MESA REVIEWING ALL DRUG ARRESTS

Police 'Embarrassed' By 2nd Mistake

The lives of Aaron Markley and Jeffery Ja'Mal Brown flew out of their
control when both were falsely accused, in separate cases, of selling
drugs to undercover Mesa police detectives.

The men were arrested two months apart, but it took them nearly two
years to clear their names.

Now, two weeks apart, both men have received apologies from police. But
they say that isn't enough to repair their reputations -- Markley has
filed a $3 million claim against the city; Brown has filed a $30
million claim.

"The damage is done," Brown said. "It's going to be hard for me to get
over this situation. It's affected me in so many ways."

On Friday, Police Chief Jan Strauss apologized for the mistakes,
which have prompted an internal investigation into the department's
narcotics division. The two detectives involved in the botched drug
busts also are under investigation.

"I'm not going to pull any punches," Strauss said. "We're very
astonished and embarrassed that this would happen twice. Our goal is
to look at our policies and procedures and see if there is something
missing there.

"I do not want to hear in two weeks from now that we have another one."

Most City Council members support Strauss' decision to launch an
investigation.

Councilman Mike Whalen, who served Mesa's force for 28 years, said he
is confident in Strauss' ability to get to the bottom of the problem.
But as a police officer, Whalen said, "You make sure you have the right
person. It's basic police academy stuff."

Councilman David Kavanaugh also supports Strauss actions but said, "The
department is largely scandal-free."

Brown, 24, was accused of selling crack cocaine to undercover officers
and arrested at his home. He was booked into Madison Street Jail in
lieu of $l7,000 bail.

Police, who were looking for a man by the name of Jamal Brown, tracked
the wrong guy through the Motor Vehicles Division, said Bob Owens, an
investigator for Phoenix attorney Larry Debus, who represents Brown and
Markley.

Brown proved his innocence by submitting his time cards from the prison
where he worked. He showed he was on the job during the time of the
drug sale. The charges against him were dropped in March.

Like Brown, Markley, 28, also had to prove his innocence by showing he
never sold methamphetamine to police. When police mistook him for an
Aaron Markey, they arrested the college student and father of two. He
estimates he has spent $40,000 clearing his name.

"We need to remind ourselves that we all have certain constitutional
rights," said Eleanor Eisenberg, executive director of the Arizona
Civil Liberties Union. "We're innocent until we're proven guilty. We
tend to overlook the protections we all want. These are two law-
abiding citizens. It could happen to anyone."