Vt. officials monitoring Rutland County citizen-militia group

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermont leaders Friday said an extreme risk protection order isn’t needed against a citizen-militia group in West Pawlet after neighbors have complained about noise and other disruptive activities.

Vermont Digger reports neighbors are concerned about gunfire, noise, and rhetoric coming from the Slate Ridge firing range. Neighbors have reported confrontations with people at the Slate Ridge firing range. The group describes itself as having “the resources to educate a dynamic solution to your defense scenarios.”

Vt. Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling says the group has been on law enforcement’s radar but they haven’t done anything that to prompt a state response. “We’ve been in contact with state and local officials from that area. We’ve briefed legislators on our overall threat mitigation posture, how investigations occur, what kind of things we can investigate,” he said.

Schirling says they’ve also shared what they know with federal authorities. State leaders say they’ll continue to communicate with concerned neighbors and monitor activity at the range.

Concerns around citizen militias have risen in 2020 after a foiled attempt to kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer earlier this year.

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