The Police Chief of Pennsylvania has been placed on temporary administrative leave after a video surfaced showing him drawing a gun on a motorcyclist while off-duty and dressed in food stall attire.
Duane Fisher, the Police Chief of Mannheim Township, became the center of controversy after a conflict on April 30 involving Benny Pena Rivera, a 24-year-old motorcyclist.
Pena Rivera stated that he was riding through town when he heard threats made against him. “What I heard was, ‘On the ground. On the ground, or I’ll shoot you,” he recounted to a local news outlet.
The video captured Fisher exiting his vehicle while armed and confronting Pena Rivera, ultimately using force to pin him between his motorcycle and a wall.
“He had me against the wall, slamming me with an electrical panel while waving a gun in my hand,” Pena Rivera explained, visibly shaken. “I kept saying, ‘Don’t shoot me. What’s the reason for this?'”
A struggle ensued but Pena Rivera managed to break free and escape.
He alleged that Fisher hadn’t activated his lights to signal an official stop and did not identify himself as law enforcement during their encounter.
Documents reveal that while the police chief claimed to be from Mannheim Police Station, Pena Rivera accused him of initiating physical confrontation first.
Conflicting reports indicated that Fisher’s vehicle lights activated only minutes after their initial altercation.
“If he was following me, I don’t recall because he should have turned on his lights instead of just pulling a gun,” Pena Rivera argued.
After the confrontation, Pena Rivera later went to a convenience store for cigarettes when he described the encounter to someone on the phone, which prompted a police call.
Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams noted that her office won’t investigate Fisher, asserting that he acted within departmental protocols.
Adams stated, “Chief Fisher radioed to follow motorcycles without registration plates and mentioned their improper driving,” providing context to the situation.
Records indicate that chief Fisher radioed his location before confronting Pena Rivera and drew his weapon during the encounter.
Pena Rivera faced multiple charges, including resisting arrest and reckless driving, though he later pleaded guilty to six reduced traffic violations after other charges were dropped.
