STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
Rutland City officer cited in connection with 2023 police shooting
RUTLAND, Vermont (Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024) — Following review of an investigation by the Vermont State Police, the Attorney General’s Office on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, directed VSP to issue a citation to a Rutland City Police Department officer in connection with a shooting that occurred in the city in July 2023.
Sgt. Andrew Plemmons is due to appear for arraignment Friday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and reckless endangerment. The hearing is expected to occur at 12:30 p.m. in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Rutland.
The charges arise from an incident that occurred July 3, 2023, during which Sgt. Plemmons shot and wounded two 21-year-old brothers from Springfield, Massachusetts, identified as Randy A. Perez-Coiscou and Andy H. Perez-Coiscou. They have since recovered from their injuries.
No additional information is available from the Vermont State Police at this time. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court and made public following Plemmons’ arraignment. Members of the media should confirm details of the hearing with the Criminal Court Clerk’s Office in Rutland.
Questions regarding Plemmons’ employment status should be directed to the Rutland Police Department.
***Update No. 1, 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 5, 2023***
The Vermont State Police investigation is continuing Wednesday, July 5, 2023, into this week’s non-fatal police shooting by a member of the Rutland City Police Department.
The men who were shot are identified as Randy A. Perez-Coiscou and Andy H. Perez-Coiscou. They are twin 21-year-old brothers from Springfield, Massachusetts. Both men remain hospitalized at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington for treatment of their injuries.
The Rutland officer who fired his service weapon is identified as Sgt. Andrew Plemmons.
The incident occurred when Plemmons and Officer James Rajda saw a suspicious vehicle parked near the Giorgetti Athletic Complex along Oak Street Extension shortly before 8:30 p.m. Monday, July 3, and initiated an investigation. The Perez-Coiscou brothers were the occupants of the car. During the interaction with police, the car began to move, and Sgt. Plemmons fired his handgun. The car eventually crashed at the end of Oak Street Extension. Rajda received a minor injury to one of his arms during the encounter. The Vermont State Police has not recovered any weapons connected to the suspects.
As a result of the investigation, Randy Perez-Coiscou was arrested on two charges of felony aggravated assault on a law-enforcement officer. He was turned over to the custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections while remaining hospitalized. He was arraigned by video Wednesday, July 5, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Rutland, pleaded not guilty, and was ordered jailed for lack of $10,000 bail.
Andy Perez-Coiscou received a citation on a charge of possession of fentanyl and is due in criminal court in Rutland on Aug. 14.
Plemmons, a patrol sergeant, has worked for the Rutland City Police Department since November 2014. Rajda is a patrol K9 officer and has worked for the department since September 2018. Their photos are attached to this release.
VSP’s investigation into the police shooting remains active and ongoing. Detectives have obtained video from body-worn and cruiser cameras, and will review any additional video available from surveillance cameras in the area. The Crime Scene Search Team processed the location of the shooting and the subsequent vehicle crash. Detectives have spoken to witnesses. The Rutland City Police Department is cooperating with the investigation.
Anyone with information that might assist in the investigation should call the state police barracks in Rutland at 802-773-9101 or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No additional details are available at this time. The state police will continue providing updates as additional information becomes available.
***Initial news release, 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, July 4, 2023***
The Vermont State Police is investigating a shooting by the Rutland City Police Department that occurred Monday evening, July 3, 2023, in Rutland.
The shooting occurred at about 8:30 p.m. near the Giorgetti Athletic Complex along Oak Street Extension. Preliminary investigation by the Vermont State Police indicates Rutland City police officers encountered a vehicle occupied by two men, and that at least one officer subsequently fired his department-issued handgun. The car then was driven toward the end of Oak Street Extension, where it crashed.
The driver and passenger both were injured and were brought by ambulance to Rutland Regional Medical Center for treatment. They have since been transported to University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. The exact nature and extent of their wounds is unknown at this time.
One Rutland City police officer sustained a minor injury during the encounter.
The Vermont State Police is leading the investigation into the police shooting, as is standard practice in Vermont.
This investigation is in its initial stages. Detectives with the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigations, along with the Crime Scene Search Team and uniformed troopers from the Field Force Division, are responding to the scene and working on the case. The Rutland City Police Department is cooperating with the investigation and providing assistance.
The names of the individuals involved in this incident are being withheld at this stage of the investigation. As is standard practice, the police officers involved will be identified within 24 hours of the shooting.
When the Vermont State Police investigation is complete, the case will be turned over per standard protocol to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the relevant State’s Attorney’s Office for independent reviews of the use of force.
Police ask that anyone with information that might assist investigators call the VSP Rutland Barracks at 802-773-9101 or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No additional information is available. VSP will provide updates as the investigation proceeds.
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