Phoenix officer accused of threatening Mayor Gallego won’t be charged
Jan 5, 2021, 2:30 PM | Updated: 3:43 pm
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX – The veteran Phoenix police officer accused of threatening to shoot Mayor Kate Gallego in October will not be criminally charged, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office called Officer Steven Poulos’ alleged statements “inexcusable” but said it was unlikely a court would find him guilty of a crime.
“After a thorough review of the facts and evidence in this case, the County Attorney’s Office has determined that it cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Poulos’ statements constituted a ‘true threat’ as defined by Arizona law and the U.S. Constitution,” the office said in a press release.
“While the statements are inexcusable, legal precedent prevents a reasonable likelihood of conviction at trial and therefore, we are declining to file criminal charges in this case.”
Gallego said she was disappointed with the decision.
“The mayor hopes this decision won’t discourage anyone from reporting a threat,” a spokesman for Gallego said in a statement. “It is important to speak up, be heard and be taken seriously.”
The Tempe Police Department conducted a criminal investigation of the incident, and Phoenix’s Professional Standards Bureau launched an internal probe.
According to ABC15, which obtained the Tempe police report, Poulos made the threat in in a briefing room at the Black Mountain Police Precinct.
Poulos allegedly said: “If the mayor defunds the police, I’m going to shoot her” and “That’s a promise,” according to the TV station.
Authorities announced that the threat was being investigated on Oct. 27. Poulos, who wasn’t publicly identified at the time, was assigned to home duty during the investigation.