A top administrator at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is under internal investigation after posting content on social media commenting on the arrest of a deaf black man with cerebral palsy.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Monica Bretado said Special Programs Director Kenny Mentzer was on personal leave as of Oct. 18. The leave was first reported by ABC15.
Bretado told The Arizona Republic that the incident was reported to the department’s Office of Professional Standards.
Mentzer reiterated his claims about Tyrone McAlpin’s arrest after the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office dropped the criminal charges in a post on his personal account on X, officially known as Twitter.
“Probably refiled. Didn’t he hit the man and take (robbed) his cell phone? I hope the robbery victim gets justice,” the post said. It was written. It has since been removed.
McAlpin faced charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest. He has not been charged with assaulting the man.
Kenny Mentzer is the director of the Office of Special Programs and first joined the Sheriff’s Department in 2017 under the leadership of then-Sheriff Paul Penzone.
McAlpin was beaten and taped Aug. 19 by Phoenix police officers who arrived to respond to a 911 call at a Circle K to remove a white man from the convenience store. The caller was said to have been the “perpetrator of the fight.” in the police incident report.
A white man who was asked to be removed from the store claimed he had been attacked and pointed at McAlpin, a black man across the street.
Officers Benjamin Harris and Kyle Hsu told McAlpin to stop and grabbed him within seconds, according to the video. A struggle ensued between the men, during which Harris used a stun gun on McAlpin four times. The police officers punched him more than a dozen times.
Video footage of the incident was released at a court hearing on October 1, sparking public concern, criticism from local leaders, and national attention.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell dropped the charges on Oct. 17, but Mentzer was placed on administrative leave the day after posting on social media.
The assault arrest came four months after the U.S. Department of Justice accused Phoenix police of civil rights violations, including the systematic use of unlawful force by officers.
Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek. maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter). @maritzacdom.
