PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
This is the first high-profile termination under Giordano since he took over the department last summer following a national search.<\/p>\n
Giordano called Mullen\u2019s actions during the January student walkout \u201cserious\u201d and a threat to community trust.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity trust is not something we are owed; it\u2019s something we earn every day,\u201d Giordano said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Expert: Chief\u2019s decision sends clear signal<\/p>\n
Former Arizona police chief and law enforcement expert Stan Kephart said the firing sends a message both inside the department and to the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a sergeant. He\u2019s a supervisor. He\u2019s the one that is looked to by his peers,\u201d Kephart said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that the actual behavior and conduct of the chief is spot on. I would have done the same thing,\u201d Kephart said.<\/p>\n
Kephart said for a department under scrutiny, the chief has to act.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the chief is sending that message and I think it\u2019s loud and clear. And quite frankly, I applaud him for doing his job,\u201d Kephart said.<\/p>\n
What happened at the protest<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy 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,\u201d Mullen said, according to body camera footage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe intention was clear. He was there, he was armed. And so that violates policy along with the intent to have others attack him,\u201d Kephart said.<\/p>\n
Department under federal scrutiny<\/p>\n
The firing comes as Phoenix police continue facing pressure after the Justice Department\u2019s yearslong report listing excessive force, unlawful detentions and discrimination against minority communities, protesters and people experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n
Giordano was sworn in last August. He has said rebuilding trust is central to his leadership.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you come in and you put your foot down and say, no, there\u2019s an emotional reaction on the part of the people that receive the discipline,\u201d Kephart said.<\/p>\n
Mullen\u2019s attorney disputes the investigation, saying Mullen was exercising his First Amendment rights and did not incite violence.<\/p>\n
Mullen has filed an emergency motion in federal court trying to block his termination.<\/p>\n
The Arizona Conference of Police and Sheriffs argues the discipline was based on protected off-duty speech and a sloppy internal investigation.<\/p>\n
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