State Police react to Lebanon resisting arrest video

Image shows one of several head slaps delivered by trooper during resisting arrest incident in South Lebanon. (Facebook video image)

LEBANON - State Police reacted today for the first time to a Facebook video that surfaced Saturday showing a confrontation and physical struggle between a trooper and a suspect he was trying to arrest on Blaisdell Corner Road in South Lebanon.

The video went viral with nearly a million views and more than 15,000 shares by today and was featured on two Portland TV stations in their Monday night newscasts.

Dennis Prescott, 21, was arrested after a domestic assault complaint was called in around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Maine Dept. of Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said today.

Sometime during the arrest Prescott became noncompliant with the arresting trooper Mike Lane, who in the six-minute video can be seen slapping Prescott in the head with an open fist and kneeing him in the back of his leg several times as Prescott clings to a car door handle.

While none of the blows appear to have much impact on Prescott who continues to resist being handcuffed, the situation was very tense and very difficult for the trooper, said McCausland.

Prescott finally allows Lane to handcuff him after Lane pulls out a container of Mace.

Prescott, whose hometown is unclear, was booked at the York County Jail where he paid $500 cash bail and was released Saturday.

McCausland refused to comment on whether head slaps and knees to the back of the leg are typical strategies with noncompliant suspects, but added that Lane, "showed great restraint in a very tense situation in which he was alone."

McCausland also said he did not have the exact Blaisdell Corner Road address or details on the incident that led to the 911 call and arrest.

Channel 13 of Portland reported on Monday night that the address where the incident occurred is the home of Prescott's mother and that Prescott's girlfriend called from there after she and Prescott got into a fight.

Prescott also reportedly told Channel 13 he would have gotten into the trooper's cruiser without a problem, but the trooper refused to let him give his mother his wallet for bail money.

McCausland said an individual can use his own money for bail, so that shouldn't have been a concern.

To view the video click here.