Police Officer’s Unusual Offer During Major Arrest

Justice was served, and so was lunch, in a rather unusual turn of events.

During a recent court session in Manhattan, it was revealed how a police officer from a small town in Pennsylvania took a unique risk in apprehending suspected healthcare CEO murderer Luigi Mangione.

Lt. William Hannelly from Altoona, Pennsylvania, shared how he promised Officer Joseph Detweiler, who made the surprising arrest, a free sandwich from a local eatery aptly named Louie Guetta’s.

When Hannelly texted Detweiler about the situation, he said, “If you catch the New York City shooter, I’ll buy you a Louie Guetta’s for lunch.” Adding a playful “wink” emoji, he felt it was quite ironic that the man wanted in the high-profile murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was, of all places, at a McDonald’s.

In response to the lunch offer, Detweiler humorously said, “Consider that done. I want a big turkey,” as noted in court documents.

It’s unclear if Hannelly ever kept his word, though Louie Guetta’s is known for its celebrated hoagies in the town’s community of about 45,000.

Hannelly was the eleventh witness in a lengthy evidence suppression hearing concerning Mangione, which is now stretching into its sixth day.

During his testimony, Hannelly passionately defended the decision to search Mangione’s backpack without a warrant, a crucial point of contention in the case.

He indicated that Altoona Police Officer Christy Wasser had “every right” to inspect the bag at McDonald’s, where she found a 9mm handgun and a red notebook outlining Mangione’s intentions to “frame” Thompson.

Assistant District Attorney Joel Seideman probed further, asking if Hannelly had attempted to stop Wasser from searching.

Hannelly replied, “No, she had the right to do that,” and when Seideman asked if he requested a warrant, Hannelly simply stated, “No, she doesn’t need one,” citing Pennsylvania’s “warrant exception.”

With hundreds of arrests under his belt, Hannelly insisted that searching suspect belongings during arrests was a standard procedure in his experience.

Detweiler and other officers responded to the McDonald’s on December 9, 2024, just days after Thompson was fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan.

The restaurant’s manager recalled how diners caught a glimpse of the suspect, noting his distinctive bushy eyebrows. Nervously laughing, the manager relayed to police, “We have a customer here who we suspect looks like the New York CEO shooter,” according to a recording played in court.

Mangione, dressed in a gray suit and blue shirt during the hearing, has pleaded not guilty.

The long process in court is set to continue into Friday and is expected to wrap up sometime next week.