The Tempe police sergeant investigating the July 19 arrest of a Black Arizona State University student who was punched by an officer previously served a suspension tied to his supervision of an officer accused of excessive force in separate incidents involving Black men.
Sgt. Kevin Ameiss was disciplined in 2020 because of "supervisory concerns," Tempe police confirmed to The Arizona Republic. The agency also confirmed Ameiss is now investigating a use-of-force incident against Eryn Bonner, a 21-year-old senior at Arizona State University.
"To ensure the circumstances are accurately characterized, that discipline was based on overall supervisory concerns not specific to that incident" in 2020, an unnamed Tempe police spokesperson said.
Ameiss'
suspension came on the heels of two separate incidents in which an officer was accused of using excessive force against unarmed Black men.
Ameiss oversaw that officer, Ronald Kerzaya, at the time.
The case he now investigates stems from a brawl with police in the early morning of July 19 after a man she was with attacked another person standing on the curb outside CASA on Mill Avenue.
During the fight, Bonner was pushed to the ground twice after officers yelled at her to "get back." An unidentified officer then tried to restrain her, and both fell over a bike. The officer punched her in the face as she "flailed," yelled "profanities at police," and refused to follow commands, according to court records.
The officers in the fight have not been publicly identified.
Tempe police added that a lieutenant is overseeing Ameiss' investigation and that the investigation "will be evaluated through several layers to include internal affairs, chain of command, training unit, and potentially an independent use of force expert."
'The fox guarding the hen house,' lawyer says
When Ameiss contacted Bonner and other witnesses, her attorney, Benjamin Taylor, was quick to make the connection to the 2020 suspension.
"Why would you assign it to the same guy who has similar discipline issues and similar cases like this?" Taylor said of the investigation.
In June 2019, Kerzaya used a stun gun on an unarmed Black man who was holding his 1-year-old child in his own home. Then, in August 2020, he pointed his gun at a Black hotel employee, despite being told the suspect he was pursuing was White.
According to previous reporting, Ameiss was suspended for one week because he was found to have "not properly advised Kerzaya or managed the scene at the hotel."
Taylor called for Ameiss to be removed from the investigation and for the investigation to be sent to an outside agency.
"It's the fox guarding the hen house," he said. "That is why an outside investigation is needed."
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined to pursue felony charges in the days after the fight went viral on social media. Tempe is still pursuing misdemeanor charges against Bonner.
Lauren De Young covers transportation and the cities of Tempe and Chandler for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at ldeyoung@azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mill Avenue use-of-force probe led by sergeant with prior discipline
