PHOENIX (AP) - City officials want an outside investigation into claims of a challenge coin with inappropriate messaging and imagery being circulated among Phoenix police officers.
The frontside of the coins show a man being shot in the groin with the date of an August 2017 protest on the backside.
The coin was apparently circulated among some members of the police department following a protest when officers used tear gas and bean bag rounds on protesters.
One protester kicked a gas canister and then was shot in the groin with a pepper ball.
The protest formed following a visit from then-President Donald Trump and a rally at the downtown Phoenix Convention Center.
Police said people started throwing rocks and bottles at officers and law enforcement responded with pepper balls, pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Two activist groups later filed a federal lawsuit claiming police used excessive force while dispersing the crowd.
Police Chief Jeri Williams said in a statement Saturday that “hate speech in any form is unacceptable” and the department would take disciplinary action against officers involved in illegal or unethical behavior.
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