A man out on bond—who was also wearing an ankle bracelet—was busted in connection with a Vermont shooting, cops said earlier today. Walter Jones, 28, was nabbed by the Springfield Police Firearms Investigation Unit, along with the Massachusetts State Police, A.T.F. agents and U.S. Marshals inside a Longhill Street apartment around 10:15 a.m. on a fugitive warrant, according to the Springfield Police Department.
The arrest, carried out with the additional support from the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, was the culmination of efforts by authorities to bring Jones in after he skipped his latest court date. During the arrest on the 0-100 block of Longhill Street, the Springfield Police said, "Jones is currently on an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet from Hampden Superior Court in connection with open firearms charges stemming from an August 2022 arrest in Springfield."
It wasn't immediately clear what brought Jones to Vermont or the details surrounding the shooting incident he is alleged to have been involved in. In addition to the allegations in Vermont, Jones has a rap sheet with open criminal cases in Northampton and Springfield District Courts.
Jones is being slapped with an Arrest Warrant on top of the Fugitive from Justice Court Warrant in relation to the latest charges. Charged for his connection with the Vermont shooting, Jones had already been known to authorities due to prior run-ins with the law. With the cases piling up, this recent arrest adds another chapter to what seems to be a troubled legal past for Jones.
Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances of the shooting in Vermont or if there were any victims involved. The ongoing investigation by several agencies underscores the challenges of monitoring individuals who are out on bail, particularly those with open cases in multiple jurisdictions. Springfield Police Department provided the information about Jones' arrest and his charges.
