Staff report
The Vermont State Police has identified the officer involved in a fatal shooting that occurred Monday evening, June 19, in Fair Haven.
Police said Kenneth W. Barber Jr., 38, of Castleton, was shot and killed by Fair Haven Police Detective Shaun Hewitt around 7:40 p.m. on Monday night on Washington Street.
Maj. Dan Trudeau, commander of the Vermont State Police Criminal Division, said Tuesday afternoon that Hewitt responded to an ongoing altercation between the driveways of 26 and 28 Washington Street.
Trudeau said residents of 28 Washington Street were trying to remove a gun from Barber’s hands.
Residents were able to take the gun away just as the officer from Fair Haven arrived. They continued to try to get Barber into custody, but Barber refused and fled to a car in his driveway at 26 Washington Street.
Hewitt approached the vehicle’s driver side and ordered Barber to stop, police said. At which time, Barber put the car in gear and struck Hewitt, Trudeau said. Hewitt fired a single shot from his handgun to Barber’s torso.
Barber was transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center, where was pronounced dead. An autopsy on Tuesday, June 20 verified Barber died from a single gunshot wound to the torso. The manner of death was homicide.
The investigation was still ongoing as of Tuesday.
“The use of force is up to the perception of the officer at the time,” Trudeau said.
Hewitt has served with the Fair Haven department since 1998 after beginning his police career with the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department in 1991. He also worked for the Brandon Police Department. In Fair Haven, he works as the department’s firearms instructor.
Barber has previous convictions. The Rutland Herald reported Barber pleaded guilty in 2005 to second-degree murder in a 2003 beating of Charles Shlosser, 85, of Benson.
Barber allegedly told police in a 2003 statement that he struck Shlosser in the head with a hammer due to a drug money issue. Barber entered a plea deal in 2005, calling for him to serve at least 15 years in prison for the murder of Shlosser, the Rutland Herald reported.
Last year, Barber pleaded guilty to a felony charge after Castleton police said he was driving 95 mph on Route 4 to avoid being stopped, according to the Rutland Herald. Police said Barber told them he didn’t want to be stopped because there was a warrant for his arrest in connection to the furlough he was serving because of the murder. Barber was on life supervision for the murder.
