PHOENIX — Former Phoenix Officer Sean Pena is suing numerous city and county officials a year after he was acquitted on charges related to sex crimes while on duty.
Three women accused the former patrol officer of forcing them to perform sex acts in his squad car. He was fired in 2020 and charged with seven felonies.
Pena faced two trials in the case. One jury acquitted Pena on two counts, and a second jury found Pena not guilty on the remaining five charges.
The City of Phoenix paid cash settlements to two of the alleged victims.
On Thursday, Pena's legal representatives said he was "wrongfully terminated and maliciously prosecuted for false allegations."
Pena also spoke out against the case and his termination from the Phoenix Police Department.
“What’s been done to me over these last couple of years has absolutely taken a toll on me and my family,” Pena said Thursday. “I went out of my way to make sure I was doing the best that I could for the city that I served.”
Pena filed a lawsuit earlier this month with defendants including the City of Phoenix, Maricopa County, former Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams, Chief Michael Sullivan, Maricopa County attorneys and numerous others. Pena is seeking a jury trial against the defendants, seeking compensation for damages.
