Attorney General’s Office Concludes Review of Springfield Officers-Involved Shooting and Deems Use of Force Justified

Windsor County Sheriff Deputy and Springfield Police Officer Will Not Be Prosecuted for Fatal Officers-Involved Shooting

The Attorney General's Office today announced the conclusion of its independent review of a fatal officers-involved shooting that occurred on August 21, 2025, in Springfield, Vermont. Attorney General Charity Clark has declined to prosecute Windsor County Sheriff Deputy Bryan Jalava and Springfield Police Officer Vincent Franchi for charges related to the use of deadly force in the fatal shooting of James Crary.

The incident began at approximately 8:56 PM on August 21, 2025, when Deputy Sheriff Jalava and Springfield Police Officer Franchi, along with other officers from the Springfield Police Department and the Windsor County Sheriff's Department, arrived at 78 Valley Street in Springfield, Vermont, to arrest Matthew Hewitt in response to an alleged assault and robbery and a kidnapping that had occurred earlier that afternoon involving Hewitt and another suspect, Roger Colby.

Upon arrival at 78 Valley Street, Officer Franchi and another responding officer, Springfield Police Officer Adam Woodell, parked their vehicles outside of the residence. The officers observed a white sedan, later determined to be driven by James Crary, attempting to exit the driveway. As the officers walked from Valley Street along the driveway of the residence, Officer Woodell indicated to Officer Franchi that he believed the white vehicle that was attempting to leave was the same car suspect Roger Colby had been riding in earlier in the evening.

As Officers Woodell and Franchi continued to move down the driveway, Deputy Sheriff Jalava followed them in his marked cruiser with his lights flashing and parked at the rear of the driveway. Deputy Sheriff Jalava then exited his vehicle, leaving the front driver's side door open.

As Officers Woodell and Franchi approached the white vehicle, the driver, Mr. Crary, failed to listen to clear commands to stop. Mr. Crary reversed into a pile of debris before ultimately completing a three-point turn and turning the vehicle down the driveway towards Valley Street and the officers.

With the vehicle now facing Valley Street, Officer Franchi was on the driveway between the car and the street, as was Deputy Sheriff Jalava. Mr. Crary revved the engine and suddenly accelerated towards the officers. As Mr. Crary accelerated in the direction of Valley Street, Officer Franchi was positioned next to Deputy Sheriff Jalava and Deputy Sheriff Jalava's parked cruiser, both of which were in the path of Mr. Crary's accelerating vehicle. There was no escape route, as Officer Franchi's path to the right was blocked by the parked cruiser with its open door, and moving to the left would have taken him further into the path of the vehicle. As the vehicle came towards Officer Franchi, he fired his service weapon into the front of the vehicle. Simultaneously, Officer Jalava fired his service weapon as the vehicle was accelerating towards him, Officer Franchi, and Valley Street, where other officers were located. Ultimately, Mr. Crary's vehicle stopped moving when his vehicle collided with a Windsor County Sheriff's cruiser.

Mr. Crary exited the vehicle, and officers on scene rendered first aid. Unfortunately, those efforts were not successful, and Mr. Crary was pronounced dead on the scene by Emergency Medical Services. After the incident, Deputy Sheriff Jalava and Officer Franchi were transported to the hospital for medical care.

The Attorney General's Office concludes that, pursuant to 13 V.S.A. § 2305(3), under the totality of the circumstances, Sheriff Deputy Jalava and Officer Franchi reasonably believed that they were in imminent danger of being killed or suffering great bodily harm and they were, therefore, justified in using deadly force.

Under Vermont law, an officer may use deadly force to repel an imminent threat to cause death or serious bodily injury when the officer objectively and reasonably believes that a person has the present ability, opportunity, and apparent intent to immediately cause death or serious bodily injury. 20 V.S.A. §§ 2368(a)(4) and 2068(c)(1)(A). Furthermore, the use of deadly force is deemed necessary when, given the totality of the circumstances, an objectively reasonable officer in the same situation would conclude that there was no reasonable alternative to the use of deadly force that would prevent death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another person. 20 V.S.A. § 2368(c)(2).

Under the totality of these circumstances, an objectively reasonable officer in both Sheriff Deputy Jalava's and Officer Franchi's positions would have concluded that there was no other reasonable alternative than the use of deadly force to prevent death or serious bodily injury to themselves, or another.

Rutland County State's Attorney Ian Sullivan, acting as conflict counsel on behalf of the Windsor County State's Attorney's Office, also declined to prosecute the case after completing his own independent review. In reaching their decisions, the Attorney General's Office and the Rutland County State's Attorney's Office reviewed all materials provided by Vermont State Police, who conducted the investigation.

CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, 802-828-3171