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Bodycam: Armed, off-duty officer at ICE protest
FOX 10 Investigates obtained footage of a fired Phoenix police officer at a high school protest. Dusten Mullen told officers he wanted teens to assault him. Justin Lum has the details.
CHANDLER, Ariz. - New body camera footage shows a Phoenix police officer claiming to counterprotest at a student walkout in Chandler. Dusten Mullen, who has since been fired for his conduct at an anti-ICE protest in late January. He showed up fully masked and armed with a handgun while off-duty, saying he wanted teens to assault him so they would be put in jail.
FOX 10 has waited months for Chandler police to release body camera records of former Phoenix Police Sgt. Dusten Mullen at a high school protest. A records clerk told FOX 10 someone within the Chandler Police Department put a hold on the release. Instead, FOX 10 obtained an hour of footage was obtained from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office through a records request.
"I wouldn't shoot anybody unless I have to"
What they're saying:
"I have two cops for 300 kids," Sgt. Kevin Etheridge said on the body camera video, while speaking to Mullen at the protest.
It is important to remember that the Chandler Police Department submitted a case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, recommending an assault charge against a 14-year-old girl. She splashed ice water on Mullen during a confrontation with student protesters. The county attorney declined to file any charges.
"My plan is legitimately to just let them all assault me and you guys arrest them all, and I will keep it on film. I also have other people filming from distance. So, my goal would be to get all these kids in jail if they want to break the law," Mullen said to Chandler police.
The protest happened right near Hamilton High School. Body camera footage from Sgt. Etheridge shows him asking Mullen to protest elsewhere.
Dusten Mullen
"Where's the pro-police area?" Mullen asked.
"There isn't one," Etheridge said.
"There's like 30 more coming that I know of," Mullen stated.
"There is no pro-police area here. We're trying to keep this just chill, all right?" Etheridge responded on body camera.
Mullen was talking about other counter-protesters who he said were on the way.
"Yeah, I got numbers coming," Mullen said.
"You are not shooting any of these kids," Etheridge stated.
"No, I wouldn't shoot anybody unless I have to," Mullen replied.
Dusten Mullen
Mullen doubles down and says it is the Chandler Police Department's job to defend him if he is threatened.
"Somebody threatens my life, I will protect myself," Mullen said.
"We're not in the business of killing teens," Etheridge said.
"I know you will protect my life," Mullen added.
"You shouldn't be either," Etheridge countered.
"I didn't say I'm in the business of killing teenagers, Mr. Etheridge, Sergeant Etheridge. What I said was, I will protect your life, and I know you would protect my life if somebody was threatening my life," Mullen explained.
The conversation goes on for some time as Mullen makes it clear he is not leaving the area yet.
"How can you guarantee me that you're not going to feel threatened by one of these kids and pull your Glock out of its holster?" Etheridge asked.
"I can't guarantee that they're not gonna threaten my life. That's your job to protect me," Mullen answered.
"This isn't helping our city. This sure as (expletive) isn't helping us, okay?" Etherage later said.
Dusten Mullen
The Chandler Police Department's initial press release said that the teen girl who splashed water on Mullen was arrested for throwing a water bottle at him. Body camera shows she was detained before her mother picked her up.
"So right now, what we're going to do is we're gonna take his report. If he wants to do something, you'll see something in the mail. If he doesn't, then I'll have somebody give you a call and tell you that nothing's going to happen," an officer told the mother.
Dig deeper:
Mullen did want to press charges against the girl, but as previously reported, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined. Mullen was a sergeant for the Phoenix Police Department's Community Action Squad in the South Mountain Precinct. By May 14, Mullen was out of a job, fired by Phoenix police after an internal investigation.
Fired Phoenix police officer Dusten Mullen denied reinstatement
A federal court order blocked the immediate reinstatement of former Phoenix Police Sgt. Dusten Mullen, who was terminated after an off-duty incident at an anti-ICE student protest.
What's next:
Meanwhile, he is appealing the termination through the Civil Service Board and is suing the City of Phoenix in federal court. Mullen claims his First Amendment rights were violated and that the firing was political retaliation.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Chandler Police Department body camera footage, former Phoenix Police Sgt. Dusten Mullen, Sgt. Kevin Etheridge, a Chandler Police Department records clerk, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, a Chandler Police Department press release, previous FOX 10 reports on Sgt. Dusten Mullen, and FOX 10 investigator Justin Lum.