PHOENIX — Newly released court documents are raising more questions than answers on the criminal history of a man accused of shooting and killing a Phoenix police officer last month. Friday, Saul Bal pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder of Officer Zane Coolidge.
Court records show Bal has been in and out of jail or prison in both Arizona and California ten different times over the last 15 years. Most recently, Bal was on supervised release from the Arizona Department of Corrections after he was sentenced to six months in prison in April 2024.
That case was out of Navajo County, where Bal pleaded guilty to possessing drug paraphernalia in a jail. While awaiting trial in that case, Bal underwent a public safety assessment, which helps guide judges' decisions on pre-trial release conditions.
In that report obtained by 12News, Navajo County pre-trial services said he had an elevated risk of violence if he were to be released from jail. On a "new criminal activity scale" between one through six, Bal was labeled a six, meaning he was highly likely to re-offend.
“We always wish we could predict human behavior. I think he does have a lengthy rap sheet," former Maricopa County probation officer Beth Goulden said.
Goulden says the communication between prosecutors, probation officers, and prison officials can be improved in Arizona. She says it's entirely possible that this report never made its way to the desk of prison officials before he was released, nor would it have stopped them from abiding by the sentence handed down by Navajo County Judge Joseph Clark.
“Are we communicating? Are we treating cases as individuals on their individual merits that we're not just passing cases through the justice system to get rid of them," Goulden questioned.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell was asked if there were warning signs in Bal's criminal history a week after the fatal shooting happened.
“There was a history, a long history, but not a history of anything that would look like what happened last week. That doesn't mean that he wasn't held accountable. As you know, he was actually on parole from a prison sentence when this happened," Mitchell told reporters.
12News reached out to the Arizona Department of Corrections to learn what kind of supervision conditions Bal was under when he was released from prison this year. The agency released the following statement to 12News on Monday:
Mr. Bal was released from ADCRR custody to a term of community supervision on July 19, 2024.
Originally, Mr. Bal entered ADCRR custody on April 24, 2024 with a release date of April 3, 2025. However, on June 7, 2024, ADCRR received an amended sentencing order from the Court, reducing Mr. Bal’s prison sentence from 1.5 years to 6 months. Upon receipt of the amended sentencing order, his release date was recalculated to July 19, 2024.
Prior to his release from this shortened sentence, Mr. Bal was seen by the release planning team at ASPC-Tucson. His release plan included community based continuity of care services within an approved residential placement.
Upon his release on July 19, 2024, Mr. Bal was transported to ADCRR’s community reentry office in Phoenix, where he met with his assigned officer and discussed the terms of his supervision. Mr. Bal was instructed that he must contact his assigned officer on July 26, 2024.
Mr. Bal did not contact his officer on July 26, 2024, nor did he establish residency at the approved location, which were violations of his supervision. With his whereabouts unknown, multiple attempts to locate and re- engage Mr. Bal were initiated.
The corrections department further said that individuals placed under community supervision are subjected to the following conditions:
- Maintaining regular contact with supervising officer
- Obtainment of approval for changes to residence, travel, employment
- Prohibition of weapons, use of alcohol and illegal drugs
- Prohibition on contact with unauthorized individuals
- Searches and drug testing
Court records also show Bal's prison sentence in Navajo County could have been longer. The Navajo County Attorney's office listed many of Bal's prior felonies in his plea agreement but chose not to prosecute him as a multi-time felon. If they would have, Goulden explains, he could have gone away for a much longer time period than six months.
"Under the sentencing guidelines in the state of Arizona, you can allege one prior, two priors and your sentencing would go up and would be enhanced based on each of those factors," Goulden said.
12News asked the Navajo County Attorney's office why they didn't choose to allege these priors in Bal's prior case. We are still awaiting their response as well.
If convicted on the first-degree murder charge, Bal could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors could also seek the death penalty.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.