Massachusetts State Police officer arrested after domestic incident

A Massachusetts State Police trooper was arrested in Fitchburg last week and placed on restricted duty, according to court records and state police.

Trooper Dylan Knox, 31, of Fitchburg, faces charges in connection with a domestic incident on Aug. 15, according to Fitchburg District Court records.

He was arrested and pleaded not guilty the next day to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation or suffocation and witness intimidation – all felonies. He also pleaded not guilty to a domestic battery charge, according to court records.

The nature of the allegations against Knox is vague in the files, and at the request of the prosecution, certain documents were seized, i.e. not made available to the public.

Benjamin Megrian, Knox's Boston attorney, said his client “vigorously denies these allegations.”

Knox has “dutifully and faithfully served his community for the past five years,” Megrian said in an emailed statement. “Dylan looks forward to putting this case behind him and continuing to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth.”

After his arrest, state police launched an internal investigation and relieved Knox of his duties, according to state police spokesman Timothy McGuirk.

In all State Police disciplinary proceedings, patrol officers must undergo a duty status hearing, where they may be ordered to full duty, placed on restricted duty, suspended with pay or without pay, McGuirk said.

Knox was placed on limited duty on Tuesday, he said.

On Wednesday, the state police oversight agency, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, revoked Knox's license to work in the police force. Without a valid license, he is prohibited from working in the police force.

If convicted, the commission would have to revoke his license, thereby ending his career as a police officer in Massachusetts.

Knox is a member of State Police Troop B, which covers western parts of the Bay State, McGuirk said.

After his arraignment on August 16, Judge Whitney J. Brown ordered Knox, among other things, to stay away from any victims or witnesses in the case and to wear a GPS device. He was released on $500 bail.

Knox is the second police officer to be charged with domestic violence and assault in the last two weeks.

A spokesman for the State Police Association of Massachusetts, the union that represents the state's police officers and sergeants, did not respond to a request for comment.