What happens when the people meant to protect us become the ones we fear?

In March 2024, Marie Searles says she was walking near her home when a Maine State Police trooper body-slammed her to the ground, pinned her neck, and then slammed her against a cruiser—leaving her with bruised ribs and lasting trauma. Days later, another man, Justin Savage, was tackled and punched in the face by state troopers while handcuffed. Both say their arrests were unprovoked and violent.

Both filed federal lawsuits. But their stories are not isolated.

Over the last decade, the Maine State Police received 33 complaints of excessive force—yet not a single one was sustained. Even when there’s bodycam footage. Even when district attorneys raise red flags. Even when other officers on the scene object.

Enough is enough.

We are calling on Governor Janet Mills, Attorney General Aaron Frey, and the Maine State Legislature’s Judiciary Committee to launch an immediate and independent investigation into the Maine State Police’s handling of excessive force complaints. We demand accountability—not just for the officers accused, but for the leadership that failed to act.

This is about more than one bad cop. The lawsuits point to a pattern of force being used with little to no oversight—and with no meaningful consequences. Troopers like Hunter Belanger, who had already been flagged for misconduct just two months earlier, were left free to harm again. His supervisor, Lt. Aaron Turcotte, allegedly failed to investigate credible reports—allowing this behavior to continue unchecked.

We need real reform, independent oversight, and transparent discipline systems—now.

Maine deserves a police force that upholds the law, not one that breaks it behind a badge.

Sign this petition if you believe in accountability, justice, and safety for everyone in Maine.