GLENDALE, AZ — The City of Glendale has settled a years-long federal lawsuit against police officers who made up a blinker violation, unlawfully threatened a passenger with jail, and then tasered him nearly a dozen times.
The terms of the city’s settlement with Johnny Wheatcroft and his children are confidential and will be finalized after a probate judge’s approval, according to court records.
After a series of emails seeking comment, Glendale officials wrote, “We will have no further comment on this case now or in the future.”
A spokesperson would not provide ABC15 with the amount of the payout, the amount spent on litigation in the case, or explain the remaining steps for the city to complete the settlement.
“This case has not been settled by all necessary channels. Once it is officially settled and you have submitted a public records request, our City Clerk’s office can provide what our legal advisors allow us to provide at that time,” said Derek Diesner, Glendale’s media relations coordinator.
Outside attorneys for Glendale aggressively litigated the case, and Wheatcroft’s claims survived motions for summary judgment and to dismiss.
A settlement was reached after a mediation hearing in late September, records show.
One of the involved officers, Matthew Schneider, is currently facing multiple felony aggravated assault charges and is set for trial next year.
In front of his two children, Wheatcroft was tasered 11 times.
Schneider delivered the final tase to a handcuffed Wheatcroft by pulling down his shorts and stunning him in the testicles, according to his lawsuit.
In February 2019, ABC15 exposed body camera video of the disturbing incident, and it immediately drew national attention and outrage.
Surveillance video also showed Schneider lied about witnessing the alleged blinker violation, experts said.
Multiple independent law enforcement experts, who reviewed the incident, said Schneider’s conduct was unlawful, and one of the most cruel and troubling cases of police misconduct they’ve ever seen.
Without public exposure, the case would not have been criminally investigated further.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office was forwarded the case in June 2020 by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Under former County Attorney Bill Montgomery, MCAO initially declined to file charges against Schneider in 2017.
But the business day after ABC15’s initial 2019 report, the FBI opened a criminal investigation into the matter.
Once the FBI opened its investigation, an MCAO spokesperson said federal agents asked the office if it would re-evaluate the case for state-level charges.
In 2020, the former county attorney, Allister Adel, declared a conflict and had the case sent to the AG’s Office. A spokesperson said Schneider had once coached Adel’s sons in Little League.
At the time of the incident, Glendale conducted an internal investigation into the case and suspended Schneider for three days.
Schneider, who was one of Glendale’s top arrest leaders, has been suspended or disciplined by the city at least six times, according to his personnel file. The issues range from excessive force in the Wheatcroft incident to persistent workplace harassment against a female officer in his unit.
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Schneider is no longer on the job.
In March 2020, Glendale’s city pension board approved Schneider’s early retirement for an accidental disability claim. Details about the nature of his disability are confidential.
Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com.
