An armed man who assaulted police in Burlington, Vermont, tried to escape by stealing a sailboat on Lake Champlain and then hiding in the woods.
The incident began on Wednesday morning when Burlington police were called to check on a man who was passed out in a running vehicle in the New North End neighborhood that matched the description of one that was used in an armed robbery about a week ago, according to WPTZ. When they confronted the man, police said he became belligerent and uncooperative and drove off, assaulting both officers with his vehicle.
On Wednesday night, the same vehicle was found at the North Avenue Cooperative. Police saw the man, but he fled and stole a bicycle. Multiple people reported seeing him with a gun. The man then made his way to Appletree Bay, where he stole a sailboat.
The Coast Guard was able to stop the sailboat along the cliff at Rock Point on Lake Champlain. The man left the boat behind and was believed to be hiding in the trees on the cliff, as officers attempted to negotiate with him. Heavily-armed officers were seen parked at North Beach, North Avenue and Leddy Park.
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Burlington police said at 9 a.m. Thursday that the search in the area of Rock Point had been suspended, but the suspect remained at large.
