RUTLAND, Vt. -
A shackled Jennifer Berube, 39, entered the courtroom Friday, her only audience a row of Rutland City Police officers. She denied she tried to murder one of their colleagues.
But court papers paint a different picture. Police say Berube was moved from a holding cell to an interview room to be questioned about using a stolen credit card at three stores, giving false names to police and resisting arrest. Police say that's when she attacked Officer Damon Nguyen.
"And during that process somehow obtained a knife, approached Officer Damon Nguyen from the rear and attempted to slice his throat," Rutland Police Chief James Baker said.
The question Baker could not answer-- just how Berube got a hold of the folding knife.
"At this point, we've directed an internal administrative review of that question because as I stand here now, I don't know how that occurred," he said.
Baker also couldn't say if Berube was carrying the knife herself or if it was in the interview room. He says more answers should come once the review takes place.
"We owe it to our officers to do a review of this to figure out if it's a policy issue, a training issue, whatever the issue may have been we'll figure out what that is and take the steps to repair it," Baker said.
Court records also show Berube was perhaps trying to help her partner in crime and husband, John Mclean, who was also arrested on the three misdemeanors Thursday.
Court records show Berube said, "I was trying to make you proud, babe."
Mclean has a criminal record. And he told Berube he'd try to kill himself if he was put in jail again, according to court documents. Police did find a rope tied into a noose in his holding cell.
When Berube was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries she sustained while police attempted to restrain her, records show she also tried to grab syringes and all sharp objects had to be removed from the room.
She is being held without bail pending an evidence hearing next week.
Jennifer Berube
John Mclean
