Name: Lawsuits allege Phoenix police used 'excessive force' during George Floyd protests
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Lawsuits allege Phoenix police used 'excessive force' during George Floyd protests

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Arizona RepublicView CommentsThree people&nbsp;have filed lawsuits against Phoenix police Chief Jeri Williams, alleging her officers used&nbsp;"excessive force" on protesters during some of the demonstrations against police brutality and racism.Stephen D. Benedetto and Heather Hamel, with the People's Law Firm, filed the lawsuits in the U.S. District Court of Arizona in Phoenix on behalf of their clients. They also sent notices of claims to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council."Defendants’ actions and use of force – including but not limited to their unnecessary deployment of tear gas (which is prohibited from use in war under the Geneva Conventions), their shooting of rubber bullets, and their shooting of Plaintiff in his arm with a beanbag – were objectively unreasonable in light of the facts and circumstances confronting them and violated Plaintiff’s rights," the lawsuits say, The&nbsp;lawsuits stem from the May 31 protests in which officers blocked several downtown streets, leading people to run through the historic Garfield neighborhood east of downtown.&nbsp;Some residents of the neighborhood told The Arizona Republic that it was police causing havoc, not protesters.&nbsp;They , saying they&nbsp;felt that police overreached their power.A woman interviewed by The Republic and mentioned in the lawsuit said that she and other residents protected protesters either by letting them stay in their yards or letting them inside their houses.&nbsp;For more than a week, thousands of people in Arizona have protested the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. They have also protested local killings by police, .Police in a statement to The Republic said they couldn't comment on the pending litigation, "however, the Phoenix Police Department has been made aware of various incidents and are looking into them," Sgt. Mercedes Fortune, a spokeswoman for the Police Department, said."Unfortunately, we have had instances where criminal activity took place. Once an unlawful assembly is declared, anyone in the area is expected to leave. Persons cannot remain on&nbsp;private property,&nbsp;roadways,&nbsp;or&nbsp;sidewalks. This request is made to stop any additional criminal activity," Mercedes said in the&nbsp;statement.She added: "On Sunday (May 31) after the Emergency Declaration was issued, we made all necessary announcements. We made efforts to educate many of what the curfew meant. In an effort to once again ensure the safety of the city."Police had previously said they were protecting the neighborhood during the protest. They arrested more than 200 people, 10 of whom were minors, "for crimes involving Curfew, Disorderly Conduct, Rioting and Unlawful Assembly."She said residents can make complaints about possible police misbehavior to the Police Department's&nbsp;, which could conduct an internal investigation.David Saccoccio&nbsp;was shot by an officer with a rubber bullet, fracturing a bone in his arm. The lawsuit states that he had to get surgery the next day.&nbsp;According to his lawsuit, "Phoenix Police officers made fun of Mr.Saccoccio, belittling his injury as 'just a scratch'&nbsp;and refusing to get him necessary medical attention despite the degree to which he was bleeding and his reports of intense pain." The lawsuit also states that Saccoccio sat on a curb,&nbsp;crying and&nbsp;listenedto Phoenix police officers&nbsp;"joking callously about people’s responses to being tear-gassed and shot with rubber bullets."The notice of claim states that Saccoccio is seeking $1 million in damages.Before the lawsuit was filed, Sgt. Maggie Cox, a Phoenix police spokeswoman, said in an email to The Republic that officers saw a group of people attempting&nbsp;to jump a fence into a residential yard near 11th and Polk streets at about 8:45 p.m.She said the group was in violation of Gov. Doug Ducey's 8 p.m. curfew."Officers deployed&nbsp;less lethal rounds&nbsp;in an effort to divert the&nbsp;group and in the process, Mr. Saccoccio was injured," Cox's June 1 email stated.&nbsp;"The officer reported the use of force and sought medical treatment for Mr. Saccoccio.&nbsp; It is standard procedure to review the&nbsp;use of force which will determine if the use of force&nbsp;is within policy."Yohan Stokes, 20, who is from Yuma and a college athlete who goes to school in Illinois, stated&nbsp;in his lawsuit that he attended the May 31 protest with a friend and his sister. He had walked his sister to her car about 10 minutes before 8 p.m. and then he and his friend walked to their car.&nbsp;But police had closed off some streets, and the officers had directed them toward Seventh Street, the lawsuit stated.&nbsp;At some point, officers&nbsp;started to shoot rubber bullets and Stokes began to run. But officers had blocked streets into downtown, where his car was, the lawsuit stated. The officers then fired tear gas, so Stokes and others&nbsp;ran into Garfield, the lawsuit stated."Mr. Stokes and his small group saw a group of Phoenix police officers moving toward them. Backed up against a wall with nowhere to go, they stopped and put their hands up to surrender," the lawsuit stated. "The police began firing rubber bullets at them as Mr. Stokes attempted to protect the others in his group."In custody, a city prosecutor told Stokes they would drop the disorderly conduct charge against him if he pled guilty to violating the curfew and promised that he would be sentenced to time served, the lawsuit stated.Stokes, who is studying to be a teacher, accepted the deal because he was scared to have a violent conviction on his record, the lawsuit stated. But he found out days later that many of the protesters who were arrested had all of their charges dismissed.In a third lawsuit, Christina Chavez, who lives in the Garfield neighborhood, said she had participated in the protest but went home before the 8 p.m. curfew. Later, she went out to a restaurant. When she returned home, she found police officers in her neighborhood.An officer stopped her, shone a light in her car and yelled, "Go home," the lawsuit stated. Upset, she responded, "Shut up," the lawsuit stated.Police then fired birdshot&nbsp;(or small round metal balls) into her car, shattering her window, the lawsuit stated. Police officers also fired bean bags, denting the side of her car, the lawsuit stated.&nbsp;More lawsuits are expected to be filed, the lawyers said.Uriel Garcia covers public-safety issues in Arizona. Reach him at . Follow him on Twitter .Support local journalism. today.View Comments

Arizona RepublicView CommentsThree people&nbsp;have filed lawsuits against Phoenix police Chief Jeri Williams, alleging her officers used&nbsp;"excessive force" on protesters during some of the demonstrations against police brutality and racism.Stephen D. Benedetto and Heather Hamel, with the People's Law Firm, filed the lawsuits in the U.S. District Court of Arizona in Phoenix on behalf of their clients. They also sent notices of claims to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council."Defendants’ actions and use of force – including but not limited to their unnecessary deployment of...

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Uriel J. Garcia

Award-winning local news from Arizona and metro Phoenix | The Arizona Republic in the streets 🗞️,  @azcentral  in the tweets (and online) | Instagram: azcentral

Lawsuits allege Phoenix police used 'excessive force' during George Floyd protests

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