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Garvey family urges Vermont House Judiciary to act after son shot during mental‑health crisis
Summary
Family members of Scott Garvey told the House Judiciary Committee that Scott, who died July 7, 2025 after being shot by Vermont State Police during a mental‑health crisis, was unarmed and repeatedly sought help; they urged lawmakers to adopt reforms and asked for updates on the ongoing investigation.
Judy and Sean Garvey told the Vermont House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 14 that their son, Scott Joseph Garvey, 55, was shot and killed by Vermont State Police on July 7, 2025 while in the midst of a mental‑health crisis. Judy Garvey said Scott was "unarmed and alone" and had reached out dozens of times for help before officers entered his Putney apartment.
The family said the state coroner has ruled Scott's death a homicide and cited multiple failures in the response that day. "They were a failure of those when we reached out for help to follow the policies meant to safeguard those suffering a mental‑health crisis," Judy Garvey said, adding that the Vermont State Police did not follow directives she said had been developed over 10 years.
Why it matters: The Garveys urged lawmakers to consider changes to how police and mental‑health professionals respond to crises,…
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