Friday afternoon, the Vermont State Police publicly identified a trooper who died Thursday after suffering a medical emergency during a training exercise.
Trooper Kyle Young, 28, of Monkton, Vermont, was pronounced dead at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. He collapsed during training at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho. Police made it clear Thursday that despite the emergency taking place at a gun range, Young was not shot.
Originally from Watertown, New York, Young was also a father, Vermont State Police said. In a news release, the force remembered Young as a caring and dedicated father and partner, and honorable Vermont State Trooper, who cared greatly for his family and community.
Col. Matt Birmingham, the commander of the Vermont State Police, promised his support to Young’s loved ones.
“The Vermont State Police express their deepest sympathies to the family of Kyle, his children, his partner, and the troopers who served closely with him,” Birmingham said in a written statement. “Now and in the coming days, I will focus solely on supporting Kyle’s family, and our Vermont State Police family, as we struggle to come to grips with this tragic loss of a father, son, and brother trooper.”
Young joined the force in January of 2014, and was assigned to the barracks in New Haven, according to Vermont State Police. Arrangements are underway to transport Young back to Watertown.
Keith Flynn, the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Safety, said in a written statement, “A tragedy such as this is difficult to fathom, and I stand with Kyle’s family as they come to grips with his loss.”
Vermont
The latest news from around the state
Flynn also pledged his support for Trooper Young’s colleagues in the Vermont State Police. “In times of tragedy, this organization of professionals pulls together to support each other,” Flynn’s written statement said. “Kyle will forever be a part of that family, one of the best law enforcement organizations in the country.”
On social media, condolences poured in from many sources, including the Burlington Police Dept., from Gov. Peter Shumlin, D-Vermont, and the New York State Police.
Shumlin’s office said the governor will order the Vermont state flag to fly at half-staff for three days starting at sunrise on the day of Trooper Young’s funeral.
“Trooper Kyle Young was a dedicated police officer and Vermonter who joined the State Police to make our state a better place,” Shumlin said in a statement. “To lose him in service to Vermont is truly tragic. The Vermont State Police are an incredibly tight-knit family, and I know this loss has hit them hard. My thoughts are with Trooper Young’s family and friends and the entire State Police family.”
Sen. John Campbell, D-Windsor County, a former police officer, expressed his condolences in a written statement.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Trooper Kyle Young of the Vermont State Police,” Campbell said. “Trooper Young put his life on the line daily for Vermonters and his loss is a great blow to the community. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to his fellow Troopers during this difficult time.”
More information on the nature of Young’s medical emergency was not available Friday.
