Eagle Times Staff
MONTPELIER, Vt. — A former St. Albans, Vt., Police officer has pleaded guilty to using excessive force.
Joel Daugreilh, 37, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty to Simple Assault during a court appearance Monday in Vermont Superior Court, Franklin Criminal Division, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
The charges arose from an incident that occurred on Nov. 26, 2017, when Daugreilh was an officer with the St. Albans Police Department. After taking a suspect into custody and placing the suspect in a small holding cell where they were handcuffed and shackled to a bench, Daugreilh pushed the suspect’s head against the holding cell wall and deployed O.C. spray, commonly known as pepper spray, directly into the suspect’s eyes at close range.
Daugreilh resigned from law enforcement following the incident.
At Monday’s appearance, the court, Judge Martin Maley presiding, weighed input from the victim as well as a statement from Daugreilh, and compared the case to other contemporaneous use-of-force cases in the St. Albans Police Department that resulted in criminal charges.
The court accepted Daugreilh’s change of plea, deferred his sentence, and imposed a probationary sentence of six months with conditions that Daughreilh have no contact with the victim and perform 40 hours of community service. If Daugreilh completes these requirements and complies with his probation conditions in six months his case may be dismissed.
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