The Phoenix City Council is set on Wednesday to consider a new five-year contract worth roughly $22 million with the Scottsdale company that makes Tasers.
Federal civil rights investigators said in June that Phoenix police use electrical weapons often and unreasonably.
City officials say the Taser model police have now is about to reach the end of its life expectancy. The new design is about the same size with better tech and safety features.
City officials call Tasers a less-lethal tool officers can use in addition to focusing on de-escalation.
The U.S. Justice Department says Phoenix police fire Tasers at people who pose no threat and show signs of having a mental health crisis.
New department policy set to go live in late January requires an internal review of incidents when officers use Tasers.
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A national search is underway to find Phoenix’s next police chief. The city expects to have three finalists who will take questions from the community during a public forum in March. -
Ridenour was convicted of six arson and hate crimes counts for burning two Douglas churches in May 2023 because they included women and LGBTQ parishioners in church leadership roles. -
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes created a new unit to help local police departments investigate unsolved cases. -
Axon says the decision to abandon the project is due to a ballot referendum initiative. Last month, a pro-union political organization called Worker Power said it helped to gather enough signatures to allow voters to decide if they want to veto the development. -
Aaron Gunches is not going to get his wish to be executed on Valentine's Day. Instead, the justices said they want to hear arguments from all sides – including Attorney General Kris Mayes, who wants Gunches executed, but not on his schedule.
