Richard G. Pina, Jason E. McFadden, and Michael J. Carnicle are accused of making a 19-year-old Phoenix man eat marijuana found in his car after a stop — an act that left the man feeling ill. The resignations occurred just before the officers were fired, but there remains a couple of disturbing questions.

The man was forced to eat a gram of marijuana.

First, the video cameras of the officers were turned off at the time — another such incident where the ability to turn off cameras left an alleged abusive act go unrecorded. It would seem axiomatic that, if such cameras serve the public interest, there should not be a switch that can be used to shield arrests or actions.

Second, a fourth officer, Jeff Farrior, was reportedly aware of the abuse and did nothing. Yet, he was only demoted from lieutenant to sergeant. So let me get this straight. A supervising officer learns that three officers degraded a citizen and forced him to eat drugs for their entertainment. Yet, he did nothing and will not just remain an officer but remain a sergeant?