Mesa PD: Officer Flushed Fetus
Four Officers, Supervisor Placed On Paid Administrative Leave After 2 Separate Incidents
POSTED: 6:07 pm MST June 3,
2009
UPDATED: 10:08 am MST June 4,
2009
MESA, Ariz. -- The Mesa Police Department is investigating two incidents involving misconduct by its officers, including one in which an officer flushed a miscarried fetus down a motel toilet, Chief George Gascon announced Wednesday.During one of the incidents, officers arrived at a Motel 6 on June 1 to find a woman who had miscarried.After discussions about what to do with the 4-inch fetus, a police officer advised that it be discarded by being flushed down the hotel's toilet, Gascon said."There is no question that the fetus needed to be treated differently and it would have been appropriate for the medical examiner to at least have access to that fetus," said Gascon.On May 16, surveillance video captured five-year veteran Officer Nicholas Webster shoving a suspect onto the trunk of his patrol vehicle and then into a chain-linked fence several times."What we see there, it would lead me to believe that it was excessive. You have an individual that is handcuffed, he does not appear to be resisting," Gascon said.The suspect, Sean Okoli, 21, had been arrested for urinating in public and jaywalking.Gascon said Okoli made a complaint three days after the incident, and it was brought to the chief's attention Tuesday afternoon.Gascon said Webster was involved in both incidents.The two incidents involved four Mesa police officers and a supervisor, all of whom have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.Reporters Peter Busch and Omadelle Nelson contributed to this story.
- ELSEWHERE ON KPHO.COM: Summer workers installing a sprinkler system at Mesa's Lindbergh Elementary helped stop an assault on an 8-year-old girl, police say.
Read More: Workers Stop Assault On Girl, 8 - MORE SLIDESHOWS: From the bizarre to the tragic to breaking news, visit the KPHO.com slideshow section and click away!
Copyright 2009 by KPHO.com. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
