2 face charges after shooting incident in Swanton

SWANTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Two men face assault charges after a bizarre incident in Swanton where a man walking his dog says he was shot at multiple times.

It all started just after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when a 55-year-old man wearing a headlamp was walking his dog on the Rail Trail along Robin Hood Drive. Swanton Village Police say a black van pulled up, two men got out and one fired four shots at the man. The victim said he dove into the trees to escape the shots, and he told police one of the men yelled something about him flashing his light at them.

Officers later found the suspect vehicle near Platt Street and conducted a stop in a driveway on Grand Avenue.

They detained the driver of the vehicle, who was identified as Jared Parizo, 23, of Swanton.

Police say the front seat passenger, identified as Enrique Hemingway, 22, of St. Albans, ran into a nearby home but came back out minutes later and began to confront the officers

That’s when police say a third passenger, who is a juvenile, suddenly jumped from the car, distracting officers and allowing Parizo to break free and kick an officer, injuring their shin.

Police were able to gain control of the suspects and detain them all.

“This sort of situation thankfully is an anomaly that we don’t encounter very often and so, I don’t think there is any risk to the general public. Certainly, this is just one of those situations that unfortunately happened and police have to deal with,” Swanton Village Police Chief Matthew Sullivan said.

Police say the juvenile identified Hemingway as the shooter. Hemingway faces a charge of aggravated assault and was held on $10,000 bail. Parizo was cited into court next month on a charge of assaulting a police officer. Police say the juvenile does not face any charges.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the police in Swanton Village at 802-868-4100.

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