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Scottsdale: Joint Press Release Calling for Accountability & Transparency Regarding Alleged Civil Rights Violations

Scottsdale: Joint Press Release Calling for Accountability & Transparency Regarding Alleged Civil Rights Violations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Contact: Kiana M. Sears, East Valley NAACP President | (480) 442-1222 | [email protected]
Joint Signee: Anthony Isom, Greater Huachuca Area Branch 1st VP/State Criminal Justice Committee Chairman
Joint Signee: Bishop Anthony Holt, West Valley NAACP President

 

EAST VALLEY (1008-B), GREATER HUACHUCA AREA BRANCH (1010) & WEST VALLEY (11AB-B) NAACPs CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY REGARDING ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS BY SCOTTSDALE POLICE

August 24, 2021

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA (August 24, 2021) – On May 24, 2020, “Multiple Scottsdale police officers” were involved in a series of alleged Constitutional violations against a woman of color (ABC15). After “falsely accusing her with a hit-and-run” and denying her access to an attorney, she was “forced to strip” and “had her blood forcibly drawn” after being warned they would “tie her down like an animal” if she did not comply with a blood test, according to reports by ABC15. 

Protect and Serve Who? This series of alleged civil rights violations occurred after police were contacted to investigate the vandalism of the woman’s car after she visited Old Town Scottsdale. That police investigation lasted 30 seconds before she was read Miranda rights for a hit-and-run that “police responded to 30 minutes earlier about 0.3 miles away” (ABC15). Officers allegedly repeatedly refused to view evidence to corroborate her story. Even after watching video surveillance showing that her windshield was damaged by a man stomping repeatedly on it, and that her “car never moved from the time of the stomp to Garcia arriving to find the damage more than a hour later,” Scottsdale Police still appear to have treated her like a criminal whose autonomy and constitutional rights they could violate with impunity (ABC15).

A Badge Should Never Be a Shield to Accountability. Violations of Constitutional rights are dangerous, anti-American, and underscore the urgency of police reform. Therefore, the East Valley, Greater Huachuca Area Branch, and West Valley NAACPs will continue monitoring the outcome of this investigation, and urge:

* Chief Jeff Walther to proactively ensure the police department he inherited in 2021 protects and serves every resident and visitor of Scottsdale. This incident did not happen during his Administration, but an internal investigation of a handful of officers may be inadequate, since defense attorneys report similar complaints about Scottsdale Police are “common” (ABC15).

* Every member of Law Enforcement to work to erase the Thin Blue Line which divides and “otherizes” the Community they swore to serve and protect.

* Everyone who believes a badge should never be a shield to accountability to sign and share the NAACP’s Uniformed Police Reform petition at https://bit.ly/2XR6x7T.  

Freedom Fighters, we work to disrupt inequality, dismantle racism, and accelerate change in key areas including criminal justice, health care, education, climate, and the economy. Join us at evnaacp.org, naacpghb.org, and wvnaacp.com.