PHOENIX — Akeem Terrell was left dying in a jail cell on January 1, 2021.
More than two-and-a-half years later, neither Phoenix police nor the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office have completed separate internal investigations into their officers’ actions and how much they contributed to the death.
Sheriff Paul Penzone was asked about the length of time it’s taking to complete the investigation at a recent news briefing.
ABC15: Akeem Terrell’s death in the jail. We’ve heard the internal investigation hasn’t been finished. How much longer will that take? And is 2.5 years too long?
PENZONE: I don't know. When you say what's too long for the investigation, I don’t know the intricacies of that one and why it’s taking as long. I think for anyone seeking truth or justice, any sense of timeframe is too long, but we want to make sure that we get it right and we have all the facts.
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The death is the subject of a federal lawsuit by Terrell’s family that was filed early this year.
Their civil attorney told ABC15 that he didn’t know why the internal probes were taking so long.
“We’ve been told by the City of Phoenix that it hasn’t completed its Professional Standards Bureau investigation because it’s waiting for Maricopa County to complete its own internal affairs investigation,” said Jesse Showalter.
Showalter added, "It’s inexcusable that with public money and an obligation to the public that we’re two years after Akeem’s death, and they can’t figure out whether or not what’s shown on that video violates police policy.”
Ahead of this report, ABC15 reached out to MCSO and Phoenix police for an updated status on their investigations.
Neither agency has provided an estimate of when they would be completed.
In an emailed statement, a Phoenix spokesperson wrote, “I can confirm the investigation remains open and I do not have a timeline currently as to when it will be finalized.”
Documents and evidence in police internal investigations are not considered public records until after internal investigations are finalized.
Both agencies are under federal scrutiny for how they police themselves.
Penzone is under contempt of court for problems with MCSO’s internal investigations, and Phoenix is under a sweeping Department of Justice probe.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office cleared officers of criminal wrongdoing in Terrell’s death in late 2021.
Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com.
