In Phoenix, there wasn't a single episode that led to the DOJ investigation. Instead it came after many smaller scandals. A 2020 case accusing 15 protesters of being in an anti-police gang had to be dismissed for lack of credible evidence; in 2017, a “challenge coin” was circulated among officers depicting a gas mask-wearing demonstrator getting shot in the groin with a projectile; and in June 2019, cell phone video emerged showing officers pointing guns when they confronted an unarmed Black couple with two small children they suspected of shoplifting.

• “There are a lot of criminals out there! Don’t hinder the effectiveness of the police to do their jobs!” — Terri Hamilton via story comment