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Phoenix City Leaders, Advocacy Groups Respond To Post-Rally Chaos

By Casey Kuhn, Kathy Ritchie
Published: Wednesday, August 23, 2017 - 3:27pm
Updated: Thursday, August 24, 2017 - 5:22pm
Michel Marizco/KJZZ
Phoenix police deploy pepper spray outside the Phoenix Convention Center.
Casey Kuhn/KJZZ
Police and protesters outside the Phoenix Convention Center in 2017.
(Photo by Jackie Hai - KJZZ)
A man recovers from pepper spray deployed in downtown Phoenix Tuesday night.

Phoenix police say a small number of protesters began throwing rocks and tear gas at the officers, instigating a forceful effort to dispel the crowd before things escalated.

Many protesters argue the police response to the actions of a few seemed sudden.

The police threw flash bang grenades, pepper spray and tear gas, as well as shot pepper balls into parts of the crowd.

Alex Gomez is with the group Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA.

"Towards the end the police, rather than asking people to leave peacefully started deploying tear gas into the crowd where we still had families out," Gomez said. "It was a terrible display of force and aggression [by] the police force."

Police maintain their actions allowed for a successful rally protest, with no major injuries or damage.

Four people were arrested, including an 18-year-old armed man on three counts of aggravated assault on police, disorderly conduct and one count of resisting arrest.

The mayor's office said in a statement the police will conduct a "thorough and transparent" review of the events, and asked to speak with leaders of organizations at the rally, along with the Phoenix police chief, to hear their concerns.


UPDATE - 8/24/2017

Phoenix police chief Jeri Williams says she has proof that police officers were defending themselves.

"I do have some video that shows the crowd threw something that looked like sparkling devices or lighted, some type of lighted devices first and more than just one. And then threw smoke or gas at the police officers," Williams said.

Williams denies the ACLU’s allegations that police planned to use pepper spray from the start. She said people should be angry at the four who were arrested in connection with events after the rally.

MORE: ACLU Of Arizona Calls For Independent Investigation Of Police Conduct At Trump Rally

Police have released the names of three of the people arrested Tuesday night. Daireus Stokes, 27, was charged with three counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, three counts of disorderly conduct, one count of resisting arrest and three counts of threatening and intimidating. Pamela Robertson, 25, was charged with one count of aggravated assault on a police officer. Derrick Pacheco, 34, was charged with one count of disorderly conduct.

KJZZ was on the scene during Pacheco's arrest at 2nd and Monroe Street. After apparently being pushed to the ground, Pacheco stood back up, made an obscene gesture with both hands and re-approached police before he was taken into custody.