A former Massasoit Community College police officer accused of battering a woman is free after a judge ruled that he should no longer be held without bail.
Robert Coppage, 60, was working as a college security guard when he was charged October 28 with 12 criminal charges including strangulation, threats to commit murder, and assault and battery on a household member.
He and the alleged victim lived together in Plymouth for almost two years, according to Plymouth police.
A district court judge on October 31 ordered him held without bail citing the nature of the charges.
But on Friday, Plymouth Superior Court Beverly Cannone, citing strong support from Coppage’s family and the community, set bail at $1,000.
She ordered him to stay away from the victim and surrender his firearms and passport. He was also required to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for November 17.
Coppage was held at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility instead of in Plymouth, where he once served as a deputy sheriff, according to a spokeswoman for Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald.
Coppage also worked briefly as a substitute teacher in the Plymouth public schools, according to school records.
His lawyer, Krysten Condon, has declined comment except to say “everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”
Coppage was a full-fledged Massasoit campus police officer for almost 19 years before he suffered a heart attack on Feb. 6, 2018, according to public records. He became “permanently incapacitated,” and left the job on Nov. 13, 2018.
He returned to the school this year as an “Institution Security Officer,” according to Massasoit spokesman Alex Villanueva. Institution Security Officers — as distinct from campus police officers — do not carry firearms and cannot make arrests.
He was terminated from his job two weeks ago following his arrest.
In police reports, the alleged victim says she was subjected to multiple violent incidents over several months.
The woman, who the Independent has not named because she’s an alleged victim of domestic violence, told police the abuse was a frequent occurrence and included punching, strangling, and hair pulling.
Late last month, she posted photos on Facebook showing “documentary images of my survival,” — black and blue marks on her face, a swollen eye and scratches and bruises on her hand, arm and legs.
The photos were also sent anonymously to the Independent.
The woman could not be reached for comment.
When Coppage learned about the Facebook photos, he became enraged, the woman told police.
On October 25, she said, Coppage ordered her to take the photos down. When she refused, she said, Coppage allegedly grabbed her phone and smashed it to the ground, destroying it.
He also climbed on top of her while she was in bed and with his hands clenched around her throat, threatened to kill her, she told police.
Later, when he got home from work, Coppage slapped her multiple times, she told police.
The next day, she said, he grabbed her by the neck and shoved the back of her head into a wall — so hard that it left a dent in the wall — a mark a Plymouth police officer reported that he could see.
She told police that in March, Coppage pointed a loaded handgun at her head and threatened to shoot. The gun grazed her forehead, she said. He then allegedly unloaded the gun and showed her the ammunition.
Several people who know Coppage appeared shocked by the allegations. On the All Things Plymouth Facebook page, some said the charges seemed completely out of character.
“Really not sure what to say right now except that I’m in disbelief,” posted one person.
“While we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, he is the last person I would think to hear this about. This is sad for all involved.”
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea@plymouthindependent.org.