On May 12, 2025, three-year-old Trigg Kiser drowned in his family’s backyard pool in Chandler, Arizona, while his father Brady was also caring for their infant. Before any charges were filed and before any arrest was made, the Chandler Police Department issued a public press release naming the family and speculating Brady could face fourth-degree felony child abuse charges. This is not transparency. This is performative policing — preemptive character assassination by official channels before due process has a chance to operate.
Leave it to Arizona’s Chandler Police Department to capitalize on a horrific tragedy for their own benefit.
On May 12, 2025, three-year-old Trigg Kiser drowned in his family’s backyard pool. His mother, Emilie Kiser, a popular social media personality, wasn’t home — she was taking a break for an outing with a friend. Emilie’s husband, Brady Kiser, was also caring for the couple’s infant when Trigg managed to sneak out into the pool. Three to five minutes was all it took for the absolute unimaginable to happen.
Any sleep-deprived parent with a toddler and a baby will tell you how hard it is to keep track of both kids at once and how fast things can happen. Most parents are lucky that typically, a kid sneaking off just makes a mess. In this case, a nightmare worst-case scenario unfolded.
But that’s not the way the Chandler Police Department saw it. Because what happened next wasn’t just a tragedy — they turned it into a press release. Before charges were even filed. Before a trial. Before the family had even had time to grieve. A family that has begged for privacy to mourn the loss of their child but can’t, because the media frenzy is so intense.
The department’s press release states Brady could face fourth-degree felony child abuse charges in connection with the accidental drowning, citing ARS 13-3623. Could. Not that he had been arrested. Not that charges had been filed. Could.
Because we live in the age of performative policing.
When Police Start Writing Headlines Instead of Warrants
Let’s be clear: child deaths deserve investigation. Accountability matters. Neglect is serious.
But there’s a fundamental difference between a thorough, quiet investigation and purposely crafting a PR campaign that exploits grieving parents’ names for clickbait and institutional notoriety. The officers involved — and their leadership — knowingly chose to name the family in a public statement, speculate about possible criminal charges, and outline what could happen in the media. All before a single charge was filed. No arrests. No court hearing. Just suggestive language, official channels, and the enormous bullhorn of public suspicion.
One press release makes law enforcement judge, jury, and executioner in the court of public opinion, and they know that. This is a blatant infringement on Brady Kiser’s constitutional right to due process so the department can pander to public sentiment. It is a reputation hit job, orchestrated by the very people entrusted to pursue truth.
Police departments should be barred from issuing press releases if they cannot be responsible in how they use them. If law enforcement believed criminal negligence occurred, their only lane is to file the case with the prosecutor. What they should not do is issue a press release that hangs guilt in the air like a fog and destroys any shot at a fair trial.
Why This Hurts More Than It Helps
Releasing a statement like this — naming a parent in connection with their own child’s death before charges are filed — has consequences that extend beyond the immediate moment. It taints public opinion before due process begins. It further traumatizes an already grieving family. It devolves a horrific tragedy into spectacle. And it demonstrates that people should not cooperate with police, because cooperation does not protect them from being the next subject of a speculative press release.
And let’s be honest: if this weren’t a high-profile family with a large online following, would we even have heard about it? Absolutely not. That is the point.
It’s easy enough to spot. Look for phrases like “could be charged,” “under investigation for,” or “potential criminal liability.” These carry the weight of accusation without requiring proof. In a soundbite environment where people hear headlines and move along, many will read or hear those phrases and conclude guilt. Even if no charges ever come, the damage is already done.
The saddest part: this happens every day to people who are marginalized and do not have the money, means, or platform to fight back. They don’t have anyone who goes to bat for them. We’re seeing it play out visibly with Chandler PD only because this particular family has a public profile. The pattern is not new.
The Structural Problem
The press release wasn’t about transparency. It was preemptive reputation management by law enforcement — a wholly unnecessary measure when local media outlets already cater to the police. It has unfortunately become standard in high-profile or emotionally charged cases: rather than wait for prosecutors, courts, or even evidence, departments issue speculative releases that frame someone as guilty without ever having to prove it.
Chandler Arizona Police Department has a Media Relations Department — an increasingly common and disturbing practice. Rather than investing in community-oriented policing, money is being spent on controlling image rather than on behavior. Spin rather than accountability.
Police actions like these do not happen in a vacuum. They ripple outward, damaging reputations, severing support systems, and creating financial instability — all before a person ever has their day in court. Livelihoods are attacked not just through arrests and prosecution, but through public shaming that the justice system cannot and refuses to undo.
Further, it is unknown whether the Chandler Police Department notified the family before issuing this release and further exploiting their tragedy. A request for comment is pending.
This family is hurting. The couple’s marriage is likely destroyed, and law enforcement came in and made everything worse and harder than it ever needed to be. That’s not heroic. It’s parasitic.
Maricopa County already has a long-standing reputation for unconstitutional behavior in its treatment of defendants. This further erodes whatever trust remains.
Real justice doesn’t need a press release. It needs ethical behavior and proof. Police departments are past the point of ethical return when they cannot resist exploiting a child’s death to push a headline before charges are filed.
