News Footage Shows Police Officers Beating a Suspect in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster wants to know why police in Nashua beat a suspect following a multi-state high-speed chase on Wednesday.
Video of the pursuit, which was broadcast live by several local news outlets, has drawn criticism online as it appears to show law enforcement punching the man, even though he had dropped to his knees to surrender.
According to the Boston Globe, the suspect, identified by Massachusetts State Police as 50-year-old Worcester resident Richard Simone, was wanted on warrants for assault and larceny charges. He refused to stop for authorities in Holden, Massachusetts, which prompted the chase at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Following a pursuit through several towns, the chase ended shortly after 5 p.m. in Nashua, New Hampshire. Simone surrendered when his truck blew out two of its tires, according to Metro.
Footage of the pursuit captured by Fox 25, which can be seen above, appears to show that the suspect was kneeling on the ground when police surrounded Simone with their weapons drawn before proceeding to punch him.
WBZ caught a different angle of the incident.
POLICE CHASE: Man gets out of truck in #Nashua after pursuit, lies down. Officers punch him repeatedly. #WBZ pic.twitter.com/C6MOSZssBf
— Liam Martin (@LiamWBZ) May 11, 2016
“We will be investigating to determine what force was used, by whom, and if it was appropriate under the law,” Jeffery Strelzin, a senior assistant attorney general in New Hampshire, told the Globe in an e-mail.
A spokesman for New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan also told the Globe the governor’s office has contacted the Department of Justice and is expecting that the arrest “will be fully investigated.”
Massachusetts State Police will be conducting a review of the incident as well, according to Buzzfeed.
As for Simone, Boston.com reports that he was taken into custody by Nashua police and will face charges in relation to the chase as well as for his several outstanding warrants.
