Phoenix officer-involved shootings do not show racial bias
Dec 10, 2014, 4:27 PM | Updated: 4:53 pm
PHOENIX — The breakdown of races in officer-involved shootings in Phoenix since 2013 is relatively proportionate to the overall racial makeup of the city, police and census data show.
| Suspect race | Percentage of suspect race in officer-involved shooting | Percentage of race in Phoenix population |
|---|---|---|
| White | 38 | 46.5 |
| Hispanic | 44 | 40.8 |
| African-American | 14 | 6.5 |
| Native American | .04 | 2.2 |
Since Jan. 1, 2013, there were 50 officer-involved shootings in Phoenix. The break down of those shootings by suspect race is as follows:
Hispanic: 22 (14 fatal)
Caucasian: 19 (14 fatal)
African-American: 7 (3 fatal)
Native American: 2 (0 fatal)
The Phoenix Police Department said it had 10 fewer officer-involved shootings in 2014 compared to 2013.
Protests have been ongoing in Phoenix since officer Mark Rine shot and killed 34-year-old Rumain Brisbon on Dec. 2 at an apartment complex. Police said Brisbon had been reaching in his pants and believed Brisbon was armed. It was later revealed he had a bottle of pills in his pocket.
Police are conducting an internal investigation, and prosecutors will determine
whether Rine, 30, will face criminal charges. He was placed on non-enforcement duty pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
