MESA — It started with a $2 light rail fare and ended with Mesa police pepper-spraying, punching and using a Taser on a passenger. Now that passenger is coming forward, saying officers went overboard with their use of force.
Officers with the Mesa Police Department Bike Squad boarded light-rail trains near Main Street and Country Club Drive on Feb. 20, 2026. They were looking for fare dodgers.
As officers questioned a 16-year-old passenger about whether the teen had paid the $2 fare, other officers entered the rail car where Aaron Goodson was riding.
"When I reached into my pocket to grab my transit pass, [the officer] noticed I had marijuana on me at the same time," Goodson said.
Goodson told ABC15 the joint was not lit, but officers later wrote in their report that he was smoking on the train, so they removed him.
ABC15 does not have video from inside the rail car, but police body-camera video from the train platform shows how quickly the situation escalated. Officers told Goodson to sit down.
After he said he didn't do anything, an officer responded, "Sit the f*** down, right now."
Within seconds, officers forced Goodson to the ground and used pepper spray on him. Several officers then punched him. About 40 seconds into the incident, one officer deployed a Taser.
"I'm literally just wondering, please God, let me get out of this. Let me figure it out. Just gonna sit here and just take it. And that's what I did until they were satisfied," Goodson said.
Officers later wrote in their reports that Goodson repeatedly resisted by tensing his body and keeping his hands underneath him — something Goodson denies.
"How much compliance should I have given them? Because I had exited the train. I was already emptying out my possessions. I was going to produce proof I had paid for my train trip," Goodson said.
I showed the video and reports to policing experts to get their assessment of the force used.
"I didn't see anything that indicated that the individual used active aggression or assault," said Lon Bartel of Verstand Tactical Consulting.
I asked Bartel, a police training consultant, whether the level of force was necessary.
"Officers have to make decisions in tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving situations," Bartel said. "So there are times that I can have things occur that's not necessarily was necessary, but in that moment it was reasonable."
Marc Evans, a retired Los Angeles police lieutenant, also watched the video and read the police report.
"Use of force is never a pretty situation," Evans said.
Evans supports the officers’ version of events.
"I really have no harsh critique of what the officers did in this case because, at the end of the day, Aaron was not complying with their instructions," Evans said.
Valley civil rights attorney Benjamin Taylor came to a much different conclusion.
"They used extreme, excessive force in less than a minute for a simple light-rail violation, Taylor said. He added officers should have taken steps to de-escalate, especially considering the minor nature of the alleged crime.
"More communication was needed here. Walk them off and just say, 'Have a nice day.'" Taylor said.
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As officers and Goodson waited for an ambulance, they disputed the reason for the stop.
An officer said, "You have no ticket?"
Goodson responded, "Yes, I have a ticket."
Goodson was booked into jail and charged with four misdemeanors: theft of services for the $2 light rail ticket, plus trespassing, resisting arrest, and interfering with officers.
"It's about you not wanting to listen to lawful commands," an officer on the scene told Goodson.
The Mesa Police Department declined an interview request, but a spokesperson told ABC15 in an email that an internal review determined the officers followed department policies and standards.
"Would they want that to happen to their family members or their children?" Goodson asked. "They're public safety officers. Where is the safety for the public?"
Court records show Mesa city prosecutors dropped all the charges against Goodson. He says he still worries about running into those officers again, and he wants the community to know what happened.
"I just didn't want this to just be swept under the rug like any other case. The minute I give up, they win," Goodson said.
You can reach ABC15 Senior Investigator Melissa Blasius by email at melissa.blasius@abc15.com or call 602-803-2506. Follow her on X @MelissaBlasius , Instagram, and Facebook.
