A scandal has erupted and three Arizona cops have stood down amid allegations they forced a man to eat weed they found in his car so he could avoid getting arrested.
“Their actions are appalling and unacceptable. This conduct is against everything that we stand for,” said Chief Joseph Yahner at a press day last week, reports AP.
A 19-year-old Phoenix man – who was stopped for a traffic violation at 3.30am earlier in September – alleges the officers demanded he eat the gram of dope he had in his car, or face going to jail.
He was then issued a citation and still had his car towed, and later reported feeling ill after ingesting the dope.
The officers – Richard Pina, Jason McFadden and Michael Carnicle – are being investigated for criminal charges. A fourth officer was demoted for not reporting the incident.
“I was going to fire them,” said Yahner. “They chose to resign.”
