A Vermont State Police trooper has been charged with physically assaulting and threatening a woman he was in a relationship with.
Nicholas Cianci, 25, of Bradford was a detective trooper at the St. Johnsbury Barracks until his ex was granted a temporary relief-from-abuse order by the court in early December. On Dec. 7, 2020, Cianci was put on paid relief from duty.
On Wednesday, nearly three months later, that suspension became unpaid, as Cianci was cited on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic assault.
State police based in Westminster investigated the case, and it’s being prosecuted by Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Douglas DiSabito, to avoid any potential conflicts of interest at the St. Johnsbury Barracks or the Orange County State’s Attorney’s Office.
DiSabito said it’s his understanding that the assault occurred while Cianci was employed as a trooper, though he declined to comment further on the case.
“Ethically, as prosecutors, we can’t make too many comments on pending cases, so that’s all I can really say at this point,” DiSabito said.
Cianci has been a state trooper for three years. He was assigned as a road trooper to the St. Johnsbury Barracks after graduating from the Vermont Police Academy in July 2018. He was promoted to detective trooper in August 2020.
Cianci will answer the charge — suspicion of misdemeanor domestic assault — March 25 at 8:30 a.m. at the Vermont Superior Court in Chelsea.
His case is the latest in a series of domestic assault cases involving Vermont police officers.
Roel Y. Diaz, of the Westminster and Brattleboro Barracks, pleaded not guilty to domestic assault and stalking in July 2019.
Winooski officer Christopher Matott denied domestic abuse charges in February 2020.
Also that month, Sean Wilson, a former Brattleboro police officer, pleaded not guilty to charges filed after his girlfriend alleged Wilson had subjected her to more than 100 incidents of physical abuse.
Essex officer Matthew Walker pleaded not guilty to domestic assault charges in May 2020.
