A former Palm Beach Gardens police officer, Bethany Guerriero, is facing a federal lawsuit after she pulled her gun on Ryan Gould, an unarmed man who had called 911 for assistance following an altercation at his apartment complex pool. Gould, who has since moved back to his home state of Illinois, is suing Guerriero and another officer, Joseph Strzelecki, claiming a violation of his civil rights, as reported by CBS12.

The incident occurred on May 9 last year, when Gould claims the husband of another swimmer threatened him with a gun. Despite identifying Gould as a caller who clearly had no weapon on him—considering he was clad only in a bathing suit and without a shirt—Guerriero drew her firearm on him. Strzelecki also drew his Taser during the confrontation. Gould was eventually handcuffed and detained but was later released without being charged, WPTV reports.

Gould endured "physical pain and mental anguish" due to the incident, as reported by WPTV. The lawsuit cites increased anxiety and fear on Gould's part, who has since avoided public outings and the pool where the incident took place. These documents filed in United States Southern District of Florida also demand a trial by jury.

Guerriero's past record includes a suspension in 2020 for misusing a restricted database and a reprimand in 2019 for an altercation at Palm Beach Gardens Mall. Despite these incidents and accolades for saving lives, Guerriero was terminated three and a half months after the incident with Gould. Both officers are named defendants, accused of violating Gould's 4th and 14th Amendment rights, and he is seeking an unspecified amount in damages as the result of his suffering.