A Tucson police inquiry determined that two officers violated department policy when they began a vehicle chase that that led to the shooting death of a suspect.
The investigation determined that Tucson Police Department Sgt. Randy Carpenter was justified when he shot Ricky Andrew Romero, 25, on March 16, after Romero, who had wrecked his car at the end of the chase, pointed a gun at the officer, according to a memo obtained this week.
The board of inquiry found that Officers William Nutt and Oscar Cuellar broke policy when they began the pursuit of Romero.
Detectives from the Fugitive Investigative Strike Team were trying to catch the driver of a Cadillac to question him about his possible involvement with a homicide, but first needed probable cause to stop him and search his car.
Nutt and Cuellar chased Romero's Cadillac after he refused to pull over after running a stop sign. The board of inquiry found that the officers should not have pursued Romero for a civil infraction.
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Two officers with the U.S. Marshals Service also fired at Romero during the pursuit.
The board also found that many of the tactical mistakes that led to the shooting death of Romero were made by the Fugitive Investigative Strike Team including:
● A surveillance officer misidentified the driver of the Cadillac.
● Pima County sheriff's deputies and Tucson police officers didn't have the proper radio equipment to communicate with each other.
● There was no plan of action in the event the driver of the Cadillac refused to stop.
The board recommended updating TPD policy to allow supervisors to better coordinate with their counterparts from other agencies, and provide further training for the officers who initiated the chase.
