On Aug. 7, an incident in the hallway outside a secure, non-public room at the Sahuarita Police Department resulted in the arrest of James Springer, 41, also known as James Freeman, on suspicion of assault. Initial violations cited ARS section 13-1203 A2-3 and section 13-1204 A8a.

Freeman and his camera crew demanded entry into the secured room and physically prevented the door from being closed. Chief John Noland initially restrained Springer and was assisted by two other uniformed officers to place him under arrest.

Sahuarita Police Department referred the review of the arrest and subsequent charging decisions to the Marana Police Department. That investigation is ongoing.

In addition to Marana PD, the Town of Sahuarita has requested a professional standards investigation of the incident to be conducted by an independent agency to review actions of involved law enforcement officers and their adherence to the department’s standard operating procedures and policies, including, but not limited to, use of force.

In the more than 10 years John Noland has been with SPD, he has never had a law enforcement conduct complaint filed against him. Noland remains on duty as the Sahuarita Chief of Police.

“I have tremendous confidence in the Sahuarita Police Department and the men and women who work hard every day to keep this community safe,” said Shane Dille, Town Manager. “Incidents like these are never easy, and we appreciate the support of the external investigating agencies as they each conduct independent and objective reviews. We cannot comment further until these investigations are completed.”

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Members of the public who wish to make a statement to SPD about this issue are encouraged to leave a voice message for review on the non-emergency line (520) 344-7068.