It’s been more than a year since Phoenix police clashed with protesters outside of a rally for President Donald Trump in downtown Phoenix.
Hundreds of protesters were sprayed with tear gas and pepper bullets.
Now, the ACLU of Arizona is filing a class action lawsuit against the city, Phoenix Chief Police Jeri Williams, as well as a number of Phoenix police officers.
They say protesters’ rights were violated as police — without warning — used chemical weapons to silence and disperse the crowd, including children, elderly people and people with disabilities.
The Phoenix Police Department told The Show they could not comment on pending litigation. Since the incident, the department has conducted an internal investigation into how officers handled the situation.
And, though Chief Williams accepted the community’s criticism and said they could have communicated better in the report, she said she largely stood by her officers.
Alessandra Soler,executive director of the ACLU of Arizona, joined The Show to talk about the timing of the lawsuit.
