Buckeye police officer disciplined for on-duty kiss with firefighter

A Buckeye police officer received a written reprimand after internal investigators confirmed she kissed a city firefighter while on duty, in uniform and parked outside a local elementary school for nearly an hour combined last summer.  

Officer Robin Brown was formally disciplined Feb. 10 following an internal affairs investigation into an anonymous tip submitted to the Buckeye Police Department in November. The complaint alleged Brown engaged in sex acts with Buckeye firefighter Ryan Clark around Aug. 11 in the parking lot of the Buckeye Elementary School District office on West Durango Street, according to city records obtained by InBuckeye. 

Investigators later determined the incident took place Aug. 16 and used Brown’s patrol vehicle GPS logs to piece together her movements. The automated vehicle location system indicated that she was parked at the school district lot for approximately 33 minutes, then left for a brief service call. She subsequently returned to the same lot for an additional 25 minutes. In total, she spent 58 minutes at the site in two visits, according to the logs. 

Notably, Brown was logged as being on her lunch break between 9:36 p.m. and 10:14 p.m. while her patrol vehicle was parked at the Buckeye Elementary School District parking lot, according to AVL data. Investigators noted this overlap for part of the encounter, as a point of concern in reporting and transparency in the 119‑page internal investigation report released to InBuckeye. 

In her interview with internal affairs, Brown admitted sharing a kiss with, Clark for about two minutes. She denied any further sexual contact and claimed she didn’t initiate the kiss, though she reportedly acknowledged she should have stopped it sooner. 

“I knew that it wasn’t right to be talking with him,” Brown said. “Obviously, I’m married.” 

Brown claimed she did not tell anyone about the affair and speculated that Clark himself submitted the complaint out of retaliation. InBuckeye contacted the Buckeye Fire Department for comment from Clark or leadership, but they chose not to respond.

“It had to have come from him, um, trying to, I don’t know, get back at me,” she said, according to transcripts, “Or he told somebody else that that happened.” 

“This is your first Level 3 sustained violation,” reads the official Notice of Discipline, signed by Buckeye Police Chief Robert Sanders. “Your decision-making did not meet department and community expectations.” 

The sustained violation was classified under “unsatisfactory work performance.” Findings included inattention, improper conduct while on duty and poor judgment. Brown received a written reprimand, which warns that any future violations may result in termination. She signed the notice acknowledging receipt in February. Because the action is a higher-level violation, it is not subject to appeal under the city’s personnel rules, according to private internal policies. 

A second officer, Carri Carrico, briefly observed Brown with a man in the parking lot that evening. Carrico said the interaction “looked weird,” but left quickly and didn’t witness any physical contact. Brown later told her they were “just talking.” 

The Buckeye Fire Department has not confirmed whether Clark faced any disciplinary action related to the incident. Clark was off duty at the time of the rendezvous, according to the report. 

"The Buckeye Police Department holds its officers to the highest standards," the department said in a statement to InBuckeye. "When the department received an anonymous complaint about officer misconduct, an administrative investigation was launched to determine the facts. That investigation revealed no evidence to support the very serious allegation of sexual conduct on duty. 

“It was determined, however, that the officer’s actions fell short of meeting expectations by this department and our community,” the statement continued. “Based on the findings, the officer received a letter of reprimand for unsatisfactory work performance. This was the result of a process focused on facts, fairness and accountability. The Buckeye Police Department is committed to service with integrity and a deep respect for public trust." 

A copy of the internal affairs report can be found here.