WHAT:  Press conference demanding that Phoenix Police Department and Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel immediately drop charges against Lee “Percy” Christian, discipline and fire officers like Lt. Ben Moore who are hunting and targeting protestors, and end the political prosecution of community members who are standing up to police violence.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 7, 2020, 2:00 PM

WHERE: Outside Phoenix City Council Chambers

WHO: Family of Lee “Percy” Christian, Black Lives Matter Phoenix-Metro, Poder in Action, Mass Liberation AZ, Black Phoenix Organizing Collective, Semillas AZ

WHY:  On Saturday, October 3, 2020, after attending a peaceful protest against police violence in Phoenix, Lee “Percy” Christian was singled out and hunted by Phoenix Police. Percy was pulled over while driving home and arrested and then bombarded with a number of false felony charges. Phoenix Police Department and Maricopa County Attorney Office targeted him solely because he had attended prior protests in an attempt to chill free speech and intimidate our people.

Phoenix PD has surveilled and targeted high-profile activists for YEARS and levied fabricated criminal charges against them in an effort to chill free speech and intimidate critics of the Department. This trend has been particularly pronounced this summer during the George Floyd/Dion Johnson uprisings.

Phoenix PD has also used unconstitutional and illegal tactics to harass, stalk, and torture activists, including:

• Following them home from protests (whether people are leaving on foot, by bicycle, or by car)
• Arresting them weeks and months after an action
• Holding them in hot, windowless vans for up to 6 hours after arrest without water (in the AZ summer this is a form of torture)
• Illegally accessing their cell phones upon arrest
• Designating personal property as “evidence” as a way to keep the valuables of arrested protesters

Currently, Percy is being held without bond and has been falsely charged with multiple felonies. Percy is the latest victim of this City’s intentional political prosecutions of activists, particularly Black activists fighting against police violence. This is political prosecution. It’s unconstitutional. It’s violent. And it’s now standard operating procedure for Phoenix PD. This department must be held accountable.