Mesa Police Department recommends officer charged with murder be fired
Mar 15, 2016, 5:23 PM | Updated: 7:50 pm
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PHOENIX — A Phoenix-area police department has recommended an officer charged with murder be fired, it was announced Tuesday.
The Mesa Police Department said it recommended Officer Philip Brailsford be fired because of the second-degree murder charge he faces along with inappropriate etchings on his service AR-15 rifle.
“The department police is clear: No modifications of any kind is permitted on service weapons,” a release from the department read.
Brailsford’s case will be decided at a hearing. If he is dismissed from the force, he can appeal the decision.
Brailsford was placed on supervised leave in his murder case on Tuesday. He is barred from possessing a weapon.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sam Myers said pretrial release conditions are not meant to punish people charged with crimes but are intended to ensure their appearance in court in the future. The judge said Brailsford posed no risk of skipping out.
The 25-year-old officer pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the Jan. 18 shooting death of Shaver, who was from Granbury, Texas.
Brailsford’s attorney, Craig Mehrens, told the judge that his client has strong ties to the community, has no prior criminal record and doesn’t pose a danger to the community.
“There is no reason to believe that my client will not respond to this summons or any release conditions,” Mehrens said.
Marc Victor, an attorney representing Shaver’s widow, said it looks as though the officer was being treated differently than any other person facing a murder charge.
“The victim wants Officer Brailsford treated like everyone else,” Victor said as he asked for a six-figure bond.
Victor filed a notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, seeking $35 million in Shaver’s death. The couple had two daughters, ages 6 and 3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.