A 50-year-old driver was struck repeatedly by state troopers while surrendering after a 100 mph pursuit, according to helicopter video and official records.
Richard Simone was 50 years old at the time of the arrest in Nashua, New Hampshire, according to police records.
On May 11, 2016, Simone refused to pull over for local police in Holden, Massachusetts, authorities said.
The refusal triggered a multi-agency pursuit that stretched roughly 50 miles across state lines, officials said.
The chase reached speeds topping 100 mph before crossing into New Hampshire, according to reports.
The pursuit finally came to an end on a dead-end street in a residential Nashua neighborhood, authorities said.
A witness told WMUR-TV that he counted about 15 cruisers involved in the pursuit. He reported seeing out-of-state officers, state police, and Holden cruisers chasing the pickup truck.
Police deployed spike strips during the incident, shredding the pickup truck’s tires, according to the witness.
“Rubber was flying everywhere,” he said.
Helicopter news footage captured the truck coming to a stop near a utility pole, records show.
Officers quickly surrounded the vehicle with their weapons drawn, according to the footage.
Simone stepped out of the truck to surrender, the video shows.
The driver got down onto the ground on all fours with his hands behind his head, footage confirmed. As he lowered himself, officers closed in and began throwing punches, according to the video.
A New Hampshire trooper in a green uniform struck him in the head at least seven times, including multiple uppercuts, the video shows.
A Massachusetts state trooper in blue landed at least four additional punches to the prone driver, footage shows.
Neither officer was publicly identified in initial police reports following the encounter, authorities acknowledged.
The broadcast video triggered separate state investigations into the troopers’ conduct, officials said.
Authorities released Simone’s booking photograph the day after the arrest, showing extensive facial trauma, records show.
The photograph displayed a badly swollen jaw, blood streaming from his left ear, and visible marks across his cheek and lip, according to records.
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Simone appeared in court for his arraignment the following day, records show. He remained visibly bruised and distorted during the proceeding.
The video provoked immediate public reactions from officials across both states, records show.
New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, confirmed she contacted the state attorney general and the Commissioner of Safety regarding the footage. She called an official investigation “important and appropriate,” according to statements.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, called the pursuit recording “incredibly disturbing,” according to official remarks.
Baker pledged that Massachusetts officials would collaborate closely with New Hampshire to advance the probe, statements show.
One state trooper from Massachusetts and one from New Hampshire were placed on suspension shortly after the incident, authorities confirmed.
Massachusetts State Police spokesperson David Procopio announced the agency would conduct two separate formal reviews, records show.
One inquiry focused on the pursuit itself, Procopio said. The other review specifically examined “whether the level of force used was appropriate given the totality of the circumstances,” according to the spokesperson.
The administrative inquiries eventually led to criminal prosecutions against both officers, court documents show.
The cases resolved years later with sharply contrasting outcomes for the two troopers, court records show.
Former New Hampshire trooper Andrew Monaco pleaded guilty to three assault charges, court documents show.
Monaco accepted criminal responsibility for punching and kneeing Simone during the arrest, according to court records.
A judge handed Monaco a 12-month deferred sentence in the House of Corrections, meaning he faced no jail time provided he complied with conditions, court records show.
Monaco also surrendered his law enforcement certification permanently, according to state records. Authorities placed him on New Hampshire’s Laurie List of officers with documented conduct or credibility issues.
The Massachusetts trooper, Joseph Flynn, faced a separate trial on assault charges, records show. A jury found Flynn not guilty, according to court records.
Simone filed a civil lawsuit naming 16 separate defendants following the criminal trials, court records show.
The lawsuit named Monaco, Flynn, the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the city of Nashua, and the town of Holden, according to court filings.
Most of the civil claims were dismissed or settled over the following years, records show.
In 2022, Monaco reached a direct civil settlement with Simone that involved no public funds, records show. The financial terms of that settlement were never disclosed.
At the time of his arrest, Simone was wanted on multiple warrants for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, larceny, and failure to stop for police, according to authorities.
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