Three members of Hyde Park’s fire department who allegedly planned a practical joke on a juvenile are now charged with simple assault.
Vermont State Police say the Hyde Park firefighters’ plan was to lure the boy to the fire station last month under the pretense of helping to set up for training.
The three are accused of shooting him with airsoft guns and attempting to tackle and handcuff him. The boy escaped and ran away.
After a review by the Lamoille County state’s attorney, the firefighters were charged with simple assault and attempted unlawful restraint.
They are 25-year-old Sydney Mclean-Lipinski; 24-year-old Joshua Kapusta; and 21-year-old Nate Jobe. Mclean-Lipinski and Jobe are from Hyde Park; Kapusta is from Morrisville.
It’s unclear if they are being represented by lawyers.