Police reform is becoming a national citizens movement and of course our elected officials are no where to be found

Dozens of Vermonters gathered at the Winooski traffic circle Friday night to take a stand against violent policing, both locally and across the country.

Organizers called the peaceful protest just one week after a deadly officer-involved shooting in Winooski.

An off-duty sheriff's deputy shot and killed 29-year-old Jesse Beshaw on Hickock Street.

"I was saddened to see another senseless, avoidable death that had happened, and there's just no excuse for it," protester Nolan Rampy said.

Friday, many met to mourn Beshaw and call for a systemic change in policing.

"What I'm really upset about is that across the country, there has been a real militarization of police forces, local police forces, and I'm really concerned about that," protester Sandy Baird said.

The Peace & Justice Center helped host the event, after Beshaw's aunt reached out for help.

"Their personal encounter with violence was the catalyst for them to call together an event, so that people will see and officials will see that people won't stand by, that we will question this culture of violence,"Rachel Siegel, executive director of the Peace & Justice Center, said.

Among the chants, the protesters called for the body camera footage from the fatal night to be released. The state's attorney has said, however, that the video will be released in a few weeks, when the active investigation is over.