A Coconino County jury has found a former Williams Police lieutenant not guilty of two aggravated assault charges.
Former police lieutenant John Romero faced criminal charges after an ABC15 Investigation uncovered concerns about his role in a violent arrest in 2022.
Court records show Romero pleaded not guilty to the charges in December 2025.
Questions were raised about the high-ranking lieutenant’s use of force during the arrest of Brian Lopez in an ABC15 report in 2024.
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Previous reviews cleared Romero of any wrongdoing, including by the former Williams police chief and an outside agency.
But everything changed after the city hired a new police chief.
Newly hired Williams Police Chief James Gregory said he fired Romero in April because of his involvement in Lopez’s arrest and asked the Arizona Department of Public Safety to launch a new investigation into Romero’s actions.
City Manager Tim Petit said the investigation was launched at the city’s request after additional information was inadvertently discovered by the new police chief.
Lopez was arrested for allegedly stealing a can of beer from a local gas station.
Shortly after another officer placed 49-year-old Lopez in handcuffs, the body camera video shows Lt. Romero’s hand appearing, unannounced, on his back.
Romero then took Lopez to the ground while he was in handcuffs, causing a major head injury, according to reports.
According to the police report, Lt. Romero justified his actions by saying that Lopez was resisting arrest and that his jacket slipped.
Former officers involved in the arrest and the family of the injured man disagreed.
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