3 Phoenix police officers violated policy in 2020 false gang allegations against BLM protesters

PHOENIX — Years after the Phoenix Police Department and county prosecutors pursued false gang-related charges against protesters in 2020, an internal investigation has found that three officers violated department policy.

However, the officers found to have violated policy have already retired and can’t be disciplined, according to ABC15.

Because the policy violations weren’t of a criminal nature, none of those who were engaged in wrongdoing will face penalties.

The findings came from Chief Matt Giordano, who took over the department last August and conducted a thorough review of the incident, according to a Friday announcement.

Giordano reviewed allegations against six officers total, three of whom violated policy: Sgt. Doug McBride, Alex Volk and Joseph Crowley.

ABC15 reported that McBride misled a grand jury into believing a group of Black Lives Matter protesters belonged to a fictitious gang. McBride now collects a $98,000 annual pension.

Lorraine Fernandez, a spokesperson for the police department, said the other officers who weren’t found to have violated policy are still on duty.

“The policy violations involving the three individuals who are no longer employed with the department included providing false information and taking actions that jeopardized the status of a criminal or administrative investigation or prosecution,” Fernandez told KTAR News 92.3 FM via email on Friday. “Those violations were sustained.”

How Phoenix police officers violated policy

According to public investigations, court findings and statements from the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, both Phoenix Police and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office invented a gang called “ACAB” to pursue charges against the 2020 protesters.

An independent investigation later “found no credible evidence” the protesters were part of any gang and sharply criticized how officials determined the charges.

A judge dismissed the cases, citing “egregious misconduct” by police and prosecutors, and MCAO withdrew all charges.

The Arizona Supreme Court also ruled that the prosecutor on the case — April Arlene Sponsel — had lied to a grand jury and fabricated evidence.

Fallout across Maricopa County

The scandal triggered significant consequences:

• Three assistant police chiefs — John Collins, Lawrence Hei and Gabriel Lopez — who were aware of the gang charges were reassigned to commander roles.
• McBride was referred to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office for criminal investigation and placed on administrative leave before his retirement.
• The late Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel resigned in 2022 amid public pressure stemming in part from the case.

After Adel’s resignation, Rachel Mitchell was appointed interim county attorney and later elected to the role in the 2024 general election. Her current term runs through 2029.

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