Photo: Douglas Sacha / Moment / Getty Images
The district attorney defending a detective seen in a viral video detaining a Black teenager in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is now facing backlash of his own after telling a reporter that Black families lack parental supervision.
According to the Atlanta Black Star, the officer seen in the viral video is Detective Tyson Havens of the Lycoming County District Attorney's Narcotics Enforcement Unit.
In the video, Havens is seen following and handcuffing 18-year-old Jessie Lopez Jr. The DA's office said Havens was working undercover while investigating a recent series of shootings and became suspicious after seeing Lopez Jr. wearing a hooded jacket in warm weather, per FOX 56.
Lopez Jr.'s father, Jessie Lopez Sr., disputes the DA's characterization of his son's clothing, saying the jacket was a lightweight windbreaker — not a "puffy coat," as the DA's office described — and that his son's face was not covered. He has also said his son wore the hood because he suffers from eczema and direct sunlight aggravates the condition.
Following the incident, District Attorney Tom Marino told the Atlanta Black Star, "In the Black community… there's no supervision of the kids.”
He added, “The father's gone. Whether in jail because of possession of guns or selling drugs… the mother unfortunately has half a dozen kids, and the father is not around to support them."
When asked whether he was referring specifically to Black teenagers when discussing his office's practice of prosecuting 13-to-17-year-olds as adults, Marino did not respond.
Marino also defended Havens' approach to Lopez Jr., saying the teen walked across a busy intersection and nearly caused an accident.
"The brakes were slammed on, and hey, you almost got yourself killed here," he said, per Atlanta Black Star.
The outlet noted that when its reporter pointed out that the street appeared quiet in the video, Marino stood by his account.
"They're always wanting to criticize law enforcement up until the point they need law enforcement," he said — though it was unclear whether he was speaking generally or specifically about the Black community.
Lopez Jr. was issued a traffic citation but was not charged with any crime.
Lopez Sr. told Atlanta Black Star that Havens is "just a nuisance" and alleged multiple prior misconduct complaints involving the detective.
At least three civil lawsuits have been filed against Havens — all of which have been dismissed, according to the Atlanta Black Star.
The first was reportedly filed by Brian Williams following his August 2020 arrest. Williams spent more than a year in jail before charges were dropped. A federal court later ruled that Havens violated the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Another lawsuit was reportedly filed in January 2021 by Libby Williams, who alleged Havens and other officers conducted an illegal raid of her home in September 2020, assaulting her and her sons — including a 10-year-old — and "threatened a ten-year-old boy with death" by throwing flash-bang grenades. Williams' attorney alleged officers acted with "racial animus." No criminal charges were filed.
The third was reportedly filed in October 2025 by Edward James Nicholas, who accused Havens of planting evidence, pointing an AR-15 at his face, and threatening him with lethal force.
When asked about the lawsuits, Marino told Atlanta Black Star: "It happened before I got here; I've only been here two years."
Lopez Sr. is seeking legal representation and requesting release of all body camera footage, dashcam video, and dispatch recordings from the incident, per North Central PA.
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