Two Phoenix officers probed for claim they forced man to eat marijuana

09/22/2016 16:36

PHOENIX, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Phoenix police are investigating a 19-year-old man's contention that two rookie officers forced him to eat marijuana, demanding that he consume the drug in exchange for avoiding arrest, police said on Thursday.

The Phoenix police chief has called the accusation deeply disturbing.

Before dawn on Sept. 13, the officers pulled the man's BMW over for speeding and later discovered the drug in his car, Phoenix police spokesman Sergeant Jonathan Howard said in an email.

Faced with the officers' demand that he eat the marijuana, the teenager popped it in his mouth and was subsequently issued a traffic ticket, police said. He reported feeling briefly ill from the drug.

The teenager filed his complaint the same day as the traffic stop.

Phoenix Police Chief Joseph Yahner said in a statement that he was appalled at the teenager's allegations.

"The conduct alleged by our resident is contrary to everything we stand for as community servants," Yahner said. He added that his department's internal investigation of the incident will be swift.

Discipline of any officer found to have committed wrongdoing in the incident would likely include termination, said Howard, the police spokesman.

The two officers under criminal investigation each have less than one year on the force, he said. The investigation has found that a supervisor, who was not present at the stop, failed to "recognize the severity of the incident," he added.

Marijuana is banned under federal law, but in 2010 Arizona voters approved a ballot measure to allow the drug for medical purposes. In November, the state's voters will decide on a proposal to legalize recreational use.

Police did not release the names of the officers involved or the teenager. (Reporting by David Schwartz in Phoenix and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Dan Grebler)

09/22/2016 16:36