Attorney General Bill Sorrell cleared a Brattleboro police officer who shot and killed an unarmed suspect with a shotgun during the execution of a search warrant, Sorrell鈥檚 office announced today.
鈥淭he office has concluded, as a matter of law, that Brattleboro Police Sergeant Mark Carignan was legally justified in the use of deadly force when he twice shot Michael Santiago with his shotgun,鈥� said.
On April 4, as on a room Santiago was staying in with Amanda Piermarini at America鈥檚 Best Inn in Brattleboro, Carignan shot Santiago twice after the suspect refused to show his hands and 鈥渁dvanced towards the officers while moving his right shoulder and arm 鈥� an officer described the motion as being consistent with drawing a firearm,鈥� the release said.
According to Sorrell's statement, police, prior to the search, 鈥渞eceived information from law enforcement in a neighboring jurisdiction indicating that Piermarini and Santiago may have recently acquired several firearms.鈥�
The Bennington County State鈥檚 Attorney鈥檚 Office also reviewed the case and found Carignan鈥檚 use of force was justified.
Carignan is the second officer to be cleared in two weeks. On June 18, inside the police station on April 22.
