On Memorial Day in Minneapolis, a police officer killed George Floyd, kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes as the Black man — accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill — pleaded for the opportunity to breathe. Footage of the killing evoked international outrage against police use of force, particularly against minorities, bringing new intensity and urgency to long-standing calls for reform. That includes Arizona, an epicenter of the nation’s police reform debate which saw its own controversial killing on Memorial Day.
“That’s why we’re out in the streets," says Jacob Raiford of the W.E. Rising Project. "That’s why we’ve been out for almost two months at this point. It’s because we have reached that boiling point."
In this five-part series, KJZZ examines policing in Arizona, from the Wild West to the current day, exploring the complex intersection between race and policing, the culture of law enforcement, the impact of modern technology — and what lies ahead.
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Matthew Casey/KJZZ/file | staffFrom the pre-statehood days as a Wild West territory to the current day, deadly encounters between law enforcement and civilians have been a constant element of Arizona’s narrative. And from Wyatt Earp and the shootout at the O.K. Corral to modern-day incidents, controversy has surrounded these interactions, and minorities and other disenfranchised residents have felt especially oppressed. → Boiling Point: Policing In Arizona At A Crossroads -
TalimaArizona and the nation face a new reckoning on race relations and law enforcement. And the present situation is a culmination of what has happened in the past. In part two of a five-part series, KJZZ examines the intersection of law enforcement and racial dynamics through some flashpoints in Arizona’s past and present — where minorities have long felt under-represented and oppressed. → Boiling Point: Policing In Arizona At A Crossroads -
Jimmy Jenkins/KJZZThis is a pivotal moment in history for policing both in Arizona and across the country. Violent confrontations have driven outrage, protests and calls for reform. And they’ve also raised questions about the culture and mindset of police: warriors vs. guardians. → Boiling Point: Policing In Arizona At A Crossroads -
Heather van Blokland/KJZZ/editorial | staffA cellphone camera caught the police-killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Within minutes, thousands of people in hundreds of cities spoke out to protest police violence and demand police reform. Rebroadcasts pinged into downloads, web pages and conversations TV and radio networks, changing what we know about policing. → Boiling Point: Policing In Arizona At A Crossroads -
Scott Bourque/KJZZ/editorial | staffIn part five of this series, long-standing efforts to reform and reimagine policing have gained strength nationally and locally. Why is now different, what do calls to "defund the police" really mean? People have been pushing for police reform for many years, but the George Floyd case nationally and a number of cases locally have finally given traction to those efforts. → Boiling Point: Policing In Arizona At A Crossroads
