A Bennington man is currently being held without bail following a series of violent actions against his girlfriend and her dog. Jason Jones, 46, faces multiple charges, including felony aggravated domestic assault with a deadly weapon, felony aggravated domestic assault, felony kidnapping, and two misdemeanors for animal torture and criminal threatening. If convicted on the kidnapping charge alone, Jones could face a life sentence, with an additional 32 years for the other charges.
According to a police affidavit, the incident began with a call reporting a “motorcycle gang” fighting outside 254 Benmont Ave in Bennington. Upon arrival, officers found the victim sitting next to a shed, wearing only her underwear, visibly distressed and breathing heavily. Jones soon approached the officers but ignored their commands to turn around and place his hands behind his back. When officers drew their weapons, Jones taunted them, saying, “What are you going to do, shoot me?” and “Go ahead, take a step toward me, and I’ll f—ing murder all of you.” It was only after officers drew their tasers that Jones complied and was arrested.
The victim recounted to police that the altercation began in the early hours of May 23rd, stemming from an ongoing domestic dispute. She stated that she and Jones had been arguing throughout the previous day before he left for several hours. Upon his return late at night, the argument resumed. The victim described how Jones pushed her into a refrigerator and then into the bathroom shower by her neck. He allegedly strangled, slapped, punched, and kicked her multiple times, even threatening her with a knife to her throat, saying he would “kill her and her dog, kill us all.”
Jones then reportedly placed the knife against his own throat, cutting himself before chasing after the victim’s dog with the knife. The victim told police she feared for her life during the entire ordeal.
While Jones does not have a criminal record in Vermont, he does have a prior conviction for DUI in New York. Despite his clean record in Vermont, prosecutors requested that he be held without bail during his arraignment last week. Bennington Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady granted the request, citing the extreme level of violence and threats Jones made to law enforcement at the time of his arrest.
In her written decision, Judge McDonald-Cady acknowledged Jones’s limited criminal history but emphasized the severity of the alleged violence and threats. “The court acknowledges the limited criminal history that the defendant has for a single conviction for driving while ability impaired from New York in 2014. This factor supports Mr. Rubin’s argument for release. However, based on the extreme level of violence alleged by the defendant as well as the extreme threats of violence that he made to law enforcement at the time of his arrest, the defendant’s release poses a significant risk of physical violence to the public, which overwhelmingly supports his detention,” she stated.
A weight of evidence hearing is scheduled for this Wednesday to determine whether Jones will continue to be held or be released pending trial. The Banner will provide updates as more information becomes available.
