DOJ Report: Phoenix Police Department Accused of Excessive Force, Discrimination Against Native Americans and Homeless

Phoenix, Arizona United States of America
City leaders acknowledged changes need to be made within the department after findings were announced
DOJ accuses Phoenix Police Department of excessive force and discrimination against Native Americans and homeless people
Investigations found officers violated constitutional rights by employing unjustified force against individuals engaged in protected speech and expression
Phoenix police detain and arrest homeless people without reasonable suspicion of a crime, while also unlawfully disposing of their belongings
DOJ Report: Phoenix Police Department Accused of Excessive Force, Discrimination Against Native Americans and Homeless

In a significant development, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has released reports accusing the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) of using excessive force and discriminating against certain groups, including Native American and homeless people. The investigations conducted by the DOJ marked the first time such findings have been made regarding treatment of these specific communities in Phoenix.

According to multiple sources, officers within the PPD violated constitutional rights by employing unjustified force against individuals engaged in protected speech and expression. The city has already spent $7.5 million on this investigation so far.

The reports revealed that Phoenix police detain and arrest homeless people without reasonable suspicion of a crime, while also unlawfully disposing of their belongings. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the findings on Thursday.

City leaders responded to the reports late in the day, with Phoenix Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan acknowledging that changes need to be made within the department.

The DOJ investigation found that Phoenix police use unreasonable force during encounters and discriminate against Black, Hispanic, and Native American people. Investigators also discovered that officers employ tactics resulting in stark disparities in how they treat these racial groups compared to White individuals.

Investigations by the Washington Post and The Guardian corroborated these findings, with the latter reporting that Phoenix police kill civilians without justification and violate their civil rights. These reports come as part of a broader pattern of unconstitutional policing in one of America's largest cities.

The DOJ investigation also found that Phoenix police violate the rights of people who are homeless, improperly arresting them and destroying their property. Officers were also discovered to retaliate against individuals during these encounters.

Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, stated that “a person's constitutional rights do not diminish when they lack shelter.”

City leaders and federal authorities are now working together to implement policing reforms in response to these findings.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • How widespread is this issue within the Phoenix Police Department?
  • Were all officers involved in the alleged misconduct identified?
  • What specific actions were taken against Native American and homeless individuals that constituted discrimination?

Sources

76%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Phoenix police use excessive force and racially discriminate, Justice Dept. says

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Mark Berman Thursday, 13 June 2024 17:15
  • Unique Points
    • The Phoenix Police Department is accused of routinely using excessive force and discriminating against Black, Hispanic, and Native American people.
    • Investigators found that officers use unreasonable force to rapidly dominate encounters, often within the first few moments of an encounter.
    • The investigation revealed that the Phoenix police department’s law enforcement tactics resulted in stark disparities in how officers treat Black, Hispanic, and Native American people compared to White people.
  • Accuracy
    • A federal civil rights investigation found that police in Phoenix use unnecessarily dangerous force, fail to provide proper oversight when force is used, and enforce the law based on race.
    • The report also highlights a department that has routinely used force improperly and a culture in which sworn officers flaunted their hostility toward protesters during protests between 2017 and 2022.
    • Incidents of officers frequently not reporting uses of force and supervisors offering minimal oversight were also identified in the report.
    • Officers enforce some laws more harshly against those groups than White people doing similar things, with overwhelming statistical evidence showing that the disparities are due to discrimination.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of the Phoenix Police Department using excessive force and discriminating against certain racial groups. The article does not provide any context or counterarguments from the police department or city officials. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through phrases such as 'damning federal assessment' and 'latest damning federal assessment'.
    • Investigators also found that the department violates the rights of people who are homeless improperly arresting them and destroying their property while officers improperly retaliate against those who have protested their actions.
    • The Phoenix Police Department routinely uses excessive force and discriminates against Black, Hispanic and Native American people
  • Fallacies (85%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (75%)
    The author uses language that depicts the Phoenix Police Department as having a 'culture in which sworn officers flaunted their hostility toward protesters' and 'disproportionately targeting communities of color'. These statements imply a negative bias towards the Phoenix Police Department and suggest that they are unfairly treating certain communities.
    • Officers are disproportionately targeting communities of color.
      • the department used indiscriminate force against demonstrators and had 'a culture in which sworn officers flaunted their hostility toward protesters'
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      81%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Justice Department finds Phoenix PD used excessive force, discriminated against certain groups

      AZFamily (KTVK/KPHO) News Phoenix Arizona David Baker, Thursday, 13 June 2024 01:07
      • Unique Points
        • First time DOJ has issued such findings regarding treatment of Native American and homeless people.
        • Officers violated rights of people engaged in protected speech and expression.
        • City spent $7.5 million on Justice Department investigation so far.
      • Accuracy
        • Justice Department investigates whether officers have engaged in discriminatory policing practices and retaliated against protesters.
      • Deception (50%)
        The article reports on the findings of a Department of Justice investigation into the Phoenix Police Department, which found that officers violated people's rights, discriminated against certain groups, and used excessive force. The authors quote Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke stating that this is the first time such findings have been made regarding treatment of Native American and homeless people. The article also mentions that officers violated the rights of people engaged in protected speech and expression. These statements are editorializing and pontification by the authors, as they are interpreting and adding their own opinions to the facts presented in the report.
        • This is the first time the department has issued findings like this regarding treatment of Native American people and homeless people, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke.
        • Officers rely on less-lethal force to attempt to resolve situations quickly, often when no force is necessary and without any meaningful attempt to de-escalate.
        • The man was leaving a laundromat when an officer immediately fired Pepperballs at him, and continued to fire after the man was on his knees and had curled his body onto the sidewalk.
      • Fallacies (85%)
        The authors of the article report on findings from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the Phoenix Police Department's use of excessive force and discrimination against certain groups, including Native Americans and people with behavioral health disabilities. The authors quote Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke stating that this is the first time such findings have been made regarding treatment of these groups. However, the authors also make several statements that contain appeals to authority fallacies by attributing the findings directly to the Department of Justice without explicitly stating that they are reporting on its conclusions. Additionally, there are instances of inflammatory rhetoric used in describing some of the incidents reported in the article, such as 'unjustified deadly force' and 'pervasive failings'. These statements may be valid descriptions of the findings but can be perceived as emotionally charged and potentially biased.
        • This is the first time the department has issued findings like this regarding treatment of Native American people and homeless people, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke.
        • 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.
        • Officers rely on less-lethal force to attempt to resolve situations quickly, often when no force is necessary and without any meaningful attempt to de-escalate.
        • The man was leaving a laundromat when an officer immediately fired Pepperballs at him, and continued to fire after the man was on his knees and had curled his body onto the sidewalk.
      • Bias (80%)
        The article reports on the findings of a Department of Justice investigation into the Phoenix Police Department, which found that officers violated people's rights, discriminated against certain groups, and used excessive force. The authors do not express any bias in their reporting of these facts. However, they do use language such as 'pervasive failings' and 'disguised and perpetuated problems for years,' which could be seen as implying a negative assessment of the police department. Additionally, the authors quote Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke stating that this is the first time findings like this have been made regarding treatment of Native American and homeless people. This implies that there has been a history of poor treatment of these groups by the police department, which could be seen as biased language. However, it is important to note that this statement is not an assertion by the authors themselves, but rather a quote from a government official.
        • Officers rely on less-lethal force to attempt to resolve situations quickly, often when no force is necessary and without any meaningful attempt to de-escalate.
          • 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.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          62%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          ‘Pervasive failings’: Phoenix police kill civilians without justification, US says

          theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Sam Levin Thursday, 13 June 2024 18:43
          • Unique Points
            • US Department of Justice found pattern or practice of Phoenix police department using excessive force and violating civil rights of Black, Hispanic and Native American people
            • Justice department concluded Phoenix police unlawfully detain unhoused people and dispose of their belongings
            • Police use unjustified force against people who are handcuffed and accused of low-level crimes
          • Accuracy
            • Investigators found Phoenix police use dangerous tactics that lead to unnecessary and unreasonable force
          • Deception (30%)
            The article contains selective reporting as it focuses on the findings of the US Department of Justice report against the Phoenix police department without mentioning any potential mitigating factors or context. The author also uses emotional manipulation by describing the actions of the Phoenix police as 'pervasive failings' and 'routinely discriminates against people of color and kills civilians without justification'. Additionally, there are instances of sensationalism with phrases such as 'highest rates of killings by officers in the Arizona city' and 'first finding of its kind against any US police department'.
            • The Phoenix police department routinely discriminates against people of color and kills civilians without justification,
            • In recent years, the Guardian revealed cases of Phoenix officers attacking and injuring a young woman during a minor traffic stop; burning a teenager on hot pavement while restraining her; and facing accusations of sexual assault on the job.
            • The justice department said certain laws, including drug and low-level offenses, were enforced more severely by Phoenix officers against Black, Hispanic and Native American people than against white residents who engaged in the same conduct.
          • Fallacies (85%)
            The article contains several instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. The author uses phrases such as “pervasive failings” and “pattern or practice” to describe the findings of the US Department of Justice, which is a form of inflammatory language. Additionally, there are multiple instances where the author defers to the authority of the US Department of Justice without providing further evidence or analysis. However, no formal fallacies were found in this article.
            • The Phoenix police department routinely discriminates against people of color...
            • In a first finding of its kind against any US police department, the justice department also concluded that Phoenix police unlawfully detain unhoused people...
            • The practice of stopping, citing and arresting unhoused people was so widespread that 37% of all arrests in the city between 2016 and 2022 were of people experiencing homelessness.
          • Bias (0%)
            The author demonstrates a clear bias against the Phoenix police department by using language that depicts them in a negative light and highlighting instances of alleged civil rights violations without providing context or acknowledging any potential mitigating factors. The author also quotes third-party sources criticizing the police department, further reinforcing their negative portrayal.
            • Many reforms have not yet been implemented. Other reforms exist on paper, but not in practice.
              • Officers rely on less-lethal force to attempt to resolve situations quickly, often when no force is necessary and without any meaningful attempt to de-escalate.
                • Police also routinely use neck and compression restraints that put people at risk of serious injury or suffocation
                  • Police shoot projectiles at people without evidence a person is an immediate threat
                    • The Phoenix police department routinely discriminates against people of color and kills civilians without justification
                    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication
                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication