About this episodeThis video analyzes a Maine State Police incident where troopers Justin Savage and Shauna Morse were subjected…AI summary
This video analyzes a Maine State Police incident where troopers Justin Savage and Shauna Morse were subjected to excessive force, false charges, and a cover-up. Despite video evidence proving the officers' misconduct—including an ankle injury caused by the officer himself and the destruction of evidence—troopers received promotions and awards, while the victims' criminal charges were eventually dropped.
Key takeaways 6
Police Mischaracterization: Officers falsely reported that Justin Savage broke Sergeant Schmidt's ankle and attempted to escape; video evidence proved Schmidt twisted his own ankle while slamming Savage to the ground and that Savage never attempted to flee.
Systemic Cover-up: The Maine State Police initially delegated an excessive force complaint to the suspect's supervisor rather than internal affairs, resulting in a 'justified' finding. Internal affairs only investigated after a public records request threatened litigation.
Evidence Destruction: Trooper Jamie Fenderson's special duty protective glove, which was allegedly bitten through by Savage, disappeared during the discovery phase of the criminal case, indicating potential evidence tampering.
Unjustified Rewards: Despite the video evidence of brutality and the subsequent civil lawsuit, Trooper Fenderson received his first promotion in 16 years and Sergeant Schmidt received a 'wounds received' award for an injury he caused.
Legal Analysis of Force: The host argues the force was unconstitutional under Graham factors because the severity of the crime was low, there was no probable cause for arrest initially, and Savage was handcuffed and compliant when the excessive force began.
Medical Neglect: Justin Savage suffered an asthmatic medical emergency inside the police car, repeatedly stating 'I can't breathe,' but officers ignored his pleas, placed a hood on him, and left him restrained until he fell out of the vehicle.
Notable quotes 4AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.
“Our conclusions are still that the amount of force was objectively reasonable under the circumstances. Videos don't tell the entire story... you might say, 'Yeah, still that doesn't look good to me and I don't think it was justified.' In other words, don't believe your lying eyes. Just trust me.”
▶ 18:52Lieutenant Colonel Brian Scott defending the police use of force despite acknowledging the video looks bad.
“We all just landed on my frigin ankle the wrong way.”
▶ 15:59Audio from Sergeant Schmidt's body cam revealing he knew he caused his own ankle injury during the arrest.
“If not for the video footage, he believes that Justin would be serving time for assaulting a police officer... But they dropped the charges because once you see the video, you can't prove them.”
▶ 18:17Justin's civil rights attorney Jeffrey Bennett explaining why charges were dropped.
“The fact is that the video caught them red-handed, not only committing excessive force, but also lying about it and covering it up.”
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