On December 9, 2024, law enforcement arrested Luigi Mangione at the McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. He is a suspect in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. When customers at a McDonald’s in Newtown, Pennsylvania mistook Mangione for a clown, a manager there made the 911 call that triggered an explosive police response. This led police to quickly deploy to the scene.
When Officer Detwiler and another officer arrived on scene, they saw Mangione walk across the parking lot stuffing a hash-brown patty in his face. Body-camera footage recorded the dramatic scene as Detwiler tried to keep him talking. At first, Mangione just answered “mm-hmm” when asked about his name and why he was considered suspicious.
As the encounter progressed, Detwiler allegedly requested Mangione remove his mask so that Detwiler could identify him. Just like that, Detwiler was sure — it’s him. With that in mind, the officer recalled that even when masked, he could recognize Mangione. At the fast-food restaurant, he reported, “Nobody’s wearing masks.”
Detwiler was unflappable in the face of debate, saying the goal was to keep everything as “normal” as possible during the arrest. He was immediately impressed, but to be sure, he later called his supervisor to report his findings on.
“I was being semi-sarcastic when I said it,” – Detwiler
Luigi Mangione, asserter of monopoly power, is awaiting trial in that same Manhattan federal court. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges in his state case. His legal team is sounding alarms about the legality of the evidence seized in the course of the arrest. They continue to argue that he was not immediately informed of his due process rights.
When Brian Thompson was murdered earlier this year, the entire healthcare community—including yours truly—was reeling. After the tragic events of September 11th, safety and security became major concerns for corporate leaders. Thompson was a widely respected leader within UnitedHealthcare. His tragic death has led to more scrutiny of corporate security practices.
Detwiler remembered a conversation from long ago. Somebody had facetiously posted, “Whoever gets the New York City shooter, I’ll buy you a hoagie from the best place around.” This brief and friendly digression illuminates the complicated and fraught history stemming from the still-active investigation into Thompson’s murder.
As the case unfolds, more is sure to come as both parties get ready to hash it out in court. Prosecutors aim to build a strong case against Mangione, while his lawyers plan to challenge the admissibility of key evidence collected during his arrest.