Connecticut State Trooper Scott McCarthy, who was arrested by his own agency in October of 2025 for using his work authority to bypass airport security and smuggle a power tool onto a plane, had his case nolled just two months later during a December 2025 court hearing.

McCarthy, who was a trooper assigned to Bradley International Airport, had initially been turned around by airport security and told he would have to place the power tool in his luggage. Since the flight was nearly ready to depart, he couldn’t access his luggage and indicated that he would instead store the item in state police lockup, according to numerous reports in the media. 

TSA agents then reportedly observed McCarthy use his state police clearance to bypass security and get onto the plane with the power tool in his carry-on. The State Police were alerted and conducted an investigation that included video and security clearance data before arresting McCarthy on a felony charge and placing him on paid administrative leave.

Despite the charges being dropped, McCarthy remains under investigation by Internal Affairs, according to Connecticut State Police Union attorney Andy Matthews, who said the union does not comment on pending investigations “other than we encourage everyone to reserve judgement until the case is concluded and all the facts are known.”

Neither the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection nor the state prosecutor’s office responded to request for comment. McCarthy, who helped rescue a family from a 2009 house fire in Tolland, earned $290,607 in 2025, largely due to overtime, and will reach his twenty years of service to receive a full pension in January of 2027. 

Under Connecticut’s 2020 Police Accountability Bill – which was passed in an emergency special session – state troopers are required to be certified by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), and the bill expanded the range of conduct that can result in a trooper’s decertification by POST. 

In addition to manufacturing or tampering with evidence, perjury, or false statements, the accountability bill also included “conduct that undermines public confidence in law enforcement,” including “falsification of reports.” Although McCarthy’s IA investigation is pending and charges have been dropped, the Connecticut State Police have kept officers on the payroll despite more serious charges.

A July 2023 internal affairs investigation determined Trooper John Myer used his authority to conduct a targeted campaign of harassment against Gregory Gabriele while off duty, including obtaining medical information and detaining him for nearly an hour on the side of the highway. Myer received only a 45-day suspension, even though IA found cause for termination. Myer and Connecticut State Police Colonel Daniel Loughman are now facing a lawsuit by Gabriele in federal court for a variety of civil rights violations.

The lawsuit was filed in December of 2025 and comes following a string of public incidents involving state troopers in the last half of the year that resulted in several troopers being placed on administrative leave, resigning or retiring, or, in one case, being terminated.

• In June of 2025, Trooper Jose Campos was arrested for alleged workers compensation fraud and has pled not guilty.
• In August of 2025, State Police sergeant Brian Fahey was arrested for disorderly conduct following an altercation with a YouTuber. Fahey retired and the case is pending. 
• Also in August, Trooper Edward Joshua Gookin was arrested for disorderly conduct, then arrested again in November over the same incident for illegal discharge of a firearm and risk of injury to a minor. According to The Day, he was granted a diversionary program.
•  Trooper Jacob Dreschler was charged with DUI in December after crashing his cruiser while off duty.
• In October of 2025, Trooper Samantha Jade Ping Stella was arrested for falsely reporting an accident in her cruiser – her fourth accident in four years – along with other charges, and she resigned.
• In late December, State Trooper Timothy Haroian was terminated following a lengthy investigation into allegations he had an inappropriate relationship with a high school student.

January of 2026 saw allegations that several state troopers engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a private security officer at a state government building, which is currently under investigation by IA.

“While the investigation into State Police personnel remains ongoing, and the full facts are not yet confirmed, it is simply unacceptable to me that any member of my agency is alleged to have acted in a way to compromise safety, minimize the dignity of your workplace, or fail to uphold the highest standards of competence and professionalism,” DESPP Commissioner Ronnell Higgins wrote to the heads of the Comptroller’s Office, the Treasurer’s Office, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s Office, who are all headquartered in the building. “I have full confidence in the State Police Internal Affairs Unit.”

Although McCarthy’s case was nolled in the Connecticut court system, he could still face a fine from the TSA. According to TSA’s sanctions guidance, improper use of airport access medium carries a fine up to $5,110, and non-physical interference with screening carries a fine up to $12,900. There can be a maximum civil penalty of up to $17,062 for a first-time offense. 

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