In March 2024, a Maine State Police trooper pinned a handcuffed man to the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face while arresting him in rural York County. The incident was captured on cruiser cameras, providing a visual record that our investigation found conflicted with how responding officers described the event in their written reports.
The episode raises questions about the agency’s use of force policy and its process for reviewing complaints: Instead of disciplining the officer, the agency cleared him of any wrongdoing and promoted him. The determination fit into a broader perfect record in the state’s largest police force. The agency reviewed nearly three dozen complaints about use of force in the past decade. None were found to be excessive.
The series was co-reported with The Maine Monitor.
The team behind
the project
Callie Ferguson / cferguson@bangordailynews.com
Josh Keefe / josh@themainemonitor.org
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Watch the footage of Justin Savage’s arrest and read how police described it
The Maine Monitor and BDN are publishing video and police reports obtained during investigation into a violent arrest by Maine State Police.
A trooper repeatedly punched a handcuffed man in the face. The Maine State Police promoted him.
The chaotic 2024 arrest captured on video raises questions about state police’s use of force policy and its process for reviewing complaints.