Quincy
officer charged with assault on estranged, pregnant wife
QUINCY, Massachusetts — A
veteran Quincy police captain has been charged with assaulting his estranged,
pregnant wife.
Michael J. Miller was arrested
by Plymouth police Saturday on a charge of aggravated assault and battery. His
attorney Jack McGlone said Monday his client denies the allegations. Miller
declined to comment as he left Plymouth District Court where his arraignment
was postponed until July 15.
Quincy Chief Paul Keenan said
Miller is on paid administrative leave, and his gun license has been suspended.
Miller is free on personal recognizance.
A police report says Miller's
wife told officers he hurt her Friday by opening her apartment door when he
knew she was behind it. She at first declined to press charges or seek a
restraining order, but later did.
Police said the Millers are
separated, and Miller was there to pick up a child.
Manchester
NH police officer charged in domestic case
HOOKSETT — A veteran Manchester
police officer was arrested Tuesday and charged with assault on Tuesday,
stemming from a domestic-related incident at his Hooksett home in April,
Hooksett police said.
Police said William Soucy, 52,
turned himself in to police and was charged with misdemeanor assault. He was
booked and released on his own recognizance.
Soucy’s pedigree goes deep into
the department. His younger brother is a lieutenant, and his uncle, Peter
Favreau, was a former Manchester police chief.
Soucy is a Manchester police
patrolman and will be placed on modified working conditions, said Assistant
Chief Nick Willard. Such conditions typically mirror bail restrictions, and
Willard said police must review the bail restrictions before he could discuss
details of Soucy’s work limitations.
Willard said the victim is
Soucy’s former girlfriend. They did not live together, he said.
A two-sentence statement about
the arrest gives few details of the assault.
But the alleged victim’s
lawyer, Manchester alderman Joe Kelly Levasseur, said Soucy reportedly placed
his forearm on the woman’s chest to brace her against the wall and prevent her
from leaving his apartment.
The 34-year-old Manchester
resident eventually broke free and ran from the house. The day was April 1,
Levasseur said.
Her finger was injured and she
received bruises from the incident, said Levasseur, a high-profile critic of
the department.
Manchester police and Levasseur
give different accounts of what happened next.
Levasseur said his client
reported the incident to Manchester police the following day. They told her to
go to Hooksett police, which she did. But nothing became of it, so she
contacted Levasseur, he said.
“No one would arrest him. No
one would get back to her. She was afraid,” Levasseur said. He said he
initially advocated on her behalf as an alderman, but then took the case as her
lawyer.
He said she is contemplating a
civil lawsuit against Soucy once the criminal case is resolved.
Willard said Manchester police
heard about allegations of a domestic assault from a relative of the alleged
victim, shortly after the incident took place.
Manchester police had to locate
the alleged victim, and when she was reluctant to speak they provided her with
victim counseling services through the YWCA. Eventually, she decided to speak
to police, Willard said.
Once police determined the
incident took place in Hooksett, they contacted Hooksett police to let them
know of the possible crime, Willard said.“
It’s a duty on us as law
enforcement officers to make sure the victim is protected, and the conduct of
our officers is investigated,” Willard said.
He said Levasseur’s account of
the incident is a distortion, which will harm the alleged victim’s case.
“If there’s representation she
came to us and we blew her off and sent her to Hooksett, he’s distorting the
facts,” Willard said.
