St. Albans gunfight suspect denies assault charges

A man wounded in an exchange of gunfire with St. Albans police Tuesday night denied a host of related charges Wednesday and was ordered held without bail.

No officers were injured in the 5:50 p.m. incident, which took place near downtown, a school and a home that the suspect was under court order to avoid, according to police statements.

Jack LaPlant, 26, of St. Albans was treated for a single, "non-life-threatening bullet graze wound to his abdomen" and released into custody, Capt. Dan Trudeau of the Vermont State Police said in a statement early Wednesday.

LaPlant appeared later Wednesday in Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans and pleaded not guilty to charges including aggravated assault with a weapon, violating an abuse prevention order and reckless endangerment, according to court personnel.

Tuesday night, before police arrived, LaPlant fired several shots from a semi-automatic .223 caliber Ruger AR-556 rifle in the vicinity of 72 Lincoln Ave., police said. Days earlier, a judge had ruled the neighborhood off-bounds to the suspect due to a domestic abuse charge, according to St. Albans police Chief Gary Taylor.

"The total number of shots fired and recovered spent casings are still being determined," Trudeau said in a second statement Wednesday afternoon.

Ownership of the assault-style weapon was unknown, the captain added, noting that a trace was in progress.

Trudeau identified the officers who fired their service weapons as Cpl. Jason Lawton, 29, and Cpl. Michael Malinowski, 28. Both officers are assigned to the uniform division. Lawton has worked for St. Albans police since 2014, and Malinowski since 2012.

Lawton previously was employed by Shelburne police from 2011-14, Trudeau said.

LaPlant was in custody at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town, according to Corrections Department records.

A call seeking comment from Franklin County State's Attorney Jim Hughes was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.

The incident began when officers received a report "of a man dressed in all black with a rifle" at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Rugg Street, the St. Albans City Police Department wrote in a Facebook post late Tuesday.

As police were responding, a caller reported that multiple shots had been fired. Officers encountered the suspect just east of the Bellows Free Academy school.

"As Officers attempted to gain control of the situation a shot was fired by the suspect and two Officers returned fire," police wrote in the statement. "The suspect immediately went down and once secured medical assistance was rendered."

The number of shots fired and the type of rifle used by LaPlant were not released by police Wednesday morning.

LaPlant was taken to Northwestern Medical Center after he was shot, then transferred to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. He was treated and released into law enforcement custody overnight.

The Vermont State Police were leading the investigation. The Major Crimes Unit, Crime Scene Search Team and Bureau of Criminal Investigation were dispatched to the scene Tuesday night.

Trueau noted the investigation was continuing Wednesday.

"There are many more interviews to conduct, evidence to process, and phone calls and videos to review," he said.

RELATED: Death toll on Vermont roads rises in 2017 to highest in four years

BFA-St. Albans Principal Chris Mosca said Tuesday night that when he called dispatch to find out about the incident he was told there was no threat to the school, which was hosting a boys basketball game against Spaulding High School.

"I was told whatever happened was quickly addressed," Mosca said, but added he was unable to get any more information from the police dispatch center.

The St. Albans Police Department asked that anyone with information about the incident call 802-524-2166 or contact the department via Facebook or Twitter, or by leaving an anonymous tip through the department's website. Individuals also can contact the state police.

RELATED: Defense plans to raise sanity issue in cleaver attack case

Contributing: Nicole Higgins DeSmet and Joel Banner Baird of the Free Press. Contact Adam Silverman at 802-660-1854 or asilverman@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wej12.