MONTPELIER, Vt. — Working in a stout former bank building with windows closed and air conditioners humming, Orleans County sheriff’s deputies didn’t know what was happening in their parking lot until a neighbor called 911.
A man on a big farm tractor, angry about his recent arrest for resisting arrest and marijuana possession, was rolling across their vehicles — five marked cruisers, one unmarked car and a transport van.
By the time they ran outside, the tractor was down the driveway and out onto the road.
With their vehicles crushed, “We had nothing to pursue him with,” said Chief Deputy Philip Brooks.
Thursday afternoon’s incident ended when city police in Newport, the county seat of the northern Vermont county, caught up with Roger Pion, 34, a short distance away.
No one was injured. At least two deputies had gone inside a few moments before after washing their vehicles, officials said.
“Nobody was hurt. That’s the thing everybody’s got to cherish,” said Sheriff Kirk Martin.
Brooks said late Thursday afternoon it was uncertain what new charges Pion would face. He said Pion was being held by the Vermont State Police at their barracks in nearby Derby. A dispatcher there referred questions to the sheriff’s department.
Sheriffs said they did not know if Pion had a lawyer. A phone number for him could not be located.
Martin estimated damage to the vehicles at more than $300,000. Not only were their roofs and hoods caved in, “the radios are ruined, the radar detectors, the cages in the cars … We’re going to have to get the jaws of life up here to pry the trunks open and see about the rifles and shotguns,” Martin said.
Brooks said the vehicles destroyed constituted more than half the fleet of sheriff’s cruisers in the rural county on the Canadian border. Others were out on patrol at the time of the incident.
lmao!!!! oh man,, you just can’t help but like this guy!! heh heh,, man, this is gonna hurt..
You probably wouldn’t think it was that fun if someone in your family that got hurt because the police couldn’t respond in a timely manner due to their cruisers being destroyed
Or maybe the police would be delayed in organizing a *break-down the door raid* and then shooting some dogs or people. 99guspuppet
Look – he could have gone into a movie theatre and gunned down a lot of innocents. He chose a different method of expressing his anger. Quite creative, too!
The Govt. should look into banning tractors now. Someone committed a crime with it.
Or, perhaps, legalizing pot.
Being arrested for processing it is a crime.
So just imagine what would have happened if he was a brainwashed NRA party-liner like you and then if he were arrested on gun charges.
Guns are not ever a good solution.
Guns are good to have to defend yourself against stupid criminals. I tell you if alot more people carried guns when someone broke into their house we would have ALOT less criminals sitting in our prison system sucking off of my tax dollars, and less innocent people dead.
OMG! That is just about one of the most ignorant comments I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading!!! Our “forefathers” did not have in mind “criminals” having sub-machine guns with the capability of out-gunning the law! Back then, a landowner had an old shotgun behind his door just in case he had to defend his property!! You frigging gun-toting red-necked NRA freaks are out of control!!! Pam Leach, Rockland
and he was nice enough to leave their personal vehicles unscathed – I think that would have upset the police a lot more. He should be given a little credit for showing *some* restraint.
Oh please, there were other cruisers out on patrol. And mutual aid: there are state cops,county cops, town cops, city cops, wardens, border patrol, immigration etc. etc. ad nauseum. Any delay would be caused by lack of radio reception at the donut shop.
”
there were other cruisers out on patrol”
as in they were sitting in some parking lot on “traffic detail” waiting for some citizen to put a toe out of line.
on the flip side of that, maybe it will make it so what’s left of the fleet will have to be actually solving/preventing crime instead of keeping the citizens under their thumb with traffic stops.
that is non-sequitor police do not protect us during the commission of a crime. They serve as a deterrent to crime and an investigative body after crime.
They serve as a deterrent? That seems to be working out well. Is that like Glenn Ross and Bob Carlson? or is it more like Gregory Vrooman? Vrooman, 46, of Nobleboro, was convicted on numerous charges involving sexual abuse of a girl under the age of 14. Or is it more like the situation where the State Police battered down the door of a house without first determining that the people inside were already dead?
You need to lighten up. I, too, laughed and I can see how somebody would get that angry.
Exactly. It’s a bad thing, but the bad side of Bandbox likes it.
Yeah!
Don’t Mess with the ” Pions” !
LOL….’Pions are like….oh crap I can’t use this joke here…it will get removed…but everyone has one….you can figure it out lol
Yeah, it’s going to hurt the taxpayer right in the wallet. He didn’t do much to further the cause to legalize marijuana. Too bad. Sounds like he belongs in the funny farm, not the agricultural farm.
Future Monster Jam driver!!!
he was angry on the resisting and pot charge? whats his anger level like now….clearly he is very disturbed individual…..
Option #1. The MAN was tryin to keep the farmer down. Option # 2. The farmer has reefer madness. In either case the “farmer” wins in Vermont. Are cop cars really necessary in Vermont???
I would not call going to jail, winning. All he did was just screw up his life.
Nope. He screwed up seven cop cars too.
And they will be replaced.
with MORE taxpayer money… so… yeah… still public property :p
Insurance but higher rates later
what’s the insurance rate on assault tractors colateral damage these days??
Yeah, it’s wrong, but it’s also hilarious from a distance. Lighten up a bit :)
No, it is not hilarious, at all.
Maybe he thought he was Charlie Sheen…and he was shooting Tractors of Truth LOL
New American Folk Hero! That’s Bigfoot Country up there it is.
road rage?
More like parking lot rage :D
Might does make RIGHT…..
Mellow out, man!! LMAO!!!
ban tractors
Only assualt tractors
Tractors dont kill. Only people do.. ;^)
I thought Mary Jane was supposed to have the opposite effect?
Had he smoked…he probably wouldn’t have done it…he would have been at 7-11 with Michael Phelps getting Dorito’s LOL
It does. But if you’ll note they actually charged him with having weed before he crushed the tractors. Meaning, they took it away.
Don’t TAZ me bro! He’ll have to sell a lot of weed to pay off this tab. Maybe now would be a good time to rob a bank…
This is what The Weed does to people & the left wants to legalize it? Makes sense – not!
weed doesn’t do this to people… coercion and violence over victimless crimes does this to people…
Not true, people are responsible for their own actions.
Tractors don’t kill people. People kill people.
or police cars… in this case… we should all have the right to carry a concealed tractor.
Correction, Farmers Kill Police Cars
How do you ever remember your account name?
Exactly more Reefer Madness!
No this is what testosterone does to people.
I’d say people are getting fed up!
Yes, of politicians making more laws that they expect the police to enforce.
Exactly. Not only more laws for police to enforce but now our doctors are in the police business and forced by the feds to turn in anybody that fails a blood test for illegal drugs. People are getting fed up.
If you doubt my statement, ask your doctor for the form that we all have to sign before we can get treated. (funny, I never hear of a welfare recipient having to pass a drug test to get their check.) Personally, I would like the feds out of the drug business and our doctors out of the police business. Let our doctors do their job.
I don’t think people on assistance should have to pee in a cup. I also don’t think people with documented, long term, chronic pain and illness should have to pee in a cup either as most of us must do now in order to get our medications. We also have to see the Dr every month to pee in said cup. Who is supposed to pay for that? And the time off from work, and the gas to get to the appointment?
If MJ were legal most of us could get off the big pharma, DEA hamster wheel and get about living our lives.
I think people are starting to get fed up. At least I hope so. While this guy may have been a little over the top he certainly made a statement and no one was injured.
WOOT WOOT and HIGH FIVES dude. Where can I contribute to your defense fund?
My doctor told me I had to get legal to use marijuana for my chronic aches and pains, so I did. Next visit I let him know that I was legal and he printed a copy of the card and told me I could either use marijuana for my pain or the prescription pain reliever but not both. He said if I fail just one drug test that he’s take my medications away and he’d be forced to report me to the police (I assumed he meant the feds). I’m between a rock and a hard place because I use both for pain relief, stomach problems and to relax after a stressful day. I think it is time the feds start working for the people, not the other way around.
I edited this to add, my insurance company pays for these drug tests. They are billed between $50 and $80 for each and every one. I have a small co-pay, but still it makes insurance that much more expensive for everybody. It’s a lose-lose situation that we’re forced into.
$50/80 for drug tests? Do you know how much those cost to make? Hardly anything. And herein lies the true reason for drug testing: MONEY.
How sad…to have to use drugs “to relax after a stressful day”… you may be better served learning some relaxation techniques. Medical marijuana was intended for those with extreme cases of cancer or other chronic illnesses where oral pain medication couldn’t be tolerated.. It’s another program out of control. Doctors should lose their license for prescribing it people who don’t need it. It’s not supposed to be used for a “free high”… shame on you!
Actually in Florida they made them drug test to get their public assistance checks hoping to get the deadbeats out of the system. If they failed the test they would have to pay for their own testing… if they passed.. the state of Florida would pay AND they would qualify for benefits… unfortunately it backfired and most of the recipients passed – sticking Florida with a hefty bill for drug testing…. shrugs…
Most are passing? Most businesses, restaurants, etc., pass “safety inspections” too…given the advance notice they’re given of the inspection. But given spot checks? Almost no one would pass…
the police choose to enforce them.
and usually they only enforce the easy ones, like traffic laws.
if you go 10 over, you better watch out, because here comes a 150 dollar fine.
not wearing your seatbelt (the government has to take care of you!) here’s a 70 dollar fine.
but they can’t solve robberies, murders, or burglaries.
Great argument, except that traffic violations occur at a much higher rate then crimes and felnonies. Officers can actually pick and choose which they write for those. Its called discretion. Once again, granted to them by the people we elect.
Their burden of proof is easy to meet because these incidents occur in their presence. Unlike robberies, mureders and burglaries.
they only “occur in their presence” because the police set up in speed traps and intently watch for citizens to put their toe out of line.
they do so because it’s a big money maker, it makes them feel big stopping the poor, and that it’s the easiest thing to get people for.
but when it comes to real crime… the crime that actually matters, the crimes that we pay them to protect us from or solve, it’s all too hard and “we don’t have the resources to devote to solving that”
it’s just shenanigans.
The bitterness of your vandetta is seeping through you words.
Apparently you weren’t Aware that every cent from all these tickets to the poor goes to the State of Maine, not the individual departments. One could argue that the State police have some sort of incentive for writing tickets but even that is indirect.
That said, what is the firat thing these “poor” people do when they see a speeder or other violations on the road? Thats right, they call the police. Should the cops ignore them? Say they are too busy? Obviously they can’t catch everyone commiting crimes but it seems to me they catch quite a few.
The money from tickets does go to the state coffers. But then it gets divided up among the various law enforcement bodies in the state. How do you suppose we keep them functioning? Wheres the funding come from? There is incentive for police to write as many tickets and make as many arrests as possible. “Good” police work = more funding = more toys for the police. Like an Chinese Armored Humvee/Tank/APC… If you get caught with a marijuana plant on your property, the police can seize all your assets, including your house, land and bank accounts. At which point, they either keep the house as a police only rage house where they sit around and drink beer and talk about how evil pot is, or, they sell it all off and keep the money as a nice fat bonus. Either way, the money they get from people doesnt sit in a chest somewhere in the state treasury. It gets spread around.
The other guys in stir are gonna be high-fiving him all the way in. Stupid, but you have to give him points for style.
Obviously, it was a stupid thing to do and if it kept a cop from responding to something he was really needed for (accident, assault etc) then it’s serious…but you have to think that for a few minutes there he was having the time of his life
Well he was certainly getting some satisfaction, but he’ll have to pay quite the price for it.
LOL. Way to go!! Not saying what he did was right. But man he had BIG ones to pull this off. Hope someone starts up a fund to help pay his fine. This guy is a modern day robinhood. Sort of. And in jail he’ll be treated like a king by fellow inmates. Nothing to be proud of I know. Hell he’ll probally get to be in a John Deere commercial.
Farm aid…Let him supply medical pot.
Again, he won’t pay for this but the taxpayers will….so…laugh it up.
LOL. Get a grip. He will pay more f a fine. Do more time. Be made to pay restatution for the cars, and work harded for it than any able person defruading the welfare system. We, can’t do anything about those wasted tax dollars.
Ya, I don’t think his insurance is going to cover this !
I would bet there will be a lawsuit involving the suspect’s insurance company.
Honest Officer!
The Clutch Linkage Broke!
Actually you are wrong, his insurance will likely cover this and may even cover the cost of an attorney. Liability insurance covers you for incidents where your negligence results in damage to property owned by another person or entity, and I would say there is no question he is negligent and no question that there is damage. The only way it wouldn’t be covered is if his specific policy has an exclusion for intentional acts of negligence, which some do have. Some companies use a boiler plate policy while others use their own so it is difficult to say for sure without seeing his policy. As a former liability claims adjuster I would love to have this claim, it would be a blast to talk to the cops and maybe rub it in a little bit, having a good laugh the whole time.
He is a pot smoking petty criminal…what makes you so sure he even has insurance? Plus, if I were in charge of an insurance company I would so deny this claim! Would insurance pay for arson? Why should they pay for any intentional crime? I still think the taxpayers will be the real losers here.
I bet he will get more jail time than Mark Hulett(original time, not the amended time after the public outcry).
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
My exact reaction!
those are public property b/c they are paid for by the taxpayers… so… yeah…
Yes, absolutely public property, meaning you and me. Our tax dollars, so our property. You go, Roger….you can crush my share again! LOL
Yep…and the citizens of Vermont can pay out more tax dollars to replace the cruisers this jerk decided to destroy. Hope you all get a good laugh now because you will be paying for it later.
Is there a video? … this would be a classic! Not an advocate of destruction of others property mind you, tho.. kind of makes me wonder just what precipitated this event to bring this on. No… weed does not make people do things like this… quite the opposite.
“others property” – they were paid for with tax money so it’s public property, not private property. on the other hand, being arrested for pot was a violation of his private property rights and that’s what pissed him off, so, no, the weed didn’t make him do this, being victimized by the cops pushed him…
I would be surprised if there was not a video, but don’t hold your breath waiting for the police to release it.
We need his pay pal account so that the people who desire to contribute towards his restitution of the cars can do so.
You’ll be paying for it through your taxes…maybe you should start a fund for yourself.
We now need to ban tractors. They are obviously dangerous and destructive in the hands of a rabblerousing pot grower. Didn’t anyone see it coming? It had 15 foot tires for crying out loud! Remember…..if you see something….say something…..and this was something!
Only ban assault tractors
DO NOT BRING A POLICE CAR TO A TRACTOR FIGHT!
I hope he was driving a Massey-Ferguson!
It was an AR-MF15
nn
nn
nn
“Wildwood weed grew wild on the farm, I never knew what it was called, some said it’s a flower, some said it’s a weed, I never give it much thought.” (Possible defense for the farmer)
Jim Stafford could’a used the tractor/cruiser story for another verse of that song.
Yep, that’ll show the police who is boss….oh wait…nope, never mind! They still got him! What an upstanding citizen he must be!!
He probably was until the arrested him for having a harmless plant.
there are more photos in the story reported on wcax.com website
nice link!
Must have been a John Deere
Case
I hope they had auto insurance !!!!! Better Call Macco !!!!!!
BDN upload a video, that would be something to see.
What he did wasn’t the right thing to do but you got to admit it is kind of funny. What’s weird is that no one heard him going into the driveway or the parking lot. I’m sure that the PD will have them replaced asap however the courts should make this guy pay for seven brand new vehicles out of his own pocket! If he doesn’t have it, take his farm, sell it and get reimbursed the expenses for the new vehicles.
Committing a crime doesnt automatically mean the government takes all your property. How do you know he cant pay for the damage? And how do you know he doesnt have someone that can take care of the farm while he may be in jail?
Committing Marijuana Cultivation related “crimes” does mean the government CAN take your property, if they choose.
It says possession though
Right, that it does. I was merely suggesting that in some cases, and if certain crimes are committed, state government and the federal government can seize a persons assets, if they are in some (even remote) way connected to the “crime”. You grow a plant on your property and get caught, they can take your land and your house, if they choose. You get caught with a larger amount of marijuana on your person, while in a vehicle, they can seize your vehicle. The logic is, you are using the vehicle or property in furtherance of a crime and thus, they can take it from you because they consider such things “ill gotten gains”. While I think this is appropriate in certain situations, when it comes to a harmless plant, I believe it to be completely uncalled for. The police stealing and ruining peoples lively-hoods is far more damaging to society then Marijuana itself. This situation proves that, I think. Granted he went overboard and crushing all those cars, while it could be considered amusing, wasnt the way to go about expressing his anger over being prosecuted, I do think that this whole thing would have never happened had he not been charged for doing something that hurt no-one and shouldn’t be illegal.
I guess if the cops are willing to ruin someone over something as trivial/pointless/harmless as MJ possession, then I guess it’s time they had something ruined over something trivial like MJ possession.
Exactly right Jmill85.
The law enforcement community is generally more than willing to destroy your life over a little puff.
I myself, as ignorant as it may seem, am glad to see this happen.
What goes around, comes around.
My hero!
Watched too many Clint Eastwood movies.
This is awesome!! I would probably do the same thing. I mean honestly, just for possession of pot? Wow. C’mon coper choppers, just cut this guy some slack. Was it worth it?
Maybe we should start a donation fund like they did that woman watching the kids on the bus. That way we can show some support for a “crime” that shouldn’t be a crime.
Should have just let him smoke his pot!! LOL
Who needs guns when you have a tractor.
Someone needs to start a collection.
Musta been one of them new cop duster tractors.
I don’t use drugs of any kind, including alcohol, a personal choice. I do support legalization. We waste to much money chasing down people and housing them for simple possesion. I think collecting tax on reefer would be better than expending taxes on prosecution for smoking it. I would not hold this guy up as a poster boy for legalization. Destruction of property serves no one. Shame on him.
Maybe Houlton could loan them their recent acquisition of a Louisiana police car.
Or loan them the Cruiser the drunk trooper won’t be needing anymore
too bad this did not happen in Washington D.C….NOW THATS AN INTERESTING ONE way to go…
Said he was going to arrest me for a little smoke
I thought it was a big joke
So I got a little rough
And the po-po put me in cuff
Got out of jail just in time to plow some fields
That’s when a got the idea of getting revenge on those shields
Into the lot riding my Deere
Still knowing this wasn’t a good idea
To late to back out of this war
I just seen my first car
One, two, three, and four
Cattdaddy I see some more
This ol’ country boy from the back woods
Never felt so good running over all those hoods
Now here I sit in the authorities hands
Damn I feel good I left them seven TIN CANS
this is quite the masterpiece. what was your inspiration?
Awesome! That would be a great folk song.
Thank-you
OMFG!!! That is a priceless work of art. I know it’s wrong, but it feels so right :)
edited
Obama could buy them new cars and have his picture in a circle with the letters POTUS above it.
Sort of like federal construction sites.
But on the other hand liberal states don’t really need to be bought.
I’m so sorry but I am lmao……he was more than likely stoned when he did this! He will be in deep do do! But what a story for the grand kids huh? No it is not right, so glad he didn’t bring out a gun or some dang thing!! Bet sum folks think his tractor’s sexy lol.
Man, you talk about someone is P/Oed, I bet he had a smile on his face and yelling YAHOO!
Well on the bright side. The police can put in for replacement of broken equipment and maybe get something better than what they had.
Yes, I will confess, humorous that after the cars were squashed they stood dumfounded in the parking lot about what to do next. Meanwhile half of their force is still on patrol. Uhh hello! Get on the radio people.
What radio? They were smashed inside the cruisers. roflmao
the radio the dispatcher uses inside the building
Glad all you commenters think this is a funny story. Until it’s YOUR town and YOU call 911 and no one can respond. Then it sure as hell isn’t funny anymore.
Hey, they didn’t need to go very far on THAT 911 call did they!
Super Petey thinks its a good deal, he thinks we live in a society run by the cops…
Perhaps your right. But it wasnt MY town an I didnt have to call 911. Until then, it’ll remain funny.
A few years back a farmer in Canada who was mad at city hall took his tractor with a manure spreader and unloaded in front of city hall, this guy definately tops that. Would have like to watch this all unfold and the reaction of the police dept. LMAO
Sounds like Smokey and the Bandit.
kodachrome,momma dont taaaake my weed away
This is what happens when you lenient on pot users. Throw his but in jail and seize his property to pay for the damage.
This is what happens when you arrest people for things that shouldnt be illegal, not when you are lenient. When you persecute people for trying to do things that make them happy, especially harmless things, they are going to get angry. Your logic is flawed.
Any chance that these vehicles could be salvaged by local Maine police communities for rural road service?
Bumper to Bumper might have so interest in them.
Hopefully the tractor is O.K. I would have liked a photo of that beast. The photos look like they could be right out of a “Dukes of Hazzard” or “Smokey and the Bandit” scene. It’s not supposed to be funny, I know…but no one got injured, and to me it is.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2182958/Police-Vt-farmer-crushed-cop-cars-tractor-revenge-drug-arrest.html
Thanks!
All i can say is your right it wasnt right but it was dam funny to read first thing in the morning and i know is that the taxpayers are going to have to pay for it but maybe the insurancce company will pay some but it is a statement that people can only take so much and he didnt hurt anyone i think he was heard dont u sometimes actions speak louder than words!!!!!
Yes the taxpayer will have to pay for it, however at least this time we have gotten some good chuckles out of it. This is better than how many of our tax dollars are spent. LOL
my hat is off to mr. pion! id like to do the very same thing here in maine, but my cub cadet wouldn’t get the results i’m looking for!
Vermont is a whacked-out state, full of radical leftists. There isn’t a pedophile they don’t love up there.
What i wanna know was… Where was sherrif andy and deputy barney in all this?… i can just picture the look on barneys face seeing this.
“I thought they put big speed bumps in at 7-11….I was having a munch….I mean a snack crisis…if you hold my bong I will get you my license officer.”
I was always of the opinion that marijuana mellowed you out…..reefer madness rears it’s ugly head : )
It does. But they took his…
tractors are a danger, we need to outlaw anything over a 5 gallon fuel tank on tractors. There is no need to be driving a fully fueled tractor around in public.
I agree, wait, Mine holds 13, you cant do that…LOL
MONSTER JAM!!!!
This was a criminal act, pure and simple. As for marijuana laws you need to blame the legislature not the police. Police do not and never have made laws, they only enforce those laws that are enacted by the people we elect. I think they should seize his farm and anything else to pay for the damage to the taxpayers. Those cruisers will be replaced and that will be paid for by people like all of us. Civil disobedience is one thing, excessive destruction is another. If you had a dispute with your neighbor and you came home one day and found they had taken an excavator to your house and all that was left was a pile of rubble and all the other folks in town were going “wow what that guy did was cool” then maybe you’d see it as a destructive malicious act, not some cool form of behavior. Stupid man.
Police dont make laws and they do enforce them, but its at their discretion. They choose when to enforce and where. They choose when to bend and break the law for their own gain or the gain of their friends and fellow officers. Its not rare. Power corrupts. All police are not good people. I would argue more not then so. These police didn’t have to make this guys life hard for Marijuana. It was their choice. They decided it was a good idea. He decided it was a good idea to crush their cars. Cause and effect. Pretty simple.
selective enforcement
Maybe they can do the same thing South Portland did and spend a quarter million dollars on just One Chinese made Armored Hummer?
Just the good òle boys, never meaning no harm….. Still waiting to see when Daisy Duke will show up? As I was reading this story it felt like I was seeing the next plot to a Duke`s of Hazard sequel, lol.
It is a grave situation for the police dept. but it is funny as hell. This farmer will not be laughing though when he gets the bill for all the destruction he caused.
I’d like to hear what the cruiser crusher has to say. What is his point of view? What provoked him? Something tells me there is more to this story than what is being put in print.
In a police state there’s always a surplus of police cars.
I bet it was almost like watching a movie..lol
Was it a John Deere..????.
I guess the police there shouldn’t have arrested him for something which shouldn’t be illegal and beaten him up when he protested. Im sure thats what happened. They slap on the Resisting Charge if you say “no” to them and especially after they get done tossing you around a bit. Pot is harmless. This man is a victim of drug-war hysteria and abuse of power. He got his revenge and now he’s off to jail. Hopefully he finds it to be worth it after he is a felon.
And, for all those screaming about how this is terrible, perhaps you should dig a little. Go check out this guy named Marvin Heemeyer. Makes ol’ Pion look rather tame.
OOPS……………
No traffic stops? Please, be realistic. There are laws for a reason.
Drunk drivers kill people, speeders kill people. Running red lights and
stops signs cause injuries and deaths too- don’t break the law and you
wouldn’t need to worry about traffic stops.
I laughed at first too, it doesn’t mean I am against the law or wanted people hurt. It means I can see the humor in the situation.
There!!! That’ll teach them to screw with him,
I thought the saying was cruising for a beating. Not beating the cruisers.