Pennsylvania cop was offered a free sandwich as a reward to arrest Luigi Mangione

Officer's Handled 'Free' Sandwich, Arrested Murder Suspect Anyway

A curious exchange between an Altoona police officer and his supervisor may have been meant as a lighthearted way to incentivize the arrest of a suspect in a nationwide manhunt. However, on December 12, 2022, Officer Joseph Detwiler arrested Luigi Mangione at a local McDonald's, marking a stark departure from the intended reward.

Detwiler claimed that when he texted his supervisor about responding to a tip that Mangione was sitting in the fast food chain, the response was an offer of "if you get the New York City shooter I'll buy you a hoagie." The officer testified on Tuesday at multiday hearings in New York state court that he never received the free sandwich but made the arrest.

Mangione is facing multiple charges related to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel last year. Detwiler described Mangione as having "immediately" recognized him when they approached in the back of the restaurant, despite not having a clear visual description from the NYPD. Detwiler stated he'd seen photos of the suspect's face shared by the NYPD multiple times.

The body camera footage captured the arrest revealed an unusual scene - Christmas carols played in the background as Detwiler and his partner questioned Mangione. Mangione reportedly told them he was homeless, avoiding direct answers to their questions while eating hashbrowns and breakfast sandwiches. The officers read him his Miranda rights around 15 minutes after approaching him.

Mangione's defense attorneys have argued that any statements made before reading his Miranda rights should be suppressed from trial. They also seek to strike evidence found in Mangione's backpack, including a handgun and electronic storage devices.

Manhattan Judge Gregory Carro will determine the admissibility of evidence at trial. The case marks another high-profile instance of police accountability, with multiple Altoona police officers expected to testify about their actions during the arrest.

omg this is crazy like a free sandwich was supposed to encourage him to come out but instead he just kept eating and playing christmas carols in the background lol what's next? a free ice cream cone just because he cooperated with the police ? this whole thing sounds super fishy to me, can't believe they're trying to make an arrest without clear evidence...anyway gotta keep an eye on this one

I'm so done with these cases where cops just kinda wing it and end up arresting the wrong guy... like this Luigi Mangione dude - who's basically a free man because he got caught with his hand out for a hoagie. Meanwhile, Officer Detwiler is still whining about not getting that sandwich. Newsflash, Joe: if you can't trust your supervisor to follow through on a reward, how can we trust them to make the right call in high-pressure situations? It's all just a bit too convenient for me.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one ... Like, who gets arrested just 'cause they're eating a free sandwich in McDonald's? I mean, I get it, the officer was following procedure and all that jazz, but come on... Can you imagine being in Mangione's shoes, getting approached by police while you're just trying to get some food . And what's with the Christmas carols playing in the background? It sounds like a movie or something! Anyway, I'm curious to see how this trial goes down and if Mangione gets a fair shot at defending himself.

dude this is wild... so the officer just goes and arrests the guy without even getting that free sandwich he was promised lolol what's next? does he get a participation trophy for showing up to work on time? anyhoo, gotta say i'm not buying that Mangione would just happen to be sitting at mcdonalds with a gun in his backpack... sounds like a pretty big coincidence if you ask me

ummm so like officer detwiler is saying that his supervisor was gonna give him a free sandwich if he caught the nyc shooter but it didnt work out because he arrested mangione instead lol i think its kinda weird that christmas carols were playing in the background tho what r christmas carols even for on a police arrest? did detwiler even like christmas carols before or was he just trying to be funny?

I'm not sure how comforting it is that a free sandwich might incentivize someone to make an arrest in the first place . But on a more serious note, I do think it's concerning that Mangione was arrested and charged with murder based on seemingly circumstantial evidence...like the fact he matched a suspect from a NYPD photo share. And what's up with the Christmas carols playing in the background during the arrest? It does seem kinda weird, even if it might've been intended as a lighthearted touch . I'm all for holding police accountable and ensuring their actions are scrutinized, but at the same time, we don't want to be too quick to judge or dismiss the role of human intuition in high-pressure situations...that being said

idk what to think about this... on one hand, i feel bad for mangione being arrested in a weird situation like that. but on the other hand, someone's gotta take responsibility for those crimes, and if detwiler was convinced he had the right guy... maybe it's a good thing the cops followed up? still think the whole "buying a sandwich" idea was kinda messed up though - not exactly the best way to encourage a high-stakes arrest.

I don't get why they even thought arresting this guy was a good idea after all that weird "hoagie" offer ... I mean, what if Mangione just wanted to grab a quick bite and didn't do anything wrong? Officers seem to have lost sight of their priorities when they arrested him. And the Christmas carols playing in the background during the arrest? That's just weird.

like, who needs a free sandwich anyway? I mean, if the NYPD is gonna offer a hoagie, can we at least get some clarification on what's in it? Is it the "special" sauce or just regular mayo? And btw, if Officer Detwiler didn't get the sandwich, how did he know his supervisor was serious about it? Did they have some secret handshake?

And omg, Christmas carols during a murder arrest? That's just... festive. I mean, who doesn't love a good tune while being booked for a crime? It's like the ultimate holiday treat.

But seriously, can we please focus on getting justice for Brian Thompson and his family? This case is way more important than some free lunch

I'm so confused about this one... like I get that cops want to do a good job and all but come on who texts a cop "if you catch the NYC shooter I'll buy you a free sandwich" thinking it's just some lighthearted thing? So the guy gets arrested for murder and he's sitting at McDonald's eating breakfast sandwiches, listening to Christmas carols... and the officer is like "oh yeah I'm gonna arrest this dude". It seems like a pretty big mistake.

This is wild ! I mean, a free sandwich was meant to get someone to turn in a killer, but instead it just led to more drama . Like, what's next? A "free pizza" for turning in a suspect? This whole thing is just crazy . And poor Mangione, he's just trying to survive on the streets and gets caught up in all this chaos . The fact that Christmas carols were playing in the background during the arrest is just too much . Maybe they should have played some soothing music like "Who Let the Dogs Out?" instead?

omg this is wild I mean, who offers a free sandwich as bait for an arrest like what's next?!? Officer Detwiler is getting roasted for not knowing if he got that sandwich or not but on the bright side, they did catch Luigi Mangione and solve some crimes it's all about accountability now and I'm rooting for Mangione to get a good lawyer because his defense team is bringing some real heat

I mean... who gives free sandwiches to suspects as a reward for making an arrest? It's just weird that Detwiler got taken out of the loop like that, and then he ends up arresting Mangione anyway. The Christmas carols playing in the background while they're questioning him is just crazy lol. And Mangione was eating breakfast sandwiches while being questioned? That's some weird behavior right there.

I'm just saying, if you're gonna give a free sandwich as an incentive for someone to make an arrest, shouldn't it be conditional on the actual crime being committed? Like, what's next? Offering a hot dog for every minor traffic violation? It doesn't seem like a very effective way to encourage cooperation from suspects, and I'm not sure how much of this "hoagie" thing was just a joke that went too far. And honestly, can we talk about how messed up it is that the police didn't have better visual descriptions of the guy? Like, if you're gonna arrest someone, shouldn't you at least know what they look like first?

I'm not sure what's more shocking - that Mangione was caught off guard by Detwiler or that the cops are trying to spin this as a legitimate sting operation . It sounds like an old-school cop trick to me, and we all know how those can go down . The fact that Christmas carols were playing in the background is just icing on the cake - it's like they wanted Mangione to feel like he was in a bad cop drama movie .

And let's be real, who tries to buy off a suspect with a free sandwich? It's a weird way to incentivize someone to cooperate. I'm not saying Detwiler is corrupt or anything, but this whole thing smells like it could've been a setup . We need more transparency and accountability in our law enforcement agencies, especially when it comes to high-profile cases like this one .

I mean, what's up with this? So officer Detwiler is like "oh, you're gonna give me a free sandwich if I catch this guy" and then he goes ahead and arrests him anyway, without even getting that sandwich . And now Mangione is facing some serious charges for murder... it's all kinda confusing. I don't know, maybe they were just trying to get him to talk or something? But why the Christmas carols in the background tho? Wasn't it 2022 when this went down? My grandma still uses flip phones and thinks TikTok is a new kind of Snapchat . Anyway, hope Mangione gets a good lawyer and all that...

This is wild ! Who offers a free sandwich and gets arrested for murder?

I mean, can you imagine getting arrested over a free sandwich? I'm not saying it's not serious business, but come on! Officer Detwiler said he was just trying to get the job done and didn't even receive that free hoagie anyway. It's all good now, though - Mangione is going down for some major crimes. But what really has me thinking is how they got Mangione to sit in a McDonald's with no clear ID. I guess Christmas carols are a great way to calm people down? I just wish there was more clarity on how that whole thing went down, but it's all about the details now - who knows what will get admitted as evidence?

OMG u gotta be kidding me!!! so some cop just happens 2 arrest this guy cuz he's suspected of murder & then they play christmas carols in the background like it's a normal day?? & he gets a free sandwich or something? lol what was supposed 2 happen was that if u caught the shooter, u get a free sandwich from ur supervisor... but noooo Detwiler just gets to make the arrest & they never even got that sandwich anywayz Mangione seems suspicious tho since he's homeless & eating hashbrowns all day, lol.