State officials weigh in on Glendale Police use of taser controversy
PHOENIX (AP/FOX 10) -- Governor Doug Ducey says an excessive force investigation into police in a Phoenix suburb seems to have been "whitewashed" and should be reopened.
The comments were an extremely rare rebuke of the police and prosecutors for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.
Ducey was reacting to body-camera video showing Glendale police officers repeatedly shooting a handcuffed man with a stun gun. Johnny Wheatcroft has filed a lawsuit saying one officer kicked him in the groin while another stunned him in the testicles during the July 2017 encounter.
Maricopa County prosecutors declined to file charges. One officer was suspended for three days.
On Monday, Sgt. John Roth with the department said he wanted to give members of the media all the information, but refused to allow cameras inside to show a dozen reporters four different videos of the incident. City Council members, during a meeting Tuesday, refused to talk about the issue.
Ducey says prosecutors should "get to the bottom of what happened and hold people accountable."
On Wednesday afternoon, officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office say they have sent materials connected to the incident to the FBI.
"After having personally reviewed all available video evidence, I have determined further investigation is warranted. In order to ensure the public's confidence in any future determination of whether the use of force was lawful, review by an uninvolved agency is appropriate," wrote Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, in a statement.
In a statement released Wednesday evening, Glendale city officials say they have already been in communication with the FBI on Monday, and was preparing to send all documents and video associated with the incident. In the same statement, city officials also accused the plaintiffs of asking the city to settle the case for $15 million, prior to the plaintiffs "shopping their story to the media".
The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.