In the autumn of 2013, 49-year-old Burlington resident Wayne Brunette was shot and killed by a police officer after his mother called for help, reporting that he was acting erratically and destroying property. Corporal Ethan Thibault fired, striking Brunette, who was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Corporal Brent Navari was the other officer on scene. Both officers were placed on administrative leave while the Vermont State Police investigated.

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office later concluded the shooting was justified and no criminal charges were filed, and Thibault returned to duty. Brunette’s family sued the city in federal court in 2015, alleging a failure to accommodate his mental health needs; a court cleared the officers but found the city had a duty to reasonably accommodate Brunette’s mental disability. The city settled with Brunette’s estate for $270,000 in 2019. Does anyone have further details about Brunette’s life or his interactions with local services before November 2013?