Boston Police Captain Faces Two Counts Of Assault Against Wife
BOSTON (CBS) - Tim Connolly, a police captain assigned to the Boston Police Department's Homeland Security Unit, stood before a judge, on the other side of the law, Friday. His wife, Phuong "Pheonix" Bui, agreed to be named and shown on camera as she made serious accusations against him.
"He reached over with his left hand and smacked me on the back of the head. It wasn't hard, open palm, but he just kind of reached over like that and smacked me in the back of the head." Bui, a patent attorney, described a dramatic two-day-long argument, during which they took each other's phones, and she even took his police badge from him. "I was so stunned. I was shocked. I'm like, you know, it's one thing to push and shove me and blocking me, but I looked at him. I'm like, 'You hit me. You hit me. You crossed the line,'" she said.
Connolly's attorney, John McGlone, shot back. "You kicked him in the groin, didn't you?"
"No," she answered.
According to the police report, Connolly told officers he never touched or assaulted her in any way. In fact, he said she was the one who hit him in the stomach twice and once in the groin. He also told officers she had threatened to call 911 and tell police he punched her.
Bui said he's the one who had threatened her in the past. "He said if you ever try to ruin my reputation with the police department, you know I retaliate. I know police officers in every town, every city in Massachusetts and all over the country."
For two domestic assault charges, a not-guilty plea was entered on Connolly's behalf. The judge also granted a restraining order to stay away from his wife and home for at least a year.
"Do I think it was a tit for tat divorce fight? Absolutely," said attorney McGlone. "Do they have domestic violence and he threatened to kill her? Absolutely not. They've been together for 13 years. Read between the lines."
Connolly was free to leave on personal recognizance. He has been placed on Boston Police administrative desk duty, pending an internal investigation.
