- Vermont, USA -
On Tuesday, April 19, 31-years-old ZACHARY GAUTHIER (pictured) was cited on suspicion of animal cruelty and perjury.
He was scheduled to appear in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in White River Junction.
Additionally, the Springfield Police Department cited GAUTHIER on a charge of violating an abuse prevention order. GAUTHIER is also facing charges for abusing a woman, threatening her, and placing her in fear of harm.
GAUTHIER is a former trooper with the Vermont State Police. He had been assigned as a detective trooper at the Westminster Barracks. GAUTHIER was placed on paid relief from duty on February 10. On February 24, he was placed on unpaid relief from duty and he finally resigned last week.
GAUTHIER punched his dog in December 2021, and he broke a knuckle on his hand as a result, according to charging documents written by state police Detective Sgt. Michael Notte.
A police report stated that GAUTHIER became angry when he came home and saw that the furbaby had gone to the bathroom inside the mudroom. A woman at the residence, (the one who secured the restraining order), told police that GAUTHIER grabbed the approximately 6-month-old puppy by the collar and dragged him/her into the basement. The woman first heard the dog yelp, then heard GAUTHIER groan in pain.
According to the woman, GAUTHIER told her he'd punched the dog on the top of his/her head and thought he dislocated his knuckle doing so.
GAUTHIER then went to Springfield Hospital for X-rays and treatment and learned he had a broken knuckle.
That same night, GAUTHIER notified his state police supervisors that he had broken his knuckle while running outside to get a water bottle.
Days after the incident the puppy was examined by veterinarians on an unrelated issue and the vets “did not note injuries or signs of abuse or neglect”, reports Seven Days.
On February 24, 2022, while under oath at a court hearing in an unrelated proceeding, GAUTHIER lied about how he had injured his hand.
He testified that he had dragged the dog outside, not the basement, and injured himself when he fell on the icy driveway.
In early April, investigators confronted GAUTHIER during an interview with him and his attorney, Rich Bowen. GAUTHIER acknowledged that the knuckle injury was not caused by a fall and told investigators he had only hit the dog with an open hand, jamming his finger by doing so.
Bowen said: “It was not a punch” and described the incident as a disciplinary act that is being “blown out of proportion.”
Bowen then added: “It hurt him a hell of a lot more than he hurt the dog.”
Investigators further determined that GAUTHIER lied, while under oath, about the presence of alcohol in the truck he was driving that crashed on October 30, 2021.
As a state trooper, GAUTHIER frequently interacted with Windsor County prosecutors so, to avoid any conflict with those who may have worked with him, Washington County State's Attorney Rory Thibault is prosecuting the criminal cases against him.
GAUTHIER was cited on Tuesday morning and arraigned in the afternoon. He has denied all of the charges.
At GAUTHIER's arraignment, Thibault said his office did not seek to have him held in prison pending trial or cash bail, and requested several conditions for his release, including that he not have any firearms or other dangerous weapons.
Judge Michael Kainen granted all of Thibault’s requests, which further prohibited GAUTHIER from engaging in any law enforcement activities unless directed to appear as a witness.
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