LEBANON – A 40-year-old Montpelier woman arrested in July after shouting about sniper threats and pleading for the help of Sen. Bernie Sanders in the middle of Mechanic Street will be evaluated to determine if she is competent to stand trial.
Sheila Healy, a former Sanders campaign staffer in 2020, is facing felony and misdemeanor charges, including attempting to disarm an officer, resisting arrest, simple assault, criminal threatening and reckless operation.
Her case remains pending in Lebanon Circuit Court as multiple attempts to hold arraignment and bail hearings were cancelled.
“Again, defendant refused to leave her cell,” a court order by Judge Michael Mace states as to the reason for cancelling a sixth arraignment and bail hearing scheduled for July 29, ordering Healy to be held in Grafton County jail.
At the court’s direction, the Office of the Forensic Examiner scheduled an August 19 competency evaluation for Healy, which was delayed.
“At this time, the Office of the Forensic Examiner is experiencing a historically high number of evaluation requests,” a letter from the office states.
A hearing on the competency evaluation slated for Sept. 9 was rescheduled by the court for Sept. 21.
Earlier this month, the court granted a motion by Healy’s defense attorney, Christopher Ryan with the Grafton County Public Defender’s Office in Orford, to amend Healy’s bail conditions “to convert to personal recognizance upon release to the custody of her guardians in order to facilitate immediate admission to … an in-patient mental health treatment facility.”
A family member of Healy declined to comment when reached by phone on Thursday. A voicemail left for her attorney was not immediately returned.
A “Notice of Confidential Medical Information” was filed under seal that outlined the reasons for the defense’s motion to amend bail.
During the evening of July 18, police received multiple calls about a white Mazda parked with hazard lights activated in the middle of Mechanic Street near Slayton Hill, the Valley News previously reported.
Police said they found Healy, who had been “extending her middle finger out of the window … and was yelling about having a sniper rifle pointed at her,” according to the affidavit in support of the charges.
The affidavit alleges that Healy threatened people in the traffic jam she caused who were attempting to assist her.
Healy disregarded multiple commands by officers, which led to a chaotic arrest.
During Healy’s struggle, police observed “(Healy) push her body into (Officer Eric Blaine), in the direction of his gun belt, and reach out with both hands in an attempt to grab his firearm,” the affidavit states.
As police were handcuffing her, she screamed, “I’ve never done anything wrong. Please God, Senator Sanders, help.”
Court records show that Healy listed her employer as Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and place of employment as his Burlington office.
A spokesperson for Sanders previously told the Valley News that Healy was a former campaign staffer during the 2020 presidential campaign and is not currently involved with the Friends of Bernie Sanders campaign or the Senate office.
