Buckeye, Arizona officer accused of beating handcuffed detainees in seperate incidents

Former Officer Carri Carrico

A Buckeye, Arizona police officer was indicted on May 27 after a months-long investigation into two separate use-of-force incidents. Former Buckeye Police Officer Carri Carrico allegedly beat up two people that were in custody and restrained in handcuffs.

Her first victim, back in November, was a 21-year-old woman who was 9-months pregnant. That assault occurred at the police station with few, if any, witnesses present. After that, Carrico was promoted to training officer. Then, two months after the first assault, while training another officer, Carrico beat up a handcuffed man at the Maricopa County Jail, where multiple witnesses observed her behavior.

It was only after the second incident that an investigation into the first case was initiated, presumably by Chief of Police Robert Sanders. During questioning, the officer attributed her violent outbursts to her training kicking in, along with the fact that the public treats officers badly.
It's not as though the first incident wasn't known. It was, but the police department was able to keep a lid on it -- that is until people at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office came forward and reported Carrico's behavior during the second arrest at the jail.

This presents a real leadership problem for City Manager Doug Sandstrom and Mayor Eric Orsborn. It was their job to oversee the police department and they failed miserably.

The bad apples are bad apples because they think they can get away with it. Because they often do. In this instance they not only ignored Carrico’s misconduct, but they rewarded her for it, in essence ratifying her unchecked behavior. That's not a training issue, but one of accountability. It vividly paints a picture of a dangerous culture of fear & secrecy among the rank-and-file. For that, Chief Sanders needs to be terminated.