Three Phoenix police officers were caught on bodycam video saying they wanted to ‘gas’ and ‘stomp on’ Black Lives Matter protesters last year following the arrests of 15 people.
The officers also disparaged the protesters in the bodycam video by calling them ‘d**kheads’, a**hole kids’ and ‘liberal pieces of s**t’ as they sat in their patrol car in downtown Phoenix back on October 17 last year.
The footage, obtained by ABC15, came to light at the weekend after attorneys for the 15 protesters used it in their case to argue the three officers were politically motivated during the arrests.
Just hours after the video was made public, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced it was dismissing the charges against the 15 people so they can review the evidence.
The officers have not been identified.
Three Phoenix police officers were caught on bodycam video in October last year saying they wanted to ‘gas’ and ‘stomp on’ Black Lives Matter protesters following the arrests of 15 people. The protesters are pictured above huddling under umbrellas
In the video, one officer can be heard asking: ‘Why didn’t we just stomp on them when they were leaving?’
Another said: ‘Gas em. I don’t give a s**t if we just gas them and let them run like crazy.’
As they drove past someone on the street that told them to ‘go home’, one of the officers referred to the person as a ‘f***ing liberal piece of s**t’.
In the video the officers also bemoaned having to wear bodycams with one saying it brought the ‘job down the drain’.
‘We actually want to do the job like we did 10, 15 years ago, but it’s never going to come back,’ one officer said.
‘If they ever came back and they said, ‘Guys, just f***ing kick some f***ing a** out there and reduce crime,’ I’d say, ‘Okay.’ ‘
The second officer replied: ‘So you won’t be in f***ing handcuffs and doing your job? ‘Going, ‘Oh, let me go watch that body cam video just in case he might have struck somebody.’ I remember back when. It was so much nicer.’
The first officer then replied: ‘I think this (body camera) has taken the job down the drain.’
Police moved in to arrest the protesters after the group huddled together and appeared to form a dome with their umbrellas. In the bodycam video taken after the arrests, the three officers could be heard talking about the umbrellas, describing them as a ‘new trick’ to deflect rubber bullets
Prosecutors had argued to a grand jury that the protesters were dangerous and they were part of a criminal street gang.
The group had met in a park the night of October 17 before walking down the street chanting ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘ACAB’ or ‘All cops are b******s.”
Some of the protesters in the group were spotted carrying umbrellas.
Video from the night showed some protesters dragging barriers and toppling street signs.
Police moved in to arrest them after the group huddled together and appeared to form a dome with their umbrellas.
In the bodycam video taken after the arrests, the three officers could be heard talking about the umbrellas, describing them as a ‘new trick’ to deflect rubber bullets.
‘I haven’t seen the umbrella tricks yet. That’s a new thing,’ one officer said.
Another responded: ‘ Still you make (gas) go up in the air and come down on them. It would still get on them.’
The first officer then expressed concerns over the use of umbrellas and compared to a scene from Batman.
‘I watch Batman. I saw what Penguin did with the umbrella. He’s got a gun behind the umbrella,’ the officer said.
The bodycam footage, obtained by ABC15 , came to light at the weekend after attorneys for the 15 protesters used it in their case to argue the three officers were politically motivated during the arrests
Just hours after the video was made public, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced it was dismissing the charges against the 15 people so they can review the evidence
In the wake of the footage being made public, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said there would be ‘swift and decisive disciplinary action’ in regards to the alleged behavior from the officers.
‘I have been and will continue to be an advocate of the amazing work done in this department each day. However, I know that unprofessional, disrespectful and inappropriate behavior from even one of our officers tarnishes the badge but more importantly, it hurts the community we have sworn to protect,’ Williams said.
‘I will not allow the actions and speech of a few of the 4,000 men and women of the Phoenix Police Department destroy the trust and credibility of those we serve. When that conduct does not show respect, you can expect that I as the chief will take swift and decisive disciplinary action.’
It is not clear what action, if any, has been taken so far against the officers involved.
The Phoenix Police Department and the attorney’s office had already been facing pressure to drop the charges after it emerged earlier this month that some of the officers involved in BLM arrests had a ‘challenge coin’ in 2017 that celebrated a protesters being shot in the groin.
Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher issued a statement saying there were ‘deep rooted issues’ within the department.
‘The more information we learn, the more concerned I become. I believe the majority of Phoenix Police officers do great work for our community every day. But it’s obvious we have deep rooted issues in the Phoenix Police Department that must be addressed.
‘This department is going to change. I demand it. Chief Williams demands it. And the public expects it.’