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Off-duty trooper charged with assault

An off-duty state police officer allegedly assaulted a man and destroyed property at a relatives homes in the town of Waverly Friday.

State police charged Sgt. David H. Hart, 44, of St. Regis Falls with criminal mischief in the second degree, a class D felony, as well as criminal mischief in the fourth degree and assault in the third degree, both class A misdemeanors.

State police said they responded at 2:55 a.m. Friday to a report of a domestic dispute. They said property was destroyed and one male victim was transported to the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, where he was treated for bruises and scrapes before being released.

Hart, who just reached 20 years with the state police, was arrested and transported to Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone because of a high level of intoxication.

Hart was arraigned in Malone town court by Judge Charles Robert and released to appear in Waverly town court at a later date.

State Police Troop B Public Information Officer Trooper Jennifer Fleishman said state police do not publicly disclose disciplinary actions to its troopers unless the person leaves or is fired from his or her position.

A woman who answered the phone at Hart’s home Wednesday morning said the family is not commenting and referred calls to his lawyer, Peter Dumas of Malone. Dumas could not immediately be reached Wednesday morning.

Managing Editor Peter Crowley contributed to this report.

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