The Vermont Attorney General’s office and the Addison County state’s attorney say a state police trooper who shot and wounded a man during a domestic dispute in Salisbury last fall was justified in firing his weapon.
The investigation into the Nov. 17 incident determined that 52-year-old Gerald "Dusty" Woodburn committed suicide by shooting himself in the head after he had been wounded in the arm and abdomen by a shot fired by Trooper Lewis Hatch.
When troopers arrived to investigate the domestic they saw Woodburn pinning a woman to a wall. Woodburn was shot after he pointed a handgun at the troopers. He then retreated to another room where he shot himself.
The results of the investigations by the office of the Attorney General and state’s attorney were released Monday.