A Massachusetts State Trooper has been relieved of duty and suspended after allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s Boston apartment and passing out in her bed following a night of drinking.
Michael E. McGuire, 37, was arrested early Sunday after climbing into the woman’s South End residence around 1:30 a.m., according to court records. The woman, who had ended her relationship with McGuire roughly a month prior, told police the two had met for drinks Saturday evening.
She said McGuire became so intoxicated that she told him to go home around 10:30 p.m., court documents show. When she returned to her apartment later, she found the off-duty trooper asleep in her bed.
“The victim stated she asked the suspect to leave the apartment multiple times and he refused,” the police report stated. The woman and her roommate then called 911 and went outside to wait for responding officers.
The roommate told police that McGuire had boasted about how he gained entry, saying he climbed the fire escape to reach the apartment.
McGuire eventually came to the lobby to let officers inside. Police observed a small cut on his forehead and asked how he had been injured.
“Officers observed a small laceration on the suspect’s forehead. When McGuire was asked how he was injured, he stated the victim hit him with an object but stated ‘I did not want to get her in trouble,'” according to the police report.
Officers at the scene noted McGuire was stumbling and unsteady on his feet. A police supervisor was summoned once responding officers realized the suspect was an off-duty state trooper.
The Massachusetts State Police moved quickly to remove him from active duty.
“When this incident came to our attention, the Massachusetts State Police immediately relieved Trooper McGuire of duty,” a department spokesperson told the Boston Globe.
“This alleged off-duty conduct is deeply concerning and falls far short of the standards of professionalism expected of every member of the department.”
McGuire was arraigned Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court. A judge released him on personal recognizance and ordered him to stay away from the victim.
His attorney invoked the BRAVE Act, a law that allows service members to seek specialized treatment and temporarily pause criminal proceedings while they do so.
The arrest adds to a recent string of negative headlines involving Massachusetts law enforcement, including the high-profile Karen Read case and other incidents that have drawn public scrutiny to police conduct in the state.
McGuire is scheduled to return to Boston Municipal Court for a hearing on the breaking and entering charge.