STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

Police detain suspect as operations conclude in Wilder

WILDER, Vermont (Wednesday, April 13, 2022) — Hartford Police, assisted by the Vermont State Police Bomb Squad and other agencies, are concluding operations in the village of Wilder.

The VSP Bomb Squad successfully mitigated hazards arising from explosive devices found inside a house on Perkins Place. The neighborhood is returning to normal this evening as police activity ends. There were no injuries during the course of the police operation.

Throughout the day, the Hartford Police Department was aided in the investigation by the Vermont State Police, the FBI, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. William Hillard, 51, a resident of the Perkins Place home, was detained on a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Investigation is continuing related to allegations surrounding the possession of destructive devices.

No additional information is available at this time. More details will be provided as the investigation continues.

***Update No. 1, 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, 2022***

Hartford Police, with the assistance of the Vermont State Police, are continuing their operation this afternoon in the village of Wilder.

This incident involves the Vermont State Police Bomb Squad assisting the Hartford Police Department with an investigation at a house in a residential neighborhood that contains explosive devices and potentially hazardous materials. To help ensure public safety, police initially asked residents of nearby homes to shelter in place while the scene was assessed, and others in the area were informed of the situation. Residents are no longer being asked to shelter in place, but access to the area remains limited.

The police operation is expected to continue through the afternoon hours Wednesday, though an exact time frame is not currently known.

No injuries have been reported.

Police will continue to provide additional information as the investigation proceeds.

***Initial news release, 11:10 a.m. Wednesday, April 13, 2022***

The Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Vermont State Police, is conducting an operation Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in the village of Wilder.

Members of the public are likely to see an increased police presence in the area. The operation is focused on a specific location, and investigators do not believe there is a danger to the broader community.

Further information is not available presently, but police will release details of the operation as soon as possible.

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