In the spring of 2014, the life of Michael J. Santiago, a 35-year-old Hispanic/Latino male, was cut short in Brattleboro, Vermont. Initial reports on April 4, 2014, were shrouded in uncertainty, with accounts suggesting his body had been discovered in a wooded area near the Whetstone Brook, leading to a homicide investigation by local authorities. The cause of his death was not immediately clear to the public, creating a mystery around the circumstances of his passing.
As investigators
delved deeper, a different and clearer picture emerged. The Vermont attorney general's office later released findings from their investigation, which concluded that Santiago had been shot and killed by a Brattleboro police officer during a drug raid at a hotel. The officer identified as the shooter was Sgt. Mark Carignan. According to the official report, the shooting occurred as police were executing a search warrant and had been warned that the individuals in the room might be armed.
The investigation determined that during the raid, Santiago did not show his hands to the officers as they were forcing their way into the room. He reportedly kept one hand behind his back, and another officer described his movement as being consistent with someone reaching for a firearm. In response to this perceived threat, Sgt. Carignan fired his shotgun twice, fatally wounding Santiago. Although drugs were discovered in the room following the incident, no firearms were found. The Vermont attorney general's office ultimately ruled that the officer's use of deadly force was justified, and therefore, no charges were filed against him. This ruling closed the official investigation into the death of Michael J. Santiago, concluding that he was an unarmed casualty of a police action deemed justified by the state.
