Man punched by Pennsylvania state police during Centre County traffic stop, video shows

State police at Rockview troopers yelled conflicting commands that were sometimes impossible to obey as they arrested a Tennessee man they said led them on a high-speed chase in Centre County.

What followed was what Dereck L. Raimey’s public defender described as a “sustained and brutal assault” that amounted to an “extreme indifference to the value of human life.”

The Pennsylvania State Police initiated an internal investigation shortly after Raimey’s arrest in December, spokesman Lt. Adam Reed wrote in an email to the Centre Daily Times. The probe is ongoing.

It’s unclear if any of the troopers were placed on any form of leave or restricted duty. Reed declined comment Friday, writing the department does not speak publicly about personnel matters.

Dashcam video obtained by the CDT shows Raimey, 46, held both of his hands out of a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe he stopped on a local road in rural Boggs Township. He appeared to be boxed in on least three of four sides; a police vehicle was behind and in front of him, while a guardrail was on his left.

At least two troopers approached Raimey with their handgun drawn. Almost simultaneously, one trooper told Raimey to “get the f--- out of the car,” while another yelled “hands up, mother------.”

Two troopers attempted to pull Raimey from the SUV, but were initially unable. It appeared he was held in place by his seat belt. As they worked to lift the seat belt over Raimey’s head, one trooper appeared to punch him in the face.

He was then roughly pulled to the pavement, where a trooper landed four more punches. Raimey’s mugshot appeared to show his left eye swollen shut. In all, Centre County Deputy Public Defender Patrick Klena wrote Raimey was punched in the head and face at least nine times.

Trooper Shane Eichelberger, who has been with the department for about five years, testified during a December preliminary hearing that Raimey “passively resisted.” He also rejected a question that asked if Raimey was “slammed to the ground,” instead testifying he was “pulled to the ground.”

The punches, Eichelberger testified, were thrown by trooper Joshua Yaworski. He enlisted with the state police in March 2017, communications Director Myles Snyder wrote in an email Monday to the CDT.

While handcuffed on the pavement, one trooper asked Raimey why he led them on a chase that reached more than 100 mph, covered about 20 miles and lasted nearly as long.

“I ain’t from here,” said Raimey, who is Black. “I’ve seen so many people get shot.”

“Yeah, you’re full of s---,” one trooper responded. “We’re cool, man. We’re not those guys,” responded another.

Eichelberger wrote in an affidavit of probable cause that he and Yaworski tried to stop Raimey on Interstate 80 for following a semitrailer too closely. Instead, he took off and the troopers said he drove recklessly and nearly crashed into several other drivers.

Raimey told troopers he snorted a small bag of cocaine during the pursuit. The vehicle was registered in Mississippi.

“You saw two Black men in an out-of-state ...,” Klena began to ask Eichelberger during the preliminary hearing, before the trooper cut him off.

“I don’t recall seeing their race,” Eichelberger testified.

Raimey was charged with one felony count of fleeing, as well as a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with four summary traffic violations.

Klena asked a Centre County judge to suppress all of the evidence collected “as a result of the illegal activity” of Eichelberger and Yaworski. Raimey’s consent to have his blood drawn at Mount Nittany Medical Center was not voluntary, Klena wrote, “due to his assault” and “fear of further physical attack” if he refused.

A hearing is scheduled for April 4. A Centre County prosecutor has not yet responded to Klena’s request. A call to Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna was not answered Monday.

Raimey, who posted $50,000 bail through a bondsman, remains free.

His arrest was captured through a camera mounted in the trooper’s vehicle. Troopers stationed at Rockview were outfitted with body cameras “in the first quarter of this year,” Snyder wrote.

The state police were the last department in Centre County to equip their officers with body cameras.