Police Continue Investigation Of ‘Occupy’ Shooting Death

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(Host) Burlington police are still completing their investigation of the shooting death last week at the Occupy Burlington encampment.

Josh Pfenning died in a tent at City Hall Park last week. Police Chief Michael Schirling says his department is waiting for final reports.

But he says it’s apparent that Pfenning shot himself. The question that police are still trying to answer is whether the shooting was accidental or intentional.

The death led police to close down the encampment at City Hall Park. Schirling says overnight camping will be prohibited, but demonstrators are still permitted to share their message in City Hall Park.

(Schirling) "They certainly are welcome in the park for assembly and lawful protest activity between 6 a.m. and midnight when the park is open. At this point, I think the city is fairly clear that encampment is not something that works in that space or potentially in any public space. So I think that’s going to be restricted."

(Host) Schirling says the city would possibly permit a tent as a central meeting point, so long as it was not considered a "residential" encampment.

Schirling says Burlington police have watched as other "Occupy Wall Street" movements have been addressed by police across the country.

But he says Burlington’s actions last week were not prompted by activities in any other cities.

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