Tucson police have released videos taken by officers' body-worn cameras of a downtown protest on Feb. 16 where three officers suffered minor injuries and four demonstrators were arrested.
The department on Friday released 11 videos of varying lengths taken by the cameras worn by several officers at the demonstration. Some of the videos deal with the aftermath of the protest where four people who were arrested were processed by officers.
Three officers sustained minor injuries in clashes with demonstrators; no one was taken to a hospital, said Tucson Police Sgt. Pete Dugan.
One officer was hit in the face and another in the back, Dugan said at the time. He wasn’t sure how the third was injured.
Three men were arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault on a police officer, Dugan said. A woman was arrested on suspicion of obstructing, and of failing to identify herself, Dugan said. All four will be booked into Pima County jail, he said.
The three facing felony charges of aggravated assault on a peace officer are David Leon, 24; Joan Cichon, 68; and Tanya Alvarez-Blancarte. 42. A fourth suspect faces misdemeanor charges of obstructing and failure to identify.
Dugan said the police office of professional standards will investigate, after protesters complained about officers’ actions.
Last week, Chief Chris Magnus released a statement about how the department's officers handled the protest. It can be read on the department's Facebook page here
Tucson Police Lt. Jennifer Turner said the protest began at 4:30 p.m., in front of the federal building on West Congress Street at Granada Avenue, and by 6 p.m., included about 80 people. At that point, an officer issued an emergency call for assistance, she said.
Dugan gave this account:
The protest was peaceful until many started to enter the roadway, disrupting traffic on Congress. An officer was struck from behind and when officers tried to take a suspect into custody, members of the crowd surrounded the officers, moving closer. Some protesters locked arms and got in front of a police vehicle. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
“Unfortunately for those trying to peacefully protest,” police had to step in when officers were assaulted and the investigation was obstructed, Dugan said.
Protesters, who said they were demonstrating against ICE raids, disputed police accounts of the protest.
A protest organizer, Stteffanny Cott, said police overreacted to a peaceful demonstration.
“This was provocation on the side of the police,” Cott said, saying a police SUV blocked the route protesters intended to use between the federal building and their Armory Park destination. She said marchers were going around the police vehicle, and that the officer was revving the engine and the SUV nudged a Brown Beret demonstrator, David Leon.
