 802-365-4942, jgriffus@windhamcountyvt.gov

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Incident: 19WHC002153
Date: 4/23/2019
Location: Putney VT
Investigating Deputy: Cpl. Griffus

Accused: Shannon K. Chaney
Age: 40
City & State of Residence:Putney, VT

Charges: Disorderly Conduct

Description: On 4/23/2019 the Windham County Sheriff's Office responded to a dispute in the Town of Putney. As a part of the investigation, Shannon Chaney, 40, of Putney was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. Chaney was cited to appear at the Vermont Superior Court Windham Criminal Division to answer to the charge.

Court Date: 6/18/2019
Bail: n/a

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Incident: 19WHC002125
Date: 04/22/19
Location: Interstate 91 N
Investigating Deputy: DFC Devito

Accused: Jamie Brownell
Age: 35
City & State of Residence: Putney, Vermont

Charges: DUI

Description: On 04/22/19 at approximately 1635 the Windham County Sheriff's Office arrested Jamie Brownell of Putney, Vermont for DUI. The deputy on duty observed an equipment violation and conducted a motor vehicle stop. The subsequent investigation found that Brownell had been operating the vehicle prior to the stop and was arrested for DUI. Brownell was transported to the Vermont State Police Barrack in Westminster for processing. Brownell was cited and released to appear at the Windham County Superior Court Criminal Division at a later date and time to answer to the charge of DUI.

Court Date: 05/07/19
Bail: N/A

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Incident: 19WHC002145
Date: 04/22/19
Location: Kimball Hill Rd Putney
Investigating Deputy: DFC Devito

Accused: Anthony L. Matias
Age:35
City & State of Residence: Brattleboro, Vermont

Charges: Driving with a Criminally Suspension

Description:
On 04/22/19 at approximately 1635 hours the Windham County Sheriff's Office arrested Anthony L. Matias of Brattleboro, Vermont for driving with a criminally suspended license. The deputy on duty observed an equipment violation and conducted a motor vehicle stop. The subsequent investigation lead to Matias's arrest. Matias was cited to appear at the Windham County Superior Court Criminal Division at a later date and time to answer to the charge of DLS.

Court Date: 06/04/19
Bail: N/A

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Incident: 19WHC001501
Date:03/18/19
Location: Putney Vermont
Investigating Deputy: DFC Devito

Accused: Tellman Knudson
Age: 42
City & State of Residence: Brattleboro, Vermont

Charges: Violating an Abuse Prevention Order

Description: On 03/18/19 at approximately 1621 hours the Windham Country Sheriff's Office responded to a call of a possible Relief from Abuse Order Violation in the Town of Putney, Vermont. The subsequent investigation lead to the arrest of Knudson on 04/16/19 in the Town of Brattleboro. Knudson was processed at the Brattleboro police department and released on conditions to appear at the Windham County Superior Court Criminal Division the next day to answer to the charge.

Court Date: 04/17/19
Bail: N/A

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Incident:19WHC001763
Date: 3/30/2019
Location:Westminster VT
Investigating Deputy: Cpl. J. Griffus

Accused: Christopher Shardlow
Age: 41
City & State of Residence: S. Kingstown RI

Charges: Driving Under the Influence

Description: On 3/30/2019 at approximately 19:54 hours, the Windham County Sheriff's Office conducted a motor vehicle stop for a traffic violation. That stop led to the arrest of Christopher Shardlow, 41, of S. Kingstown RI for Driving under the Influence. Shardlow was cited and released to appear at the Vermont Superior Court Windham Criminal Division to answer to the charge.

Court Date: 5/14/2019
Bail: N/A

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One of our deputies was struck and run over by a vehicle today in Brattleboro. He is in stable condition and will undergo surgery. The Brattleboro Police Department is investigating the crash. The deputy was directing traffic as part of the ongoing construction work at Exit 2.

We would like to use this as an opportunity to remind people to be alert and mindful of personnel in construction zones, and to approach with caution when approaching emergency vehicles with flashing lights.

We would like to thank the Brattleboro Police, Brattleboro Fire, Rescue Inc, Vermont State Police, and DMV Commercial Truck Enforcement for their responses. We also would like to thank the community for their support and well-wishes.

Questions or information related to the crash may be referred to the Brattleboro Police Department.

Media Contact:
Captain Mark Anderson
802-365-4942

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Incident: 19WHC001892
Date: 04/07/19
Location: RT 9 Marlboro
Investigating Deputy: DFC Devito

Accused: Brendan Santo-Christo
Age: 20
City & State of Residence: Marlborough Connecticut

Charges: DLS

Description: On 04/07/19 at approximately 1915 hours the Windham County Sheriff's Office arrested Brendan Santo- Christo for driving with a suspended license. The deputy on duty observed an equipment violation and conducted a motor vehicle stop. The subsequent investigation lead to Santo- Christo's arrest. Santo-Christo was cited to appear at the Windham County Superior Court Criminal Division at a later date and time to answer for the charge of driving with a suspended license.

Court Date: 05/14/19
Bail: N/A

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On Saturday April 27th the Windham County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and in coordination with local law enforcement agencies and prevention coalitions serving Windham County, will participate in the 17TH National Drug Take Back Day. This initiative gives the communities the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Please keep in mind the DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
Disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazard!
Bring your medications for disposal on Saturday April 27th to any of the following locations:
-Windham County Sheriff's Office - 11 Jail St, Newfane
-Brattleboro Police Dept.- 62 Black Mtn Rd #101, Brattleboro
-Bellows Falls Police Dept.- 170 Rockingham St, Bellows Falls
-Wilmington Police Department- 2 E. Main St, Wilmington
-Dover Police Department- 245 VT 100, Dover
*All locations listed have permanent drop boxes located in the agencies lobby, and it is available for pill disposal during open lobby hours, no questions asked.

Please contact Lieutenant Jessica Fellows at (802)365-4942 or at jfellows@windhamcountyvt.gov for more information.

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Incident: 19WHC001620
Date: 03/22/19
Location: Exit 4 91 North
Investigating Deputy: Deputy Devito

Accused: Gary J. Gagne
Age: 48
City & State of Residence: Brattleboro Vermont

Charges: DUI

Description:
On 03/22/19 at approximately 2141 hours The Windham County Sheriff's Office arrested Gary J. Gagne of Brattleboro Vermont for DUI. The Deputy on duty observed a moving violation and conducted a motor vehicle stop in the parking lot of the Putney Inn. The subsequent investigation lead to Gagne's arrest. Gagne was transported to the Vermont State Police barracks in Westminster for processing. Gagne was released on citation to appear at the Windham County Superior Court Criminal Division at a later date and time to answer for the charge.

Court Date: 04/09/19
Bail: N/A

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