A Buckeye police officer has been indicted on aggravated assault charges following an independent investigation into two separate use-of-force incidents involving people in custody, according to a statement released Thursday by Buckeye Police Chief Robert Sanders.
Officer Carri Carrico was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury after an investigation conducted by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office at the request of the Buckeye Police Department.
Sanders said he requested the outside investigation in January after concerns arose regarding Carrico’s actions in the two incidents.
“As Chief of Police, I will always stand firm in supporting the men and women of the Buckeye Police Department who honorably serve this community and dedicate their lives to helping people,” Sanders said in the statement. “When an officer betrays community trust and Department values, I have a duty to pursue the facts and take action that is fair and just.”
Carrico is currently on leave without pay while the department’s Professional Standards Unit completes its own administrative investigations into the incidents, according to the statement.
The chief thanked the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for conducting the investigation and emphasized that the actions of one officer should not define the department as a whole.
“To our community, I urge you to judge the Buckeye Police Department not by the conduct of one individual, but by the character and professionalism demonstrated daily by the overwhelming majority of our officers,” Sanders said.
The Buckeye Police Department said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
