Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
Parker’s former Chief of Police Rod Mendoza has lost his certification by POST, the Arizona police officers’ certification authority.
Mendoza resigned his position in mid-December almost 4 months after being placed on paid administrative leave in relation to accusations of harassment from the wife of a subordinate police officer.
Lorrie Thompson alleged in July 2013 that Mendoza was sexually harassing her, including by text message, by phone and in person. Mendoza fought the injunction against him in court and won, getting it dismissed for “lack of evidence”. He was placed on leave by the Parker Town Council in August.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety conducted an investigation into the allegations, concluding with a request to the Mohave County Attorney’s Office that charges be filed for tampering with evidence, a request the County Attorney did not pursue citing lack of evidence.
Mendoza reportedly agreed to relinquish his POST certification this week, meaning he cannot accept any police positions in the state of Arizona.
THIS IS ARIZONA. ABUSE THHE BADGE,LOSE THE BADGE.
The Injunction hearing was a complete farce, the judge violated the Arizona Rules of Protective Procedure as he wouldn’t let my attorney present my side or evidence. So “lack of evidence” isn’t why that hearing went the way it did. The Arizona Judicial Commission apparently doesn’t know what the Rules of Protective Procedure are either, as they handed out no discipline to the judge in that case. Mendoza presented the document that proved to be his undoing in court that day so, of course he won that hearing. As for the Mohave County Attorney’s Office, they are just unwilling to prosecute. The Department of Public Safety more than proved there was enough evidence but, seemingly like all of this state’s county attorney’s offices, it appears like they only take the cases that will make them look good. The law be damned.
The legal system in Arizona is in need of an overhaul. As we come up on the 1st anniversary of Evander Page’s death, that is even that much more glaringly apparent. So sad…