Murder in Vermont Leads To Wild Chase in Hudson Valley, New York
A murder outside a hospital in Vermont led to a wild search for potentially "armed and dangerous" suspects in the Hudson Valley.
Tuesday evening the Dutchess County Emergency Management Facebook page warned residents police were looking for a male suspect who was seen on foot in the area. Officials say the man was considered "armed and dangerous."
"IMPORTANT: RESIDENTS IN THE TOWN OF CLINTON ARE REQUESTED TO LOCK DOORS, SECURE WINDOWS, AND REMAIIN INDOORS in and around the wooded area of Germond Rd, Schultzville Rd., Salt Point Turnpike, Talleur Ln, Hobbs. Ln, Heritage Rd, Ryan Ct, Hollow Rd, Parkview Dr, Drake Rd, Hoag Dr, Pumpkin Ln, Patricia Ln, Grove Way, Anderson Rd, Nottingham Rd," Dutchess County Emergency Management stated.
Officials later updated the post to say someone was in custody.
Turns out at least the chase was due to an ongoing homicide investigation from Vermont, according to New York State Police.
On Tuesday around 10 a.m. the Vermont State Police responded to a reported shooting in the parking lot outside Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury.
Police later confirmed one person was dead in connection to the shooting.
Police were notified at about 8:50 a.m. of a reported shooting in the parking lot outside Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. The deceased man was located in the parking lot, police say.
Authorities believe the victim was targeted. On Wednesday police identified the victim as 44-year-old Vincent Keithan of Vermont.
The autopsy determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the neck, and the manner of death is homicide, officials say.
Vermont Police began searching for a vehicle seen on a surveillance camera outside Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital at the time of the shooting.
The vehicle in question is a gray Jeep Wrangler with Connecticut license plate AX74330.
Later on Tuesday, after receiving a law enforcement tip from the Vermont State Police that a vehicle and its occupants were traveling on the Taconic State Parkway in Columbia County.
Members of the New York State Police soon located the vehicle southbound near State Route 199 in Milan.
Troopers initiated a traffic stop and the operator subsequently failed to comply, police say.
Spike strips were utilized to end the vehicle pursuit in the town of Clinton, and the two occupants fled on foot.
Both were located a short time later in the surrounding wooded area in Dutchess County, officials say.
The passenger of the vehicle was released uninjured. The vehicle operator was transported to a local area hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries where he is listed in stable condition.
As of this writing, no one is currently in custody in connection with the fatal shooting, police say.
"That element of the case also remains under active investigation, and as a result, no further details are available at present to avoid compromising the investigation," Vermont State Police wrote in a press release.