BRISTOL — Bristol police spent several days in late July dealing with Bristol resident Darren Austin.
Following 36-year-old Austin’s July 22 arrest and citation for second-degree aggravated domestic assault, being a violent criminal in possession of a firearm, and committing an offense in the presence of a child, he was jailed at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility and served an abuse prevention order and assigned conditions of release.
Authorities alleged that while incarcerated on July 23, Austin violated these court orders by placing a collect telephone call to the residence of a person protected by the order. So, on July 24, Bristol police cited Austin on additional charges of violating an abuse prevention order and violating conditions of release.
Over the last two weeks of July, Bristol police conducted foot patrols downtown and environs on July 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27 and 28; the town green on July 19 and 26 during the town band concerts, Airport Drive and surrounding area on July 29 and the Three Day Stampede at various times on July 28, 29 and 30. On July 30 an officer also patrolled the Stampeded by bike.
Officers also conducted seven town-contracted traffic patrols covering Burpee, Hardscrabble and River roads and along Routes 116 and 17. Police issued one ticket for a stop sign violation and one ticket for speeding. Patrols were on July 18, 25, 26, 27, 29 and 30.
Police checked security at Mount Abraham Union High School on July 19, 20, 24, 25 and 27.
In other actions during that period, Bristol police:
•  Helped drivers exchange information following a minor two-car accident on East Street on July 17.
•  Received a cell phone that had been found on Main Street on July 18.  The owner has not yet been identified.
•  Responded to the Living Well Residence for an accidental panic alarm activation on July 19.
•  Responded to a two-car accident on Mountain View Street on July 19.  Damage did not rise to the level of a reportable crash.
•  Assisted Vermont State Police with a traffic stop on River Road at the Bristol/New Haven town line on July 20.
•  Received, on July 20, an iPad that had been found in the middle of West Street earlier in the month. The person who found the iPad had tried to locate the owner, unsuccessfully, using social media. Police will try to access the devise in an attempt to identify the owner.
•  Responded to Mountain and Spring streets, where it was reported that two young children were playing in the street on July 21.
•  Responded to Main Street to check on a dog reportedly left in a vehicle with the windows up at 5:49 p.m. on July 21. Police found that the windows were open, including the sunroof, and that the animal was not in distress.  Police then notified the owner that they had checked on the animal.
•  On July 21, Bristol police cite Peter David Thibodeau, 36, of Bristol for violating conditions of release.
•  Assisted Vermont State Police with a traffic stop on Route 116 on July 22.
•  Between July 17 and 26 conducted quarterly sex offender registry checks of district residents. All were found to be compliant.
•  Responded to a district residence to help a person reported as suicidal on July 24.
•  Led a computer training session at the Vermont Police Academy on July 24.
•  Received a Braven BRV-X speaker on July 24. The speaker had been found on Main Street.
•  Assisted with traffic management along the West Street construction zone on July 24.
•  Assisted state police with a reported family disturbance on July 25.
•  Began investigating a possible fraud on July 26. A man who had been hired online for a sales position contacted police to see if the position was legitimate. The man had been hired to solicit ads for the production of Mount Abraham Union High School folders. Police determined that the school had not authorized any such project with any organization. The man had not sold any ads and he discontinued soliciting.
•  Completed a fingerprint request on July 26.
•  Checked on a stray dog hanging around a district residence on July 26.
•  Assisted state police at an accident on south Route 116 on July 27.
•  Were dispatched to a local bank for an ATM panic alarm on July 27.  Police found that an employee had accidentally activated the alarm.
•  Were dispatched to a district residence on July 27 for a report of an attempted theft. Police learned that around 11:30 p.m. on July 25, someone attempted to steal fuel oil from the residence.  An investigation is ongoing.
•  Attended a webinar on criminal interdiction on July 27.
•  Participated in emergency medical training on July 26.
•  On July 27 received a watch that had been found at Eagle Park around late May.
•  Investigated the reported death at a district residence on July 28. Police found that the person had died by natural causes and then notified the next of kin.
•  Investigated a report of someone camping in the woods off South Street on July 30. Police found a man camping there and told him he was not allowed to do so on town property.
•  Assisted state police with a medical emergency at a non-district residence on July 30.
•  Arrested Aaron O. Gould, 28, of Bristol on Aug. 1 on a felony count of failure to notify the Vermont Sex Offender Registry with required information. During a registry check, police found Gould had failed to notify the registry that there were children under the age of 18 living with him and that his employment status had changed. Gould was taken to the Bristol Police Department for booking and was subsequently released with a citation to appear in Addison Superior Court, criminal division, on Aug. 21.