Dravon Ames (2019)

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Overview

On May 27, 2019, Phoenix Arizona Police Department Officer Christopher Meyer and an unnamed officer stopped Ames' vehicle after it left the scene of a shoplifting incident. Meyer removed Ames from the vehicle at gunpoint. After handcuffing Ames and leaning him against the vehicle, Meyer swept his leg and shouted obscenities at him. The other officer removed Ames' wife and children from the vehicle, also at gunpoint.[1]

Both Ames and his wife were handcuffed and detained, but were not arrested.[1] Ames was given a traffic citation for driving on a suspended license.[2]

Meyer was placed "on a non-enforcement assignment" while the second officer remained on patrol.[1]

On June 12, 2019, Ames announced plans to sue the department for $10 million for violating the family's civil rights and for injuries received by Ames and one of the children.[2]

On July 3, 2019, Tempe Arizona police released body-worn camera footage of Ames' arrest in October 2018 for two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and DUI. Ames claimed the release was part of a smear campaign against him.[3]

In August 2020, the City of Phoenix settled the incident with the family for $500,000.[4]

In 2020, the department's disciplinary review board recommended that Meyer receive a six-week unpaid suspension. The Chief chose to fire Meyer. The second officer received a written reprimand.[5]

In 2020, the city’s Civil Service Board upheld Meyer’s termination.[6]

Meyer appealed the decision to fire him.[7]

In 2021, the city's Civil Service Board upheld Meyer's termination, finding that he had been "incompetent or inefficient" as well as "abusive or threatening".[8]

Video

Part of the incident was captured on cell phone video.[9]

A second cell phone video was also posted.[10]

At the time of the incident, not all officers in the department had body-worn cameras.[11]

Officers Involved


Official Reports

Additional Sources

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Zach Crenshaw, Phoenix police investigating officers caught sweeping handcuffed man's leg and pointing gun at car with children inside, ABC 15, 2019-06-11
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 $10M claim says Phoenix police violated family's rights, ABC 15, 2019-06-14
  3. ↑ BrieAnna J. Frank, Phoenix couple in viral police video criticizes release of Tempe DUI video, azcentral, 2019-07-04
  4. ↑ Melissa Blasius, Phoenix council approves $475,000 civil rights abuse settlement, ABC 15, 2020-08-26
  5. ↑ Phoenix officer in Dravon Ames viral shoplifting incident to be fired, police chief confirms, ABC 15, 2019-10-22
  6. ↑ Phoenix cop fired after threatening couple wants job back, AP News, 2021-04-25
  7. ↑ Zach Crenshaw, Former Phoenix officer continuing to appeal firing, after viral leg sweep and violent threats, ABC 15, 2021-04-19
  8. ↑ Zach Crenshaw, Former Phoenix officer's final appeal denied, after viral leg sweep and violent threats, ABC 15, 2021-11-01
  9. ↑ Family seeks $10 million after they say Phoenix police pointed gun at their children, AZ Central, 2019-06-13
  10. ↑ Cell phone video, twitter.com, 2019-06-12
  11. ↑ Zach Crenshaw, Phoenix police report differs from witness videos of viral incident, ABC 15, 2019-06-14

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