The trooper who punched a Tennessee man during a violent arrest in Centre County testified Tuesday that he was concerned the driver would either reach for a weapon or flee again if he was not pulled from his SUV.
Trooper Joshua Yaworski testified that each of the blows he landed to Dereck L. Raimey, 46, were meant to get him out of the Chevrolet Tahoe and into handcuffs.
Yaworski testified the strikes were his only option after a fellow trooper put himself in what he described as a “very dangerous crossfire position.” Plan B, he testified, was “a problem.”
Dashcam video obtained by the Centre Daily Times and played during Tuesday’s hearing showed Raimey held both of his hands out of the vehicle once he surrendered at the end of a high-speed, drug-fueled pursuit that topped 100 mph.
Yaworski and at least one other trooper approached with their handguns drawn and yelled conflicting commands that were sometimes impossible to obey. Almost simultaneously, one trooper told Raimey to “get the f--- out of the car,” while another yelled “hands up, mother------.”
Raimey was held in place by his seat belt, but the testimony offered Tuesday did not make clear if he was wearing the seat belt or got caught in it during the arrest.
Yaworski and Cpl. Christopher Isbitski each testified they were not aware of the seat belt when they began pulling Raimey from the car. They also testified that they were unaware of any trooper unbuckling Raimey before they roughly pulled him to the ground.
Centre County Deputy Public Defender Patrick Klena has described the arrest as a “sustained and brutal assault” that amounted to an “extreme indifference to the value of human life.” One of his questions to Yaworski intimated his belief that it was carried out, in part, because the troopers’ “adrenaline was pumping.”
Trooper Shane Eichelberger testified he was not aware of the driver or his passenger’s race until after the pursuit began. Both are Black, and Raimey’s vehicle had an out-of-state plate.
Klena and the troopers repeatedly sparred Tuesday over how best to describe the blows; Klena preferred to call them punches or uppercuts, while the troopers responded every time by calling them “compliance strikes.”
Raimey’s mugshot appeared to show his left eye swollen shut. In all, Klena said Raimey was punched in the head and face at least nine times.
Klena has challenged both the validity of the December traffic stop and whether Raimey voluntarily consented to have his blood drawn, which showed he was under the influence fentanyl, methamphetamine and the metabolite of cocaine.
Eichelberger testified he and Yaworski tried to stop Raimey on Interstate 80 for following a semitrailer too closely. Instead, he took off and led them on a chase that covered about 20 miles and lasted nearly as long.
During the pursuit, troopers accused Raimey of throwing several items out of his SUV. One item, they believe, was a stolen handgun that Raimey was not allowed to possess.
He has not been charged, but Eichelberger collected Raimey’s DNA after Tuesday’s hearing to see if it matches what was found on the weapon.
As they took the stand, each of the troopers testified their interactions with Raimey after he was in handcuffs were nothing but respectful and cooperative.
Eichelberger said he and Raimey got along well, while Yaworski testified he bought Raimey a cheeseburger and drink from Rutter’s on his own dime.
Raimey was neither threatened nor coerced into providing troopers with a sample of his blood, they testified. Klena countered by arguing his consent could not have been voluntarily because of his “fear of further physical attack” if he refused.
Centre County Judge Julia Rater punted making a decision Tuesday on what kind of, if any, evidence should be suppressed. She gave Klena until May 30 to file a brief, while Centre County Assistant District Attorney Matt Metzger has until June 14 to reply.
Raimey is charged with eight crimes, including a felony count of fleeing and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.
Rater did, however, double Raimey’s bail to $100,000. Metzger said he recently obtained a more complete understanding of Raimey’s history of violent crime, which he described as prolific.
He has at least eight convictions between 2001 and 2022, most of which involved drugs, firearms and fleeing from police. He was twice convicted of vehicular homicide.
The longest he went without a conviction was five years, and Rater said he was incarcerated for part of that time. Raimey was also nearly four hours late to Tuesday’s hearing. He was handcuffed and taken to the Centre County Correctional Facility.
The Pennsylvania State Police initiated an internal investigation shortly after Raimey’s arrest, spokesman Lt. Adam Reed told the CDT in March. He did not make clear if any of the troopers were placed on any form of leave or restricted duty, writing that the department does not speak publicly about personnel matters.
Each of the troopers who testified Tuesday appeared in uniform.
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