A Sierra Vista Police Department officer resigned on Tuesday after being indicted on charges of computer tampering for accessing information on the department and state database for personal reasons.
On March 9, SVPD received information about the unauthorized database access by Officer Raymond Pyle last August during another investigation, a SVPD news release said. The department requested the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office conduct a criminal investigation into the matter.
On April 20, SVPD received a brief from detectives that they had evidence showing Pyle had conducted an unauthorized search of the SVPD and state database and would be referring the case to the Cochise County Attorney’s Office for review, the news release said. That same day, Pyle was placed on paid administrative leave and SVPD opened an administrative investigation.
The Cochise County Attorney’s Office presented the case to a grand jury on June 2 and Pyle was indicted on two charges of computer tampering, the news release said. Following the indictment, SVPD sustained violations of department and city policy.
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Pyle was notified that termination of employment proceedings were being initiated and he resigned effective immediately, the news release said. The case is being forwarded to the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board for its review.
“Officer Pyle’s violation of the public’s trust by using departmental resources to acquire information for personal use cannot be tolerated,” SVPD Police Chief Adam Thrasher said in the news release.
Pyle was hired by the department in January 2021.