| NEWS | Tony Webster Affairs from p 6 on February 7. Phoenix Police Department Spokesperson Sergeant Phil Krynsky told the Arizona Republic that Chamizo was “standing in the area near the intersection with a knife when police arrived,” in response to a 911 call about a woman who was stabbed. In contrast, former Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan was not even booked into jail after an armed standoff with Tempe Police Department in early Janu- ary. Ryan was instead transported to the hos- pital to take care of his medical needs after a self-inflicted wound. Chamizo’s death was the eighth time police shot a civilian across the Valley this year, media reports show. According to city records, four of those shootings occurred in Phoenix and two were fatal. One shooting was in Gilbert and the other three were in Mesa, with two fatalities at the hands of the Mesa Police Department. The average age of people shot by police in Arizona is 35 years old, according to an investi- gation by the Arizona Republic. Arizona was ranked fourth in the nation for the highest rate of police shootings which resulted in death per one million people. It was behind Alaska, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Maricopa County stood out as ninth out of all counties nationwide for its high fatal police shooting rate. There are more than 3,000 counties in the United States. The Phoenix Police Department describes any police shooting as an “officer-involved shooting incident.” In 2018, Phoenix police officers opened fire on 44 people over the year. By 2020, there were 26 incidents, and last year there were 13 incidents, police data shows. The Phoenix City Council has voted to shell out tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to settle lawsuits brought by the families of people killed by police officers in the city over the past decade. In November 2021, the city council approved $5 million for the family of Muhammad Muhaymin who was killed by police in 2017. The officers involved in Muhayim’s case were investigated internally by the Phoenix Critical Incident Review Board, a group of civil- Arizona lawmakers are considering legislation that could change the standard process whereby local police investigate their own officers for any misconduct in the field. ians and department employees who review any deaths of people while in police custody. The police officers were ultimately not charged with any crimes in the case. Big settlement payouts without police offi- cer accountability erode the foundation of trust, survey respondents suggested. Respondents of all races favored holding police accountable above transparency, swift action, and adherence to standard procedures after they shoot a member of the public. Arizona lawmakers behind the bipartisan bill HB 2650 could change the process in the aftermath of such shootings by creating a new branch inside the Arizona Department of Public Service. The Arizona House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee voted to move for- ward on the bill last week which would, if enacted, create a statewide independent investigation agency by July 2025. However, state oversight would be voluntary, and a neighboring law enforcement agency or regional task force could control the probe, not state administrators. House Speaker Rusty Bowers, a Republican who represents the city of Mesa, sponsored the bill alongside César Chávez (D-Surprise), Jennifer Longdon (D-Phoenix), Kevin Payne (R-Peoria), and Ben Toma (R-Avondale). “The current divide in America over the state of policing has been polarizing,” Bowers said in a statement. “What each side shares in common is the desire for increased account- ability and reaffirming public trust in law en- forcement agencies.” When it comes to rebuilding trust, there’s still work to do since 60 percent of Arizona respondents overall said they trust the police. But fewer than half of Hispanic or Latino respondents and less than one-third of Black respondents said they felt the same way. “It’s easy to say something is obvious when you already have evidence for it,” Cook-Davis said. “But as a researcher, I want to see what the real data is.” 4pc bedroom set 5 drawer chest CALL FOR PRICING mon-THU: 9AM - 7PM fri: 9AM - 7PM sat: 9AM - 6PM sun: 10AM - 5PM 3330 w Van Buren St • Phoenix • 602-272-0034 (NE Corner of 35th Ave & Van Buren) *prices are subject WESTSIDEFURNITURE.COM 9 CHEST with mattress 2pc sectional 5pc dinette DELIVERY AVAILABLE Box and mattress VALLEY-WIDE Bunk-Bed-Frame phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES FEB 17TH– FEB 23RD, 2022
