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2016-12-07 / Front Page
Pharmacy robbery suspect arrested
Police: Suspect was armed, stole drugs
By TORY JONES
toryb@eagletimes.com
Springfield Health Center. Police have arrested the man accused of robbing River Street Pharmacy at gunpoint Monday. — EAGLE FILE
Springfield Health Center. Police have arrested the man accused of robbing River Street Pharmacy at gunpoint Monday. — EAGLE FILE
SPRINGFIELD — Police in Springfield have charged a man in connection with an armed pharmacy robbery that took place on Monday morning, Dec. 5 in Springfield.
Police have charged 37-year-old Perkinsville resident Michael Bickford with several alleged offenses, including careless and negligent driving, assault and robbery, and providing false information to a police officer.
Bickford was lodged in Southern State Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 cash or surety for bail, all according to a press release issued late Monday night by the SPD.
Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston said Bickford is a "person of interest" in recent area robberies.
The Springfield Police Department received a panic alarm from River Street Pharmacy, housed on the second floor of the Springfield Health Center at 100 River St. in Springfield, early in the morning on Monday, Dec. 5.
Upon arrival, police confirmed that the pharmacy had been robbed at gunpoint. An unknown quantity of drugs was taken from the pharmacy, all according to police. Johnston said Bickford was armed with a semi-automatic pistol.
A possible suspect was identified, and officers went to the residence of that suspect. While surveilling the area, the suspect’s vehicle was seen driving by and sped away at high speeds, passing vehicles on the snow covered road, all according to the press release. Officers lost sight of the vehicle, locating it a short time later at Knapp Pond with the suspect in the vehicle.
Police negotiated with Bickford for about two hours as they tried to have him step out of the vehicle. Bickford was then detained for further investigation, according to police.
SPD was assisted on Monday by the Vermont State Police, Weathersfield Police Department, Ludlow Police Department, and Windsor County Sheriff’s Department.
Bickford was arraigned Tuesday, Dec 6, 2016 in White River Junction and pleaded not guilty, according to a court clerk.
http://www.vermonttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/RH/20161207/NEWS02/161209692
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20161207/NEWS02/161209692
He is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Which by the way, a majority vote of the people, does not mean you won, or in this case, are guilty.
ReplyDeleteSick burn Anon 9:08
DeleteYes sick but true.
DeleteAnd if narcotics were legal, and regulated, these things wouldn't happen, right Chuck? Oh, wait, they WERE legal, regulated narcotics!
ReplyDelete2:26-- How many liquor stores in Vermont get robbed by alcoholics? The difference between alcohol and the other substances is what? When alcohol was illegal to consume by the general public during Prohibition, what were the means employed to produce, establish a market and sell it?
DeleteThimk.
For one, Chuck, alcohol is not addictive unless consumed in HUGE quantities for many years. For two, prohibition didn't work because alcohol is easily produced using common household items, and narcotics are not. Three, alcoholics DO rob liquor stores, but nobody pays that much attention to it. Last, there are STILL moonshiners in America, they they even have their own show on TV! And you still (conveniently) ignore the fact that this man stole LEGAL drugs from a LEGAL dispensory to feed his addiction. Legalization WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED IT. When heroin addiction takes all of the addicts money, (as it eventually does) they are forced to STEAL LEGAL DRUGS. In this case, endangering the lives of innocent people at the clinic. It doesn't matter, though. Every time I and others destroy your twisted arguments, you ignore it, and keep making them, hoping someone will follow you.
DeleteWhen alcohol takes all of the alcoholic's money, they might well steal to buy more, but you don't see them stealing crates of booze from liquor stores, because they know it's available legally. Unlike pharmaceuticals of a certain stripe. Let me know how much of the nation's GDP is attributable to moonshine. It's probably nowhere near that of roll-your-own tobacco products, which itself is microscopically negligible. If you give an addict access to whatever he/she is addicted to (like alcohol), you reduce the crime problem to that of alcoholism-- sure, it's heartbreaking and often family-devouring, but it gives everyone around the addict the time and energy to focus on the addiction rather than the crime the addiction necessitates. And our present system of dealing with opioids, etc., is working just as well as our system of dealing with alcohol with Prohibition.
DeleteThis from the scholar who peddles is way and opinions in life and by last word has almost been run over by about a dozen law abiding citizens including a select board member. Alcohol, prohibition, leftwing liberal books. Who is Springfield takes this fool seriously?? Peddel your message in Chester, where you rightfully belong,
DeleteSure, it's heartbreaking, and family devouring, and NOW KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN GUNS, so let's make it legal? That's the most ridiculous, insane thing I've ever heard! The result of drug induced brain damage, I suspect!
DeletePer the Rutland Herald report, this guy lost police pursuit driving his . . . Mini Cooper.
ReplyDeleteOn snow covered roads, dangerously passing other traffic...which likely the cops did not also do.
DeleteHave you ever driven a mini-coop? They're super fast little cars. Not as fast as the 4.6 V8 Crown V's of course.
DeleteU obviously haven't driven one. If it's an "s" model they are quite quick and handle extremely well. It's a miniature sports car
DeleteAnd SPD has SUVs...lol
DeleteA mini coop? Mini sports car? Or the crown V? Either way, the mini coop should not have gotten away.
Delete17 years sounds about right.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, comments on the Spfld Police Facebook page say bail ($25,000) was paid and the guy is out of custody.
ReplyDelete