The Phoenix Police must now document whenever she points her gun at a suspect



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As of now, Phoenix officers must fill out a form when an officer points a gun and the incident will be reviewed by a supervisor, city officials said Monday.

"When you point a gun at someone, it's a traumatic event," police chief Jeri Williams said Monday at a news conference. "I think it's a first step towards … this accountable organization, transparent and willing to share what we do and how we do it."

The decision comes two months after a tense community meeting in which residents spoke of a high-profile incident. In this video, an officer shot a family when an investigation was conducted into a steal affair in front of a dollar store in Phoenix in May.

City officials did not directly link Tuesday's announcement to this incident. Two separate groups had previously recommended that the police service register each draw, including the National Police Foundation in April.

The NPF made its recommendation after the city asked it to investigate an outbreak of shootings involving officers in Phoenix in 2018 (44 reports were reported that year, compared to an annual average of 21 between 2009 and 2017). ).

"Our community has … said it wants our police department to collect more data on the work done on the ground," said Mayor Kate Gallego at Monday's press conference.

"We know that what you measure is what you focus on."

Requiring officers that they document when they point their weapon at people is not unique. Cities with similar requirements include Dallas, Baltimore, Cleveland, New Orleans and Chicago, says the foundation.

How the data could be used

A panel of the Phoenix community had recommended gun documentation in 2015, while he was studying police relations with the city's residents.
A Phoenix couple who said the police threatened to shoot them will be speaking Tuesday at a mayor's meeting
It was not clear right away how the city would release the firearms data. However, Carol Coles-Henry, co-chair of this 2015 group, told KNXV, an affiliate of CNN on Monday, that this information could be useful.

Municipal leaders and locals could use this information to know how often the firearms are drawn, who they are fired from, and whether other actions could have been taken instead, she said. at KNXV.

"This gives the opportunity to tell the story in a factual way," Coles-Henry said.

The police department initially resisted the committee's recommendation, claiming in 2016 that it "could potentially significantly affect the decision-making process of the agents during critical incidents".

On Monday, Williams released a more optimistic note – suggesting that the documentation could also highlight what the department is doing well.

"I hope we're about to explain and document the number of times we've done it, by policy … point a gun at someone but one." at the same time defuse that, and do not use this type of lethal force, "Williams said.

Jeff Hynes, professor of justice studies at Glendale Community College and retired commander of the Phoenix Police Department, fears that the new follow-up is causing some officers to hesitate in life-threatening situations, he said. KPHO, affiliated with CNN.

"If an officer takes this moment of reflection, this pause will reduce your manpower, but the other edge of this sword is, at what price?" Hynes asked.

"If I fire my gun, the administration will look at it, the public will look at it, and this split second could make all the difference between a wounded or dead person, a wounded partner." or killed, "said Hynes.

A meeting with a dollar store still under investigation

Williams, the chief of police, said the May meeting outside the Phoenix dollar store was still under investigation.

"We are waiting for the results and are waiting for the process to end," she said.

Phoenix couple say police shoot gun wants officers to be fired

In this incident, a Phoenix couple reported that police officers caught firearms in a parking lot after their 4-year-old stole a doll from the store.

The video of a passerby shows some of these moments: when a policeman was handcuffing a man, another policeman pointed a weapon on a vehicle. The officer tidied the weapon after the release of a woman, holding a small child with a second child by her side.

The woman had refused the police officer's orders to put his hands in the air and the police officer was afraid to hide something or to search for a weapon, according to a police report.

The couple filed a notice of claim against the city for $ 10 million, which serves as a precursor to a lawsuit. The two children who accompanied them were traumatized by this experience, said the couple.

Police said stolen underwear was also in the couple's car. But the stolen goods were returned and the store's employees stated that they did not want to sue, so no one was charged.

The agents involved were put into service while waiting for the investigation.

Joe Sutton, Theresa Waldrop, Artemis Moshtaghian, Christina Maxouris and Hollie Silverman from CNN contributed to this report.

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