A former state trooper will lose his policing certification following a trio of criminal convictions.
Zachary Gauthier can never again work in law enforcement in Vermont, a state professional oversight panel decided on Tuesday.
Gauthier resigned as a Vermont State Police detective in 2022 after a woman reported that he was harassing her, prompting a criminal investigation. He was accused of injuring his hand when he struck a family dog, then lying about the cause of his injury to the state police.
His charges of perjury and cruelty to animals were later dropped as part of a plea deal. Gauthier pleaded guilty in early 2023 to three misdemeanors: violating an abuse-prevention order, providing false information to law enforcement and violating court-imposed conditions of release. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and serve up to six months of probation, which Gauthier has since completed.
The Vermont Criminal Justice Council, which oversees police certification in Vermont, voted on Tuesday to permanently revoke Gauthier’s ability to work in law enforcement. The vote followed a contested hearing, Council executive director Christopher Brickell said in a press release.
Brickell said Gauthier, recently of Springfield, has not worked in law enforcement since April 2022.
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