Mass. police officer put on leave amid domestic violence allegations

A Shrewsbury police officer was suspended and is facing criminal charges after he allegedly pointed a gun at his wife and threatened to shoot her.

Shawn Valliere, 53, allegedly put a gun into his mouth and asked his wife to pull the trigger, held his wife at gunpoint, and abused alcohol, and cocaine, police wrote in a statement of facts. 

Valliere is charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault on a family member, court documents show.

On April 16, Millbury detectives received an email from an anonymous sender who said they were concerned for Valliere’s wife. The sender called Valliere “very dangerous,” police wrote.  

The email claimed the Shrewsbury officer was “doing cocaine again” and had previously threatened his wife with a gun, police wrote.

Officers went to Valliere’s Millbury home to discuss the accusations, the statement of facts said. 

Valliere welcomed officers inside his apartment and told officers he was going to rehabilitation for his mental health, police wrote.

Officers asked Valliere if he had been using cocaine and abusing alcohol, which he denied, police wrote. 

Valliere also denied ever putting a gun into his mouth and asking his wife to pull the trigger, the document said.

The officer’s wife told police “it’s been difficult to live in the same house as Shawn due to his consumption of alcohol.” She did not know if Vallerie had been using cocaine, police wrote.

However, when asked if Valliere put a gun in his mouth and asked her to pull the trigger, Valliere’s wife said that “the entire story was true,” the statement of facts said. 

After an argument last month, Valliere refused to let his wife inside their apartment, police wrote. 

“Shawn answered the door as if he was speaking to a stranger/intruder that was about to enter his house,” police wrote.

Through the door, Valliere allegedly told his wife “I have a firearm, and if you enter the apartment, you will be shot,” police wrote.

Valliere let his wife inside the apartment, but allegedly held her at gunpoint. He demanded that she pack a bag, police said.

The wife collected her things, and, as she was walking out, noticed Valliere sitting on their couch with a gun inside his mouth. He then asked his wife to pull the trigger, the document said.

The wife described the day as “the scariest day of [her] life,” the statement of facts said.

The couple shares one child. Valliere’s wife was afraid to “lose her family if she reported [the incident],” the document said.

Shrewsbury police confiscated Valliere’s guns on April 15, and he was placed on administrative leave, the statement of facts said.

Valliere’s certification by POST, the state’s independent police watchdog, was also suspended, Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson said in a Facebook post.

“We take these allegations very seriously, and we remain committed to transparency, accountability, and maintaining the trust of our Shrewsbury community,” the post said.

Attorney information for Valliere was not publicly available Sunday night.