St. Johnsbury police officer facing felony assault charge stemming from May arrest

A St. Johnsbury police sergeant is facing a charge of aggravated assault stemming from his alleged use of excessive force in arresting a man in May, according to a press release issued Wednesday by Vermont State Police.

George Johnson, 44, of Lunenburg, is set to be arraigned on the felony charge in Caledonia County Superior criminal court in St. Johnsbury on Sept. 9, according to the press release.

At the time of the arrest, Johnson reported he had used pepper spray and a Taser during an altercation with a suspect who he had stopped for jaywalking.

State police said in the release that evidence they collected showed that Johnson “lacked sufficient cause to to stop 35-year-old John Stelzl at about 5:10 p.m. May 10 as he was walking near the Honking Bridge on Bay Street.”

Then, according to the release, Johnson “employed excessive force during a physical altercation with Stelzl.”

Stelzl, the release stated, was taken to the hospital, treated for significant injuries, and later released.

Initially, Stelzl was charged with several offenses stemming from the incident, but the Caledonia County State’s Attorney’s Office later dismissed the case against Stelzl after reviewing Johnson’s body-worn camera footage, according to the press release.

“State’s Attorney Jessica Zaleski raised concerns about Johnson’s use of force with St. Johnsbury’s police chief, who referred the matter to the Vermont State Police for an independent, outside criminal investigation,” the release stated.

The Caledonia County State’s Attorney’s Office recused itself from the case, the release stated, and requested that Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito review the case for possible criminal charges.

State Police said in the release that additional information related to the incident would be released following Johnson’s arraignment, when the affidavit of probable cause in support of the criminal charge against him becomes public.

Johnson said he used pepper spray and employed a Taser on Stelzl during an altercation after he stopped Stelzl for jaywalking, according to his statement in a press release issued in May following Stelzl’s arrest.

St. Johnsbury Police Chief Joel Pierce could not immediately be reached Wednesday for comment on Johnson’s status with the department.

Read the story on VTDigger here: St. Johnsbury police officer facing felony assault charge stemming from May arrest .