Police Chief Disciplined For Protestor Gang Charges

Phoenix AZ

12 August, 2021

11:03 PM

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PHOENIX, AZ — Following investigations into two high-profile incidents, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams received a one-day suspension and a written reprimand. A sergeant at the center of one of the investigations is on administrative leave, pending criminal and administrative investigations, according to a news release from City Manager Ed Zuercher. "I've read both reports and two things are crystal clear: measures of accountability are failing within the Phoenix Police Department, and most importantly, are interfering with the ability to equally protect and serve our residents," said Phoenix City Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari in a statement. "We failed them in these two instances." Other members of the City Council reacted differently. "Two investigative reports into actions of a few members of the Phoenix Police Department were prematurely provided to the media," said Councilwoman Ann O'Brien in a statement. "What was not provided is the City Manager's corrective action plans already developed from the investigation results." One of the investigations focused on the October 2020 arrest of 15 protesters of police brutality who were indicted by a Grand Jury for assisting or being part of a criminal street gang. The charges were later dropped. Zuercher released the results Thursday of the two independent investigations into the Phoenix Police Department, conducted on behalf of his office by local law firm Ballard Spahr. "The Ballard Spahr investigation found the decision to charge the protestors as a gang was made collaboratively between some personnel at the Phoenix Police Department and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office," Zuercher said in a news release. Ballard Spahr found that those who made the case against the protestors avoided involving the department's Gang Enforcement Unit in efforts to "sideline those deemed likely to object to charging the protestors as members of a criminal street gang." Investigators found that Williams was unaware of plans to charge protestors as gang members, but members of her executive staff were aware, Zuercher said in the release. As a result of the investigation, three assistant chiefs will be removed from Williams' office and reassigned as commanders. Zuercher also asked the Arizona Attorney General's Office to conduct a criminal and administrative investigation into other employees involved in the case. Williams outlined new policies and procedures as the result of the investigation, such as strengthening gang-charging protocols, bolstering the First Amendment rights of protestors and oversight of relationships between police and prosecutors. Challenge coin investigation The second investigation looked into the circulation among Phoenix police of a coin that depicted a man being shot in the groin with a pepper ball during an August 2017 protest of President Donald Trump. The coin bore phrases referencing Trump as well as wording with ties to hate speech. The investigation found that police involved linked the phrasing on the coin with Trump but did not know it was associated with hate speech. Investigators could not determine who created the coins, but found that some were exchanged or purchased on city property and on city time and that some supervisors gifted the coins to their subordinates. As a result of this investigation, Zuercher issued a written reprimand of Williams for "lapses in executive leadership." He also instructed her to strengthen policies on hate speech, use of disparaging images or statements about residents while on duty and the use of political speech while on duty. The law does not allow officers to be disciplined based on an outside investigation, Zuercher said, but his office and the city's Human Resources Department plan to conduct their own investigation to determine disciplinary action. Zuercher charged Williams with creating an action plan in response to both investigations, to be delivered to him within 30 days. Councilwoman Betty Guardado, along with other City Council members including Vice Mayor Carlos Garcia, are calling for a special Aug. 24 meeting, "to review these Investigations and ensure proper accountability," Guardado said in a statement.