State trooper accused of domestic violence
COLCHESTER – A superior court judge Monday issued a protective order and ordered Gregory Smith, a state trooper, to surrender any weapons in the aftermath of his arrest last week on domestic violence charges.
Smith, of East Haddam, was charged with assault after his wife reported him for domestic violence against her. Smith, 42, is free on a $50,000 bond.
Smith was also charged with first-degree threatening and first-degree reckless endangerment when he was taken into custody last week, state police said. He was taken to Troop K in Colchester.
State police said Smith has been suspended until further notice. He has been a state trooper since 2000. The case was continued to Aug. 9.
Smith’s wife told state police last week that he has been continually verbally and physically assaulting her during their seven-month marriage. During this time, Smith had yelled at her, injured her and threatened her with a gun on multiple occasions, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
The wife said Smith has anger management issues, and he often turns violent when he loses his temper. Her mother and brother also told police similar stories about Smith.
Smith’s wife reported her husband a few days after a July 7 argument in which he grabbed her from behind and put her in a “headlock type maneuver” while yelling at her about money.
After the argument started, the wife recorded most of it on her phone. She went to the hospital the next day because she was still having trouble breathing.
Although the couple met in April 2018, Smith’s wife said everything was normal in their relationship until they had an argument while Smith’s parents were visiting in November 2018 about his ex-wife.
The violence Smith’s wife reported began after they were married, and she was most concerned he would use a gun to hurt her or himself.
More than once, Smith held a gun to his head and threatened to shoot himself. He also would hold a gun to his wife.
Smith’s wife also reported instances where he threw her phone into the woods, pulled her hair out and threw her into walls.
She said she went to the hospital another time when her arm was injured by Smith, but she didn’t tell hospital staff the truth about the injury.