Two state police troopers, who were caught punching a suspect by TV helicopters in May, will face criminal charges, New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph A. Foster announced Tuesday.

Massachusetts state trooper Joseph Flynn, 32, and New Hampshire state trooper Andrew Monaco, 31, were arrested on multiple charges of simple assault, Foster said.

The charges follow the two officers’ involvement in the beating of 50-year-old Worcester resident Richard Simone, an assault and battery suspect, who led police on multi-state chase that ended in Nashua, New Hampshire. There, Simone was seen getting out of the car and appears to give himself up, only to be punched repeatedly by police officers.


The incident was captured on video by TV station helicopters.

Flynn will face two counts of simple assault, while Monaco is charged with three counts. They were released on personal recognizance bail of $2,000 and $3,000, respectively.

According to Foster, because they were both on-duty law enforcement officers at the time of the alleged assault, Flynn and Monaco could be subject to “an enhanced penalty,” in accordance with New Hampshire state law.

After footage of the beating was circulated, Foster’s office and Massachusetts State Police said they would investigate the the level of force used against Simone. New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan and the state’s ACLU also called for an investigation.

A New Hampshire state trooper, who was not named at the time, was “relieved of duty” the day after the arrest, while officials investigated the use of force. A day later, an unnamed Massachusetts state trooper was suspended with pay as the investigation continued.

The following week, a Worcester District Court judge ordered Simone to be held without bail for violation of probation. He was also charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, failure to stop for police, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

Flynn and Monaco are scheduled to be arraigned September 13 in the Nashua District Division of the state’s 9th Circuit Court.