A Chelsea woman who says she was the victim of excessive force and unlawful arrest has filed suit against a Maine State Police trooper. This the second excessive force lawsuit filed against Maine State Police in the past month.
In U.S. District Court filings, attorneys for Marie Searles said she was walking near Trooper Hunter Belanger's cruiser in Chelsea in March of 2024. He asked to speak to her and when she did not respond, Belanger allegedly grabbed her, slammed her to the ground and pinned her down with his knee on her neck.
Searles was arrested for refusing to submit to arrest or detention. The charge was later dismissed by the Kennebec County District Attorney's Office.
Maine State Police Lieutenant Aaron Turcotte is also named in the federal lawsuit for allegedly failing to supervise and discipline Belanger, who was previously accused of using excessive force on a cooperating witness in January 2024.
Last month, a Limerick man and his girlfriend filed a $100 million suit against the Maine State Police claiming he was the victim of a brutal beating that caused serious head and brain injuries during his arrest in March of 2024.
According to the Bangor Daily News and the Maine Monitor, Maine State Police cleared the officers in that case of any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for the Maine State Police declined to comment on the Searles lawsuit citing pending litigation.
