Police misconduct is nothing new and we’ve grown uncomfortably accustomed to reviews of deputized brokers of the state committing atrocities and abuses of energy towards harmless residents. That mentioned, we by no means as soon as thought that these violent misdeeds could be perpetrated by park rangers. Nonetheless, right here we’re…
In line with AZ Household, a bunch of rogue rangers in Mesa, Arizona, has been outed by a fellow ranger for allegedly utilizing racist slurs and extreme pressure towards homeless individuals within the space. The inciting incident to the whistleblowing occurred on March 26, 2025, when an unnamed ranger discovered a 9mm Canik pistol contained in the desk of his colleague Joshua Amado. The ranger says he overheard Amado and one other rangers speaking about confiscating the weapon from a homeless particular person who was known as a racist slur.
On April 11, 2025, the whistleblowing ranger instructed police that regardless of his hope that Amado would do the appropriate factor by turning the gun over to authorities, upon checking the desk, the firearm remained in place, which prompted him to report it to his lieutenant.
Along with the stolen firearm, the whistleblower additionally instructed police that he had heard Amado and the third ranger speak about a “goon squad” among the many unit who gave the impression to be working exterior of correct protocol.
The group would take part in “gooning” as a option to cope with “the homeless drawback and n*****s,” police information mentioned. “Gooning” consists of not reporting medication they confiscate and utilizing extreme pressure on the homeless, police mentioned.
Members of the squad had patches made, which had been a grey protect patch with the phrases “Ranger,” “Goon Squad,” and “Mesa, AZ” embroidered in black. The patches additionally had an embroidered black cranium, a lightning bolt, a bullet, a baton and handcuffs creating the 2 o’s in “Goon.”
BOSSIP beforehand reported on one other “Goon Squad” that was working in Rankin County, Mississippi, whose six members had been in the end charged with sexually assaulting two Black males and extra. Their convictions led to a mixed 137 years of imprisonment for his or her quite a few crimes.
When Mesa police interviewed Amado in regards to the gun, he claimed to have forgotten about it however denied “stealing” it from the homeless man in favor of the time period “acquired”. Police weren’t shopping for his story and arrested him for theft. Earlier than town of Mesa might course of his termination, Amado resigned. “A number of” different park rangers have been positioned on administrative go away whereas the investigation into their potential legal actions.
