A pattern of aggressive force by the Surprise Police Department is emerging. So far, three known cases have emerged in about a 6-year period, resulting in multiple court cases for civil rights violations.

Camelia Gocan was detained by Surprise Police (@Surprise_PD) on Feb 17th, 2025 after she seemingly impeded traffic around Bell Road as she was counter-protesting an anti-Trump rally near Civic Center Plaza. We say seemingly because she was not cited for any crime or violation.

In a now viral video Gocan is seen waving a Trump flag from her convertible after being pulled over by police. The officer is seen approaching Gocan before what appears to be an effort on the officer's part to detain her.

Prior to the recorded video, Gocan states that she was parked on the median counter-protesting (with another car directly behind her). She indicates that the police officer pulled in behind the two cars before she decided to leave the scene. That's when the officer seen in the video followed her and made the traffic stop that we now see in the viral video.

Gocan claims that the officer had pulled her over and sat behind her for several minutes before she decided to exit her vehicle (as seen in the video). She says the officer ordered her to return to her vehicle, but then immediately tried to detain her after that conflicting order, which she says confused her.

Gocan then breaks free from the officer's hold and then starts waving her flag around. The officer is then seen aggressively taking Gocan to the ground before detaining her.

Gocan claims that after her arrest, she was taken to the police station for processing, but was diverted to the hospital to address injuries sustained during her apprehension, specifically citing severe back and nerve pain radiating into her legs.

She was not cited for any crime or violation and was discharged from the hospital.

"I never thought this would happen to me... in this case the officer displayed extreme (aggression). That was pure assault on me," says Gocan.

Rebekah Massie (@TheOtherMassie) was arrested at a Surprise City Council meeting in front of her young daughter in August 2024 after she openly criticized a recent pay raise for the city attorney.

Mayor Skip Hall (@skiphall2) is seen in that viral video warning her that she would be arrested for violating city code outlawing city employees from being criticized. When she declined to comply with those orders, and having advised the mayor that what he was ordering her to do was unconstitutional, Surprise police officer Steven Shernicoff is seen arresting Massie.

Shernicoff's body camera recorded Massie's arrest, and she is seen advising the officer that he had no right to arrest her and that he was violating her civil rights.

Massie claims that the officer assaulted her during her arrest and she was charged with trespassing, but Maricopa County Judge Gerald Williams dismissed that charge with prejudice two months later.

"... you cannot attack your constituents for speaking their mind. This is a nation founded on the principles of personal freedom, and something like what happened to me should never be tolerated," said Massie on X.

Massie has filed a federal lawsuit against both the city (@AZSurprise) and police department for violating her first (right to free speech), fourth (right to protection from unreasonable search and seizure), and 14th amendment rights (right to equal protection under the law).

Anthony Baker sued City of Surprise police officer Jarrot Tevault and the City of Surprise for an incident that also occurred on Bell Road, but in November 2018.

"Baker, who was then sixty-seven years old and partially disabled, was driving with his ten-year-old grandson, travelling eastbound on West Bell Road at or near the intersection with North 165th Ave in Surprise," according to his suit. "At some point after passing through the intersection, Baker realized that a City of Surprise patrol unit was behind him with its siren lights illuminated."

Baker claims that since he was in the left-most lane and unable to pull over due to traffic congestion, that he continued approximately 1/4 mile further down the road before turning into a community entrance.

Baker further claimed that the police officer (Tevault) exited his patrol car and "angrily ordered Baker out of his vehicle... when Baker opened the door to get out, (the officer) forcefully grabbed (him) before he could step out and pulled him out of the vehicle, spun him around by his arm and shoulder, pushed him into the side of his vehicle while pulling his arm in an upward motion behind his back, and began kneeing Baker from behind in the upper leg and groin area," the suit continues.

Baker further claims that he offered no resistance to the officer, and that excessive force was applied to him (and his disabled arm) until a supervising officer arrived, who then stood him back up.

"The Surprise Police Department subsequently conducted an Internal Affairs Investigation of the incident and found that Tevault had violated Department Policies" pertaining to the implementation of body cameras and the use of reasonable force, according to the suit.

Baker has since passed away (from unrelated causes) and is therefore unable to comment.

All three incidents seem to elude to the need for Surprise police to practice deescalation with the public.

Citizens will now be looking to the newly elected mayor Kevin Sartor and veteran police chief Benny Pina to remedy this issue.