A police lieutenant in a northern Arizona city has been fired following an ABC15 Investigation.
The Williams City Manager said Lieutenant John Romero was terminated from the department on April 9, while a criminal investigation into his actions remains ongoing.
Newly hired Williams Police Chief James Gregory said on Wednesday that Romero was fired because of the arrest of Brian Lopez in October 2022.
It comes a month after Romero was placed on paid administrative leave in connection with that violent arrest.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is handling the investigation into Romero.
Questions were raised about the high-ranking lieutenant’s use of force during Lopez’s arrest in an ABC15 report last year.
City Manager Tim Petit said the investigation was launched at the city’s request after additional information was inadvertently discovered by the new police chief during introduction meetings with his staff.
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ABC15’s investigation focused on what was captured on police body camera video during Lopez’s arrest.
Lopez was arrested for allegedly stealing a can of beer from a local gas station.
Shortly after another officer placed Lopez in handcuffs, the body camera video shows Lt. Romero’s hand appearing, unannounced, on his back.
Romero takes Lopez to the ground while he’s in handcuffs, causing a major head injury.
According to the police report, Lt. Romero justified his actions by saying that Lopez was resisting arrest.
Former officers involved in the arrest and the family of the injured man disagreed.
Previous reviews of Romero’s actions by the former Williams police chief and an outside agency cleared him of any wrongdoing.
