[classicman]

5 cops on paid leave after 1 flushes fetus

MESA, Ariz. - Police in Arizona say five officers have been placed on paid leave after one allegedly flushed a fetus down a toilet.

Mesa Police Chief George Gascon (gas-KOHN') says four officers responding to a call about a possible miscarriage at a motel on Monday discovered a woman who apparently lost a fetus estimated to be 12 to 14 weeks old.

Gascon says an officer who wasn't at the motel instructed the four over the phone to flush the 4-inch fetus down the toilet rather than take it to a hospital.

A supervisor who was reading incident reports came across details about the disposal of the fetus and shared them with a superior.

Gascon says all five officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

He says police plan to forward the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office to see if prosecutors recommend charges.