ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont State Police took shooting suspect Scott Mason into custody Sunday.
A community taking a sigh of relief after Mason was arrested.
“Not only did it affect our group as police officers, but… sorry. It’s kind of hitting me a little bit hard, I have known Jason for 20 years,” said Chief Joel Pierce of the St. Johnsbury Police Dept.
Chief Pierce has been on the force for about a year now. He says in all his years of service this case, is one of the hardest he’s ever taken on.
“It’s pretty emotional for everybody. Everybody knows Captain Gray. They know his style. They have shown nothing but a large amount of support for us,” said Capt. Pierce.
According to Vermont State Police, Captain Dale Jason Gray with the St. Johnsbury Police Department was shot by 38-year-old Scott Mason at 261 Portland St. around 4:30 p.m. after a domestic violence incident on Friday.
It took state police, neighboring state agencies, and the FBI, 32 hours of non-stop searching to find Mason at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning after receiving a tip that he was inside a home at 251 Portland St., next door to where the shooting happened.
This is the first time Vermont has put out a Blue Alert and both VSP and St. Johnsbury Police will be taking steps to make sure officers are ready to go back to work on Monday.
“We are close knit, and hopefully, actually I am thinking we’re doing it tomorrow, trying to get teams into meet with people. Make sure everyone’s wellness is okay,” said Capt. Pierce.
Police say there were others in the house when Mason was found and are investigating if the others helped him stay hidden.
“What happened to the domestic? Let’s start with, there was an initial crime here. Where is that going to go? We haven’t forgotten about that. Just making sure that we are not only looking at just the arrest of the offender. But the larger picture in the community, and other crimes that are tied to it,” said Shawn Loan, Commander of the Vermont Intelligence Center.
Mason is now at the correctional center in St. Johnsbury. Arraignment is expected to be held on Monday at 1 p.m. at the Vermont Superior Court.
Captain Dale Jason Gray is still in the hospital in stable condition.