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Shoplifting-Civil Rights Claim

Couple wants officers who pointed guns fired
Posted at 1:48 PM, Jun 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-17 19:06:06-04

PHOENIX (AP) - A man and his pregnant fiancée say they want Phoenix to fire the officers who pointed guns at them as police investigated a shoplifting report.

Dravon Ames and Iesha Harper say they don't accept the public apologies of Police Chief Jeri Williams and Mayor Kate Gallego.

They say they haven't received a face-to-face apology from anyone with the city since a bystander's video emerged Friday.

It shows officers aiming guns and yelling profanities at a man and a pregnant woman holding a baby last month.

The couple say their 4-year-old daughter had stolen a doll from a store without their knowledge. They have filed a $10 million claim against the city alleging civil rights violations by officers.

A community meeting about the encounter is being held Tuesday.

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10:05 a.m.

The Phoenix police union is urging calm amid the uproar over a videotaped encounter of officers who pointed guns and yelled profanities at a family last month while responding to a shoplifting report.

The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association says in a statement released Monday it will not form an opinion about what happened until an investigation into the May 29 incident is completed.

The parents say their 4-year-old daughter had stolen a doll from the store without their knowledge. They have filed a $10 million claim against the city alleging civil rights violations by officers.

A video released Friday shows officers pointing guns and yelling profane commands to a man and a pregnant woman holding a baby.

Both Police Chief Jeri Williams and Mayor Kate Gallego have publicly apologized.

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