A man was arrested and charged with fatally stabbing a victim in broad daylight at a busy Church Street intersection on Wednesday afternoon, Burlington police said.
Louis Fortier, 36, surrendered to police at the scene after allegedly stabbing Richard Medina, 43, multiple times in the neck at the corner of Church and Cherry streets, police said. Police described both men as transients.
Medina was pronounced dead at the University of Vermont Medical Center at 2:20 p.m., shortly after he was stabbed.
Police said they recovered a knife at the scene and that video cameras captured the encounter. Several witnesses identified Fortier as the killer, police said.
Authorities did not provide a motive for the stabbing, but said the encounter was not random.
Fortier recently arrived in Burlington from Massachusetts, where he has an extensive criminal record, police said. Since 1996, Fortier has been charged with assault with intent to murder, armed bank robbery, assault on a police officer, aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon and several other alleged crimes.
Medina also had extensive police contacts, including mental health calls, police said.
WCAX talked to Jason Ploof of Burlington, who said he saw the aftermath:
“Saw my friend in a pool of blood. He was pretty much lifeless,” Ploof said. “And as I approached, the police told me to get back across the tape. And I did, and I watched them pick his limp body up, put him on a gurney, trying to resuscitate him and bring him to the ambulance and they sped off.”
Police asked that anyone who witnessed the attack and has not yet spoken with authorities to contact Detective Jamie Morris at 540-2254.
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It isn’t that there is no compassion for mental health patients, it’s that there is too much and it is misguided. The gentleman who mentioned Willowbrook is correct: that sad situation became the catalyst for dismantling almost ALL of the mental health facilities across our country. We had more beds for the mentally ill in the 1850’s! We have done this in the name of “human rights,” but when people are a danger to themselves and others isn’t it actually cruel? The mentally ill today simply end up in jails in a revolving door scenario. Less money on wars, more money in states to fund and run mental health residential facilities.
This man, DJ Jaffe, a liberal democrat works across the aisle with Republican from PA Tim Murphy to get policy changed. Pay attention and follow. This is good governance. https://www.facebook.com/MentalIllnessPolicy
I mourn the loss of old Vermont. Once a bastion of New England tradition, hard work and awe, the state has become overrun by flatlanders of a certain ilk (not all flatlanders are at odds with traditional Vermont), and international refugees who’ve quickly become “empowered” by their newly acquired American status. If you bleeding heart “new” (and you are new) American-born Vermonters knew just a fraction of what is going down with your tax dollars with regard to many of these new arrivals from Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Nepal, etc. you’d be singing a different tune. (I want to emphasize that most of these arrivals are good people, but they are virtually showered with your tax dollars from the moment they arrive and for a long time afterward.) The same holds true for arrivals from other states who want free healthcare, EBT, Burlington Housing (Authority) assistance and more. We’ve hung a sign on the door inviting everyone who’s down on their luck or status in life to come here. At what cost though? I have witnessed the growth and decline of Burlington over the past 35 years. Sure, times change and nothing stays the same, but some problems can be nipped in the bud. Sadly, I have no hope for Burlington in my lifetime. What was once a dignified, beautiful small city by the lake has become a festering welfare state sore destined for disaster.
The fingerpointing can go to those who decry don’t spend tax dollars on programs that provide services to shelter, feed, and mental and medical services to the homeless. I am not in favor of handing $$s to those fully capable
of working a job, no matter how menial, or those seeking to abuse the system, but there will always be a minority contingent of system abusers and we just have to seriously scrutinize those who need assistance. Maybe this is too simplistic, but taking away aid, leaves the public to feel unprotected and the homeless, elderly, mentally ill to feel ignored and invisible.