MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – After months of investigation, Vermont lawmakers have recommended not impeaching Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore.
Grismore was caught on video surveillance in August 2023 kicking a handcuffed man in custody. He was suspended and then fired after the video became public. He later won election to the seat but continues to face the assault charge, for which he has pleaded not guilty.
The use of force also led to Grismore being stripped of his law enforcement credentials last December by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council.
While the committee of lawmakers looking into impeachment largely agrees Grismore should resign, the fact that the alleged assault took place before he was elected has been a sticking point that some have said made impeachment unlikely.
Despite calls by lawmakers, fellow sheriffs, and others to step down, Grismore continues to say he has been smeared by the “media outrage machine” and “weak-willed leaders.” He told WCAX Tuesday that the recommendation to drop the decision is a vindication of what he knew all along.