Police give fallen trooper last salute in Vermont

Vermont police gave a final salute Saturday to a fallen state trooper as his hearse left Burlington enroute back to his hometown of Watertown, N.Y.

Most Chittenden County police agencies had cruisers parked with flashing blue lights and officers saluting as the body of State Trooper Kyle D. Young, 28, of Monkton made its way north along Interstate 89.

Col. Matthew Birmingham, the new director of the Vermont State Police, was among those leading the procession, which exited onto U.S. 2 in Colchester. The motorcade continued into Grand Isle County, where the sheriff’s department had deputies and cruisers near the Sand Bar. The procession eventually made its way to the Lake Champlain ferry crossing in Grand Isle.

“It’s a very emotional day for all of the Vermont State Police,” Birmingham told the Burlington Free Press.

“There were people on the side of the road with their hands on their heart showing respect for the fallen trooper,” Birmingham said.

On Friday, Birmingham said department members need to focus on supporting Young’s family and the Vermont State Police family as they struggle with the loss of a dedicated young trooper.

Winooski Sgt. Michael Cram and Colchester Cpl. Roger Fisher were among those joining the final farewell along I-89 about 9:45 a.m. Saturday.

“It was a powerful reflection of how short life can be,” Cram said.

“I didn’t know him, but he was a fellow officer, a young guy with a family. It was pretty emotional,” Fisher said.

Fisher was on I-89 as the hearse passed and he jumped into his cruiser to follow the procession until it reached the Milton-Colchester line on U.S. 2.

Birmingham said he was unaware that the special salute had been set up until he saw it as he drove along I-89.

State police in Williston said they alerted area police agencies and invited them to participate if they had any officers free.

New York State Police joined the procession at Cumberland Head, New York.

“It is my honor to escort Trooper Young and his Family from the Lake Champlain Ferry to Watertown,” New York State Trooper John T. Atwood said on a post for the Cummings Funeral Services, which is handling the funeral arrangements.

“I did not know Trooper Young but I know the caliber of man that it takes to wear the uniform,” he wrote.

A funeral Mass is tentatively planned for Wednesday with visiting hours on Tuesday, police said. Final arrangements were being worked on on Saturday.

Gov. Peter Shumlin has ordered the Vermont state flag to fly at half-staff for three days starting at sunrise on the day Trooper Young’s funeral is held.

Young, who joined the Vermont State Police in January 2014, was assigned to the New Haven barracks.

He collapsed about 2 p.m. Thursday while auditioning for the state police tactical team at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho. As troopers went through their skills test the temperature was reaching the mid 80s.

An Essex Rescue ambulance, accompanied by 13 police cruisers, rushed Young from Jericho to the University of Vermont Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about 3 p.m.

An autopsy was conducted by the office of Vermont’s Chief Medical Examiner on Friday, but no results were released.

Survivors include two young children, his partner and his parents.

Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com Follow Mike on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD.