Montpelier man arrested in South Burlington following chase, hostage situation

A Montpelier man was arrested in South Burlington on Monday night after he took a woman hostage following a chase involving a stolen truck, according to police. The incident resulted in injuries to the woman and two officers.

Shannon Edwards, 39, of Montpelier, had been wanted by Washington County officials in connection with a prior stabbing incident, as well as by the Vermont Department of Corrections as an escapee, the South Burlington Police Department said in a press release Tuesday.

The department said officers responded to a call to Hannaford Drive about a disturbance around 5:25 p.m. Monday and learned that Edwards had threatened several people with a knife while in the woods nearby. They set up a perimeter with the help of several nearby police agencies, according to the release, and found Edwards by the Champlain Water District building.

Edwards stole a truck from a water district employee, according to police, and drove through a police spike strip before crossing Shelburne Road onto Brewer Parkway. When the front tires deflated, he entered a house on Brewer Parkway and attacked the homeowner, a 74-year-old woman, South Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke said.

When police entered the home, Edwards had the woman at knifepoint and was threatening to kill her, according to court documents. Police managed to free the hostage but not before she was slashed across her face and chest, according to police. Burke said she was taken to a hospital and treated for those cuts, as well as contusions on her head and knee. She was released later Monday night, Burke added.

A Burlington police detective and South Burlington officer also received knife wounds in the struggle that required stitches, according to the press release. Edwards also reported abdominal pain, Burke said, and was admitted to the University of Vermont Medical Center.

At his arraignment Tuesday in Chittenden Superior Court criminal division, Edwards entered not guilty pleas to seven felony and two misdemeanor charges stemming from Monday’s incident. The charges included armed burglary, kidnapping and three counts of aggravated assault, according to court documents.

Edwards was being sought in connection with a June 28th stabbing at the Middlesex Park and Ride, according to a press release issued at the time by Vermont State Police.

In July 2020, Edwards was found injured near the Northeast Correctional Complex in St. Johnsbury, several days after he reportedly escaped from the facility. South Burlington police said Edwards has an extensive record that includes 10 felony and 15 misdemeanor convictions.

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