State Police to review level of force during arrest after chase

by: Jacqui Heinrich Updated:

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NASHUA, N.H. - A man has been taken in to police custody after leading police on a multi-state chase.

It began around 4 p.m. in Holden, Mass. and went on several major roads including Route 2 and I-495 before continuing on surface roads in New Hampshire.

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The chase ended just after 5 p.m. in Nashua, New Hampshire when the suspect, 50-year-old Richard Simone of Worcester, got out of his car and was taken into police custody after a physical altercation.

According to Massachusetts State Police, Simone was wanted on warrants for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, larceny, and failure to stop for police.

"[Mass. State Police] will also review the apprehension of the suspect, to determine whether the level of force deployed during the arrest was appropriate," FOX25 has been told.

Police say in addition to the previous warrant charges, Simone will face charges in Massachusetts and New Hampshire related to the chase.

The New Hampshire District Attorney's office told FOX25 it's unclear which officers were throwing punches. Any charges against officers will depend on the results of an investigation into whether the use of force was appropriate.

"I think anyone who looks at the video is disturbed by it, but we don't jump to conclusions," Nashua Police said. "We need to find out what happened."

New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan said the footage of the arrest raises "serious concerns."
 
Gov. Hassan went on to say that "we must treat this incident with the utmost seriousness without disparaging all of the hard-working police officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe."

Simone was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. He is expected to be arraigned Thursday on a fugitive from justice charge.

This is the second high speed police chase in Massachusetts in less than a month. In April, a chase started in Walpole and continued on to I-95 before police were able to arrest the suspect in West Roxbury.

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