Cop who posted, ‘Bucket list: Punch a guy so hard he poops himself,’ faces second lawsuit

Sam Ruland | York Daily Record

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Jason Watts said he hadn’t driven more than a couple blocks past his house when he noticed the police cruiser behind him sounding its siren.

He said he wasn’t sure why he was being stopped, and the officer didn’t offer up a reason when asked.

But within a couple of minutes, Watts was allegedly being pulled off his motorcycle at the hands of York City Police Officer Galen Detweiler — the same officer who made headlines when he was named in the Plain View Project, a Facebook database that flagged posts and comments that researchers believed could undermine public trust and confidence in law enforcement.

"That’s it," Detweiler said, according to court documents. "You’re getting arrested. You’re losing your bike."

Watts said he was confused by the situation — he didn’t know what he did to anger Detweiler. All he had done was ask the officer if he could get his insurance and registration information from the locked seat of his bicycle, according to court documents.

He also asked Detweiler why he was being so aggressive.

"Depending on how you are with us, is how we are with you," Detweiler allegedly responded, according to court documents.

Watts was cited for reckless driving and eventually released from police custody. But he claims that when Detweiler uncuffed him, he yanked his right arm so hard that it tore a large portion of his labrum and caused serious nerve damage, requiring multiple surgeries to fix, documents state.

Detweiler remains on active duty as the incident is investigated.

This wasn't the first time Detweiler has been accused of getting physical with a civilian. He is also the target of a lawsuit that alleges he used excessive force when he arrested a woman outside of a bar in July 2017. A 10-second video of the arrest went viral, showing Detweiler punching the woman while she tussled with him on the cement.

Now, Watts is suing both Detweiler and the City of York in federal court, alleging excessive force and claiming that the city is liable for Detweiler’s actions, given his history and the city's failure to reprimand or retrain him.

"Officer Detweiler has a history of using unreasonable and excessive force to the point of causing serious injury to individuals," the lawsuit alleges. "The City is well familiar with Officer Detweiler's propensity for using excessive force and for inflicting serious injury upon others. Yet, the City repeatedly fails to take any measures to ensure that individuals' constitutional rights are not violated."

The city received word about the lawsuit when it was filed on Thursday. When asked for comment, Philip Given, chief of staff to Mayor Michael Helfrich, said they could not comment at this time.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Pennsylvania Middle District, seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages against the police officer, and other relief.

What happened in the other excessive force case?

In the encounter that went viral on Facebook, Melissa Penn, 21, was lying on the concrete as she tussled with Detweiler hovering over her body.

Penn had been inside a bar just minutes before but got kicked out for fighting.

As Detweiler attempted to arrest Penn, she reportedly resisted and was taken to the ground. That’s when the 10-second video started recording, capturing footage of Detweiler punching the woman in the face three times.

Penn sued the City of York and Detweiler in federal court for unspecified damages, alleging that the officer beat her without cause, and that the city had not done a good job in hiring him in the first place. She claims they violated her constitutional rights and created an “intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

The city was dismissed from the lawsuit on Oct. 23 — not because the court found it had done its due diligence in the hiring process, but rather because it has virtually no policies in place to guide hiring, and thus had not violated its own standards.

More: York dropped from police brutality suit, but reason why doesn't make the city look good

The jury is set to be picked in Penn's case against Detweiler in February, followed by a three-day trial.

Is the city at fault?

Watts’ lawsuit claims that the city continues to excuse Detweiler’s use of excessive and unreasonable force, putting public safety at risk.

"The City has failed in its responsibility to train, re-train and/or supervise Detweiler in the use of proper force and the constitutional prohibition against the use of excessive and unreasonable force," documents state.

And even though the city had been dismissed from the previous lawsuit, Penn alleged the city failed to do a proper background check on Detweiler before placing him in a position of power.

Margo Frasier, a self-employed criminal justice consultant and the former sheriff of Travis County, Texas, was cited in Penn’s civil suit, questioning why the City of York didn’t see Detweiler’s prior employment history with two police departments in Maryland as a "red flag" before bringing him onto the force.

Records show that as a Baltimore City Police officer, Detweiler threatened to break a homeowner’s arm on a call for an attempted burglary. That was just one of several civilian complaints made against Detweiler. And a lawsuit shows that he was the subject of two internal affairs investigations.

Prior to that, Detweiler was a seasonal officer with the Ocean City Police Department. After a summer stint with the department in 2010, documents show it was recommended that he not be rehired.

Watts' lawsuit claims: "The City has made a calculated decision in favor of the status quo, rather than take affirmative steps to ensure that Detweiler no longer abuses victims."

Has Detweiler been fired?

When asked if there would be any consequences for Detweiler, York City Police Public Information Officer Derek Hartman said: “Right now these are just accusations. We will have to investigate the claims further.”

Detweiler is still on active duty and has remained on active duty since Penn’s lawsuit was filed back in 2018, Hartman said.

He faces civil allegations of excessive force, battery, denial to provide adequate medical care, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The city is covering his legal fees, Given said in a previous interview.

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