Manhattan state court proceedings Tuesday revealed that police involved in the arrest of Luigi Mangione were so skeptical that a tip about his whereabouts was true that they joked about reward sandwiches in text messages.
“He said, ‘If you find the New York City shooter, I’ll buy you a hoagie from a local restaurant,'” Altoona, Pennsylvania police officer Joseph Detwiler testified of messages exchanged with a supervisor. “I said, ‘Consider it done.’
In less than an hour, Detwiler learned that this seemingly fake tip was true.
Mangione was captured on December 9, 2024, in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. Thompson’s death on a New York City street on December 4, 2024 prompted a widespread search for her killer and sparked public outrage over the practices of America’s for-profit health insurance industry.
Following dispatch’s orders, Detwiler and another officer went to McDonald’s. “I saw the male sitting at the table next to the bathroom,” Detwiler said. The man was wearing a big coat, a brown hat, and a blue medical mask, just as the tipster said. “I passed by. I wanted to see what he did when he saw us.”
Detwiler asked the man his name and told him “somebody had called, they thought you were suspicious”. He asked for identification, which the man provided.
Detwiler also asked the man to pull down his mask. “I knew right away it was the one,” Detwiler said.
Mangione was taken to court just after 9:50 a.m. wearing a dark jacket. The restraints on his hands were removed before he sat at the defense table. He is also facing charges in Manhattan federal court in addition to his state case and has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Detwiler’s testimony came on the second day of potentially a week-long proceeding over whether evidence was illegally collected during Mangione’s encounter with police at this fast food eatery. Mangione’s lawyers have repeatedly pushed to exclude evidence obtained during his arrest, alleging that he was not immediately provided his constitutional rights.
Detwiler and another officer were dispatched to a local McDonald’s after the restaurant manager called 911, saying customers thought they saw the shooter. He was the first police officer to interrogate Mangione.
An audio recording detailing Detwiler’s dispatch was played in court.
“There is a male in the (McDonald’s) that resembles the NYC shooter,” police dispatch said of the reported sighting of Detwiler.
Detwiler responded: “10-4. We’ll be on that.”
Prosecutor Joel Seideman asked Detwiler about his accent.
Detwiler explained, “I was semi-sarcastic when I said it.” “I didn’t think it would be the person they thought it was.”
As As Seidman’s questioning proceeded, Detwiler provided more information about Mangione’s arrest. These questions were combined with body-worn camera footage displayed in court.
Detwiler “remained calm” after recognizing Mangione and called his supervisor. “Yes, he’s here. It’s him,” Detwiler remembered saying.
On the call, Detwiler insisted he was not joking. “He was surprised, because he was the one who texted me when we got the call.”
“About the free hoagie?” Seidman asked.
“Yes.”
Detwiler tried to act as normal as possible, telling Mangione that the police were there about complaints he had been complaining about for a long time. Body camera footage showed Mangione eating a hash-brown patty and then eating another thing shortly thereafter.
“I asked him if it was a steak sandwich,” Detwiler said. Mangione responded with a mm-hmm. “I said it was my favorite.”
“What did that mean?” Seidman said.
“Just trying to keep things calm and normal, like I said before.”
It is unclear how much role Mangione’s mask played in attracting attention.
Indeed, Seideman asked Detwiler about the mask culture in Altoona.
“We don’t wear masks,” Detwiler said. “We have the antibodies.”
And since “no one wore masks” there, Detweiler knew that the man they would later recognize as Mangione was the man who had aroused suspicion.
“He was wearing a mask,” Detwiler said. “So he had to be the person we were called there for.”
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