Sergeant Paul Locke of the Milton (Vermont) Police Department. Locke was saved by his vest when he was shot responding to a house fire.Milton PD/Franklin County SO/Facebook
A Milton, Vermont, Police officer was shot Wednesday night (April 23) when he responded to a house fire.
The wounded officer has been identified by officials as Sergeant Paul Locke. He was treated and released at a local hospital, MyNBC5 reports.
The suspect in the shooting, preliminarily identified as 38-year-old Aaron LaRoche, was a resident of the home. Police said he was found dead inside the home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators said Locke responded alongside firefighters to the scene after smoke was seen coming from a window at the home. Vermont State Police said he was shot twice, with one of the bullets stopped by his body armor and the other wounding one of his legs.
The suspect barricaded himself inside the home following the shooting. Police tried to persuade the suspect to come out before they eventually deployed flashbang devices and used a drone to enter the home. Once inside, they were able to confirm that he was dead.
No police officers on scene fired their weapons during the incident, according to state police. No other injuries were reported.
An autopsy will be confirmed on the body to positively confirm LaRoche's identity.
