On the morning of December 2nd, 2001, Robert 'Woody' Woodward lay in a widening pool of his own blood, in front of the alter of a church, his body riddled by 7 police bullets. Minutes earlier he had been begging the incredulous congregation to grant him the protection of political asylum, explaining that he was being pursued by government authorities, who sought to kill him to silence him. Although he threatened himself in a desperate bid to persuade witnesses to stay, the 18 witnesses maintained that he never threatened anyone else. Why, then, did the police shoot him, and why has the state gone to such extraordinary lengths to obscure what happened that day?

While the number of questions surrounding the behavior of the police in the church and of officials following the shooting has continued to grow, a very clear picture of what happened in the church that morning has emerged, and is recounted here in paragraph and page forms, as well as in a detailed narrative compiled from the eyewitness evidence. This is the story Vermont's Attorney General doesn't want you to hear.

page last modified: 2005-12-14