NAVAJO COUNTY, Ariz. — The former Arizona police officer accused of fatally hitting a pedestrian on Thanksgiving Day 2023 has been recently indicted for allegedly hindering and corrupting the investigation into the deadly incident.
Josh Anderson, formerly of the White Mountain Apache Police Department, was indicted last week in Phoenix for allegedly concealing evidence connected to a deadly crash he allegedly caused last November on State Route 73.
Anderson, 49, was dispatched at about 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 23 to reports of a body observed on the roadway. Anderson responded and found a deceased individual later identified as Iris Billy.
The officer would later admit that he felt a "bump" while driving along the same stretch of highway a few minutes before he was dispatched to where Billy was found. But the officer had continued driving after the "bump" without stopping to investigate, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona.
Anderson then proceeded to actively participate in the investigation into the person's death by interviewing witnesses, filling out an autopsy report and notifying the victim's family of her death.
The officer allegedly did not inform his superiors that he might have been the person responsible for hitting the victim. After returning home, Anderson allegedly removed the damaged bumper from his patrol vehicle and concealed it.
Anderson was taken into custody a day after the fatal crash and he resigned from the police department.
The federal indictment charges Anderson with engaging in misleading conduct and corruptly altering and concealing evidence. If convicted, Anderson could face up to 20 years in prison.
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