A Massachusetts State Police sergeant accused of assaulting his girlfriend in New Hampshire pleaded guilty Wednesday in a deal negotiated with prosecutors that allows him to avoid jail time if he has no contact with her and undergoes counseling.
Bryan Erickson, 39, of Groveland, Massachusetts, originally was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and six misdemeanors following his Jan. 31 encounter with the woman in her Exeter home to discuss ending the relationship.
Erickson pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor domestic violence charges in Rockingham County Superior Court. He agreed that he grabbed the woman's face and bent her wrist. He also pleaded guilty to resisting arrest.
Erickson answered "yes" when asked by the judge if he was guilty of the charges he was pleading to.
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Erickson was sentenced to time served on two charges, and two yearlong sentences were suspended.
The woman submitted a statement that was read in court by a prosecutor. It said she was satisfied with the plea deal.
"He didn't have the right to treat me like that," she wrote. "I didn't think he'd ever try to control me like that" in her own home, "especially since he was married." She said she was glad she was able to move on with her life.
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Erickson had been in jail since his arrest. The New Hampshire Supreme Court had upheld a judge's decision to deny him bail, saying the record "shows a defendant who wanted to control the actions and manipulate the emotions of the alleged victim."
Erickson had been suspended from work. His job status was unclear Wednesday.
