Vermont State Police sergeant charged with assault in shooting

A Vermont State Police sergeant was charged Friday with assault with a deadly weapon and reckless endangerment in connection with a shooting that injured two men last year during a vehicle investigation.

Rutland City Police Sergeant Andrew Plemmons shot at the vehicle as the occupants tried to escape. A state police investigation determined that Plemmons was not in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death when he used deadly force against one of the men.

Plemmons pleaded not guilty and was released.

On the night of July 3, 2023, Plemmons was called for backup while a K-9 officer was investigating a suspicious vehicle parked near the Giorgetti Sports Complex where Randy Perez-Coiscou and his twin brother Andy Perez-Coiscou, 21, lived, both Springfield, Massachusetts.

When Plemmons arrived at the scene, Radja used a search dog to sniff the outside of the vehicle, according to a review of body camera footage. When the dog showed that it had detected something in the vehicle, Rajda told the driver, Randy Perez-Coiscou, that the vehicle would be impounded unless he consented to a search, the affidavit said.

When the driver seemed to hesitate, Rajda opened the driver’s door. The vehicle then started moving and Radja reached for it while Sergeant Plemmons stood in front of the car with his hand on the hood and shouted, “Stop,” according to the affidavit. Plemmons pointed the gun at the driver, saying, “I’m going to shoot you, stop.” As the car rolled forward, Plemmons moved out of the way and fired at least three shots into the driver’s cab, causing the driver to fall to the ground, the statement said.

The vehicle continued to roll with the driver’s door open as Plemmons walked past it. The passenger, Andy Perez-Coiscou, climbed into the driver’s seat, stopped the vehicle, then turned the steering wheel and accelerated with the doors closed as Plemmons shouted at him to stop. The statement says Plemmons fired at least two shots at him through the open driver’s side window as Perez-Coiscou drove out of park and then crashed.

Randy Perez-Coiscou pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and Andy Perez-Coiscou was charged with possession of fentanyl. Police reported that the brothers had already recovered from their injuries.