A Massachusetts State Police sergeant is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say a routine January traffic stop in Springfield escalated into a confrontation involving pepper spray and physical force. The Hampden County District Attorney’s Office brought the case, and an arraignment is set for April 3 in Springfield District Court.
Charges and arraignment
Court records show Sgt. Joel Daoust is charged in Springfield District Court with misdemeanor assault and battery and felony assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He is not in custody, and no attorney was listed for him in the filings, according to The Boston Globe.
What prosecutors say
Payton North, a spokesperson for Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni, said Daoust pulled over the motorist on Jan. 3 for alleged speeding and marked-lanes violations and that “force was used against the motorist, including physical force and the deployment” of pepper spray. North said “the circumstances surrounding that use of force form the basis of the charges” and noted that State Police detectives assigned to the D.A.’s office conducted the investigation, according to Western Mass News.
Investigation and department response
The Hampden prosecutor’s office said the inquiry remains active and that it will not comment further while the charges are pending. A State Police spokesperson told reporters the agency planned to release a statement about the charges, and the sergeant’s union did not immediately respond to a request for comment, as reported by The Boston Globe.
What comes next
Daoust is scheduled to be arraigned on April 3 in Springfield District Court, where the case will begin moving through the state court system while investigators and prosecutors continue to review the circumstances. Local coverage has highlighted the combination of misdemeanor and felony counts now lodged against the sergeant and the limited public comment from officials so far. As the case proceeds, the Hampden D.A.’s office will prosecute the matter, and Daoust, like any defendant, is entitled to due process while the investigation continues, according to the Boston Herald.
