The trust of our community is of utmost importance to the City of Phoenix. As we address three recent incidents, we want to convey to the community our commitment to thoroughly and timely investigate these incidents and take anay necessary action.
The incidents include the arrest of an individual with hearing impairment, an officer involved shooting inside a dollar store and the law enforcement response to reports of guns on campus at a local school.
In late August, the Phoenix Police Department's Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) initiated an investigation into the incident involving the arrest of Tyron McAlpin, the individual with hearing impairment who was arrested by police. PSB investigations into the two incidents from this past weekend began this week.
The cases will also be reviewed by the City's civilian oversight which includes the Office of Accountability and Transparency, and the newly formed Civilian Review Board. Additionally, Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan will personally review all three cases.
Investigation results will be shared publicly once completed.
As part of our response to the Department of Justice investigation, the Mayor and City Council provided clear direction to City and Police Department leadership during the September 24 Policy Meeting. Those enhancements included a focus on improving misconduct investigations, with greater transparency and accountability for any actions that fall short.
At City Council's direction, we are also prioritizing a thorough review of our policies regarding interactions with youth and vulnerable populations.
Specific to the school incident this past weekend, the Phoenix Police Department takes all campus threats seriously. When the department received a call about someone with a gun at a campus event, a large number of officers responded, consistent with this type of potential threat. No gun was ultimately found in this incident, but one juvenile did not comply when officers attempted to detain him, resulting in officers using a Taser. We want to be clear that no firearms were discharged.
We look forward to continuing to work with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to ensure the safety of our schools. Our officers are prepared to work with any Phoenix school to continue to refine our response process to incidents at schools and to develop safety plans for schools for future school events.
