Video shows Phoenix Police sergeant's encounter with students at anti-ICE protest

PHOENIX - There is new fallout after an armed, off-duty Phoenix police sergeant clashed with students at an anti-ICE protest in Chandler.

The backstory:

We have been reporting on an incident involving Dusten Mullen in recent days.

We first reported on the incident on April 6. Officials with the Chandler Police Department said a teenage girl was arrested on Jan. 30 outside Hamilton High School, and accused of throwing a water bottle at someone supporting ICE.

According to a report we obtained, however, a Chandler Police officer assigned to the protest said when a student pointed out a man with a full-face mask who seemed suspicious, he was seen walking back behind a palm tree. That man was later confirmed to be Mullen.

When the officer approached Mullen, he was arguing with students, telling them to "grow up and act like adults." He told the officer he wasn’t happy about kids flying flags that hit his car. The officer, however, says he never saw any flags touch the car.

The report states that students then became agitated, chanting and following Mullen, who they believed was an ICE agent. The Chandler officer advised him to take his protest elsewhere due to the volatile situation.

Dig deeper:

Chandler Police’s report documents Mullen saying, "My plan is legitimately to just let them all assault me and you guys arrest them all, and I’ll keep it on film. I also have other people filming from a distance."

According to police, Mullen also said that more protesters in support of him were on the way, some armed with rifles, going on to say his goal was to "get all these kids in jail if they want to break the law."

We previously reported that according to court records, Mullen has been employed with Phoenix Police since at least 2011. However, records we obtained from the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) shows Mullen has been employed with Phoenix Police since 2008.

A check of the city's employee compensation records for 2025 shows that Mullen ranked in the top ten for the city government's highest earners, making $336,518.07.

At the time of the incident, Mullen was armed with an exposed handgun in a holster and two extra handgun magazines.

As for the girl who allegedly threw a water bottle at Mullen, it was later found that the incident involved a cup of water, and not a bottle. Police later submitted misdemeanor charges of assault and disorderly conduct against the girl to juvenile court, but the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined to prosecute, due to no likelihood of conviction. 

Mullen's alleged conduct was criticized by Phoenix City Councilwoman Anna Hernandez on April 8.

"Why do we have this grown [expletive] man inserting himself inside a high school protest to cause fear?" Hernandez said.

Mullen is being investigated by the Professional Standards Bureau, and remains employed.

Protester's mother speaks out

On April 9, we obtained new video that shows what the sergeant claimed was an assault.

As mentioned earlier, Chandler Police initially said a teenage girl was arrested for throwing a water bottle at Mullen, but the video shows Mullen was only splashed with water and ice.

In one video taken during the protest, Mullen says, "Do not touch me."

"No one’s touching you. I have video," a protester replied.

What She Said:

Megan Craghead supports her 13-year-old daughter’s right to free speech, and was with her on the day of the protest, as Hamilton High School students walked out to protest ICE. Craghead's daughter was not the teenager who was detained by Chandler Police.

"They really were doing a good job of following the laws," Craghead said.

Craghead recalls a peaceful march for a couple of hours or so.

"No, I didn’t see anything get out of hand until this guy showed up," Craghead said. "There was a lot of people trying to figure out is this an ICE agent, is this just a guy who just showed up with a gun? And like who shows up with a gun at a teenager-led protest? Obviously, you are just there to agitate the situation."

At the time, Mullen didn’t want to identify himself to anyone. Chandler PD’s report reveals officers advised Mullen to protest elsewhere, citing the large crowd and limited police presence, but as students grew agitated, video shows Mullen suddenly splashed with water. An officer detained the girl responsible and Mullen wanted to press charges.

"I was assaulted," Mullen says in the video. 

You [were] not assaulted," a protester replies.

The Chandler Police report also documented Mullen’s mindset that day, as he said he would defend himself "if he felt threatened," and that officers "would also defend him if necessary."

"Honestly not surprised by it," Craghead added. "When you realize that person is a police officer, it feels like that should go against their morals of keeping the public safe."

Civil rights lawyer weighs in

Just last month, Phoenix Police announced key improvements for training and oversight, specifically highlighting a mandatory First Amendment training that rolled out in December 2025.

The department’s policy explicitly says it "supports and respects the rights of people to peaceably assemble." Mullen is a community action sergeant for Phoenix Police’s South Mountain Precinct.

What He Said:

"He still wears the badge and represents the city of Phoenix Police Department and the city of Phoenix and when you do this you have to be at your utmost respect for the First Amendment rights and follow the policy even if you’re on duty or even when you’re off duty," civil rights attorney Benjamin Taylor said.

Although Mullen was named the victim in the report, Taylor believes this was a case of entrapment.

"This man is actually breaking the law by trying to entrap people and trying to cause crimes instead of trying to prevent crimes," Taylor said.

The other side:

In response to recent calls for Mullen to be disciplined and even fired, his attorney Steve Serbalik sent a statement responding to Phoenix Councilwoman Anna Hernandez, who voiced concerns about Mullen working in the South Mountain area in her district.

The statement reads:

"The public as a whole has the First Amendment right to offer their views as long as they do so in a manner that is consistent with the law. This includes the ability of off-duty police officers to participate in First Amendment protected activities.

At the same time, everyone should obey the law. This particularly applies to members of Phoenix City Council - who are legally prohibited from influencing employment decisions under the Phoenix City Charter (Chapter 3 Section 4) and Phoenix City Code (PCC 2-49).

Everyone should respect due process - and should expect that all police departments conduct thorough and fair investigations. Decision-makers should base their determinations on the full and fair review of all facts - not based upon partial information."