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The city of Glendale has settled a year-long federal lawsuit against police officers who fabricated a turn signal violation, unlawfully threatened a passenger with jail, and then tasered him nearly a dozen times.

The terms of the city’s settlement with Johnny Wheatcroft and his children are confidential and will be finalized after approval by a probate judge, according to court records.

After a series of emails asking for comment, Glendale officials wrote: “We will not be making any further comment on this case, now or in the future.”

A spokesman would not tell ABC15 the amount of the payout, the amount spent on litigation in the case, or explain the remaining steps for the city to complete the settlement.

“This case has not been settled through all necessary channels. Once it’s officially settled and you’ve filed a request for public records, our office of town clerk can provide what our legal advisors are providing to us at that time,” said Derek Diesner, Glendale’s media relations coordinator.

Outside counsel for Glendale aggressively tried the case, and Wheatcroft’s claims survived motions for summary judgment and dismissal.

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According to records, an agreement was reached after a conciliation hearing at the end of September.

One of the officers involved, Matthew Schneider, is currently facing multiple charges of aggravated assault and is due to appear in court next year.

In July 2017, Schneider and other officers repeatedly tasered Johnny Wheatcroft, the passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over for allegedly violating a turn signal.

Wheatcroft was tasered 11 times in front of his two children.

Schneider provided the finishing touches to a handcuffed Wheatcroft by pulling down his shorts and, according to his lament, stunned him in the testicles.

In February 2019, ABC15 released body camera video of the disturbing incident and it immediately drew national attention and outrage.

The surveillance video also showed that Schneider lied about witnessing the alleged turn signal violation, experts said.

Several independent law enforcement experts investigating the incident said Schneider’s conduct was unlawful and one of the most gruesome and disturbing cases of police misconduct they have seen.

Without public disclosure, the case would not have been further criminally investigated.

The Arizona Attorney’s Office referred the case from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in June 2020. Under former District Attorney Bill Montgomery, MCAO initially declined to press charges against Schneider in 2017.

But the business day after ABC15’s initial 2019 report, the FBI launched a criminal investigation into the matter.

After the FBI began its investigation, an MCAO spokesman said federal agents asked the bureau if it would reevaluate the case for state-level indictments.

In 2020, former district attorney Allister Adel declared a conflict and had the case escalated to the AG’s office. A spokesman said Schneider once coached Adel’s sons in Little League.

At the time of the incident, Glendale was conducting an internal investigation into the case and suspended Schneider for three days.

Schneider, who was one of Glendale’s top arrest leaders, was suspended or disciplined by the city on at least six occasions, according to his personnel file. The problems range from excessive violence in the Wheatcroft incident to ongoing workplace harassment against an officer in his unit.

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Schneider is no longer in office.

In March 2020, the City of Glendale Pensions Committee approved Schneider’s early retirement on an accidental disability claim. Details of the nature of his disability are confidential.