AUGUSTA -- A Chelsea woman says the Maine State Police have a pattern of failing to properly investigate and discipline troopers in cases of excessive force.

Marie Searles has filed a lawsuit.

In court documents, she claims trooper Hunter Belanger arrested her without reasonable or probable cause and then body slammed her to the ground when she says did not pose a risk to anyone.

According to those documents, Searles says he later slammed her body onto the hood of his cruiser while she was detained in handcuffs.

According to Searles, trooper Belanger’s supervisor, Lieutenant Arron Turcotte allowed Belanger to get away with similar conduct two months before he allegedly assaulted her.

We reached out to the Maine State Police.

Spokesperson Shannon Moss says quote “given the pending l

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