Justice Department finds Phoenix Police have used excessive force, discriminated against minorities

The Justice Department announced Thursday that police in Phoenix have been engaging in conduct that violates the Constitution and federal law by using “excessive force” and discriminating against Black, Hispanic and Native American people, among other actions. 

A “comprehensive investigation” into the Phoenix Police Department has uncovered that it and the city “unlawfully detain, cite, and arrest people experiencing homelessness and unlawfully dispose of their belongings,” as well as “discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities when dispatching calls for assistance and responding to people in crisis,” the Justice Department says. 

“The Justice Department has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives its residents and visitors, including Black, Hispanic, and Native American people, of their rights under the Constitution and federal law,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.  

“The release of today’s findings report is an important step toward accountability and transparency, and we are committed to working with the City of Phoenix and Phoenix Police Department on meaningful reform that protects the civil rights and safety of Phoenix residents and strengthens police-community trust.” 

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Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington in April 2023. The Justice Department announced Thursday, June 13, the findings of an investigation into the conduct of the Phoenix Police Department. (AP/Susan Walsh)

The Justice Department says it began investigating Phoenix law enforcement in August 2021 and based its findings on interviews, police interactions, thousands of documents and hundreds of hours of body-worn camera footage. 

It said it found Phoenix Police to use “excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and other types of force.”

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Phoenix Police stand in front of police headquarters May 30, 2020, in Phoenix, waiting for protesters marching to protest the death of George Floyd.  (AP/Ross D. Franklin)

“The police also used excessive force, delayed necessary medical aid and infringed on the civil rights of those engaged in First Amendment-protected conduct, including demonstrations and protests,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said. 

Michael Sullivan, the interim police chief for the Phoenix Police Department, speaks at a news conference in February 2023 in Phoenix.  (AP/Gregory Payan)

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“Consistent with its standard practice in investigations of other cities, the Department provided a detailed briefing on the findings to the City and PhxPD on Tuesday, and proposed that the parties agree in principle to negotiate expeditiously and in good faith to reach a comprehensive court-enforceable settlement with independent monitoring,” the Justice Department added.