A former Salt River police officer who lied about his involvement in a high speed pursuit that preceded a fatal collision and is suspected of manipulating his patrol vehicle’s dash cam has lost his ability to work as a peace officer in Arizona.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) board revoked the certification of Alex M. Gryglewski during its April 21 meeting. The revocation action is permanent and will be reported to a national database reviewed by several other states.
Public records show Gryglewski’s employment with Salt River PD ended after an investigation by Mesa PD of his on-duty conduct on Nov. 17, 2019. He activated his lights and siren around 3:30 a.m. and drove at speeds that reached 95 mph on North Gilbert Road in an attempt to make a traffic stop of an Acura which passed him at high speed.
The car failed to yield and at some point Gryglewski turned off his lights and siren, although he continued to follow the Acura. Eventually the Acura ran a red light at the intersection of Gilbert Road and McKellips Road where it struck a minivan.
The driver of the minivan vehicle died at the scene.
Gryglewski told investigators he was simply on the way to a convenience store when he saw the Acura traveling at high speeds before it hit the minivan. He twice denied being involved in an attempted traffic stop of the Acura.
However, at least one passenger in the Acura told investigators about the chase. Video obtained from the dash cam in Gryglewski’s patrol vehicle backed up the passenger’s statement. It also showed Gryglewski ran a red light without activating his lights and siren, and had violated department policy by failing to advise a dispatcher or a supervisor of his involvement in a high speed pursuit.
Investigators also found that Gryglewski appeared to have manipulated his dash cam programming by setting it to “test” mode which would have deleted any video after seven days.
The former officer did not request a hearing in an attempt to preserve his certification after the AZPOST board voted in January to initiate proceedings against Gryglewski.