(Photo by Matthew Casey - KJZZ)

Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams

The Phoenix Police Department has released its report on the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s August 2017 rally in downtown.

Shortly after the event, Phoenix police used pepper balls and other non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowd. The decision led to accusations of excessive force.

Officers gave the crowd directions, said Chief Jeri Williams. But community leaders have told Williams that not everyone heard them.  

“We learned never to take for granted the issue of communication,” Williams said. “So communication by bullhorns. Communications by message board, social media. Communication by live streaming. That would have helped to resolve some of the issues that our community members have.”

The ACLU of Arizona has called for an independent investigation. It has also sued the Phoenix Police Department for access to public records related to what took place. The organization released a statement saying the report confirms that police failed to give the crowd adequate warning.