- Pregnant woman shoved, punched by officer while handcuffed and restrained, with no evidence of threat
- Officer accused of using unnecessary force against another restrained suspect, claiming it was ‘training’
- Internal review found officer violated policies, led to criminal investigation and indictment before resignation
It seems like no one is safe from police violence, not even a woman bearing a child.
According to People, former Buckeye Police Officer Carri Carrico has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault stemming from separate use-of-force incidents involving people already in police custody. One of those incidents occurred in November 2025 after Carrico arrested a 21-year-old woman for alleged reckless driving. Investigators say surveillance and body camera footage show the woman, who was handcuffed behind her back and 37 weeks pregnant, being shoved into a wall before Carrico allegedly punched her in the face while she sat restrained on a booking bench. Authorities said there was no evidence the woman assaulted the officer or posed an immediate threat. The woman later reported bruises, scratches, and a contusion. Carrico has pleaded not guilty.
ABC 15 obtained body camera footage and internal investigative records that paint an even broader picture of the allegations. Video from the traffic stop shows the pregnant woman explaining she had moved her seatbelt behind her because her pregnancy made it uncomfortable to wear properly. Internal records also allege Carrico repeatedly insulted the woman during the arrest, allegedly calling her “gross,” “nasty,” and criticizing her attitude before taking her into custody.
The station also detailed a second violent incident from January 2026 involving a handcuffed man arrested on domestic violence allegations. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Carrico striking the restrained man while walking him through a detention facility. Although the man did headbutt Carrico, internal investigators concluded that she used force prior to the attack that was deemed unnecessary and excessive. During an interview with investigators, where Carrico was shown a video of her conduct, she dodged accountability like Neo in The Matrix dodging bullets.
“I think the video looks really ugly,” Carrico said. “But I will say I’ve never once in my life open-hand slapped or struck anybody. And in this moment, I just think the only thing that I did was revert to my training.”
Excuses. Then she told on herself when asked directly if she thought her behavior was up to department standards.
“It’s not a simple yes or no,” she said. “It’s based off everything leading up to that point, and I don’t think that the public treating us like crap means that we have to sit there and be quiet and take it either.”
There it is. If former officer Carrico didn’t like how you were talking to her, then maybe she gets her lick back by physically abusing citizens. Moreover, she said that type of behavior was “reverting to [my] training.” So, does that mean enacting violence against citizens is…taught?
Internal reviews from the Buckeye Police Department reportedly found Carrico violated multiple department policies in both cases. Supervisors described her conduct as overly aggressive, criticized her failure to properly document her actions, and questioned her justification for using force against restrained individuals. Buckeye Police Chief Robert Sanders requested an independent criminal investigation by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office after concerns emerged about the incidents.
Carrico resigned from the department earlier this month instead of facing termination. She was indicted by a grand jury in May, entered a not guilty plea during her arraignment, and is scheduled to stand trial later this year.
