State troopers arrested for assault in use of force after police chase

NASHUA, N.H. — Two state troopers have been charged with assault stemming from use of force during an arrest after a pursuit, according to the Attorney General's Office.

Mass. State Trooper Joseph Flynn, 32, and New Hampshire State Trooper Andrew Monaco, 31, have been arrested and charged with simple assault in the arrest of Richard Simone Jr. on May 11, 2016.

According to court documents, Trooper Monaco told his supervisor 'I [messed] up, I'm sorry, I [messed] up."

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The chase began in Massachusetts and ended an hour later in New Hampshire. As Simone pulled over his vehicle and got out of the car, officers were seen punching him while he's on the ground in video shot by SkyFox.

"During that twenty (20) second period Simone appears to have been struck by Trooper Monaco and Trooper Flynn at least twenty two (22) times," court documents from the New Hampshire Attorney General's office said.

According to the documents, Simone needed stitches in his ear, had a lump on his head, pressure in his sinus area and pain in his ribs and back.

According to the court documents, at least one trooper even crossed into the path of another trooper's weapon when he went to arrest Simone.

FOX25 tried to reach out to Moncado and Flynn but was not able to make contact with either man.

Joseph Comenza, a lawyer for Simone, sent FOX25 the following statement Tuesday night.

We are relieved that the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office saw fit to bring criminal charges against two of the troopers involved in this case. Violence by and against police officers is an unfortunate reality in today's world, and given this fact, we applaud the Attorney General's courageous actions today. We also see this as a clear statement that the Attorney General's office will not condone police brutality and we stand with the Attorney General's Office on this issue and look forward to a timely resolution to this matter. The Simone family has no other comments at this time and requests privacy on this subject. Thank you. 

Both have been released on $2,000 and $3,000 personal recognizance.

Cox Media Group