A suspended Massachusetts State Police trooper who has been behind bars for months was granted release from jail on Friday after a judge denied the Commonwealth’s request to keep him in custody.
Trooper Michael Gagnon, who has been held since April 10, was freed after a judge determined that the 90-day window for holding a defendant without trial had expired.
Gagnon, who remains suspended from the State Police without pay, is facing a series of criminal charges that have unfolded over the past several months. His legal troubles began in November when he was arrested and charged with punching a 7-year-old child in the face.
In April, while those charges were still pending, Gagnon was arrested again after allegedly using a drone and Ring cameras to spy on his estranged wife’s home. Following that second arrest, the court ordered him held in jail.
During Friday’s hearing, prosecutors argued that Gagnon should remain detained. However, the presiding judge ruled that holding the defendant for an “indeterminate period” did not meet the legal threshold for “good cause” required to extend detention beyond the 90-day limit.
Gagnon’s defense attorney, Patricia A. Lennon, has vigorously contested the allegations, characterizing them as “made up” and stating that the trooper intends to fight the charges at trial.
As a condition of his release, the judge ordered that Gagnon be fitted with a GPS monitor. He is also subject to strict exclusion zones, which prohibit him from approaching his alleged victims. While the Commonwealth requested that the court also bar Gagnon from contacting his children, the judge declined to make that specific ruling, deferring to the Probate and Family Court to determine matters regarding child contact.
Beyond the pending local charges, Gagnon has been connected to a separate federal investigation, according to multiple sources who spoke with Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel. 25 Investigates previously reported that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Treasury Department have been probing Gagnon’s potential involvement in an alleged “straw sale” of a decommissioned State Police service weapon. Authorities have been investigating whether Gagnon acted as a middleman to transfer the weapon to a third party.
There has been no update regarding the status of the federal probe, and federal authorities have previously declined to comment on the matter.
Gagnon is expected back in court this coming Monday for a hearing on his pending cases.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW