SPRINGFIELD — An autopsy on James Crary, 36, of Newport, New Hampshire, was completed Saturday at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington.
The autopsy determined Crary’s cause of death was gunshot wounds to the head, and the manner of death is a homicide.
Crary was fatally shot Thursday night by a Springfield police officer and a Windsor County sheriff’s deputy outside 78 Valley St.
Vermont State Police said members of the Springfield Police Department and the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department had responded shortly before 9:30 p.m. Thursday to the address as part of an open investigation.
When law enforcement arrived, they encountered Crary in a vehicle outside the home.
Crary accelerated toward the officers, who were standing outside their vehicles.
At that point, Springfield Police Officer Vincent T. Franchi and Windsor County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Jalava opened fire with their department-issued firearms.
Crary was struck by gunfire and pronounced dead on scene.
The state police responded and assumed the primary role investigating the incident, as is customary for all officer-involved shootings in Vermont.
VSP is processing the scene of the shooting, interviewing witnesses and reviewing evidence, including video from cruiser-mounted and body-worn cameras.
Franchi was hired by the department as a fulltime officer in August 2020 and worked in that capacity until March 2024.
He returned to SPD as a fulltime officer in April.
Jalava started fulltime work with the department in May 2024 after beginning his career with the Hinsdale, New Hampshire, Police Department in 2016 and later working for the Windham County Sheriff’s Department.
Both officers are on paid leave in accordance with standard protocol following a critical incident.
The investigation remains active, and no further information is available.
