Let me start off by saying this one is weird!
As I watched the body worn camera footage from the deputies and detectives, as I looked at the scene photos (the ones that were not redacted), and as I read all of the police reports from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the Tucson Police Department, I could not help but to think about what I would do if I were in this situation.
I hate to even think about it but if I were notified of the brutal assault of my better half, the first thing I would do is call the police so they could find out who did it. It would be dangerously close to impossible but I would allow the officers or deputies hunt this person down and bring them to justice. This would be difficult because my instincts would be to find the coward who committed this assault and beat them to a bloody mess. I would consider it a failure on my part if my wife’s attacker did not need an emergency room visit on their way to jail.
The LAST thing I would do is refer to this brutal, albeit hypothetical, assault as a private matter or a family matter.
**This rant will make more sense when we post the reports, photos, and body worn camera footage.**
Let's get started...
This incident involves the spouse of a Tucson PD commander who was the victim of aggravated assault. The victim suffered a laceration on her forehead that required 50 stitches to close! The victim refused to talk to sheriff's deputies and she refused to talk to Tucson Police Officers who responded to the hospital. So who did it????
Again, this one is weird. I have the report completed by deputies and detectives from the Pima County Sheriff's Office, I have the crime scene photos (that are mostly redacted), and I have the body worn camera footage for the deputies and the detectives who investigated this incident. I also have the police report from the Tucson Police Department which is not much different from the PCSO report.
After reading these reports and reviewing the body worn camera footage, I am left with a ton of questions. Until I get a little more information, I wont be dropping the names of the people involved but I will advise you of where we are so far.
Here's what we know...
On 7/20/2024, personnel from the Tucson Police Department and the Pima County Sheriff's Office responded to a hospital in the county reference the assault of the wife of a Tucson PD Lieutenant. The victim told medical staff she "was assaulted just after midnight this morning at Speedway and Silverbell and she knows who did it."
The victim's injuries were extensive and included
- a laceration on her forehead that required 50 stitches to close
- 3 "significant slash wounds to her face"
- "both of her eyes were bruised and swollen along with her lip"
- "her right hand had significant swelling and was black and blue as well."
- "both of her arms had significant bruising consistent with a physical altercation."
Personnel from the PCSO followed up at the victim's residence and located blood on the bed and on the bathroom floor. Some people in law enforcement would call that the "scene." Normally, when a scene is discovered it is locked down and detectives are called and the scene is investigated. If necessary, a warrant is requested/ served. That did not happen here. Again, the victim was uncooperative but it is unclear why a warrant was not called in to properly investigate this felony crime.
The report prepared by PCSO deputies have an active duty lieutenant with the Tucson Police Department listed as the one and only suspect. The victim in this case is absolutely set on not cooperating with the investigation and she is well within her rights to do that on the criminal side. But what about the administrative side? Doesn't the Tucson Police Department have the obligation to investigate this lieutenant for the "off-duty felony" that was committed? I believe they do. The Office of “Professional” Standards is NOT known for being fair even though “Fairness” is a core value of the Tucson Police Department. Please compare what you just read to these little nuggets…
-A Tucson Police Officer got into an argument with his live-in girlfriend, who was also a Tucson Police Officer. Out of frustration, the male officer punched a hole in his own wall. The girlfriend contacted her sergeant who called the Office of “Professional” Standards. The Rat Squad sprung into action and served a search warrant on the male officer’s house. Ultimately, he was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence charges.
-An executive level commander was dry-firing in her home and had an accidental/ negligent discharge. The round went through her wall and through the exterior wall of the next door neighbor’s house. Fortunately, the house next door was vacant.
*Let’s stop right here. We are not bringing this up to shame anyone. We are bringing this up to show the difference in how investigations headed up by Tucson PD’s Rat Squad are handled depending on who is involved. Accidental discharges can and do happen to many, many people who are rock solid cops.
*Steps off soap box…
The Tucson PD Rat Squad jumped into action and responded to the commander’s house in Marana. They began their internal/ administrative investigation. When personnel from the Marana Police Department showed to investigate this incident, which at the time, was a criminal investigation, Marana PD cops were told by a Tucson PD captain that they were almost done with their administrative investigation and the Marana PD personnel could start when the Rat Squad was done.
I will take a minute to criticize the way this was handled by pointing out that it took over an hour to confirm that no one was struck by the round fired into the neighbor’s house. Yes, the house was vacant, but was there a contractor or a realtor working in the house at that time? No, there was not. That was confirmed…an hour later.
So, I'll repeat my question, why wasn’t a warrant served on this crime scene involving felony aggravated assault (potentially domestic violence)?
Here's another thing I found to be...curious? I requested the history sheet from the Office of "Professional" Standards for this Tucson PD lieutenant on August 4, 2024. As of Today (November 14, 2024), my request has not been fulfilled. I have followed up with a text message to OPS on November 4, 2024 and I emailed a couple people with OPS and the ELT on November 10, 2024. We're still waiting...
**UPDATE**
On November 14, 2024 (RIGHT AFTER the post above was written), we received the OPS history sheet for the lieutenant. The latest discipline was 10 years ago, almost to the day.
Let's take a look at that for a sec. I know a guy who was a Tucson PD officer in 2006. This officer was circulating in the area for a burglary suspect when he came across a tweaker on a bike. The tweaker had no ID and he had a difficult time keeping track of his fake names and dates of birth. This officer put the tweaker in handcuffs. This obviously upset said tweaker and he began to thrash around. The officer put the tweaker on the hood and allowed him to think about his actions. The tweaker claimed the officer had injured his shoulder. Being a tweaker, he was able to wiggle his shirt to the side to expose what appeared to be a seriously injured shoulder. The Tweaker was transported to a medical facility where the doctor took one look at the tweaker and said "what's his problem?" The officer explained that the tweaker had an injured shoulder and the officer showed the shoulder to the doctor. The doctor, thoroughly unimpressed, told the officer that the tweaker's shoulder "always looks like that." The doctor explained to the officer that the shoulder was deformed, not injured. The doctor then said, "get him out of here, what do you want me to sign?" The tweaker was then transported for the multiple charges to include a parole revocation warrant issued by the Arizona Department of Corrections.
What the hell is the point you ask? If you look at that officer's OPS sheet, you'll see an entry for an "On Duty Felony." OPS looked into this little incident even though there was NO COMPLAINT made by anyone and there was NO INJURY to the tweaker. Unfortunately for this officer, the incident you just read about occurred between two other incidents investigated by the Rat Squad. So here we are, almost 20 years later, and that officer still has an "On Duty Felony" on his OPS history despite the fact that there was literally nothing to it.
My question is, if the detectives from PCSO have officially listed this lieutenant as a "SUSPECT" in a domestic violence aggravated assault investigation, the alibi the lieutenant provided did NOT hold up, and her chain of command was aware of the investigation from the beginning, how is this investigation NOT on her OPS history sheet??? Is it because the investigation is on going? Is it because this investigation is going to be changed from criminal to administrative?
I wish I knew. What I can tell you, wish absolute certainty, is when a member of the Tucson Police Department is the suspect in a felony investigation, that member will be placed on "imposed leave." Their firearms, department issued IDs, and badges, will be taken from the member, sometimes it will happen in their own kitchen, in front of their spouse and children, less than a month before Christmas. I wonder what is different about this one...
I will stay on top of this one because it sounds like there is an attempt to sweep this under the rug.
When I know, you'll know. As always, I appreciate you stopping by!
-Mr. James Voss
Tucsonscorruptleadership
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