BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A man accused of attempted murder in a Burlington shooting incident is now being held behind bars without bail.
The arrest was made over the weekend, but a judge first released the suspect on conditions to appear in court on Monday, something that led to sharp rebuke from police and state prosecutors.
Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said he was frustrated with the court’s decision over the weekend and that it put the community in danger.
He said officers had sufficient evidence to keep Jaiden Green, 19, of Burlington, in jail and that he should not have been released on conditions.
Monday, Green pleaded not guilty to the shooting that happened around 2 a.m. Saturday, steps away from Church Street in downtown Burlington. Court paperwork indicates a short altercation ensued between Green and the victim, and then Green’s mom stepped in to protect her son. That’s when the victim pushed the mother to the ground and Green is then accused of pulling out a gun and shooting once at the victim.
Murad said he doesn’t know why the court made the decision to release the suspect following his arrest later in the day on Saturday. He said he’s never seen anything like that before.
“That arraignment shows that the evidence we had accumulated was sufficient for him to be held for this very, very serious crime, and I’m just nonplussed that it didn’t occur on Saturday night as it should have,” the chief said.
The decision to release Green Saturday was made by Vermont Superior Court Judge Megan Shafritz, who was appointed to the bench in 2018 by Gov. Phil Scott.
A different judge– Vermont Superior Court Judge Michael Harris– ruled Monday that Green be held without bail, a decision that does not involve police or prosecutors.
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