BRISTOL, CT (WFSB) – Connecticut State Police arrested a Vermont man for allegedly stealing a vehicle and possessing firearms on Thursday.

Connecticut State Police Troop H Dispatch received a report of a stolen vehicle from Vermont.

The vehicle was described as a white Ford F-550 truck with a car-carrier towing a GMC SUV.

Massachusetts State Police assisted in the investigation and informed Troop H that the stolen vehicle was last seen on I-91 near Windsor Locks.

Troopers later spotted the described vehicle on I-91 around Exit 34 in Hartford.

The driver, identified as Shawn Carpenter, 47, of Hartford, Vermont, was taken into custody.

During the arrest, troopers discovered two handguns with ammunition and drug paraphernalia in Carpenter’s possession.

Carpenter underwent a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, which he failed.

He refused to provide any information regarding the firearms found.

Upon contacting the registered owner of the stolen vehicle, they denied possessing the firearms and drug paraphernalia.

Carpenter faces multiple charges, including operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, operating without a license, failure to maintain proper lane, two counts of illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, two counts of illegal carrying of a firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, three counts of first-degree larceny, use of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of carrying a pistol without a permit.

He is currently held on a $150,000 bond and has been transferred to the Connecticut Department of Correction pending his scheduled arraignment at New Britain Superior Court.

Copyright 2024 WFSB. All rights reserved.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The 2024 Olympics will open a little over a month from now in Paris, and a handful of athletes with ties to our area will make the trip. That includes Jacob Plihal, a native of Washington who trains at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center.
Plihal earned his place in single sculls by finishing second at the final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland in May.
A former baseball player himself, Plihal was the the Vermont Lake Monsters game on Wednesday night to meet fans and sign some autographs. He says his time in Craftsbury have helped prepare him for his first trip to the sports’ bigget stage, and he’s looking forward to representing the U.S. over in France.
“I spent about a year training out of a club in Philadelphia, they’ve got a big rowing culture there,” Plihal said. “And through that, training camps, and competitions, I’d come to know Hap Whelpley, our head coach and some of the Craftsbury rowers. I really liked kind of the atmosphere and coaching style that he had and just the team dynamics in general. So it seemed like a good choice to change up programs. I think it’s gonna be pretty tight and tough racing. There’s a field of 32 in my event I want to say, so there’s gonna be a lot of really high quality, caliber scullers out there. Excited to race, some of them I’ve raced before and some of them I haven’t raced yet.”

BERLIN, Vt. (WCAX) – There was heightened security at a Vermont hospital on Thursday after a threat of violence.

Berlin police say the threat was made over the phone to the Central Vermont Medical Center.

Officers responded to the hospital and determined the man behind the threats was David Gardner, 54, of Montpelier. Gardner was arrested at his home in Montpelier.

Berlin Police Chief James Pontbriand says the threats were deemed not credible.

“We investigated the actual call and determined whether or not there was a threat that we needed to act further on. Ultimately, the person responsible was addressed and there will be some accountability on that end,” Pontbriand said.

Gardner is accused of disturbing the peace by electronic means. He’s due in court in September.

Earlier this week, CVMC added new security procedures to enter the emergency department at the hospital.

Editor’s note: In earlier versions of this story, WCAX News reported the hospital went into lockdown based on a press release from the Berlin police. The hospital says that it is not correct and the facility was never locked down. We regret the error.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.