PHOENIX (AP) - Relatives of Hector Lopez, who was shot dead in a confrontation with Phoenix police in May, say passing officers laugh and make obscene gestures during their protests seeking information.
But as the Lopez family returns to headquarters Friday for the sixth weekly protest in a row, they'll find a department bathed in a harsh national spotlight after the release of a videotaped encounter that showed officers aiming guns and curses at a black couple whose young daughter took a doll from a store.
Activists say the resulting national outcry over police behavior has ripped open the thin curtain masking distrust, fear and resentment of law enforcement widespread in Phoenix's black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
Scores of people who have talked little about their experiences are now clamoring to tell their stories.
