The lawsuit stems from an incident on December 29, 2023, when Manis was pulled over in Monroe County for allegedly having illegally tinted windows, a claim Manis denies.

According to the complaint, Manis was cooperative and respectful during the stop, and Trooper Riley Shreiner noted that there was no sign of intoxication or marijuana smell.

However, the situation escalated when Trooper William Yates-Matoy recognized Manis as the brother of someone he knew and insisted that Manis had marijuana in his car, despite no evidence. Yates-Matoy then accused Manis of being under the influence because his eyes were red, which Manis attributed to just waking up.