Claremont
Cody LaFont died following an encounter with Claremont police shortly before 5 a.m. on Congress Street, according to the state Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating the shooting.
According to a brief news release that was issued around noon on Sunday, police encountered LaFont while responding to a 911 call, but no other details — including the name of the officer involved — have been released.
No officers were injured in the incident, according to the release.
“It’s still an early investigation. Unfortunately, one person was killed and we provided that individual’s name in a press release. But beyond that, we really can’t provide too much information at this point,” Peter Hinckley, a senior assistant attorney general, said in a news conference in Claremont.
Hinckley declined to discuss the nature of the 911 call that led police to Lafont’s home at 53 Congress St., whether LaFont was armed or whether there was dash cam or body cam video footage of the shooting.
Meanwhile, LaFont’s mother, Tracy McEachern, said her son had summoned police to his home in the past.
LaFont suffered from mental health issues, including depression, she said, and there were a few instances when he called 911 seeking help. LaFont even built a rapport with a few officers, she said.
“I can’t believe this has happened,” McEachern said in a telephone interview on Sunday evening.
McEachern said she doesn’t know if a similar circumstance brought police to LaFont’s home early Sunday morning. She said she spent hours at the police station on Sunday but was told almost nothing by officials other than that an autopsy has been scheduled.
She said she does not believe that her son was armed with a firearm Sunday morning. “I know that my son possessed no weapons whatsoever,” McEachern said.
She added that she is upset police haven’t released the name of the officer involved.
“They released my son’s name and age,” McEachern said. “I think it’s fair that the cop’s name is released as well.”
In an interview Sunday afternoon down the street from LaFont’s home, Hinckley declined to say whether investigators had interviewed the officer involved or when his name would be made public.
“Just like every death-related case that the Attorney General investigates, we interview as many people as we can,” he said. “This case is no different.”
Hinkley said a report will be released when the investigation is finished, but he did not give a timeframe for completing the work.
Claremont Police Chief Alex Scott also declined on Sunday to release the officer’s name. When contacted by email, Scott said that disclosing the officer’s name falls under the purview of the Attorney General’s Office.
Scott did say that the officer had been taken off of patrol duty pending the outcome of the investigation. He said that this is the first officer-involved shooting in Claremont in 20 years.
A Claremont police car on Sunday blocked the portion of Congress Street where LaFont has lived for more than two years, according to his mother. LaFont’s single-family home was centered on a dead-end at the north end of the road.
State Police vehicles came and went from the scene throughout the day.
Investigators could be seen sweeping neighboring properties with a metal detector while others entered Lafont’s house.
Dale Giles has lived nearby at 31 Congress St. since 1985. He didn’t know LaFont aside from an occasional wave, but said the neighborhood, which sits just off the Sugar River northwest of downtown, is known for its quiet, low-key nature.
“It has always been a wonderful neighborhood to live in,” he said. “(I’ve) never had quarrels or qualms with any neighbor down there. Everybody always looks out for one another.”
LaFont grew up in Ascutney and went to school at both Windsor and Stevens high schools before earning a diploma from the Claremont Adult Learning Center in 2011. He had worked for his mother’s company, Sinclair Machine Products, since he was 16.
McEachern said LaFont was a lighthearted joker, especially with his nieces and nephews.
“He was a really good kid. He had a big heart,” she said. “He loved going to the races at Loudon. He loved going to the racing track and helping his friends with their cars.”
An autopsy is scheduled for this morning, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.
Clarification
This story has been amended to clarify Cody LaFont’s educational background.