A Massachusetts state trooper has been arrested after allegedly climbing a fire escape to break into his ex-girlfriend’s Boston apartment, where she later returned home to find him passed out in her bed following a night of heavy drinking.
Michael E. McGuire, 37, was charged with nighttime breaking and entering after the bizarre incident unfolded around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, November 1, in Boston’s upscale South End neighborhood.
According to police reports, McGuire and the woman had ended their relationship about a month earlier but agreed to meet for drinks on Halloween night. The reunion reportedly took a troubling turn when McGuire became heavily intoxicated.
Around 10:30 p.m., the woman told him to go home. But when she returned to her apartment several hours later, she was stunned to discover her former boyfriend asleep in her bed.
Making matters worse, McGuire allegedly refused to leave despite repeated demands.
“The victim stated she asked the suspect to leave the apartment multiple times and he refused,” officers wrote in their report.
Frightened by the situation, the woman and her roommate called 911 and went outside to meet responding officers.
Investigators soon learned another disturbing detail about how the off-duty trooper allegedly entered the apartment.
According to the roommate, McGuire admitted that he had climbed the building’s fire escape to reach the residence. Police noted that a window accessible from the fire escape had been left unlocked, with its screen raised to accommodate an air conditioner.
McGuire, however, offered a different explanation. He initially claimed to have a key to the apartment but could not produce one, suggesting his former girlfriend might have removed it from his keychain while he was asleep.
The woman denied ever giving him a key.
As officers waited outside, McGuire eventually emerged and opened the building’s lobby door for them. They immediately noticed that he appeared intoxicated and was struggling to maintain his balance.
They also spotted a small cut on his forehead.
When questioned about the injury, McGuire claimed his ex-girlfriend had struck him while he was sleeping, briefly knocking him unconscious. He told officers he did not want her to get into trouble.
Police have not announced any charges against the woman, and McGuire’s account of the alleged injury has not been independently established.
The situation took another turn when responding officers discovered that the suspect was himself a Massachusetts State Police trooper.
A police supervisor was called to the scene, and McGuire was arrested.
State Police officials quickly removed him from duty, issuing a strongly worded statement condemning the allegations.
“This alleged off-duty conduct is deeply concerning and falls far short of the standards of professionalism expected of every member of the department,” a spokesperson said.
The department confirmed that both criminal proceedings and an internal disciplinary review are underway.
McGuire, who joined the Massachusetts State Police in 2019, was assigned to a detective unit working with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
In an unusual twist, this was not the first time the trooper had been involved in a highly publicized incident.
Earlier this year, McGuire was allegedly knocked unconscious during a confrontation with another state trooper at a bar in Quincy, Massachusetts. The June altercation, which was captured on video, reportedly involved fellow trooper Christopher Regan repeatedly punching McGuire.
Regan subsequently faced an assault and battery charge and pleaded not guilty. That case is separate from McGuire’s latest arrest.
McGuire appeared in Boston Municipal Court following his arrest, where he was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from his former girlfriend.
His attorney also invoked Massachusetts’ BRAVE Act, a law that allows eligible military veterans and service members to seek specialized treatment through the court system, potentially delaying criminal proceedings.
The request does not automatically dismiss the charge against him.
For now, McGuire remains relieved of duty as authorities investigate what happened inside the apartment and determine whether additional disciplinary action is warranted.
