Paul Wert’s lawsuit against Edgewater has not yet been filed, but the groundwork is in place. On March 3, 2026, his attorney sent the City of Edgewater a $180,000 pre-suit notice, the mandatory first step under Florida law before suing a government entity. The city has six months to investigate and either settle or deny the claim; if it does neither, the claim is automatically treated as denied and Wert’s attorneys can file suit in state court.1Daytona Beach News-Journal. Daytona Man Asks Edgewater to Pay Him $180,000
The $180,000 Claim and What Happens Next
The notice was mailed by attorney Daniel P. Faherty of the Law Office of Telfer, Faherty, and Anderson in Titusville, addressed to Edgewater City Manager Joe Mahoney. It demands $180,000 to resolve all claims against the city and former officer Daniel Rippeon, alleging that Rippeon used excessive force and inflicted physical and emotional harm on Wert during a May 2025 arrest.1Daytona Beach News-Journal. Daytona Man Asks Edgewater to Pay Him $180,000
Florida Statute 768.28 requires this pre-suit notice before any lawsuit against a Florida government entity. The six-month clock started on March 3, 2026, meaning the statutory deadline falls around September 3, 2026. Reporting in early 2026 indicated the city was weighing whether to settle or prepare for litigation. No formal lawsuit had been filed as of the most recent available reporting.2Hoodline. Edgewater Hit With $180K Claim Over Arrest
What Happened at the CVS
The claim stems from the night of May 10, 2025. Wert, then 22, had just finished a shift at the CVS at 1806 South Ridgewood Avenue in Edgewater and was sitting on a bench outside the closed store waiting for a Lyft home.3Daytona Beach News-Journal. Officer Daniel Rippeon No Longer With Department
Around 10:05 p.m., Officer Rippeon approached him and demanded identification, later telling dispatchers he had seen Wert “hiding behind a pillar.” Wert refused to hand over ID, saying he had not broken any laws. When his Lyft arrived and he said he was leaving, Rippeon replied, “No, you’re not,” and drew his Taser. Rippeon warned him: “Dude, you’re going to get tased… Don’t move, if you move, there’s a K-9 in my car and you are going to get bit.”4ClickOrlando. Edgewater Police Officer Placed on Leave Amid Investigation Into Arrest of CVS Employee
Rippeon dismissed the Lyft driver, radioed in “one resisting,” and arrested Wert. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on a charge of obstructing an officer without violence and spent roughly two and a half days in jail before being released.5Yahoo News. Former Edgewater Policeman Daniel Rippeon
The Criminal Charge Was Dropped
Body camera footage of the encounter was shared publicly in early June 2025 and drew widespread attention. On June 4, 2025, the State Attorney’s Office filed a “no information” document, officially dropping the obstruction charge. Assistant State Attorney Spencer Hathaway signed the filing.6News Daytona Beach. Edgewater Police Officer Placed on Leave for Alleged Wrongful Arrest
The same day, Rippeon was placed on administrative leave. One day later the department announced he had been “separated as an employee,” and on June 6 the city’s human resources director confirmed he had resigned. Edgewater Mayor Diezel DePew said he was “upset with the way the incident was handled” and “sorry to see what occurred.”7Daytona Beach News-Journal. Edgewater Mayor Weighs in After Rippeon Resignation
The body camera captured a remark from Rippeon to a colleague after the arrest: “I do believe that he works here, but I mean he then tried to dictate to me that he was going to leave, so I am not playing that game. He is going to learn, unfortunately, the hard way.”7Daytona Beach News-Journal. Edgewater Mayor Weighs in After Rippeon Resignation
What the Internal Investigation Found
The Edgewater Police Department’s internal affairs report, finalized and reviewed on October 14, 2025, concluded that Rippeon violated policy in two ways: he failed to activate his body camera before making contact with Wert, and he failed to maintain a “calm and professional demeanor,” violating the department’s courtesy policy requiring officers to be civil and respectful. Rippeon declined to be interviewed during the investigation.8Daytona Beach News-Journal. Former Edgewater Officer Broke Department’s Respect Policy
A Brady/Giglio disclosure listing was also created for Rippeon in connection with the May 10 incident, citing abuse of authority, misconduct, false statements, and use of force.9Giglio-Brady List. Brady Offense – Daniel Rippeon Wert did not return to his job at CVS; his sister Jasmine Wert said he was not fired but “doesn’t feel safe going back to that job” after the “traumatic experience.”10Yahoo News. CVS Worker Whose Controversial Arrest Raising Money for Legal Fees