Phoenix police have pattern of violating civil rights and using excessive force, Justice Dept. says
Phoenix police discriminate against Black, Hispanic and Native American people, unlawfully detain homeless people and use excessive force, including unjustified deadly force, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday.
A sweeping government investigation uncovered a host of civil rights violations by the police force in the nation’s fifth-largest city. Investigators found stark racial disparities in how police enforce certain laws, like low-level drug and traffic offenses.
The Justice Department found that Phoenix police shoot at people who do not immediately pose a threat, and continue to fire their weapons after any threat has been eliminated. Police also routinely delay medical care for people in encounters and use excessive force on wounded people, officials said.
