Global Courant
RUTLAND, Vt — A Vermont police officer was killed and two other officers were injured when a burglary suspect drove into two police cars in pursuit, the Vermont State Police said.
Rutland City police officer Jessica Ebbighausen, 19, was killed Friday afternoon. The accident happened when police chased a vehicle driven by 20-year-old Tate Rheaume, a suspect in an attempted home burglary, state police said.
There are indications that Rheaume crossed the centerline and collided head-on with the Ebbighausen’s cruiser, police said. The suspect’s truck also hit another police car.
Ebbighausen was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other officers and Rheaume were taken to Rutland Regional Medical Center for what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Rheaume was transferred to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.
State police said they are investigating the role and speed played in the crash and are working with the Rutland County Attorney’s Office on possible charges. It was not immediately known whether Rheaume is assisted by a lawyer.
Ebbighausen, of Ira, Vermont, began working with the Rutland Police Department in May as a part-time officer, the state police said. According to police, she was scheduled to begin training at the Vermont Police Academy in August to become a full-time officer.
“We’re hurting right now,” Rutland City police chief Brian Kilcullen said Friday when he asked for community support, according to the Rutland Herald.
Ebbighausen has wanted to be a police officer since she was 9 years old, Kilcullen said. She did an internship with the police during high school, he said.
“She always had a smile on her face,” Kilcullen said. “We looked forward to having her as part of our family.”
The department had recently changed its policy to discourage high-speed chases, he said, but did not elaborate on the changes on Friday, the paper reported.
“I’m here today to truly mourn the loss of a family member,” he said. “The state police is conducting the investigation. At some point we will review everything.”
Before Ebbighausen’s death, 28 Vermont officers had died in the line of duty, including 2 while chasing vehicles, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks law enforcement deaths. Of the Vermont officers whose age is given, she was by far the youngest.
