The Maricopa Police Department announced the firing of one of their officers late last week after a lengthy internal affairs investigation showing the officer had sexually harassed several women by showing them pictures of his genitals.Several separate incidents were reported beginning from October 2008. Police initially investigated claims that Ofc. Martice Berry had shown the nude photos of himself on a cell phone to a personal trainer at Anytime Fitness, but the allegations were found to be “inconclusive” and the case was closed.
It wasn’t until Jerome Hall came forward to police investigators on June 5, 2009, that the case was re-opened. Hall told investigators he was informed of the instances involving Berry by a close friend.Three days later, police investigators met with the personal trainer, along with her husband, discovering that not only had Berry shown lewd pictures to the gym employee, but that he had allegedly proceeded to stalk her while on duty.That culminated when the female gym employee claims she went to Ofc. Berry’s home shortly before Halloween to ask him to stop harassing her, where instead, he allegedly forced her to have sex with him.The gym employee told investigators she didn’t report it as rape because even though he grabbed her forcefully when she entered the home, she eventually “gave in.”MPD Internal Affairs Det. Michael Burns, who investigated the case, said in his report that there was sufficient evidence Berry had shown “obscene photographs of his penis that were captured on his cell phone” to at least three different women and that he had “inappropriately kissed a 16-year-old girl.”The 16-year-old told police during a June 24 interview that Berry had made several inappropriate comments to her in addition to picking her up and kissing her on one occasion while at Anytime Fitness.Burns goes on to describe evidence against Berry that the officer, in responding to a domestic violence call, later revealed details about the incident to a friend of the woman involved in the call, attempting to secure a date with the first woman.Berry denied the allegations against him in an interview with detectives on June 18, 2008, after which he was placed on administrative leave.According to MPD public information officer, Berry was fired for “conduct unbecoming of an officer,” an offense for which he was initially fired for at his previous job as a police officer in Pontiac, Mich.Berry was fired from the City of Pontiac in 2006 for actions stemming from his harassment of his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in March of this year, however, that Berry should be reinstated to his job, though it is unclear if an opening in that department would be possible for the now terminated Maricopa Police officer.Berry, the department’s first non-lateral transfer, graduated from the Mesa Police Academy in December 2007 and joined the fledgling Maricopa Police Department shortly thereafter.Judd said MPD was aware of the allegations against Berry at the time he was hired, but that an arbitrator had ruled in his favor and his status with the City of Pontiac at the time of his hiring in Maricopa was one of “layoff status.”“Hindsight is 20/20,” Judd said. “He was reinstated... and everything was resolved. It was our take that there were unjustified allegations or that new evidence was brought forward that made those allegations invalid.”
It wasn’t until Jerome Hall came forward to police investigators on June 5, 2009, that the case was re-opened. Hall told investigators he was informed of the instances involving Berry by a close friend.Three days later, police investigators met with the personal trainer, along with her husband, discovering that not only had Berry shown lewd pictures to the gym employee, but that he had allegedly proceeded to stalk her while on duty.That culminated when the female gym employee claims she went to Ofc. Berry’s home shortly before Halloween to ask him to stop harassing her, where instead, he allegedly forced her to have sex with him.The gym employee told investigators she didn’t report it as rape because even though he grabbed her forcefully when she entered the home, she eventually “gave in.”MPD Internal Affairs Det. Michael Burns, who investigated the case, said in his report that there was sufficient evidence Berry had shown “obscene photographs of his penis that were captured on his cell phone” to at least three different women and that he had “inappropriately kissed a 16-year-old girl.”The 16-year-old told police during a June 24 interview that Berry had made several inappropriate comments to her in addition to picking her up and kissing her on one occasion while at Anytime Fitness.Burns goes on to describe evidence against Berry that the officer, in responding to a domestic violence call, later revealed details about the incident to a friend of the woman involved in the call, attempting to secure a date with the first woman.Berry denied the allegations against him in an interview with detectives on June 18, 2008, after which he was placed on administrative leave.According to MPD public information officer, Berry was fired for “conduct unbecoming of an officer,” an offense for which he was initially fired for at his previous job as a police officer in Pontiac, Mich.Berry was fired from the City of Pontiac in 2006 for actions stemming from his harassment of his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in March of this year, however, that Berry should be reinstated to his job, though it is unclear if an opening in that department would be possible for the now terminated Maricopa Police officer.Berry, the department’s first non-lateral transfer, graduated from the Mesa Police Academy in December 2007 and joined the fledgling Maricopa Police Department shortly thereafter.Judd said MPD was aware of the allegations against Berry at the time he was hired, but that an arbitrator had ruled in his favor and his status with the City of Pontiac at the time of his hiring in Maricopa was one of “layoff status.”“Hindsight is 20/20,” Judd said. “He was reinstated... and everything was resolved. It was our take that there were unjustified allegations or that new evidence was brought forward that made those allegations invalid.”
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