Outside firm to review city’s rally response
A week after police officers unleashed gas, foam projectiles and pepper balls on protesters, Phoenix announced it would seek an independent review of police behavior during Donald Trump’s visit to Arizona.
In a letter to Police Chief Jeri Williams, Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher said that he would ask an outside firm to review the department’s preparation and response during Trump’s Aug. 22 rally.
“With the high-profile nature of the events and
community concerns and support expressed, it is important to use outside expertise to add a layer of objective review in this situation,” Zuercher wrote.
Thousands turned out to protest Trump outside the Phoenix Convention Center where the president spoke for about an hour.
Protesters were largely peaceful. But after Trump’s speech, a handful of people began throwing items at officers. Police responded with a wave of tear gas and pepper balls.
Many protesters in attendance said that there was no warning to disperse before police deployed crowd-dispersing agents. The department was widely criticized by attendees for what they called excessive force.
Williams told reporters hours after the scuffles that the department would perform a standard review of its reatmosphere, sponse. But many community leaders insisted on an independent investigation for transparency.
Zuercher heeded their advice and engaged OIR Group, a California firm specializing in independent police reviews. The City Council will vote to fund the review at its meeting Wednesday. City spokeswoman Julie Watters said it would cost up to $45,000.
At least one councilman pledged his opposition to funding the review, calling it a “witch hunt.”
“After the selfless AND HEROIC actions of our dedicated police officers WHO came under fire from a handful of radical left-wing PROTESTERS ... Phoenix LEADERS have agreed to put an item in front of the council this week to bring in a radical, anti-police consulting firm to ‘review’ the actions of our officers,” Councilman Sal DiCiccio said in a statement posted to his Facebook page.
In his letter to Williams, Zuercher also commended the department.
“What all members of the Phoenix Police Department accomplished on August 22 was notable. In an emotional our police officers showed professionalism in ensuring the safety and First Amendment rights of the community,” he wrote.
But there has been “significant community dialogue about how the final hour of the day unfolded,” Zuercher wrote.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said an independent review “is the most objective and transparent way we can move forward.”
“I am grateful that, given the tensions and emotions surrounding the Trump rally, there were no serious injuries and only a handful of arrests. I am disappointed that a few people chose to disrupt an otherwise peaceful event. There is no circumstance where that kind of behavior is appropriate,” Stanton said in a statement.
Stanton also noted that he will join Williams on Sept. 5 in meeting with the leaders of several groups that protested at the rally to hear their perspectives and concerns.