A Maricopa officer questioned the Phoenix officer after a witness reported him for erratic driving.

PHOENIX — A Phoenix police officer had his certification suspended Wednesday for lying about an incident that occurred while he was off-duty.

Officer Jose Negron was issued a one-year suspension from the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board for being dishonest when he was questioned about driving through a Maricopa intersection in his personal vehicle. 

According to information presented to the board, Negron activated “red and blue” lights on his car while passing through the intersection in November 2023. A bystander took down the license plate number and reported the officer for erratic driving.

When questioned by a Maricopa police officer, Negron claimed he passed through the intersection on a green light and activated the emergency lights to avoid a collision with a car that was turning. 

Staff told the AZPOST board that surveillance footage contradicted Negron’s statements and apparently showed the intersection’s traffic light to be red.

Negron reportedly admitted to Phoenix police to making untruthful statements to Maricopa police and was given a 40-hour suspension from the agency.

AZPOST has the authority to take action against an officer’s certification for reports of misconduct and reviewed Negron’s case.

Negron said he takes responsibility for his actions and has grown from this experience. 

“Over the past months, I have reflected deeply on how one poor decision can affect the trust placed in every officer,” Negron told the board. “I have taken that lesson to heart, I’ve committed to ensuring that my actions on and off-duty always reflect the integrity this profession demands.”

Negron’s attorney told the board that when he was questioned by the Maricopa officer, Negron was working and distracted by a call he was responding to at the time. When asked about activating the emergency lights, the officer’s attorney told the board he had been distracted by his phone before realizing there was a red light and activated the lights to avoid a possible collision.

During Wednesday’s meeting, board members asked about the presence of emergency lights on an officer’s personal vehicle. 

The installation of the emergency lights was found to not violate department policy nor law, staff told the board, and officers who work off-duty jobs will often install these lights on their cars.

Negron’s one-year suspension begins in November 2025.