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There was a slew of serious incidents in the Queen City Tuesday.

A police officer is now recovering after her leg was injured while trying to make an arrest.

The suspect, 39-year-old David Perry, pleaded not guilty to his charges Wednesday morning and was released on a set of conditions.

“This incident last night started because the passenger refused to wear a face mask,” explains Jon Moore, general manager of Green Mountain Transit.

Tuesday evening, Burlington police say Perry, a passenger on a GMT bus allegedly attacked a driver after the driver asked him to wear a mask while riding.

When the responding officer tried to stop Perry, he allegedly charged at the officer, she fell injuring her leg.

GMT is currently trying to add security to area routes, and they're in contract negotiations with a private security firm.

“We’ll continue to do that. We’re also planning on providing some de-escalation training to our front-line staff,” Moore said.

Later Tuesday night, around 8 p.m., an armed robbery occurred at Simon’s convenience store off of Pearl Street. Owner Charles Handy says the cashier working the counter when the incident occurred could have lost her life. Police arrested Ian Gardner Wednesday. Police say he allegedly walked into Simon’s Park Street convenience store with a 4- to 6-inch folding knife, took the cashier’s cellphone, threatened them if they called the police, and took off. Simon’s owner is fed up with the violence and vandalism.

Even later in the night in a third separate incident, a purse was stolen from a woman on Church Street. In the stolen purse were her car keys. Police say two people were caught on surveillance footage getting into the victim’s car in the Marketplace garage off Winooski Avenue then driving off. Burlington’s stolen vehicle rate is 150% higher than the five-year average.

DPW says they have regular security patrols in the Marketplace and College Street garages, but they’re not on the clock until after 11 p.m.

“We want the garages to be a safe place and park your car and go about your business. These are public spaces and we try our best, but they're open to the public and some of the downtown challenges reach into the garage,” says Jeff Padgett, division director for parking and traffic. Ian Gardner, in connection with the armed robbery, is being held without bail.

Burlington police are still searching for the two suspects connected to the car theft.

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