From editor Jill Jorden Spitz: The death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer has outraged the world and moved millions to action, and Tucson is no exception. Arizona Daily Star journalists have covered protests and reactions here from many angles, including reporting on arrests during weekend protests that included peaceful and heartfelt demonstrations but also clashes with police and acts of vandalism against local businesses.
We typically only publish names and photos of people arrested on suspicion of serious and violent crimes. Because these circumstances are so different, with an international story playing out in our city, we reported on all arrests related to the weekend protests. Now we know misdemeanor charges have already been dropped in at least one case and the same may happen with others facing low-level charges.
We have removed information on all misdemeanor arrests from our website. Going forward, we will report only on violent felony arrests related to protests here.
Nearly 20 people were arrested over the weekend after anti-racism protests turned violent in Tucson, authorities said.
The most serious charges were against a 20-year-old man, Miguel Fragozo, who is facing charges of two counts of aggravated assault on a pair of police officers, Tucson Police said Monday.
The department would not release the names of the two injured officers nor describe the nature of their wounds, except to say they were not taken to hospital.
Protests sprang up in Tucson and in dozens of cities across the country after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died during an arrest last week in Minneapolis. Tucson’s protests were mostly peaceful, but there were late-night confrontations between police and some demonstrators. Police said some protesters threw rocks, bottles and other objects at officers, vandalized buildings and started fires.
Other serious charges include against a 20-year-old man, Aariq Jon-William Quick, who is facing charges of weapons misconduct.
Most of the alleged offenders were arrested on lesser charges including disorderly conduct, unlawful assembly and refusal to follow police orders. TPD released a list of 19 suspects and associated charges Monday in response to a request from the Arizona Daily Star.
It was not immediately clear whether those arrested are residents of Tucson or whether any have ties to outside organizations.
“We are running background (checks) on potential links to outsider groups,” said Officer Ray Smith, a police spokesman.
Smith said officers made four arrests mainly downtown Friday night. On Saturday, nine were arrested mainly on North Fourth Avenue near downtown, and another six were arrested Sunday. Those arrested Sunday night were facing misdemeanor charges of violating an 8 p.m. curfew order put in place by Gov. Doug Ducey.
