The chase began when Simone, 50, refused to stop for local police in Holden, Massachusetts.
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Quinn said he had to turn in his equipment, and he was stripped of law enforcement authority.
Simone, who was wanted for assault and battery with a risky weapon, larceny, and a previous instance of failure to stop for police, “continued making abrupt lane changes” as he “continued to try to evade capture”, Procopio said. New Hampshire has already opened a criminal investigation. Although the names of the troopers doing the punching have not been released, one is from MA while the other one is with the New Hampshire State Police.
Massachusetts State Police, Colonel Richard D. McKeon, said the Commonwealth will also be opening an Internal Affairs investigation and suspending the Trooper involved in the incident.
The governors of MA and New Hampshire are calling for a full investigation into the use of force against a suspect who was seen on video being beaten by officers.
It should be noted that our internal investigation into conduct during the apprehension and our review of the pursuit are separate from the investigation that the New Hampshire Attorney General will conduct into potential criminal acts committed during the arrest.My office has notified the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office that we will provide whatever information they request to assist in that investigation.
Authorities said Simone wound through a series of roads and abruptly changed lanes to try to evade authorities, and he wound up crossing the Tyngsboro Bridge and, eventually, heading into Hudson, a town in New Hampshire.
A statement from the Massachusetts State Police commander, Col. Richard McKeon, said senior commanders began an investigation Thursday morning.
State Police from MA and New Hampshire said they tried to get Simone to stop or pull over but he kept driving.
The New Hampshire attorney general’s office is investigating the use of force by police after video surfaced of officers pummeling a man who led them on a chase.
New Hampshire’s governor is calling for a full investigation into the use of force by police after video surfaced of officers appearing to pummel a suspect who had led them on a high-speed chase from MA to New Hampshire.
Video taken from a helicopter overhead showed the pickup truck, followed by multiple police cars, winding down a tree-lined street before coming to a stop. All New Hampshire public safety officials are held to the highest standards …
A MA and a New Hampshire state trooper were each suspended on Thursday while authorities review their roles in a videotaped beating of a driver who refused to pull over the day before.
“The unnecessary, unjustified use of force will not be tolerated by this agency”, he added. The chase went through several towns at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. His public defender made a reference to Simone’s “medical condition” and got approval for him to sit in court. It was then that one officer punched him in the face causing him to collapse and four officers pinned him to the ground. Police ended the chase on Interstate 290 “due to safety reasons based upon his speed”, Rush-Kittle said. “The force used at the time the suspect appeared to be surrendering was significant”.
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Simone was taken into custody by Nashua police, who haven’t returned phone calls seeking comment on the chase and Simone’s treatment.
