PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano terminated a sergeant Wednesday in a move experts say sends a clear message about accountability as the department works to rebuild community trust.
Giordano fired Sgt. Dusten Mullen after he showed up armed and masked to an immigration protest at a Chandler high school and told officers he planned to provoke students into assaulting him.
This is the first high-profile termination under Giordano since he took over the department last summer following a national search.
Giordano called Mullen’s actions during the January student walkout “serious” and a threat to community trust.
“Community trust is not something we are owed; it’s something we earn every day,” Giordano said in a statement.
Expert: Chief’s decision sends clear signal
Former Arizona police chief and law enforcement expert Stan Kephart said the firing sends a message both inside the department and to the public.
“He’s a sergeant. He’s a supervisor. He’s the one that is looked to by his peers,” Kephart said.
“I think that the actual behavior and conduct of the chief is spot on. I would have done the same thing,” Kephart said.
Kephart said for a department under scrutiny, the chief has to act.
“I think the chief is sending that message and I think it’s loud and clear. And quite frankly, I applaud him for doing his job,” Kephart said.
What happened at the protest
Chandler police reports say Mullen showed up off-duty, armed and wearing a face covering during a protest featuring Hamilton High School students over immigration policies.
“My plan is legitimately to let them all assault me and you guys arrest them all and I will keep it on film. I also have other people filming from distance,” Mullen said, according to body camera footage.
“The intention was clear. He was there, he was armed. And so that violates policy along with the intent to have others attack him,” Kephart said.
Department under federal scrutiny
The firing comes as Phoenix police continue facing pressure after the Justice Department’s yearslong report listing excessive force, unlawful detentions and discrimination against minority communities, protesters and people experiencing homelessness.
Giordano was sworn in last August. He has said rebuilding trust is central to his leadership.
Giordano has repeatedly said his priorities are transparency, community trust and accountability, especially after the Justice Department found a pattern of civil rights violations and accountability failures inside Phoenix police.
“When you come in and you put your foot down and say, no, there’s an emotional reaction on the part of the people that receive the discipline,” Kephart said.
Mullen’s attorney disputes the investigation, saying Mullen was exercising his First Amendment rights and did not incite violence.
Mullen has filed an emergency motion in federal court trying to block his termination.
The Arizona Conference of Police and Sheriffs argues the discipline was based on protected off-duty speech and a sloppy internal investigation.
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