Holden police slammed man’s head against cruiser and improperly arrested him, lawsuit says

A Maryland man is suing Holden police, alleging he was physically assaulted and improperly arrested.

Jackson Hawkins, of Kensington, Maryland, filed a lawsuit Friday against the town of Holden, Holden Police Chief Eduardo Benjamin and Lt. Andrew Whitehouse. The lawsuit says, in part, the officers used excessive force, committed negligence and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.

Their actions were malicious and violated Hawkins’ constitutional rights, the lawsuit said.

Benjamin and Whitehouse have not yet been served, but Whitehouse said they would not comment on pending litigation.

The complaint asks for unspecified damages, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor.

Hawkins was pulled over by Holden police four times between Dec. 30, 2023, and May 25, 2024, the lawsuit said. During those traffic stops, Hawkins’ head was slammed against a car, he received multiple citations and he was improperly arrested once, according to the lawsuit.

The issues started Dec. 30, when Hawkins was driving on Route 1A in Holden and Whitehouse pulled him over for driving too closely, the lawsuit alleged. After Hawkins pulled over, he removed his seatbelt to grab his identification documents. He was issued a citation for failing to wear a seatbelt because Whitehouse did not see Hawkins remove it.

Hawkins was driving in Holden toward Bangor on March 16 when an unmarked police cruiser passed him going the other direction, the driver turned around, and then started following him, the lawsuit said. Hawkins got to his destination, parked and got out of the vehicle when someone partially blocked by a car door yelled at him to “stop.”

Hawkins tried to walk away because he did not know the person yelling was Whitehouse, according to the lawsuit. Whitehouse then activated his police lights and told Hawkins he was being detained because his license plate light was not working.

After Hawkins said his light was fine, Whitehouse ran at Hawkins, grabbed him and slammed him against the unmarked police cruiser, the lawsuit alleged.

Whitehouse then handcuffed Hawkins and searched him, before pulling Hawkins off the hood of the car and slamming his head against the vehicle, saying he was resisting arrest, the lawsuit said.

Hawkins was arrested and taken to jail for not having a valid driver’s license and resisting arrest. A bail bondsman found a valid license in Hawkin’s belongings and asked Whitehouse about it. Whitehouse then said he knew there was a valid license but wanted to teach Hawkins a lesson, according to the lawsuit.

The dashboard camera from Whitehouse’s car, along with a video from Hawkins, show the license plate light was working, the lawsuit said.

The Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office did not pursue charges against Hawkins, according to the lawsuit.

On May 15, Hawkins was driving on Route 1A when Benjamin passed him. Hawkins, assuming he would be pulled over and detained, called his mother, the lawsuit said. Benjamin said he pulled Hawkins over for using his phone, but Hawkins said he only used it once he saw Benjamin do a U-turn and pursue him.

Hawkins feared for his safety after his previous interactions with Holden police, which is why he called his mother, the lawsuit said.

Benjamin had Hawkins get out of the car, then handcuffed him and placed him in the back of the cruiser. The chief told Hawkins he was not under arrest, but that he saw a weapon in the back seat, according to the lawsuit.

Hawkins was released and cited for using his cellphone, lack of vehicle registration and failure to provide proof of insurance.

On May 25, Hawkins was driving on Route 1A to his father’s home in Ellsworth. Benjamin and Whitehouse drove past Hawkins and made a U-turn after passing him, the lawsuit said. They accelerated to a “high speed” and followed Hawkins closely until he reached the Ellsworth town line.