St. Johnsbury Police Officer Jasmine Hendrys body camera footage

St. Johnsbury Police Officer Jasmine Hendry’s body camera footage at the time Capt. Jason Gray was shot is a public record, but officials say now is not the time for the public to see it. The Caledonian-Record requested the footage from the Dec. 13 shooting on Dec. 27 and was told by email on Monday that it was exempt from public access at this time because of the ongoing criminal process against the alleged shooter, Scott Mason, and the investigation that’s underway of Capt. Gray’s actions during the encounter. Officer Hendry and Capt. Gray had responded to 261 Portland St., along with Capt. Gray, late in the afternoon on Friday, Dec. 13, after police got a report that Mason had assaulted his wife. Investigators say Mason, 38, shot Capt. Gray, who had entered the apartment building, with a shotgun. The veteran officer was struck by multiple pellets from the birdshot and suffered serious injuries. He was treated at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Capt. Gray’s body camera was active during the incident but was damaged after being struck by the gun blast. Officer Hendry’s camera was also recording, and the footage was shared with the Vermont State Police, which took the lead in the case. Mason has been held in jail since, and faces several criminal charges connected to the incident, including a charge of first-degree attempted murder. The active case against Mason is a reason to deny public access to Officer Hendry’s camera recording of the incident. And because Capt. Gray fired his weapon during the incident, his actions are being investigated, which the agency says is another reason to reject public review of the camera footage.  Public release of the Requested Record while the case is pending could interfere with witness testimony and other aspects of ongoing litigation. Capt. Gray was shot, and Mason has only appeared in court once. He is jailed without a chance to post bail at Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport.