PHOENIX — One of the most nomadic cops in Arizona has finally lost his license to be a police officer in the state.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board unanimously voted to revoke the certification of Joel Christian Ensley at its August meeting.
The vote came after an administrative law judge denied Ensley’s challenge to the board’s case against him.
“The public expects peace officers to use force only when required, to be truthful, and to properly exercise their power,” Judge Tammy Eigenheer wrote in her decision. “Thus, (Ensley’s) conduct jeopardized public trust in the law enforcement profession.”
FULL DISCLOSURE: INVESTIGATING ARIZONA’S BRADY LISTS
The decision to revoke Ensley’s certification was based on his actions on March 11, 2017.
The state’s case against Ensley came after ABC15 aired body camera footage from two of Ensley’s arrests from that date.
The videos and corresponding records reveal Ensley unnecessarily escalated his use of force, threatened witnesses, and wrote clearly false statements in his reports documenting the arrests.
An attorney for one of the men arrested by Ensley alleges the officer’s actions could be criminal, according to a notice of claim.
In August 2020, an ABC15 investigation examined how Superior Police had been filled with dishonest and criminal officers on county “Brady” lists, which prosecutors use to track officers with integrity issues that need to be disclosed in criminal cases.
The station’s report revealed how officers can often escape lasting accountability through gaps in mandatory reporting to county prosecutors and AZPOST.
AZPOST is the board that certifies state police officers and has the power to suspend or revoke an officer’s license to work.
Ensley resigned from the Superior Police Department the month after ABC15’s report.
According to personnel records, Ensley worked in at least six Arizona police departments, where he either failed to meet standards, resigned under investigation, or got fired for dishonesty.
In 2010, he underwent a psychological evaluation that noted, “he may be a poor candidate due to his moral self-righteousness, possible adjustment challenges, may be overly sensitive to criticism, and may be rigid and inflexible in his thinking.”
Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com.
