Police misconduct is nothing new and we’ve grown uncomfortably accustomed to reports of deputized agents of the state committing atrocities and abuses of power against innocent citizens. That said, we never once thought that these violent misdeeds would be perpetrated by park rangers. However, here we are…
According to AZ Family, a group of rogue rangers in Mesa, Arizona, has been outed by a fellow ranger for allegedly using racist slurs and excessive force against homeless people in the area. The inciting incident to the whistleblowing occurred on March 26, 2025, when an unnamed ranger found a 9mm Canik pistol inside the desk of his colleague Joshua Amado. The ranger says he overheard Amado and another rangers talking about confiscating the weapon from a homeless individual who was referred to as a racist slur.
On April 11, 2025, the whistleblowing ranger told police that despite his hope that Amado would do the right thing by turning the gun over to authorities, upon checking the desk, the firearm remained in place, which prompted him to report it to his lieutenant.
In addition to the stolen firearm, the whistleblower also told police that he had heard Amado and the third ranger talk about a “goon squad” among the unit who seemed to be operating outside of proper protocol.
The group would participate in “gooning” as a way to deal with “the homeless problem and n*****s,” police records said. “Gooning” includes not reporting drugs they confiscate and using excessive force on the homeless, police said.
Members of the squad had patches made, which were a gray shield patch with the words “Ranger,” “Goon Squad,” and “Mesa, AZ” embroidered in black. The patches also had an embroidered black skull, a lightning bolt, a bullet, a baton and handcuffs creating the two o’s in “Goon.”
BOSSIP previously reported on another “Goon Squad” that was operating in Rankin County, Mississippi, whose six members were ultimately charged with sexually assaulting two Black men and more. Their convictions led to a combined 137 years of imprisonment for their numerous crimes.
When Mesa police interviewed Amado about the gun, he claimed to have forgotten about it but denied “stealing” it from the homeless man in favor of the term “acquired”. Police weren’t buying his story and arrested him for theft. Before the city of Mesa could process his termination, Amado resigned. “Several” other park rangers have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation into their potential criminal activities.
