August 27, 2024
Ex-Police Officer Sues Texas Town After Arrest for Sexual Assault
Freddie Douglas was fired after being arrested for sexual assault but claims prosecutors knew of a video that would have exonerated him.
Former El Campo, Texas, police officer Freddie Douglas has filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court against the city of Manvel, Texas, claiming that police arrested him for rape without due process.
He also claims authorities knew about footage recorded in the apartment proving that the accuser had consensual sex with him and a friend, John Marks.
The alleged sexual encounter took place on Nov. 8, 2023, at Marks’ residence. The woman, who is white, accused both men, who are Black, of sexually assaulting her after she had sex with Douglas, who was celebrating his birthday.
“The Manvel Police Department had not even attempted to contact either Freddie Douglas or John Marks for their side of the story regarding (the woman’s) claims. However, within minutes of their arrest, both Douglas and Marks made it clear to the Manvel Police Department that there was proof that (the woman’s) claims were fabricated,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also states that the arrest was made without probable cause, without an interview by the Manvel Police Department, with police officers not checking a videotape of the interaction between the accuser and the men.
The New York Post identified the accuser as Amanda Zawieruszynski, who lived across the street from Marks and was allegedly dating him then. She told police officers that she was assaulted by the men when she went over to Marks’ house for a late-night swim.
The lawsuit states, “No one became intoxicated. At some point, John Marks and AZ started having consensual sex in the pool. After that, AZ wanted to have sex with Freddie Douglas and did. This sexual activity was completely consensual on the part of all involved.”
Yet, the next month, Zawieruszynsk told police that Douglas and Marks forced themselves on her and that they needed to be locked up immediately, the papers state.
On Dec. 7, while Douglas was at work, the El Campo police chief told him the Manvel Police Department was arresting him. He was informed that it was due to Zawieruszynski’s claims.
Douglas said investigators from the Manvel Police Department never interviewed him. He told them about the footage that would prove his innocence, but it was ignored. The suit claims that the police officers who searched his home were overheard on the home security system talking about the footage, yet they never searched for it.
Douglas told the Brazoria County district attorney that Manvel cops never came to his agency to recommend charges. He added that if the video evidence had been examined, charges would never have been brought against the men. After the district attorney took the case before the grand jury, the charges against both men were thrown out.
ABC 13 reports that Marks has also filed a lawsuit against the City of Manvel, Police Chief Keith Traylor, two officers, and Zawieruszynski.