A Mesa Police Department sergeant is now facing a felony charge after prosecutors say he quietly warned a neighbor about a Chandler Police narcotics raid on March 10, giving the man time to stash a backpack that later turned up with a partially finished ghost gun, ammo and drugs. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office filed a direct complaint on April 23 charging Sgt. Edward Fire with first-degree hindering, a Class 5 felony. Mesa police say Fire has been placed on unpaid administrative suspension while a criminal case and an internal affairs probe run on parallel tracks.
How investigators say the warning went down
According to court records, Fire’s police computer terminal received a notification at about 4:05 p.m. instructing patrol to steer clear of an upcoming Chandler SWAT operation. Minutes later, at 4:17 p.m., investigators say he texted neighbor Jason Rawlings, asking, “Are you home?” and then made a 58-second phone call. Surveillance and drone footage allegedly show Rawlings leaving his apartment soon after and tucking…..