A fired Tempe police commander accused of leaking information in a controversial arrest of an out-of-state police officer could lose his peace officer certification after the agency that licenses law enforcement in Arizona voted to initiate proceedings against him earlier this month.
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The Tempe Police Department fired Rashidi S. Johnson in Sept. 2025 after it investigated him for leaking sensitive information about the arrest of Jalen Woods, a Chicago police officer suing Tempe over what he called his racially motivated arrest. The department accused Johnson of lying about his communications outside of the department’s official channels during its internal investigation.
In its September meeting, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, also known as AZPOST, voted to begin disciplinary proceedings against Johnson. After his termination, Johnson accused Tempe of using police data to harass the city’s homeless population, an accusation that an investigation found to be unfounded. He filed a notice of claim against the department and accused them of racial discrimination. He also appealed his firing and lost. Now, after the September vote by the AZPOST board, he could lose his license as well or have it suspended.
The 12-member board, which includes Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry Director Ryan Thornell, and representatives from multiple sheriff’s and police agencies around the state, is one of the few agencies with the authority to discipline law enforcement in Arizona. Last year it disciplined 42 former and current officers using information from investigations conducted by their respective agencies and analyzed by AZPOST staff.
It also considers petitions from police agencies that want to hire someone whose background disqualifies them from becoming a certified peace officer in Arizona.
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The board heard six other cases in the September meeting. It voted to revoke the peace officer certification of Brian L. Sutton, a former Prescott police officer. Sutton was found guilty of manslaughter in Yavapai County in a rare prosecution for a June 8, 2024 officer-involved shooting. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and, because he was convicted of a felony, lost his certification.
The board voted to initiate proceedings into speed demon Teryn M.D. Shaw, a former Graham County sheriff’s deputy, after an anonymous citizen wrote a letter to the editor of the Gila Herald about his reckless driving, complete with photographic proof of his patrol vehicle. Shaw told a sergeant he was the deputy in the letter. A GPS audit of his vehicle found that Shaw drove criminally fast—more than 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit—977 times. In 421 of the speeding incidents, he drove over 90 miles per hour, reaching a peak speed of 124 miles per hour on one occasion. He was charged with three misdemeanors and resigned from the department. He agreed to a plea agreement that reduced the charges to a civil offense.
The board voted to discuss how to discipline Omauri T. Patrick, a former Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy, at a future meeting after it was divided over how to handle his case. Patrick was caught lying about working 27.25 hours of overtime in a week when he was supposed to be in a 40-hour training. MCSO then discovered that he hadn’t even attended the training and that he lied to investigators about being given permission to work from home that week. He resigned from MCSO and did not respond to AZPOST notices about his case. However, AZPOST staff also could not confirm that he received them. Staff originally proposed a 12-month suspension, but some board members felt it should be harsher because he may have ignored the board. Some on the board also felt it should consider his possible criminal behavior when he lied about working overtime, even though MCSO did not press criminal charges.
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The board also took action against three other officers.
- Former Gila River police officer Frank Reynoso received an 18-month suspension of his peace officer certification from the board because he poured approximately six ounces of malt liquor down the throat of a handcuffed man at the man’s request. Reynoso knew the man from previous interactions and was part of a team of officers detaining him to take him for a mental health evaluation.
- Edward C. Trigloff, a former Pinal County Sheriff’s deputy, admitted to stealing evidence during a polygraph exam when applying to be an officer at the Queen Creek Police Department. Trigloff admitted to stealing around 100 rounds of ammunition — “two handfuls,” the AZPOST compliance officer quoted him as saying — from a shots fired call. He was charged with theft, but the case was dismissed after he completed a life skills program. PCSO suspended him for 80 hours. The AZPOST board voted to initiate disciplinary proceedings.
- Hugo A. Guillen-Ruiz, a former Phoenix police recruit, lasted three days in the academy before being dismissed for lying about the timing of a doctor’s appointment. The board voted to initiate proceedings to deny his peace officer certification.