A Wareham police officer is sitting in the Plymouth House of Correction after being accused of raping his on-again, off-again girlfriend, strangling her, and pointing a gun at her head on repeated occasions over several years. Ryan Gomes, 41, was arrested Friday, and a judge ordered him held without bail. He has pleaded not guilty.
According to the Boston Globe, Judge Teresa Lamarre ordered Gomes held until a detention hearing set for Friday. He pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of strangulation or suffocation, two counts of rape, and a misdemeanor assault-and-battery charge. The woman estimated that Gomes had held a gun to her head at least 15 times since they began seeing each other in January 2020.
How the Case Came to Light
The case traces back to June, when Gomes’s ex-girlfriend went to police to report an alleged rape by a friend of Gomes’s and an assault by Gomes herself. The same account says that report was enough to launch an internal affairs investigation and place Gomes on administrative leave. NBC Boston reports that State Police learned of the allegations in June, and that the woman told police she had feared reporting the violence because she had been in an abusive relationship with a Wareham police officer she identified as Gomes.
NBC Boston also reports that, according to offense reports, the two dated off and on between 2020 and 2025 and met after Gomes responded to a call at her home in 2019. The outlet notes it was unclear whether the other man faced charges.
Allegations Detailed in the Reports
The woman recalled an incident in fall 2025 in which, the Globe reports, Gomes allegedly strangled her until she saw “floaties” and nearly passed out. She also told police that Gomes at times pointed a taser at her while intoxicated and chased her around the house with weapons, according to NBC Boston.
Reports of earlier incidents, in 2021 and 2023, describe Gomes allegedly dragging her by the hair after accusing her of having sex with his friend. The woman also told investigators about an incident this May after a trip to a Dartmouth movie theater, which she recalled ended with sex she did not consent to.
Conflicting Counts, Suspension and a Past Honor
NBC Boston reports that Gomes was charged with two counts of rape.
The Massachusetts POST Commission, which certifies law enforcement officers statewide, has also acted. Its case page lists a suspension order for Gomes issued Oct. 27, 2026. Last year, according to the Town of Wareham, Gomes was among officers awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for their actions during an August 23, 2024, shooting incident.
A Wider Pattern in Massachusetts
The case lands amid a spike in actions against Bay State officers. MassLive reported that more than a dozen officers were charged with felonies in the first three months of 2026, and that the POST Commission suspended 20 current and former officers' certifications in that stretch. The commission suspended 45 officers during all of 2025, per the same report, and experts told the outlet it is unclear why so many cases are surfacing now.
What the Charges Could Mean
Under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 265, Section 13M, assault or assault and battery on a family or household member carries up to 2 1/2 years in the house of correction, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Gomes has pleaded not guilty, and the charges remain allegations.
