Former MCSO deputy has peace officer license revoked by state board

A former Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputy had his certificate revoked Wednesday by a state board after an investigation into his 2022 arrest of an older woman who was watching her neighbor.

The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board has voted to revoke Michael Uyehara’s certification following the incident in which he handcuffed and arrested an 82-year-old woman during a response.

In October 2022, Michael Uyehara responded to a call about a suicide at a home in Sun City. When paramedics arrived on scene, they informed Uyehara that an 82-year-old neighbor was approaching the house.

Body camera footage shown during a meeting revealed the woman told Uyehara that the victim’s wife had requested his presence. Uyehara, however, ordered the woman to return to her residence, stating that she was not authorized to enter the premises.

Uyehara warned the woman that she would be arrested if she did not leave. When she refused to comply, he proceeded to arrest her, the footage shows.

The victim’s wife then ran out of the residence, begging Uyehara to release the woman, explaining that she wanted to talk to him. The woman told police that she did not intend to enter the house and that she simply wanted her wife to know that she was there.

Uyehara released the handcuffs as other officers surrounded the woman. A police officer let her enter the residence with the victim’s wife, according to the images released.

About two weeks later, the woman filed a complaint with the sheriff’s department, alleging Uyehara overreacted, according to a board member. She said she suffered bruises from the handcuffs and said she was only there to support her friend, emphasizing that she posed no threat as an elderly woman using a cane.

An investigation into the incident found that Uyehara included at least seven inaccuracies in his report, including a misrepresentation of events, the board member said.

When investigators asked him what he could have done differently, he reportedly replied that he “could have shot her. I could have tackled her, I could have kicked her, swiped her foot and make her fall to the ground.

The investigation revealed multiple policy violations, including unreasonable use of force and false statements. As a result, the state board revoked his peace officer certification.

While on administrative leave, Uyehara resigned from the sheriff’s office.