Tempe Arizona: A video circulating on social media shows Tempe Police Department officers violently subduing an African American woman on a public street in the Mill Avenue entertainment district in the downtown area. The incident occurred at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, and has sparked outrage over the excessive use of force.
The footage reveals that the woman was simply standing on the sidewalk, watching as two men—one of whom was her partner—started a fight. Despite not participating in the altercation, officers abruptly slammed her down onto a metal bicycle, striking her and pushing her face against the frame, pedals, and handlebars.
Subsequently, two police officers place themselves on top of her: one mounted on her back, while her skirt is pulled up, and another applying their full body weight to immobilize her. The woman is left bent over the bicycle structure, showing no active resistance.
Civil rights organizations in Arizona have begun demanding that the Tempe Police Department release the body camera footage, detail the protocols applied, and explain why force was used against a person who did not pose a threat.
