Phoenix cop fired after threatening couple wants job back

PHOENIX — A former Phoenix police officer, who was fired in 2019 after threatening to shoot a married couple in front of their kids following a traffic stop, is trying to get his job back.

Lawyers for Christopher Meyer have filed another complaint alleging city officials are ignoring evidence in the case.

The 24-year police veteran also wants back pay, according to Phoenix TV station ABC15. A judge could make a ruling at the end of this month.

Meyer is accused of using vulgar language to threaten a man and his pregnant fiancee and their two children after making a traffic stop following an alleged shoplifting and failure to stop incident.

The city settled the incident with Dravon Ames and his family for $500,000 in August 2020, according to ABC15.

The TV station also reports that it was recommended Meyer receive a six-week suspension, but Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said she made the decision to fire him because “the trust was eroded and tarnished the brand” of the department.

Meyer’s attorneys said the city is ignoring evidence in the case and the internal recommendations for a suspension.

In the complaint, Meyer’s attorneys criticize Williams for talking to the media before the investigation.

The city’s Civil Service Board upheld Meyer’s termination in 2020 with Phoenix officials saying the decision was supported by evidence.

If Meyer wins his complaint and gets his job back, he would then face a hearing by Arizona POST, which oversees officer’s certifications, to discuss the case.

If he loses that hearing, he could potentially be stripped of his certification and banned from Arizona law enforcement.

Dante Patterson is watching Meyer’s appeals closely.

A year before Meyer pointed his gun at Ames and his family, he allegedly pepper-sprayed Patterson while working security at a Phoenix amusement park.

Patterson said race “did play a factor, because it’s a pattern. You can’t ignore patterns.”

With young Black men, Patterson told ABC15 it seems “like he has a lower tolerance level with them.”

Patterson said he thinks about Meyer every day and believes if he got his job back, it would send a clear message to the community.

“The message would be that officers are untouchable,” Patterson said. “If he were to appeal his job multiple times and not get it back, but is actually able to get it back after appealing for a third time … The average man can’t do that. But a police officer who can affect multiple people’s lives can do that.”