Rutland County Sheriff Department on January 28, 2026. Photo by Greta Solssa/VTDiggerA Rutland County sheriff’s deputy was ousted from the department this week after he sent racist text messages, an internal affairs investigation found. Sullivan sent the Brady letter to the Rutland County defense counsel, including the defense attorneys of cases that the deputy was involved in. After Paskevich sent the image in the group chat, another officer responded, “that is racist and descriminatory [sic.] The racist messages Paskevich admitted to run the risk of seeping into decision-making and use of discretion in cases, Rutland County NAACP President Mia Schultz said.