Prosecutors say the 25-year-old threatened his girlfriend with knives and a loaded handgun during a Jan. 10 incident in Plymouth.
PLYMOUTH, MA — A Massachusetts State Police trooper pleaded not guilty this week to kidnapping and assault charges after prosecutors said he attacked his girlfriend, blocked her from leaving their apartment, and threatened her with multiple knives and a loaded pistol on Jan. 10.
The case centers on Trooper Joseph Ward, 25, who was arraigned in Plymouth District Court and ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing set for Feb. 2. Ward’s arrest has prompted an internal review by the State Police and renewed attention to how law enforcement agencies respond to domestic violence allegations within their ranks. The woman, a Barnstable police officer, told investigators she feared for her life during the confrontation. Ward denies the accusations through his attorney, who says investigators relied on the woman’s unrecorded account more than two weeks after the incident.
According to charging documents summarized in court, the dispute began around 5 p.m. when Ward told his girlfriend he wanted a “serious” conversation about their relationship. She told police she did not want to talk and was preparing for a midnight shift. Prosecutors said Ward insisted she call out of work and positioned himself at the apartment door to keep her from leaving. When she texted an emergency contact for help, Ward allegedly “snapped,” throwing furniture and shoving her to the floor. The woman told police Ward grabbed roughly six kitchen knives and advanced toward her as she grew so frightened her legs gave out. She said Ward then loaded a pistol and wore it in his waistband while yelling that she was not leaving. The woman said she bolted when he was distracted, but he chased her into a shared hallway, tackled her, dragged her back by the legs, and locked the door. “I was afraid he was finally going to kill me,” the woman told officers, according to the report.
Prosecutors said Ward later blamed the woman for the episode and insisted they drive so neighbors would not contact police. As she drove on State Road, her emergency contact pulled in behind them, helped calm the situation, and separated the pair, according to the documents. The woman returned to her parents’ home and moved out the next day. In the days that followed, she reported multiple calls from a blocked number and said she had seen vehicles similar to Ward’s personal car near places she traveled. The State Police said the agency maintains a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence and immediately relieved Ward of duty, transported him to Plymouth police, and opened an internal affairs review. “We will closely monitor the court proceedings as part of our ongoing internal affairs investigation and take appropriate administrative action upon the outcome of the judicial process,” a department spokesperson said.
Ward was booked on charges of kidnapping, assault and battery on a family or household member, witness intimidation, and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. A separate court filing lists the intimidation count as aggravated; prosecutors did not publicly detail any additional evidence beyond the woman’s statements and the timeline contained in the police report. Defense attorney Greg Henning said Ward has no criminal record and argued the case was “built entirely” on an interview conducted 18 days after the alleged incident that the accuser would not allow to be recorded. “Joe absolutely denies the allegations,” Henning said, adding the defense expects phone data to show the woman maintained contact with Ward after Jan. 10. The Plymouth District Court docket shows Ward pleaded not guilty and was ordered held pending a dangerousness hearing. No injuries requiring hospitalization were described in the filings reviewed in court. Authorities have not said whether the seized pistol was Ward’s service weapon or a personal firearm, and police have not reported recovering the kitchen knives described by the woman.
Ward, hired as a State Police trooper last year, was stationed in eastern Massachusetts and lived with the woman in Plymouth, according to people familiar with the investigation. Domestic violence allegations involving police personnel have drawn increased scrutiny from prosecutors and agency leaders in recent years, especially when both parties work in law enforcement. The Barnstable Police Department, where the woman was scheduled for an overnight shift the night of the alleged assault, was not involved in the initial response in Plymouth but officers from the department were observed at Ward’s court appearance. Massachusetts law allows judges to order defendants held without bail for up to 120 days after a dangerousness finding; such hearings are common in cases that involve threats with weapons, confinement, or repeated intimidation. The State Police’s internal review typically proceeds in parallel with the criminal case and can result in discipline up to termination.
Court records indicate Ward was arrested and arraigned Wednesday in Plymouth District Court and remains in custody at least until his next hearing. The dangerousness hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2, when a judge will decide whether to continue holding him or set conditions for release. Prosecutors could seek additional orders, including a stay-away provision and firearm restrictions, if they have not already been granted under a related restraining order. The State Police said they will “monitor the court proceedings” and determine administrative steps after the case advances. If a grand jury later indicts the case, it would move to Superior Court, where trial timelines can extend for months. For now, the case remains at the district court level while police and prosecutors review statements, phone records, and any available surveillance or digital evidence described in the complaint.
Outside the courthouse, supporters of the woman, including several Barnstable officers, attended the hearing. A local victims’ advocate described the alleged conduct as an example of how power dynamics can escalate risk inside intimate relationships, even when both partners are trained in law enforcement. “Here’s a woman who knows the law and carries a weapon,” said Wendy Murphy, who directs a legal advocacy project in Boston. “And yet look how vulnerable she was.” Henning said the defense will present records he contends undermine parts of the police narrative. The woman, through court filings, said she remains in fear and has changed living arrangements since Jan. 11. Neighbors at the Plymouth complex told reporters they saw police in the area after the date of the alleged incident but did not witness the confrontation inside the apartment.
As of Thursday evening, Ward remained jailed without bail while awaiting the Feb. 2 dangerousness hearing in Plymouth District Court. The State Police internal affairs probe is ongoing, and the agency has not announced any personnel decision beyond relieving Ward of duty.
Author note: Last updated January 30, 2026.