A man was shot and killed Friday night in Winooski by a deputy with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.
In an email, Vermont State Police identified the deceased as Jesse Beshaw, 29, of Winooski, and the officer involved as Deputy Nicolas Palmier, 31, of the Franklin Country Sheriff’s Department.
Three other Winooski officers were involved in the incident prior to the shooting, according to the press release. All the officers were wearing body cameras that captured footage prior to and during the shooting.
The email states that a Winooski police officer identified Beshaw driving in Winooski on Friday afternoon, and that the officer recognized that there was an arrest warrant out for Beshaw for burglary. The email also states that recent investigations indicated Beshaw was known to carry a gun.
The officers observed Beshaw enter a house, and then waited until he exited the residence.
According to the release, this is what happened next:
“Beshaw was seen exiting the residence and running from the police. Deputy Palmier pursued Beshaw on foot and encountered Beshaw behind O’Brien’s Community Center. Video footage from Deputy Palmier’s body cam shows Beshaw stopping as Deputy Palmier is approaching from a distance.
"Deputy Palmier can be heard yelling verbal commands to Beshaw. Ignoring the commands, Beshaw is then seen advancing toward Deputy Palmier with his right hand concealed behind his back. Deputy Palmier discharged his firearm multiple times as Beshaw continued to advance toward him. Beshaw is then seen falling to the ground."
Winooski police officers attempted to give medical aid Beshaw before St. Michael’s rescue arrived on the scene and pronounced Beshaw dead.
The preliminary investigation by the Vermont State Police suggests that Beshaw was not armed at the time of the shooting.
State police are still investigating the incident. After the investigation is complete, the Chittenden County State’s Attorney and Attorney General’s Office will conduct a review.
This story was updated September 18 at 12:00 a.m. to include new information from the Vermont State Police.
