10 years ago:
A former state trooper pleaded not guilty to charges that he assaulted two Deerfield Valley men who he believed had stolen a canoe from him. According to court records, the trooper was accused of assaulting the two men while he was on duty, as they returned a canoe they had taken from the shore line and paddled around Lake Raponda. The attack occurred in front of an on-duty Wilmington police officer, who reported the incident and attempted to stop the trooper from injuring the men. The trooper resigned two days before charges were filed.