PHOENIX — Phoenix police officials have confirmed that Officer Anthony DeSanto posted a series of crying-laughing face emojis on a social media story about a controversial shooting case.
A spokesperson told ABC15 Desanto violated department policy for unprofessional conduct.
"The internal administrative investigation related to the social media posts has been completed, and the investigation found Officer DeSanto was out of policy for unprofessional conduct. As a result, he received Supervisory Counseling," according to an emailed statement.
The finding stems from ABC15's "A Shot in the Dark" series, which investigated the shooting and prosecution of Dr. Kris Johnson.
After the story broke, ABC15 discovered an account, appearing to belong to DeSanto, posted a series of cry-laughing face emojis under one of the station’s Instagram videos about the case.
Phoenix PD then opened an internal investigation to determine whether DeSanto was behind the account.
The final finding of “Supervisory Counseling” is one of the lowest levels of actions taken against officers. The department does not classify supervisory counseling as official discipline.
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However, legal experts say the confirmation could carry significant weight in the courtroom.
Because DeSanto is listed as one of the victims in the case against Johnson, he will likely be called to testify at trial — and could face cross-examination about why he found the investigation into the shooting to be a laughing matter.
"Oh, I think absolutely (it) could have an impact," said Derek Debus, a firearms and veterans attorney and former Maricopa County prosecutor.
Debus added, "The jury is going to consider the fact that this that this officer is so biased about this incident that he's making jokes about it when they're considering whether or not a conviction is reasonable under the circumstances. And lastly, it shows just a complete level of disrespect for the court process and the seriousness of this case."
Johnson, a Valley trauma surgeon, says he fired a warning shot straight into the air to scare off a repeat criminal who had been at his front door. He says he did not know Phoenix officers were in the area at the time. Police fired back 11 shots. One struck Johnson from behind, hitting him in the leg. He was subsequently charged with a handful of felonies.
DeSanto was one of two officers who fired shots at Johnson during the incident.
DeSanto has not responded to a request for comment.
Shortly after his comment was made, ABC15 replied by asking if he had anything to add. The account was either deactivated or deleted shortly later.
Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com.
This digital article was produced with the assistance of AI and converted to this platform based on the broadcast story written and reported by ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
