Phoenix Police Officers Resign After Forcing Teen to Eat Weed

Three Phoenix police officers have resigned after making a desperate teen eat marijuana during a traffic stop if he wanted to avoid jail time, Phoenix Police Chief Joseph Yahner said Thursday. Yahner said a fourth supervising officer was demoted from lieutenant to sergeant for failing to do anything after finding out about the incident.

The three former police officers have been identified as Michael J. Carnicle, Richard G. Pina, and Jason E. McFadden. Jeff Farrior was the fourth officer.

The traffic stop happened Sept. 13 at around 3:30 a.m. when the 19-year-old, whose name has not been released by police, was stopped for speeding. During the stop, police found around a gram of marijuana in the teen's car and forced him to eat it. Although the teen avoided jail time, he was reportedly given a citation and had his car towed. According to Reuters, the teen reported the incident the same day. Police said there’s no video from the traffic, stop since it appeared the officers turned off body cameras beforehand.

Yahner, who said he was planning on firing the officers before they quit, called the incident "disturbing and upsetting." The chief said two of the former officers faced a criminal investigation, while a third former officer (considered a witness) only faced an administrative investigation.