LUDLOW – The Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Orange County State’s Attorney’s Office today announced the conclusions of their independent reviews of the fatal officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on August 15, 2022, in Ludlow.
Attorney General Susanne Young and Orange County State’s Attorney Dickson Corbett have declined to prosecute Ludlow Police Officer Zachary Paul for charges related to the fatal shooting of Michael Mills.
While attempting to get Mills to leave the vehicle, Paul and his partner spotted a gun, which led Paul to fire his service weapon once.
The bullet struck Mills in the head.
On August 15, Mills contacted Vermont State Police directly or via 911 a total of 28 times with threats and mentioning suicide.
During those calls, Mills stated he wanted to die and requested to speak with his parole officer.
“Based on the facts and circumstances and consistent with Vermont law, Attorney General Young and State’s Attorney Corbett have independently concluded that the use of force by Officer Paul was objectively reasonable and justified,” a statement issued today reads.
They say they concluded that a reasonable officer in the situation of Officer Paul would have concluded that there was no alternative but to use deadly force to prevent the death or serious bodily injury of himself and his field training officer, Corporal Jeffrey Warfle.
