Attorney Says Cop Retaliated Against his Wife

PHOENIX (CN) - A Mesa police officer retaliated against an attorney who had prevailed against the cop in court by arresting the man's wife on a bogus DUI charge and assaulting her, the couple claims in Maricopa County Court.

Jason Squires says defendant Mesa police Officer Bonificio "Bond" Gonzales had been the arresting officer in a previous DUI case against a client. "In that DUI trial, Mr. Squires' client was acquitted of the charges that Officer Gonzales had testified to," the complaint states.

The Squireses says that the attorney's wife, Heather, was driving them home from a restaurant when Officer Gonzales pulled them over. Gonzales told Heather to get out of the truck for a field sobriety test. Jason Squires said he then stepped out of the truck and told Gonzales that Heather was not going to take any tests because she had not had any alcohol to drink and that Gonzales was retaliating for the recent not-guilty verdict. Jason claims he also asked for a supervisor to be called to the scene.

When Supervising Officer Cory Calkins arrived, he and Gonzales allegedly pushed Heather and cited her for driving under the influence of alcohol and not having her headlights on. But the Squireses say that as soon as they had entering their 2007 Toyota Tundra, Heather had "asked all the occupants to double check the headlamps being illuminated, as this was the first time she had driven the vehicle at night."

Heather was held at the Mesa Police Department for two and a half hours and was forced to give a blood sample that showed that she did not have alcohol in her system.

The Squireses sued Gonzales and Calkins, Mesa Police Chief George Gascon and the city of Mesa, alleging false arrested, illegal imprisonment and assault.

They are represented by Mark A. Nermyr of Chandler.

Follow @jamierossCNS

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