MILTON — As the investigation continues into Wednesday night’s shooting in Milton, the Vermont State Police is able to identify the people involved.
The injured Milton police officer is Sgt. Paul Locke, who has served with the department since he graduated from the Vermont Police Academy in 1999.
Sgt. Locke is known for building connections throughout the Milton community and for his work as a drug recognition expert, a specialized field within law enforcement that focuses on identifying and reducing impaired driving.
Sgt. Locke was shot twice when he arrived along with firefighters after smoke was seen coming from a window at 78 Main St.
One round struck Sgt. Locke’s bullet-resistant vest, and the other passed through one of his legs.
He was brought by Milton Rescue to the University of Vermont Medical Center, where he was treated and released late Wednesday to continue his recovery at home.
The shooter is identified preliminarily as Aaron LaRoche, 38, who lived at the address where the incident occurred.
Following the shooting, LaRoche barricaded himself inside his apartment.
Police attempted to establish ongoing communication with him and to persuade him to come out and surrender, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
At about 11 p.m., the Vermont State Police deployed several flash-bang devices into the apartment and sent a drone into the residence.
Video from the drone showed LaRoche apparently deceased.
VSP’s Tactical Services Unit then made entry into the apartment and confirmed LaRoche was dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
No police officers are known to have fired a weapon during the incident.
No other injuries have been reported.
Thursday, the state police’s Crime Scene Search Team is processing the building.
The body believed to be LaRoche’s will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to confirm identity and determine the cause and manner of death.
