A woman alleges she was the victim of excessive force by a Maine State Police trooper who “body-slammed” her to the ground during an arrest in March 2024. It’s the second federal lawsuit in two weeks that argues the agency fails to hold troopers accountable for excessive force.

Marie Searles filed a lawsuit against Maine State Police trooper Hunter Belanger on Thursday in U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor. She alleges she was unlawfully arrested by Belanger, during which she was slammed onto the hood of a cruiser, causing bruised ribs.

She also alleges a culture within Maine State Police that allows excessive force and unreasonable arrests. The lawsuit, which also names Lt. Aaron Turcotte, said he failed to supervise and discipline Belanger, who had been previously accused of excess

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