View Full Version : Phoenix mayor apologises after US police threaten to shoot black family
There is a video on the link https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48660143
The mayor of the US city of Phoenix has apologised after a video allegedly showing police threatening to shoot a black family went viral.
Officers were responding to an alleged shoplifting incident last month when the video was recorded.
The parents say they did not notice that their four-year-old daughter had taken a doll from a Dollar Store.
Mayor Kate Gallego said the officers' actions were "completely inappropriate and clearly unprofessional".
In the video, officers can be seen shouting at the family to get out of their vehicle before threatening to shoot them.
A woman, Iesha Harper, can then be seen emerging from the car with two young children. The children are handed to a bystander and Ms Harper is arrested.
The footage also shows another man, Dravon Ames, being kicked in the legs as he is handcuffed by an officer.
Ms Gallego said in a statement: "There is no situation in which this behaviour is ever close to acceptable. As a mother myself, seeing these children placed in such a terrifying situation is beyond upsetting.
"I am deeply sorry for what this family went through and I apologise to our community."
She said that the city was speeding up the implementation of body-worn cameras. A community meeting about the incident will also be held on Tuesday.
Ms Harper, who is pregnant, told CNN: "I really thought he was going to shoot me in front of the kids."
She said that she gave her two children to a bystander as she "didn't trust the police".
Phoenix police chief Jeri Williams said on local news that she was "sorry this incident happened" and that it was being investigated.
The officers involved have been assigned desk duty while the investigation takes place.
Cherie
17-06-2019, 02:12 PM
saw this yesterday, that cop was crazed
Tom4784
17-06-2019, 02:17 PM
An all too common situation sadly and one that could have easily been avoided had the cops had any sense and weren't, you know, obviously racist.
Incidents like this will keep on happening and unlike this one, others will be fatal incidents. The system needs to change, they need to do a better job of weeding out racists and other bigots who will put people at harm who they are biased against.
...I watched this earlier this morning, so terrifying for the family...they completely complied and yet all the police showed toward them was aggression and hostility...
Twosugars
17-06-2019, 02:21 PM
Imagine being black in America, you'd think twice before calling the police
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 02:21 PM
they did not see the kids as i understand it and looking into a darkly lit car were rightly worried that the perps could shoot them.
When you wake up every day knowing that some perp could shoot you in the face for a small annual salary it makes you cautious
I hope the family understand that they were just doing their job protecting citizens with their lives (and they get back to work asap)
Liam-
17-06-2019, 02:23 PM
Power crazed lunatics, it’s scary that these sorts of people are paid to carry weapons, idiotic
Twosugars
17-06-2019, 02:25 PM
I mean American racists dont need kkk, they can join the police instead
Liam-
17-06-2019, 02:25 PM
When you wake up every day knowing that some perp could shoot you in the face for a small annual salary it makes you cautious
Not as cautious as knowing there’s every chance you could get shot by trigger happy racists because of your skin colour
...’I’m going to shoot you in your face’ is exactly what one of the cops threatened to do to the father of the family...
GoldHeart
17-06-2019, 02:27 PM
God Bless America :umm2::crazy: .
When I heard about this yesterday it sounded beyond insane & farfetched . I didn't want to believe it.
Alot of cops in America sound NOTHING like cops , it's like they're trigger happy incompetent unhinged thugs !!! .
...when the father did exactly what was demanded of him and he got out of the car with his hands in the air against his vehicle and it was perfectly light so the officer could see him clearly and see his compliance clearly...he still pushed his legs from under him so that he fell to the ground...for no reason other than he could...
Liam-
17-06-2019, 02:28 PM
...’I’m going to shoot you in your face’ is exactly what one of the cops threatened to do to the father of the family...
But he was just doing his job!! :oh:
...but fortunately it was being recorded by at least one member of the public...
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 02:30 PM
Not as cautious as knowing there’s every chance you could get shot by trigger happy racists because of your skin colour
calling people racists who are not is not a nice thing to do. people should not steal from honest retailers is what you should be angry about
But he was just doing his job!! :oh:
...something tells me he should maybe think of a career move, I reckon...not quite the job for him...
GiRTh
17-06-2019, 02:32 PM
they did not see the kids as i understand it and looking into a darkly lit car were rightly worried that the perps could shoot them.
When you wake up every day knowing that some perp could shoot you in the face for a small annual salary it makes you cautious
I hope the family understand that they were just doing their job protecting citizens with their lives (and they get back to work asap)Where did you see that? Do you have a source?
Liam-
17-06-2019, 02:32 PM
calling people racists who are not is not a nice thing to do. people should not steal from honest retailers is what you should be angry about
Oh yes, a child picking something up when their parents are distracted definitely calls for threats of a bullet in the face, totally
Liam-
17-06-2019, 02:35 PM
...something tells me he should maybe think of a career move, I reckon...not quite the job for him...
Unfortunately, I think he’s in the perfect job, they love a sociopath do the American police
Twosugars
17-06-2019, 02:35 PM
God Bless America :umm2::crazy: .
When I heard about this yesterday it sounded beyond insane & farfetched . I didn't want to believe it.
Alot of cops in America sound NOTHING like cops , it's like they're trigger happy incompetent unhinged thugs !!! .
Very true
Idk how they recruit there but bc of that American police has awful reputation around the world
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 02:40 PM
Very true
Idk how they recruit there but bc of that American police has awful reputation around the world
UNTRUE
Unfortunately, I think he’s in the perfect job, they love a sociopath do the American police
...it is disturbing how he’s acting on the vid I have to say... four yr old child takes a doll from a shop so an officer of the law threatens to shoot her father in the face ...really no balance to that incident at all...
Tom4784
17-06-2019, 02:45 PM
calling people racists who are not is not a nice thing to do. people should not steal from honest retailers is what you should be angry about
Threatening to shoot someone in the face for complying isn't nice but you're defending that.
Niamh.
17-06-2019, 02:50 PM
calling people racists who are not is not a nice thing to do. people should not steal from honest retailers is what you should be angry about
How do you know the Police Officer isn't racist though?
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 02:52 PM
How do you know the Police Officer isn't racist though?
i dont and neither does Liam and that is my point i am making
Niamh.
17-06-2019, 02:55 PM
i dont and neither does Liam and that is my point i am making
"calling people racists who are not"
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 02:55 PM
They had stolen goods in the car and one parent had outstanding warrants so the police officers must expect the worst
The police guns were drawn because they refused to show their hands and get out of car, while rummaging in the back seat (risk of weapon), while having a suspended license.
Now they are filing a lawsuit for $10 million.........:skull:
Tom4784
17-06-2019, 02:59 PM
They had stolen goods in the car and one parent had outstanding warrants so the police officers must expect the worst
The police guns were drawn because they refused to show their hands and get out of car, while rummaging in the back seat (risk of weapon), while having a suspended license.
Now they are filing a lawsuit for $10 million.........:skull:
I'd like for you to respond to this post I made, please.
Threatening to shoot someone in the face for complying isn't nice but you're defending that.
Why is calling someone a racist a terrible thing to do but threatening to shoot someone in the face when they are complying is okay? Clear that up for me, please.
They hadn't stolen weapons, it wasn't a massive heist, it was a doll picked up by a toddler. There is no justification for the hostility and threats by those officers.
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 03:02 PM
The cops had no idea what was stolen, the car came back with perp issues
they did not comply
...there was no theft reported by the shop and they didn’t stop the family ...they followed them until they parked their car...(..and no crime had been reported...)...and then they terrorised them in the parking lot of their baby sitter...they kicked the father so that he fell to the ground and threatened to shoot them both in front of their children...nothing of that is ‘policing’ and as the mayor said, none of what they said or did was appropriate or acceptable...
GiRTh
17-06-2019, 03:03 PM
The cops had no idea what was stolen, the car came back with perp issues
they did not complysource?
...I’m sure there are some great police officers in the USA but those two aren’t in that group...
GoldHeart
17-06-2019, 03:06 PM
The cops had no idea what was stolen, the car came back with perp issues
they did not comply
It's a doll ! Not a trunk load of cocaine & million dollars cash
Liam-
17-06-2019, 03:07 PM
...there was no theft reported by the shop and they didn’t stop the family ...they followed them until they parked their car...(..and no crime had been reported...)...and then they terrorised them in the parking lot of their baby sitter...they kicked the father so that he fell to the ground and threatened to shoot them both in front of their children...nothing of that is ‘policing’ and as the mayor said, none of what they said or did was appropriate or acceptable...
It’s almost like they followed a black family, harassed, threatened and assaulted them in the hopes of finding something to blame their behaviour on
It’s almost like they followed a black family, harassed, threatened and assaulted them in the hopes of finding something to blame their behaviour on
...or it was dark and they were very confused..?...
Tom4784
17-06-2019, 03:10 PM
The cops had no idea what was stolen, the car came back with perp issues
they did not comply
Answer the question, please.
Why is it not okay to call someone a racist but threatening to shoot someone in the head is okay to the point you are defending the would be shooter?
Help me understand here, explain it to me.
armand.kay
17-06-2019, 03:11 PM
why the hell did I even click onto this thread...
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 03:50 PM
why the hell did I even click onto this thread...
perhaps understand just why it was made would be my first step on that journey...
Twosugars
17-06-2019, 04:58 PM
perhaps understand just why it was made would be my first step on that journey...
Probably to highlight appalling racist behaviour of American police. Yet again.
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 04:59 PM
Probably to highlight appalling racist behaviour of American police. Yet again.
there is no proof it was racist but assuming it was is not a good thing
Twosugars
17-06-2019, 05:04 PM
there is no proof it was racist but assuming it was is not a good thing
Ridiculously out of proportion response suggest serious prejudice
Crimson Dynamo
17-06-2019, 05:06 PM
Ridiculously out of proportion response suggest serious prejudice
no
Moniqua
17-06-2019, 05:06 PM
there is no proof it was racist but assuming it was is not a good thing
:spin:
sleleen
17-06-2019, 05:09 PM
We should be more upset about them stealing from honest retailers, I-
Twosugars
17-06-2019, 05:16 PM
no
yes
Mokka
17-06-2019, 06:03 PM
why the hell did I even click onto this thread...
That's exactly how I feel
Tom4784
17-06-2019, 09:36 PM
Answer the question, please.
Why is it not okay to call someone a racist but threatening to shoot someone in the head is okay to the point you are defending the would be shooter?
Help me understand here, explain it to me.
I do want a response to this, LT. I want to understand your point of view. Why would you defend someone who threatened to shoot someone in the head but take offense at them being called a racist?
vBulletin® v3.8.11, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.