SCSO moves to decertify ex-deputies for alleged misconduct with intoxicated woman
by: Deja Davis, Jessica Gertler
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has requested the decertification of two former deputies after one was accused of having sexual intercourse with an intoxicated woman at a hotel following a traffic call, and the other was accused of being untruthful in his report.
According to the state’s records WREG Investigators uncovered, former deputy Michael Yzaguirre was terminated in August 2024 for violating policies including compliance with regulations, aiding another to violate regulation, personal conduct, and truthfulness.
Former deputy Sheldon Smith was terminated in June 2024 for policy violations including not activating his body worn camera, unsatisfactory performance, truthfulness, duty to intervene, neglect of duty, and official reports.
On June 9, 2024, SCSO stated Smith responded to a call regarding a woman slumped over in a vehicle in a travel lane on Airline Road near Memphis-Arlington Road.
SCSO said Smith deactivated his body-worn camera during his encounter with the woman in the car. Smith was then accused of taking the woman to a hotel and escorting her to her room without wearing his body-worn camera.
Records state the woman was “obviously intoxicated” while driving, and instead of Smith performing a standardized field sobriety test, he allowed her to stay inside her vehicle until he took her to the hotel.
“Obvious damage” was seen on the woman’s vehicle indicating she struck something, but Smith neglected to follow up along the route to see what may have been hit, the records states.
The woman reportedly claimed she was involved in a domestic violence incident with her husband and he physically abused her. Smith is accused of not attempting to go to her home or contact her husband to determine what happened and arrest the primary aggressor.
Smith told internal investigators he realized the woman was intoxicated while driving, but he didn’t mention she was intoxicated or involved in a crash in the incident report.
Records state Smith also allowed off-duty deputy Michael Yzaguirre to take control of the scene, dictate how the incident was handled, help get the woman into the hotel room, and then leave her with Yzaguirre.
On June 11, 2024, SCSO opened an internal investigation regarding Yzaguirre’s involvement.
SCSO said he encouraged and directed Smith to falsify the report and omit important details like the woman being intoxicated and there being open containers.
“Yzaguirre was purposeful in his actions which ultimately led to having sexual intercourse with a citizen who – by his own admission – was unable to fully consent to the encounter due to the level of her intoxication,” records stated.
SCSO said Yzaguirre also accessed W.A.S.P from his departmentally-issued PDA and performed queries in reference to the incident.
Smith was terminated on June 21, 2024, and Yzaguirre was terminated on August 9, 2024.
Yzaguirre was honored with a plaque as Deputy of the Month for May 2022, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Both officers are scheduled to appear at a Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) meeting on Thursday. If the board votes to decertify them, they will no longer be able to work in law enforcement in Tennessee.
WREG is working to find out if either officer will face criminal charges.
We’ve asked the DA’s office if they’ve been made aware of the alleged incidents and if they are investigating criminal wrongdoing.
At this time, we have not received a response.
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