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Arizona Bans Four Ex-Tucson Cops from Law Enforcement

Four former Southern Arizona law enforcement officers have surrendered their state certifications for police work earlier this week, with a fifth officer facing potential certification loss, officials announced.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training board, on Wednesday, accepted consent agreements with Brandon Kelley, Arick Martino, and Lisa E. Lopez, all former employees of the Tucson Police Department (TPD), permitting them to voluntarily relinquish their certifications. The agreement was confirmed by board spokeswoman Sandy Sierra. The board further accepted the voluntary relinquishment of former Cochise County sheriff’s deputy Steven D. Ray’s certification.
Without a valid peace officer certification, individuals are barred from working in law enforcement in Arizona. Additionally, Blake Deimund, a former Tucson police sergeant, faces potential loss or suspension of his certification following the board’s initiation of proceedings against him.
Brandon Kelley
Brandon Kelley, 26, was dismissed from TPD in November 2015 for yelling offensive words at a motorist, attempting to cover it up, and then lying about the incident. In June 2014, Kelley had verbally abused the driver, calling them a derogatory name and attempting to manipulate the patrol car’s recording device to erase the audio evidence. His untruthfulness led to his termination, which was upheld by the city’s Civil Service Commission.
Arick Martino
Arick Martino, 28, resigned after using excessive force during a 2015 arrest. Martino and five officers restrained a suspect who became agitated and self-harmed. Martino’s act of kneeling on the suspect’s upper back, coupled with calling him a “jackass,” was deemed inappropriate, leading to his exit from TPD.
Lisa E. Lopez
Lisa E. Lopez, 49, a 19-year TPD veteran, resigned in September following an internal investigation that revealed she failed to thoroughly investigate 36 cases over eight years. Assigned to sensitive units such as child sexual abuse and vulnerable adult abuse, Lopez’s resignation came before any details of the investigation could be publicly disclosed.
Steven Ray
Steven Ray, 44, resigned from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office after nearly 18 years of service. His case directly went to a consent agreement without details of his infractions being available.
Blake Deimund
Blake Deimund, 34, resigned in October after repeatedly lying about a 2015 traffic stop. Deimund’s false report led to the wrongful incarceration of a driver for nearly six months, eventually resulting in the dismissal of charges against the suspect and a subsequent claim for wrongful traffic stop. Deimund is awaiting further proceedings, which will include a hearing before an administrative court judge.
Contact reporter Caitlin Schmidt at cschmidt@tucson.com or 573-4191. Twitter: @caitlinschmidt