A former student of the University of Maine at Machias has filed a lawsuit against a former Machias Police officer for breaking her nose, among other claims, reported the Bangor Daily News.

Gabrielle Rushforth filed a suit Tuesday claiming Officer Richard Strout broke her nose and groped her friend during an unlawful arrest early on the morning of May 28, 2010. The suit names Strout, Police Chief Grady Dwelley and the town of Machias as defendants.

"This guy's a bad guy," Attorney Dale Thistle of Newport said Wednesday.

Thistle is representing Rushforth in the suit that refers to Strout's conduct as "malicious, reckless, deliberate and outrageous as to be beyond all bounds of decency."

The Bangor Daily News details the lawsuit as follows:

The arrest at the center of the suit was made some time after 1 a.m. when Rushforth, then 21, and her friend Sarah Cotton, also 21 at the time, were leaving a local tavern. According to the suit, Strout had been tailing the two in his squad car, slowly driving at their walking pace.

After Cotton kicked a political sign, Strout warned them not to touch any political signs and then drove off. He returned soon after, the suit claims, and ordered the two to approach his cruiser.

Strout allegedly yelled repeatedly that the two girls were going to jail. He then slammed Rushforth onto the trunk of his cruiser then forced her to face him when he punched her in the face breaking her nose. The suit then alleges that Strout used pepper spray on both women and forced them into his squad car "and while doing so [Strout] grabbed and fondled Cotton's breast," the suit claims.

Strout had charged the two women with assault, assault on an officer, refusing to submit to arrest, criminal mischief and failure to give a correct name. All charges against Cotton and Rushforth were later dropped, according to Thistle.

Rushforth's suit goes on to accuse Strout of not taking her and her friend to a hospital to be treated for their injuries and washing their clothes to get rid of the blood and pepper spray that could have been used as evidence. The suit even claims that Strout had another officer investigate the incident in an effort to cover up Strout's assaults.

Machias Town Manager Christopher Loughlin said the town has not been served with the lawsuit yet and that he could not comment on the matter.

The suit is asking for an unspecified amount of money for lost wages, medical expenses, attorney's fees and punitive damages.

The Bangor Daily News could not reach Strout for comment and Dwelley could not be reached due to an ongoing, long-term medical leave from a two-car accident last winter.