Video: Phoenix Police Tackle Man Talking to Reporter During ICE Protests

[TexasTowelie]

Hundreds of protesters assembled outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Phoenix office last Friday night, chanting things like, "Free those kids!" and "Close the camps!"

Amid the crowd, 62-year-old Jorge Soria stood holding a flag and a sign while he spoke with Arizona Mirror reporter Laura Gómez Rodriguez. As video of the incident shows, the two spoke for more than a minute when, out of nowhere, a Phoenix police officer ran up, grabbed him by the neck, and dragged him into an irrigation puddle.

As first reported by the Arizona Mirror, Soria was standing near Gómez Rodriguez, who was wearing a press badge and clearly interviewing Soria when the officer approached.

Phoenix police were unable as of Wednesday to provide a reason for the amount of force used in Soria's arrest, which took place during a protest against ICE's impending roundups of undocumented immigrants. He was one of 14 people that police said they arrested that night, allegedly for failing to comply with commands to move out of the middle of the street and away from the light rail.

Read more: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix-police-tackle-62-year-old-man-at-ice-protest-11328077

[CurtEastPoint]

1. First Amendment? Huh? We only care about the 2nd!

[asiliveandbreathe]

2. Disgusting....the police are out of control..You have to watch the video - Mr. Soria

did nothing more than speak the truth..people are intimidated to come out and protest..read the story - a protester used silly putty and the cops reported an unknown chemical agent and their face shield got sprayed.. "sprayed the two officers in the face area, striking their face shields on there [sic] riot helmet" - silly putty..

Here we go again, and again...stay safe folk's...I will not say ALL cops are thugs..but ALL thugs are cops..

[Bayard]

3. At the beginning of the video,

I would like to hear the rest of someone saying--"I respectfully ask"........something.

He lost his flag.

[marble falls]

4. Because a lot of cops live for the moment to do this nasty sort of shit. Its like porn when they ...

watch the footage of what they generaly and mostly get away with. I've heard them brag and laugh over it in bars.

[magicarpet]

5. Toxic macho masculinity run amok....

Officer of the law using the power of the badge and under the color of the law committing assault and battery against the citizenry.

Macho meat-heads inclined towards violence taking a cavalier approach to their oath to protect and defend the United States Constitution.

These are not officers of the law,.. they are merely jack booted thugs that are also permitted and allowed to wear a badge.

They contaminate the ranks of police officers who are there to do good work, follow the law, and strive to administer fair and equal justice.