Former Police Officer Sues Texas Town After Being Falsely Accused Of Sexual Assault

A former police officer who was fired after being arrested for alleged sexual assault has filed a lawsuit and claims that prosecutors knew of a video that would have shown that the accusation against him and another man was false.

According to the Wharton County Leader Journal, former El Campo police officer Freddie Douglas filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court against the city of Manvel, Texas, after a woman accused him and his friend, John Marks, of raping her. Douglas stated that police arrested him without due process. He also claims in the suit that authorities knew about footage recorded in the apartment proving that the accuser had consensual sex with him and Marks.

The alleged sexual encounter took place on Nov. 8, 2023, at the residence of Marks. 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. She lived across the street from Marks and was purportedly 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, Zawieruszynski contacted police and told the officers 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 what Zawieruszynski said about the police officers from that department.

Douglas stated investigators from the Manvel Police Department never interviewed him. He told them about the footage that would prove his innocence, but they ignored it. The suit reveals 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, instead charging Marks and Douglas.

The former police officer went to the Brazoria County district attorney and told them that Manvel cops never came to his agency to recommend charges. He also 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.

Zawieruszynski was never charged with filing a false report against the men.

ABC 13 reported that Marks has also filed a lawsuit against the City of Manvel, Police Chief Keith Traylor, two officers, and Zawieruszynski.