Troopers Who Pulled NH Man By Dreadlocks Followed Policy: State

CONCORD, NH — A viral video showing a New Hampshire man being dragged from his car during an arrest by state police troopers is not under investigation and followed protocols of the department, according to a spokeswoman.

The video, posted on YouTube.com, was taken by Jean Saint Preux, 36, of Albany during an arrest May 20 on Route 16. Preux, who broadcast the video on Facebook Live, refused to exit his Dodge Avenger and filmed two female state troopers smashing the driver's side window of his car. During the video, he requested the badge number of the troopers, said he did nothing wrong, and claimed he lived at the address of the stop, the town offices in Albany.

"Guys, look at this," he said to the livestream audience. "What did I do? I didn't do nothing. Don't touch me. I was driving … minding my business."

Eventually, the state troopers were able to break through the vehicle's window, pry open the door, and pull Preux out by his dreadlocks. They then Tased him when he refused to obey their commands.

The Facebook Live feed was reposted on YouTube by PINAC (Photography is Not a Crime), which also published a post on News Maven.

In a statement, the division said Preux was stopped after a check of his vehicle yielded an inspection violation. It disputed claims in the video that he was not told why he was being pulled over and later, charged.

"During the initial conversation, Mr. Preux was informed of the reason for the stop and refused to provide his driver’s license and vehicle registration," the division said. "The troopers issued multiple requests for the required information over a period of time. Mr. Preux still refused."

Preux was then told he was being arrested on a disobeying a police officer charge and was asked to exit the vehicle "multiple times" but "refused," the division said. Once Preux was removed from the car and brought under control, he was charged with two counts of assault on an officer, disobeying an officer, and resisting arrest or detention, it stated.

The actions of the two troopers, as seen in the video, regarding Preux's arrest, followed state police protocol, the division said, and "conforms to division policy." It said Preux had not filed a complaint with the department about the incident.

A GoFundMe.com site was set up for Preux to raise money to fix his vehicle. As of post time, about $2,700 of the $5,000 goal had been raised in five days.

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