BURLINGTON, Vt. – A New Britain man accused of wreaking havoc on a northeastern Vermont town since November went before a judge Friday and pleaded not guilty to possession of an illegal weapon.
John Davis, 48, of New Britain is being investigated in shootings that targeted churches, homes and a Vermont State Police barracks.
Police nabbed Davis after he blasted out a back window of an unoccupied police cruiser in St. Johnsbury on Jan. 27, police said. He was taken into custody after begging police to shoot him, WCAX in Vermont reported on Jan. 30.
Davis has a criminal record and a history of mental illness, WCAX said. He had been staying at a local motel and using a fake name.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller said Davis is connected to shootings at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses -- both in Lyndonville, VT -- by evidence found at the scenes and in his vehicle.
Police said they also found a death threat against a Vermont church pastor, WCAX reported last month.
The churches were among the targets in a series of unsolved shootings that have plagued northeastern Vermont since late November.
