Dashcam video captures Vt. troopers’ excavator assault

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A Hardwick man faces aggravated assault charges after attacking troopers last week with an excavator

WCAX obtained dashboard video of the incident at the home on Scott Road. Police say what should have been an easy arrest turned into mayhem.

“It could have been, ‘Sir, turn around, put your hands around your back, you’re under arrest for an assault,’ and they would have driven away,” said Vermont State Police Capt. Matt Daley.

Police arrived last Tuesday to arrest 24-year-old Brandon Tallman on burglary and assault charges stemming from an incident a few days before.

When Troopers Skylar Velasquez and Gabe Schrauf arrived, Tallman’s parents tried to stop them from arresting their son.

His mom, Amy Tallman, is seen wearing a black dress and white sneakers and is holding onto Tallman, getting into a scuffle with the troopers as they try to pull him away.

Meanwhile, his dad, Wayne Tallman, gets into the cab of an excavator parked in the driveway.

“They don’t have a scenario at the academy where we practice this one,” Capt. Daley said.

While the troopers are on the ground with Amy and Brandon, Wayne lowers the excavator and uses it as a weapon, swinging it at them.

Trooper Schrauf points his gun at him but doesn’t pull the trigger. While Daley was not there that day, he says the troopers made good decisions. “It was a dangerous situation that you were put in, and in the end, you came out on top, you affected the arrest, you guys both went home that night. That’s the goal of why we went there,” Daley said.

Wayne faces several charges including reckless endangerment and assault on a protected official.

His wife faces charges for impeding an officer.

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Hardwick man charged with using excavator to stop troopers

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