FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Detective Greg Bacon

MEDIA RELEASE Tempe Police Department
(480) 858-6169
Tempe Police Department greg_bacon@tempe.gov
September 02, 2020
On August 29, 2020, Tempe Police Officers responded to the Hawthorn Suites located at
2301 E Southern Ave in regards to a call for service generated by the manager of the hotel.
Tempe Police Officer Kerzaya responded to the scene where he met with the manager and
was advised that a male pointed a gun at an employee of the hotel. The manager then
provided the officer with a description of the suspect as well as the last known location. The
manager indicated the suspect, as seen on video surveillance cameras, was possibly going
to be exiting the west exterior door of the hotel.

The manager described the suspect as a Caucasian male wearing a black shirt and tan
pants. Officer Kerzaya responded to the area in an attempt to contact the suspect. A few
minutes later, an African-American male exited the west door and identified himself as an
employee. Officer Kerzaya held the male at gunpoint until he could confirm that he was an
employee of the hotel. With the assistance of Tempe Police Dispatch, Officer Kerzaya
confirmed the subject was indeed an employee and the employee was released. Officer
Kerzaya then continued to search for the suspect related to the call for service. Ultimately,
the armed suspect was not located.

During a review of this incident, key members of the Tempe Police became sufficiently
concerned about how Officer Kerzaya responded to and handled this incident. We
proactively placed him in an administrative role until the investigation is complete. The
Professional Standards Bureau is conducting an internal investigation into this incident to
deconstruct the manner and behavior in which Officer Kerzaya responded to this call for
service and appropriate action will be taken to correct any deficiencies.

Our initial review indicates that this incident was not handled in accordance with the
professionalism and respectful behavior that we, and the public, have for our officers.

Due to the concerning nature of this incident, Chief Moir personally spoke with both affected
hotel employees about this incident. Our officers are provided thorough and progressive
training and we expect them to remain calm and respectful even in chaotic and stressful
situations. We value accountability, dignity and respect, especially during interactions with
the community.

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