Phoenix closes internal discipline reviews in protest ‘gang’ case as criminal prosecutions are declined

Key decision leaves officers unpunished after 2020 arrests that produced dismissed “criminal street gang” allegations

No Phoenix police officers will be disciplined in connection with the 2020 protest arrests that led to demonstrators being accused of belonging to a fictitious criminal street gang, after criminal prosecutors declined to file charges and the department concluded its internal review without imposing penalties.

The case traces to fall 2020 demonstrations in downtown Phoenix during the broader wave of protests over policing. After an Oct. 17, 2020, arrest operation, a group of protesters was accused in court filings of assisting a criminal street gang—an allegation later rejected and ultimately dismissed. Court proceedings in multiple protest cases highlighted discrepancies between officers’ written narratives and available video evidence, prompting broader scrutiny of how protest arrests were pursued and presented to judges and grand juries.

A subsequent criminal review recommended that felony charges be considered against several officials, including Phoenix police personnel accused of writing false reports, and also recommended perjury charges tied to testimony presented to a grand jury. However, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office issued a declination decision, concluding the evidence did not meet the legal thresholds required to prove criminal tampering with public records or perjury beyond a reasonable doubt. The declination also addressed a recommended misdemeanor assault charge tied to a separate incident captured on body-worn camera footage.

With criminal prosecution declined, attention turned back to administrative accountability. Phoenix police had paused internal investigative steps during the criminal review process, then resumed an administrative investigation after the declination. The department reported it reviewed extensive documentation before closing out the internal process without disciplinary action for officers tied to the “gang” charging strategy.

What is established about the charging strategy

• Protesters arrested in October 2020 were charged using a “criminal street gang” theory that was later dismissed, and the cases tied to that theory did not proceed to trial.
• Separate reviews—by investigators retained to examine the episode and by federal authorities evaluating Phoenix police practices—described the gang allegation as fabricated or unsupported by credible evidence.
• Despite findings that certain reports and grand-jury presentations included false statements, prosecutors concluded the record did not support criminal charges under the applicable standards.

Parallel legal and financial outcomes

The fallout has extended beyond discipline decisions. Maricopa County approved a $6 million settlement in litigation connected to the protest arrests and gang allegations, while additional civil claims involving the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department have continued in court. The controversy has also been cited in broader debates over police oversight in Phoenix, including during federal review of departmental practices related to protest policing, use of force, and accountability systems.

Criminal prosecution and administrative discipline operate under different standards; in this case, neither process resulted in penalties against Phoenix officers linked to the “gang” charging episode.

Phoenix police leadership has maintained that internal processes were followed after the criminal declination, while attorneys for some of the arrested protesters have argued that the absence of consequences underscores gaps in accountability when protest-related arrests are later found to rest on inaccurate or exaggerated allegations.