Video in excessive force lawsuit shows Eugene officer punch handcuffed man in face, use Taser 

A 41-year-old man, in a lawsuit filed Thursday, July 30, says that while handcuffed and without any warning, he was punched in the face seven times by a Eugene police officer.

The excessive force lawsuit also says the officer then shocked the man in handcuffs twice with a Taser.

Jehoshaphat Commandest alleges he had been detained on suspicion of trespassing onto a neighbor’s property when he sustained injuries from the Jan. 11, 2025, police encounter that included a traumatic brain injury, ruptured blood vessels in his left eye and “significant facial bruising.”

Commandest’s lawsuit asks for damages not to exceed $1 million. Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the city, the Eugene Police Department and two officers at the time of the encounter, Stephen Lahm and Lindsey Collier.

Video shared with Lookout Eugene-Springfield that appears to be from the dash of a police vehicle shows Commandest handcuffed and being escorted to the vehicle while held by two officers. 

When Commandest turns away from the patrol vehicle, Lahm strikes him repeatedly and, moments later, twice uses a Taser to shock Commandest for more than 10 seconds.

In a letter dated Sept. 17, 2025, Police Auditor Craig Renetzky states the auditor’s office found evidence Lahm more likely than not violated the police department’s use-of-force policy and also its conduct policy. 

Commandest brought forward the allegations in a complaint, and the letter states the auditor’s office recommended three of four allegations be sustained, “and the Chief agreed with these recommendations.”

Lahm resigned from the police department Nov. 21, 2025, state records show. Eugene police declined to comment on the lawsuit or Lahm’s departure from the police department.

State regulators have opened a “professional standards case” because of Lahm’s separation from the Eugene Police Department. The case is under review because Lahm “may have engaged in behavior that violates an established certification standard,” according to online records.

If a case is under review, that “is not proof that a public safety professional engaged in misconduct,” according to the website for the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. A spokesperson for the department said for cases where the person is not seeking police employment, the review takes on a lower priority. Lahm is not currently working as a police officer.

Derek Larwick, an attorney representing Commandest, shared the video and the auditor’s letter with Lookout Eugene-Springfield.

“When Officer Lahm punched Mr. Commandest in the face, attempted to choke him, and used the Taser multiple times, all while Mr. Commandest was handcuffed, that was an abuse of power,” Larwick said in a statement.

Larwick called the use of force “excessive under the Constitution of the United States of America,” and also “negligence and battery.”

“Although the City of Eugene Auditor found Officer Lahm’s conduct to be a violation of its own policies, the City has refused to do anything to make things right with Mr. Commandest, forcing us to file this lawsuit to obtain justice,” Larwick said.

State records show Eugene police hired Lahm in June 2019. He had previously worked for about three years outside of Oregon.

Video

The video shows: Commandest handcuffed and walking with Lahm and Collier, who each hold an arm of Commandest. 

At one point, Commandest turns slightly, with his neck also turned to face Lahm, who appears to say something.

Commandest then appears to half-turn toward Lahm and twist away slightly from Collier. 

As Commandest turns more toward Lahm, Lahm appears to say something and then begins to punch Commandest while still holding his arm.

The video provided to Lookout has no audio until the point where the Taser is deployed and Commandest is heard screaming.

The lawsuit alleges that while the officers were escorting Commandest to a patrol vehicle, Lahm “made comments that Plaintiff considered to be threatening, such as ‘I’ll dust your ass.’”

In response, Commandest “became fearful,” the lawsuit alleges. So, ‘“worried that he would be injured or killed by these officers,” and wanting to say goodbye to his family on neighboring property, Commandest “tried to turn his body to turn toward his home,” the lawsuit states.

“Defendant Lahm then punched Plaintiff in the face seven times, choked Plaintiff with both hands briefly, and removed his Taser from its holster,” the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit alleges Lahm used the Taser on Commandest in “drive stun” mode for 10 seconds while yelling at Commandest.

“Following that initial round of Taser application, Defendant Lahm applied another seven seconds of “drive stun” Taser mode on Plaintiff’s body,” the lawsuit states. “Defendant then placed Plaintiff on the hood of the police car, after which Plaintiff was taken to Lane County Jail without any resistance by Plaintiff.”

Initial police response

The lawsuit states police were called Jan. 11, 2025, to a vacant house and detached garage on the 3000 block of River Road.

On the property were some “scrap boards and metal,” the lawsuit states, “of little or no value to the property owner.”

The lawsuit claims the owner invited a neighbor, Daniel Bickel, to remove the scrap boards and metal. Bickel then told Commandest that he could enter the property to remove scrap boards.

After Commandest went onto the property, another neighbor “notified the property owner, who was not present on the property at that time, to report the presence” of Commandest. The property owner then called 911 at about noon to report Commandest on the property.

Collier was the first officer to arrive, approaching Commandest, who at that time was standing near a white pickup truck on neighboring property. Commandest complied with her directive to move from behind the vehicle to speak with Collier, the lawsuit states.

Commandest “spoke calmly” and told Collier he was collecting wood from the property, according to the lawsuit, and offered to put the wood back if the owner wanted it returned.

At about 12:20 p.m., Lahm arrived.

“On information and belief, Defendant Lahm spoke with the property owner, who told Defendant Lahm that Plaintiff Commandest did not have permission to be on the property at that time,” the lawsuit states, after which Lahm told Commandest he was being detained.

Commandest was placed in handcuffs “without resisting and without incident,” the lawsuit states, and was escorted to a patrol vehicle when Lahm allegedly made remarks “considered to be threatening,” the lawsuit states.

Eugene Municipal Court records show that a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest was dismissed, and that Commandest pleaded guilty in December 2025 to second-degree criminal trespassing. 

Legal claims

As part of the lawsuit’s excessive force claim, it alleges Collier and Lahm “had sufficient time to evaluate the situation, and there were no exigent circumstances that justified using such extreme force on” Commandest. 

The lawsuit claims neither Collier nor Lahm issued a warning to Commandest that physical force was going to be used against him, and that the force used by Lahm “was not objectively reasonable.”

As a result of the use of force against him, Commandest “has experienced, and more likely than not will continue to experience, mental, physical, and emotional pain and suffering,” the lawsuit states. 

The lawsuit also alleges a claim of negligence in connection with the city as well as the officers for creating “a foreseeable, unreasonable risk of harm,” and a claim of battery against the city and the officers for “directly or indirectly” causing “a harmful or offensive contact” with Commandest.