Phoenix has witnessed a shift in the political landscape as Anna Hernandez takes her seat on the city council after winning by a commanding margin. Hernandez's campaign was fueled by a personal tragedy – the killing of her brother by a Phoenix police officer in 2019. She sat down with ABC15 to discuss her motivations, stating, "I have no delusions that it’s going to be easy,” Hernandez said. “That doesn’t deter me from sharing my story and sharing countless stories of Phoenicians, who been directly impacted by police violence, who have been killed by police violence, under this council."
This development comes against a backdrop of vocal demands for police reform in Phoenix. Families bereaved by police shootings gathered outside City Hall, in a bid to inevitably bring attention to a city council they see as inactive on police brutality issues. Among them was Mussalina Muhaymin, whose brother Muhammad died in a police altercation in 2017. She criticized Police Chief Jeri Williams, arguing, "Because her cops had their knees in his back, and their knees in their neck, and he died from positional asphyxiation." This detail comes from KJZZ.
Another key point made by these families is the need for timely transparency from law enforcement agencies after such fatal incidents. Hernandez echoed these concerns, saying, "So there’s a saying in Spanish that goes like this: ‘ El que nada debe, nada teme,’ which means, 'If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear,” she said. “So what are they fearing? What do these officers fear?" This was told to KJZZ during the confrontation outside City Hall.
The demands from these aggrieved families seek substantial changes, including the termination of officers involved in the shootings, independent investigations into officer conduct, and a revision of protocols that would secure faster access for families to use-of-force reports and footage. They are also pushing for a hiring freeze in the police department and a reallocation of funds to community services. As Hernandez takes her position on the city council, it is yet to be seen how the perennial dance of politics will respond to these demands and whether her fresh perspective will forge meaningful progress.
