PHOENIX — A calm, cool and collected police officer who meets all standards and occasionally likes to vent during briefings. That's how fellow police officers described their colleague Officer Steven Poulos.
They were shocked when one of his venting sessions turned into threatening the mayor's life.
"I didn't say anything about it, you know. I was just thinking to myself like, man why would you say something like that, you know?" said an officer who witnessed Poulos' statement.
"I was thinking he shouldn't be saying that kind of thing," another officer recalled.
Tempe police question each witness
The tables were turned. One by one, the Phoenix Police officers who witnessed Poulos' threat during that October briefing were called into a room, questioned by Tempe Police. Tempe PD is tasked with investigating the incident.
12 News obtained body camera footage documenting each of those interviews.
According to their statements, the conversation during the briefing that afternoon was political.
After months of protests calling out social injustices and for the police to be defunded, the officers started to talk about it. At the time, the officers were mobilized and prepared to assist in any arising protests.
“We were talking about like defunding the police and all the political stuff going on," said one officer.
“There was a political discussion reference Seattle-Portland area, defunding the police," another officer said.
“It was an open discussion about how much longer are we continue to be mobilized," a sergeant said.
That's when Steven Poulos chimed in.
The alleged threat
Tempe Police detectives asked each officer what they heard Steven Poulos say that day.
“'If they defund the police, I’ll go over to the mayor’s house and shoot it up.' I don’t know if he was talking about the house or the mayor," one officer recalled.
“'If things go south, I’m gonna go to the mayor’s house and shoot it up.' That’s what I thought I heard," another officer said.
“'If the mayor defunds the police I’m going to shoot her,'" recalled a sergeant with confidence.
“Is that exactly what he said?” a Tempe investigator asked.
“Yes, that’s how I remember it," the sergeant said.
A sergeant pushes back. Poulos doubles down.
The sergeant in the briefing room pushed back, convinced Poulos was mistaken. Instead, he said Poulos doubled down.
“My follow-up was like, 'Steve, you’re not gonna shoot the mayor.' It was kind of like, 'Hey Steve, you’re not gonna do that.' And he replied, 'That’s a promise,'" the sergeant said.
The sergeant sent the officers on their way.
Later that day, he pulled Poulos aside, one-on-one. He asked him about his threat once again.
“I’m like, Steve what are you doing? You can’t say that. You can’t say what you just said. And his response was, 'Someone’s gotta do it.' And I’m like, 'Steve, you cannot say that. It’s like I’m in the room, five other officers are in the room. Do you know what type of position you put me in?'" the sergeant explained.
"And he’s like, 'It’s just a joke.'"
Did Poulos mean what he said?
During their questioning, Tempe detectives asked each witness if they believed Poulos meant what he said.
“I don’t know if he was just venting or if he really meant it. You’ll have to ask him that," said one officer.
“Is he capable of doing something like this?” asked a Tempe detective.
“I don’t think so," a Phoenix officer replied.
“Was there any intent? I don’t think so. I think it was just Steve being Steve and being vocal," said another officer.
After the incident, Phoenix PD placed Poulos on administrative leave where he remains today as the department conducts an internal investigation.
That is separate from Tempe's criminal investigation.
No criminal charges
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced earlier this month that it will not file criminal charges against him.
The County Attorney's Office said it determined that it "cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Poulos' statements constituted a 'true threat' as defined by Arizona Law and the U.S. constitution."
"While the statements are inexcusable, legal precedent prevents a reasonable likelihood of conviction at trial and therefore, we are declining to file criminal charges in this case," a statement from the County Attorney's Office read.
12 News has tried speaking with Poulos multiple times since October. After obtaining the body camera footage showing the interviews with officers, he hung up on a reporter.
Mayor Gallego's office is declining to comment.