A former Vermont state trooper accused of assaulting two men he believed had stolen his canoe has applied for unspecified disability benefits from the state and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A hearing on Eric Howley's case in Brattleboro on Tuesday mentioned the disability request. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Levine said if the 40-year-old Howley is found eligible for disability payments, it could have a bearing on the prosecution of his case.
Howley, who resigned in May, is accused of two counts of simple assault. Court papers said he repeatedly slammed a man's head on the trunk of his cruiser and pushed another man into a rock at a Wilmington lake in April. They were in a canoe Howley identified as his and that he had reported stolen.
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