Media Contact

Marcela Taracena, 602-773-6004, media@acluaz.org

June 7, 2018

PHOENIX—Alessandra Soler, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, made the following statement in response to the excessive force Mesa police officers used on Robert Johnson on May 23, which was captured on video released Tuesday by the Mesa Police Department:

“This is horrific and another incident of the endemic police violence against people of color. Nothing about Johnson’s behavior in the video justifies this brutality. It is clear that the Mesa Police Department needs systemic reform and must learn how to treat everyone with dignity. How many people need to be harmed before the department takes reform seriously?”

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