A former Mesa police officer who now operates an antiques shop in Scottsdale is accused of sexually assaulting a Texas woman.
Walter Knox, 42, was arrested by Scottsdale police on Thursday. Police served a search warrant at his antiques shop, Knox Artifacts in Old Town Scottsdale, where cocaine and guns were recovered, according to police reports.
Police records released to New Times don't detail the allegations surrounding the alleged sexual assault (other than it was an alleged sexual assault by "digital penetration"), and a police spokesman says no more details are available for release.
The two victims, one listed as a victim of the sexual assault, the other the victim of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, are women in their late 20s from San Antonio who knew Knox only as an acquaintance.
Police records show that Knox was released from the city jail shortly before 1 a.m. Friday, and he hasn't been formally charged.
Interestingly, just a few hours after his release on Friday morning, Knox called police to his store again to report that he "found two baggies containing drugs and wanted to turn them into police," according to a police report.
Knox handed over a bag of meth, and an empty bag with some powdery residue, and said he found them in his shop. He wasn't arrested again related to those bags, but he also told police $2,800 was missing from his desk. Knox proceeded to blame the two women listed as the "victims" in the report.
While details surrounding the alleged sexual assault aren't available, Knox was also arrested earlier last week for assault and disorderly conduct, in what reports say was an unrelated case. He has been charged in that case.
Back in his days with Mesa police, Knox was involved in what apparently was a controversial shooting. A summary posted on a peace officers association website explains Knox was working as a motorcycle officer in a DUI task force on St. Patrick's Day, 1999.
Knox pulled over a vehicle, and believed the driver was on drugs:
The vehicles were stopped in a residential neighborhood and any attempt to flee would have posed an immediate threat to persons in the area. In an attempt to prevent the driver from fleeing, Knox quickly reached over the steering wheel to pull the keys from the ignition. At that moment, the driver slammed the car into gear and pulled away, pinning Knox's arm and dragging him with his legs extending under the vehicle. In order to avoid being dragged to death or crushed under the wheels of the fleeing vehicle, Knox used his service weapon to fire a single round downward at the driver's side. The round struck and fatally wounded the driver causing the vehicle to come to a stop within approximately 40 feet.According to this summary, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office reviewed the case, but cleared Knox of any charges. According to the reports released by Scottsdale police, Knox told officers he had retired for medical reasons after 12 years with Mesa PD.
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