A newly obtained police report said Dusten Mullen was visibly armed with a black handgun outside Hamilton High School while students were protesting ICE in January.
PHOENIX, Arizona — An off-duty Phoenix police officer was involved in an altercation at a student-led protest outside a Chandler school that resulted in the arrest of a teen girl, according to police. The incident is currently under review by the Phoenix Police Department.
A newly obtained police report said Dusten Mullen, an off-duty officer for the Phoenix Police Department, was visibly armed with a black handgun outside Hamilton High School while students were protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 30. The protest was one of several demonstrations seen throughout the Valley in recent months.
Mullen began arguing with the students involved in the protest and told officers he did not want to leave the area, according to records. He also told officers that he was calling other armed individuals to join him at the protest.
When told by police that he was arguing with high school students, Mullen stated that he was present at the protest because he was upset that the students hit his car with a flag while driving in the area.
In the police report, Mullen is quoted as 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 … So my goal (unintelligible) to get all these kids in jail if they want to break the law.”
The situation grew tense and students began chanting around Mullen. Shortly after, a teen girl reportedly poured a cup of water on him.
Mullen told officers right after the incident that he wanted to press charges.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office told 12News the agency received a submittal for misdemeanor charges but declined to prosecute the juvenile “due to no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”
Phoenix police confirmed to 12News that the incident involving Mullen, who is currently employed with the department, is under review. They released the following statement:
“The Phoenix Police Department has been made aware of an incident involving Sergeant Mullen that took place while off-duty in a neighboring city. The matter is currently under review by our Professional Standards Bureau. Sergeant Mullen remains an employee of the department.”
Mullen’s attorney Steve Serbalik released the following statement on the matter:
“This matter is currently under investigation by the Phoenix Police Professional Standards Bureau. Sgt. Mullen cooperated with this investigation as a condition of his employment, and out of respect for the internal affairs process, he cannot comment on the story further. He hopes that PSB’s investigation will consider all factors, and result in a fair report.”
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The post Off-duty Phoenix police officer involved in Hamilton High School protest incident, report says appeared first on World Online.
