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Some employees involved in 2020 gang charges case will not be disciplined: Phoenix PD

By
Updated  March 20, 2026 2:09pm MST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 10 Phoenix
article

The Brief

    • Phoenix Police say three of their employees who were found to have violated department policies will not be disciplined.
    • The employees were allegedly involved in an incident over gang charges that were filed against protesters in 2020.
    • Police say the three workers are not being disciplined because they are no longer with the department.

PHOENIX - Phoenix Police officials say three employees who were found to have violated department policy in connection with an October 2020 incident where 18 people were charged as gang members will not be disciplined.

The backstory:

According to our report on the matter in 2021, a number of protesters were arrested during a march against police brutality in Downtown Phoenix, and they were subsequently indicted by a grand jury on charges of assisting with a criminal street gang.

Per a letter from Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher to Arizona Attorney General's Office Chief Deputy Joe Kanefield, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office alleged, in front of the grand jury, that the protesters were part of a gang called ACAB - "All Cops Are B******s." Prosecutors said the gang was made to create violence against police.

Then Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel later filed a motion to dismiss all charges with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled.

Big picture view:

According to a statement released by Phoenix Police on March 20, the Pinal County Attorney's Office told Phoenix Police in August 2025 that no criminal charges will be filed against the officers involved.

However, after a review by Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano, it was determined that "three of the six employees investigated by [the Professional Standards Bureau] violated department policy."

"Since the violations are policy related and not criminal in nature, disciplinary action can only be taken against individuals currently employed," read a portion of the statement. "Three individuals are no longer employed with the Department."

What they're saying:

"The actions surrounding these events fall short of our standards and expectations. The Department then and now strives to make continuous improvements. Since 2020, the City Council has directed and the Police Department has implemented improvements to strengthen accountability, improve transparency, and ensure constitutional rights are protected in every interaction," Phoenix Police wrote.

Dig deeper:

In their statement, Phoenix Police officials listed a number of key improvements made to the department, including:

  • Mandatory First Amendment training for all department employees, which began in December 2025.
  • Ongoing training and structural changes, including a Field Investigations Unit.
  • Policy updates that were developed with community input, including a new First Amendment Policy

"While these reforms cannot erase the impact on those affected, they reflect our commitment to accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement," police wrote.

The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Phoenix Police Department, with supplemental information gathered from previous FOX 10 news reports.

Crime and Public SafetyPhoenixNews