A Rhode Island man who was shot and injured by Vermont State Police in Burke last month pleaded not guilty on Thursday to 17 charges related to the incident, including attempted aggravated murder.
Brenden Sackal, 30, of Hopkinton, Rhode Island, was extradited from New Hampshire to Vermont this week to face the charges in Caledonia County criminal court.
He faces three counts of attempted aggravated murder, three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, one count of grossly negligent operation of a motor vehicle, one count of attempt to elude law enforcement, and seven counts of possession of a large-capacity magazine.
Sackal was released this week from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after being shot multiple times by state police. The shooting came after Sackal led multiple law enforcement agencies on a vehicle pursuit through northern Vermont and New Hampshire and opened fire on Vermont State Police troopers, according to a police affidavit.
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At Thursday's arraignment, a judge granted Caledonia County State’s Attorney Jessica Zaleski’s request to hold Sackal in prison without bail. A weight of the evidence hearing, which will determine if Sackal will remain incarcerated during the case, will take place within the next 30 days.
Sackal could receive a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole if convicted on the charges.
A federal grand jury also indicted Sackal Thursday on charges that he possessed an unregistered machine gun and one that lacked an identification number. Federal prosecutors say Sackal “knowingly” possessed a 5.56 caliber AR-type pistol that didn’t have a serial number during the incident in Burke.
Sackal faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the charge. An arraignment date for that charge hasn’t been set, according to federal prosecutors.
The incident on July 14 began after Rhode Island police alerted their counterparts in New Hampshire and Vermont that Sackal might be in a cabin in New Hampshire. Sackal was wanted in Rhode Island on charges related to possessing high-capacity firearm magazines. A 2022 Rhode Island law banned gun magazines that carry more than 10 rounds.
U.S. Border Patrol agents saw Sackal’s truck near Pittsburg, New Hampshire, and tried to pull him over. Sackal failed to stop, and drove into Vermont, where police used spikes to deflate his tires, according to a police affidavit. Sackal continued to drive at low speeds on deflated tires, the affidavit says.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including Vermont State Police, joined the pursuit of Sackal, who was driving on Vermont Route 114. Trooper Richard Berlandy tried to pass Sackal, and Sackal’s truck collided with the police cruiser and came to a stop in a ditch.
According to the police affidavit, Sackal got out of his truck and opened fire on Berlandy and Sgt. Joshua Mikkola, another trooper who’d been pursuing Sackal. Berlandy and Mikkola shot back, and appeared to hit Sackal, who fell onto the ground, the affidavit says. Sackal then shot at the troopers again while on the ground, before dropping the firearm and surrendering, according to the affidavit.
Berlandy and Mikkola are on administrative duty while VSP’s Major Crime Unit investigates the incident, a standard procedure in a police shooting. After VSP’s investigation, the Attorney General’s office and a county prosecutor will review the troopers’ use of force.
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