Two Troopers Relieved of Duty in Police Beating of Car Chase Suspect

Two Troopers Relieved of Duty in Police Beating of Car Chase Suspect

Both Massachusetts and New Hampshire State Police announced today that one of their respective troopers has been relieved of duty amid the states' separate investigations of the use of force by police of a man who allegedly led police on a dramatic car chase from Massachusetts into New Hampshire Wednesday.

The unnamed New Hampshire trooper has been relieved without pay in response to the incident, a spokesman for the N.H. State Police announced today at a news conference in Concord.

This is a story that broke yesterday here in New England (I'm surprised I couldn't find a thread about it... if there is one, please delete mine ), that has been stirring up some controversy. Long story short a guy lead the police in a high pursuit chase through both MA and NH. He finally pulled over, surrendered himself, and went down on his hands and knees. What happened next can be seen in the videos below (shot by state police helicopter).

Video of the incident, which aired live on several local TV stations, ended with Richard Simone, 50, of Worcester, Massachusetts, appearing to surrender by dropping to all fours before being surrounded by five troopers, some of whom are seen on tape appearing to beat him.

Not all the troopers appear to hit Simone, but at least three can be seen contributing to the barrage of vigorous punches to his upper and lower body.

Personally, I am glad that the officers have been relieved of duty. Since I first saw the video yesterday my initial thoughts were that some of those officers deserved to be fired. It's not their job to be judge, jury and executioner. It's not their job to dole out a punishment to someone. They should be able to hold their cool so that in situations like this they don't blow their top and act like a pack of wild animals. Honestly this is one of the most embarrassing, unprofessional police acts I have seen lately.


The force seems extremely excessive to me, and surprisingly there are a lot of people who agree judging by the comments section on many of the local news agency's. This is quite the change, because typically the local news here in MA only draws out the bat sh!t crazy right wingers who like to bombard the comment section with their arrogance and views.

Ironically, many on the right still wont admit that the police used excessive force, including New England's very own Howie Carr!

COPS VS PUNK IN NASHUA - GUESS WHICH SIDE IM ON

You know what, I don’t care if they didn’t read him his Miranda rights before they started pummeling him. I feel confident in saying that this guy is a world-class bodily orifice, and it’s not like there was any “reasonable doubt.” Sorry, that’s just the way I feel.

Seriously Howie Carr??


So what do you guys think, did the police go too far, or were they in the right for "teaching this thug" a lesson??

a reply to: charolais

The unnamed New Hampshire trooper has been relieved without pay in response to the incident,

I'll bet he's relieved.

a reply to: charolais

Becoming a cop is voluntary, no one forced them to enter this line of work.

As a cop, its understood that you may be yelled at, berated, "disrespected" and may even have to deal with people who get physical, its all part of the job.

And youre expected to deal with it in a calm, mature and respectful fashion. Why? Because its part of your job to demonstrate and maintain the moral high ground.

If a person in a customer service role is unable to politely and respectfully service the customers, he or she is fired, regardless of how rude the customer can be (with some exceptions).

If a cop cant deal with people who have behavioral issues without resorting to violence, then he or she should have chosen a line of work that requires no contact with potentially unruly people.

Contrary to what seems like the new normal, its not part of the job to torture and attack citizens for acting exactly the way one would expect them to act when accepting this type of employment.

a reply to: charolais

He is darn lucky that during the police feeding frenzy they did not let their dog take a few chunks out of him also.... I guess they were really pissed at missing their donut break.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: charolais

The unnamed New Hampshire trooper has been relieved without pay in response to the incident,

I'll bet he's relieved.

Relieved that's all he received for punishment?

a reply to: charolais

This video shows the incident better from the beginning:

originally posted by: charolais

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: charolais

The unnamed New Hampshire trooper has been relieved without pay in response to the incident,

I'll bet he's relieved.

Relieved that's all he received for punishment?

He isn't being punished, just sent home without pay.

pooor guy.

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: charolais

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: charolais

The unnamed New Hampshire trooper has been relieved without pay in response to the incident,

I'll bet he's relieved.

Relieved that's all he received for punishment?

He isn't being punished, just sent home without pay.

pooor guy.

The unfortunate part is he will probably end up with a better job then he had in the first place. I've seen it happen many times.

a reply to: charolais

Me too. You should have attended any number of concerts in San Francisco in the late 70's early 80's.

The cops were always causing riots.

I'm sure the internal investigation conducted by them and their peers will conclude that no department policies were violated and soon after, these thugs will be back on the streets knocking sense into people who don't respect their authoritah.

I wonder which ones were the good apples. The ones beating up a surrendered individual or the ones doing nothing about the ones beating up a surrendered individual.

a reply to: charolais

I don't know why police departments across this country don't make it crystal clear to their police officers that any unprovoked beatings or shootings of unarmed suspects will be met with immediate removal from the police force and charges being filed. With all the attention on police officer's beating and shooting unarmed suspects, you would think these police officers would stop and think before striking out at a suspect. If they can't control their anger, they shouldn't be hired as a police officer in the first place.

a reply to: charolais

Well, the investigation is not complete.

When it is completed, and if no charges are forthcoming despite an abundance of evidence of wrong doing, that would be the time to be outraged. At this point however, things are proceeding in the proper fashion.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: charolais

Well, the investigation is not complete.

When it is completed, and if no charges are forthcoming despite an abundance of evidence of wrong doing, that would be the time to be outraged. At this point however, things are proceeding in the proper fashion.

Agreed. I'm glad it's being performed.

a reply to: charolais

I think the same thing about this as I do about all the other instances...

The police have a very specific job to do.

1. Prevent crime
2. Catch those suspected of planning or committing a crime
3. Deliver those suspects to the LEGAL SYSTEM in complete safety.

Too many Americans seem to give the police a free reign, a licence to be a judge, a jury and an executioner based on their perceptions of guilt, this is entirely wrong and it's the reason you now have as many problems as you have.

By giving the police this unwritten power you have allowed the violent, the corrupt and the disturbed to infest your police ranks and get away with sickening abuses, because they have been brought into a system where they are allowed to believe that they are the penultimate authority - they are not, the courts are, and those courts are representations of the collective public who have agreed a set of laws and appropriate punishments.

I don't give a rats behind whether someone thinks the suspect "deserved" it, that is NOT what policing is supposed to be about and by granting them this permission you are unleashing something akin to vigilantism in uniform.

Any police officer found to be using excessive force in capturing a suspect (Innocent until proven guilty by a COURT OF LAW) should be summarily fired, and in extreme cases imprisoned.

originally posted by: FraggleRock
I wonder which ones were the good apples. The ones beating up a surrendered individual or the ones doing nothing about the ones beating up a surrendered individual.

Most of the "good apples" leave policing the moment they can, or are forced out for not "backing up" their criminal colleagues. This is a closed club where you need to show loyalty to your fellow officers above all else, even if it means lying on record to protect a colleague who beat someone to death.

I'm not entirely pessimistic, there are some police departments out there where they know how to do their jobs and where public service is actually more of a priority than protecting each other and their own criminal enterprises. Unfortunately these are few and far between in my opinion.

a reply to: charolais

So if I led police on an hour chase through two states at 100 mph, I'd be surprised if I DIDN'T get beaten. I hope that innocent little cupcake is ok. Why didn't he just initially stop? Are there bad cops? Yes,and they most definitely be held accountable. But it just seems nowadays in the pc world we live in, as usual, blame the cops, not the perp.

originally posted by: UnBreakable
But it just seems nowadays in the pc world we live in, as usual, blame the cops, not the perp.

The fact that you think a cop not beating a suspect at the side of the road is "PC" says everything.
What the f is wrong with you that you would come to expect your police to act like this toward anyone, let alone EXCUSE it?

And what happens when they think they have a suspect but really don't?
What happens when their perception of a criminal doesn't actually match the actual crime?

Do you just forgive them for killing an innocent person because to expect them to have some basic standards in the treatment of people is "too politically correct" for you?

You are exactly what's led to this kind of stupidity, people like you have given your police such free reign to act as they like without any accountability for their actions, almost rendering your entire legal system pointless. Why not just give your cops the power to execute people for crimes they think they might have committed and be done with the justice system entirely?

originally posted by: UnBreakable
a reply to: charolais

So if I led police on an hour chase through two states at 100 mph, I'd be surprised if I DIDN'T get beaten. I hope that innocent little cupcake is ok. Why didn't he just initially stop? Are there bad cops? Yes,and they most definitely be held accountable. But it just seems nowadays in the pc world we live in, as usual, blame the cops, not the perp.

We can blame both as they are both criminals. He is a criminal for evading at high speeds and they are criminals for beating the man unprovoked.

If a criminal, who evades the police, deserves a beating then what do two criminals who beat a man without provocation deserve? The death penalty?

a reply to: Rocker2013

Yawwwn. I'm the problem? I am neither a cop and I will stop right away if pulled over, not lead them on an hour chase through two states at 100 mph and exacerbate a situation. Everyone hates cops until they need one.

originally posted by: UnBreakable
a reply to: charolais

So if I led police on an hour chase through two states at 100 mph, I'd be surprised if I DIDN'T get beaten. I hope that innocent little cupcake is ok.

Wow