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A Fair Haven police detective, Shaun Hewitt, has been exonerated of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of Kenneth Barber Jr., a Castleton man, last spring. The Vermont Attorney General’s Office conducted an independent review and announced on Friday that the use of deadly force by Hewitt was justified.
Back in June 2023, Hewitt responded to a distress call involving a man, later identified as Barber, who was assaulting his neighbor on Washington Street in Fair Haven. When Hewitt arrived at the scene, he found three neighbors attempting to restrain Barber on the ground. One of the neighbors informed Hewitt that Barber had a gun.
Assisting in restraining Barber, Hewitt witnessed one of the neighbors removing a gun from Barber’s waist. However, Barber refused to surrender and instead fled to his nearby vehicle. Hewitt tried to subdue Barber using pepper spray, but the device malfunctioned. With Hewitt standing between the open driver’s door and the car frame, Barber accelerated the car in reverse despite Hewitt’s commands to stop. Fearing for his life, Hewitt fired a single shot, hitting Barber in the torso.
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After being shot, Barber’s car continued to reverse for a short distance before coming to a halt. Hewitt, along with a nurse who happened to be in the vicinity, provided immediate medical assistance to Barber until paramedics arrived.
Following an extensive review, the Attorney General’s Office concluded that Detective Shaun Hewitt acted reasonably under the circumstances. They determined that Hewitt believed he was in imminent danger of being killed or suffering severe bodily harm, justifying his use of deadly force to defend himself.
This latest announcement aligns with the findings from September when the Rutland County state’s attorney also cleared Hewitt of any criminal charges in relation to the shooting.
The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has reiterated the importance of thorough and impartial investigations into incidents involving law enforcement officers to ensure transparency, accountability, and justice.
