Southwest
Texas officer sues former department after life 'crushed' by dropped rape charge
A Texas police officer is suing investigators for allegedly ignoring evidence that would have exonerated him from a rape accusation that he says ruined his life and took months to undo.
The officer, Freddie Douglas, was arrested in December after the girlfriend of one of his longtime friends accused both him and her boyfriend of raping her. The charges were eventually dropped, but Douglas’ lawsuit argues police were aware of evidence that would have exonerated the two men but refused to look into it and moved forward with the arrests regardless.
The girlfriend, identified in the complaint as Amanda Zawieruszynski, alleged that both Douglas and her boyfriend, John Marks, raped her at Marks’ home on Nov. 8, 2023. The complaint details that she “claimed that she tried to fight Marks off,” and that Marks then “pushed her over to Douglas who had sex with her while she was trying to fight him off.” Marks and Douglas were arrested in December and Marks immediately protested that surveillance footage from inside his home would contradict the accusation.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Mike Kerensky, says both men did have sex with Zawieruszynski, but that it was entirely consensual.
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Freddie Douglas, left, stands with attorney Mike Kerensky on Aug. 22 in front of Manvel City Hall. (Fox News)
“Douglas met AZ [Zawieruszynski] for the first time at the home of John Marks.… It was the day before Freddie Douglas’ birthday. He and John Marks had planned to go to a Rockets game that night,” the lawsuit says, adding that Zawieruszynski texted Marks several times to arrange plans for her to meet them at his house after the game.
The lawsuit goes on to say that Zawieruszynski came to the house and the three had a few drinks, but “no one became intoxicated.”
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“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,” the lawsuit says.
Approximately a month later, the complaint states, Zawieruszynski went to the Manvel Police Department and claimed that the two men had raped her.
Fox News Digital’s efforts to reach Zawieruszynski, who is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, were unsuccessful.
Douglas worked with the El Campo Police Department, and his chief informed him on Dec. 7 that the MPD were arresting him. According to the complaint, Douglas immediately informed the arresting officers that the footage from inside Marks’ home would exonerate him, but they moved forward with the arrest anyway.
Subsequently, other MPD officers were recorded entering Marks’ home and discussing the footage, but they made no apparent effort to investigate it, the lawsuit claims.
Freddie Douglas and his lawyer delivered the lawsuit to Manvel City Hall. (Fox News)
Footage from Marks’ front door camera obtained by Fox News Digital shows police officers discussing the footage. One said Douglas and Marks had mentioned it during their arrests. Another officer pondered that perhaps Zawieruszynski “did consent.”
Footage shows that an officer noticed the door camera a few minutes later and they moved away, mentioning that it would be recording them.
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“Within minutes of Freddie Douglas’ arrest, the Manvel Police Department knew that there was objective evidence that would determine who was being truthful, AZ or Douglas and Marks,” Douglas’ lawsuit alleges.
The MPD contested the lawsuit’s version of events in a statement to Fox News Digital. MPD Chief Keith Taylor argued that “that there has been misinformation provided to the news outlets from these individuals and their attorneys representing them.”
He said he could not discuss the specifics of the case due to the pending litigation, however. He nevertheless said it was “false” that MPD investigators knowingly disregarded evidence that would have exonerated Marks and Douglas.
Police officers with the Manvel Police Department discuss Freddie Douglas’ case outside John Marks’ home. (Fox News)
“This is a false claim as this evidence was presented to the district attorney’s office and the Grand Jury. This is required by law; all evidence including exculpatory evidence be presented. It will further be shown through the legal process these claims and allegations are false,” Taylor said.
The charges against Douglas and Marks were dropped after Douglas approached the Brazoria County district attorney. The DA’s office says Manvel police never approached them about the case and that if they had, the office would never have recommended charges.
When the MPD pressed on with the case regardless, the DA convened a grand jury. It ultimately threw out the charges.
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Warning: The video included in this story contains graphic content
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has released officer-worn body camera footage of a deputy shooting a man who allegedly charged them with a knife in the Azusa area on May 20.
The shooting happened after officers responded to reports of an attempted suicide at a home on the 5500 block of North Orangecrest Avenue in an unincorporated area near Azusa around 3:30 p.m.
When deputies arrived, the man, identified as 38-year-old Dilen Flamino, allegedly charged at the nearest deputy with a 3-inch knife. Deputies were armed with a taser and 12-gauge beanbag gun, but were down the street from the deputy that Flamino is seen rushing toward in the video. The deputy called for his partners to bring in the beanbag gun, but resorted to firing his handgun at Flamino during the sudden attack.
“He’s coming up guys,” the deputy is heard saying in the video before opening fire. “Bring the stunbag! Stunbag!”
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The knife seized at the scene of the shooting. (LASD)
Video of the shooting shows the man writhing on the ground and tossing the knife away at the request of deputies after he was shot.
Flamino was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He was treated for his injuries. No deputies were injured in the shooting. The incident remains under investigation.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, you can seek immediate professional help by calling or texting the nationwide mental health crisis hotline at 988 on your phone. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English and Spanish.
About 20 people were detained Saturday during a large police response in Los Angeles’ Koreatown after authorities received reports of an armed man threatening people, officials said. Officers responded to the 3400 block of West 8th Street near Kingsley Drive on reports of an assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles Police […]
A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
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