Phoenix councilman says HE may be charged with assault following altercation with police

[Bluebear]

Councilman Johnson, 20-year retired police veteran

Phoenix City Councilman Michael Johnson on Tuesday said he may be charged with assault following an altercation last week in which a police officer handcuffed and threw the councilman to the ground.

"I understand I may be the subject of a criminal investigation," Johnson, flanked by more than a dozen Black and Latino political, religious and community leaders, said at a City Hall news conference. "I may be charged with aggravated assault."

Sgt. Trent Crump, a Phoenix police spokesman, confirmed that because Johnson is a city employee, the department's Special Investigation Division is looking into whether Johnson committed any crime as he tried to check on a neighbor whose south Phoenix house was on fire.

"We're investigating all aspects of everyone's account of what actions caused the officer to act the way he did," said Crump, adding that the department was following standard protocol. "We are looking at if anyone's actions rise to a criminal offense."

Johnson, an African-American, alleges that just after 4 a.m. Friday, two-year Officer Brian Authement, who is White, used excessive force when he shoved Johnson, threw him to the ground and handcuffed him as Johnson tried to make his way to a neighbor standing across the street from her burning home.

But Crump, offering a new twist in the case, said Officer Authement claims Johnson had assaulted him before the officer was required to use force. Crump would not provide any further details about the officer's account of the incident because multiple investigations are ongoing.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2010/03/23/20100323phoenix-councilman-assault-charges-possible.html


Authement, while serving in Irag

[virgogal]

1. He said,he said, Yawn !!!!!!

[Bluebear]

2. Sorry that claims of racism against a major city's police force are so sleep-inducing to you. (!!!!)

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Last Friday, Phoenix City Councilman Mike Johnson went to check on his neighbor who's house caught fire. He said the fire department gave him clearance to go up to the house. A Phoenix police officer told him no. There was an altercation and Johnson ended up on the ground in hand cuffs.

He said the officers in the precinct surrounding his home need to change how they do business. Johnson said, "I can't express to you the hurt, disappointment and disrespect I feel to be mistreated, abused, forced and thrown to the ground, handcuffed, then threatened to be dragged across the curb by a young man younger than my own children."

Vice Mayor Michael Nowakowski sides with Johnson. He said, "Not in our city are we going to allow sheriffs and police officers to pull people over because of the color of their skin."

The focus of Tuesday's news conference was on what people called the problem with the 400 precinct in South Phoenix.

Johnson said, "Some but certainly not all of these officers in the 400 precinct have somehow come to a conclusion that they have the privilege of operating by a different level of standards and the citizens have no rights."

Johnson brought out some examples, people who said they were verbally abused by police. One woman claimed an officer said he would rip up her ticket if she had sex with him. All those who spoke are African-American. Johnson said that's probably not a coincidence.

http://www.kpho.com/news/22923389/detail.html

[Bluebear]

3. !!!!!

[Bluebear]

4. wrong spot

[Bluebear]

5. More info:

http://www.kpho.com/news/22923389/detail.html