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| Phoenix mayor apologises after US police threaten to shoot black family | Phoenix mayor apologises after US police threaten to shoot black family |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The mayor of the US city of Phoenix has apologised after a video allegedly showing police threatening to shoot a black family went viral. | The mayor of the US city of Phoenix has apologised after a video allegedly showing police threatening to shoot a black family went viral. |
| Officers were responding to an alleged shoplifting incident last month when the video was recorded. | Officers were responding to an alleged shoplifting incident last month when the video was recorded. |
| The parents say they did not notice that their four-year-old daughter had taken a doll from a Dollar Store. | |
| Mayor Kate Gallego said the officers' actions were "completely inappropriate and clearly unprofessional". | Mayor Kate Gallego said the officers' actions were "completely inappropriate and clearly unprofessional". |
| In the video, officers can be seen shouting at the family to get out of their vehicle before threatening to shoot them. | In the video, officers can be seen shouting at the family to get out of their vehicle before threatening to shoot them. |
| A woman, Iesha Harper, can then be seen emerging from the car with two young children. The children are handed to a bystander and Ms Harper is arrested. | A woman, Iesha Harper, can then be seen emerging from the car with two young children. The children are handed to a bystander and Ms Harper is arrested. |
| The footage also shows another man, Dravon Ames, being kicked in the legs as he is handcuffed by an officer. | The footage also shows another man, Dravon Ames, being kicked in the legs as he is handcuffed by an officer. |
| Ms Gallego said in a statement: "There is no situation in which this behaviour is ever close to acceptable. As a mother myself, seeing these children placed in such a terrifying situation is beyond upsetting. | Ms Gallego said in a statement: "There is no situation in which this behaviour is ever close to acceptable. As a mother myself, seeing these children placed in such a terrifying situation is beyond upsetting. |
| "I am deeply sorry for what this family went through and I apologise to our community." | "I am deeply sorry for what this family went through and I apologise to our community." |
| She said that the city was speeding up the implementation of body-worn cameras. A community meeting about the incident will also be held on Tuesday. | She said that the city was speeding up the implementation of body-worn cameras. A community meeting about the incident will also be held on Tuesday. |
| Ms Harper, who is pregnant, told CNN: "I really thought he was going to shoot me in front of the kids." | Ms Harper, who is pregnant, told CNN: "I really thought he was going to shoot me in front of the kids." |
| She said that she gave her two children to a bystander as she "didn't trust the police". | She said that she gave her two children to a bystander as she "didn't trust the police". |
| Phoenix police chief Jeri Williams said on local news that she was "sorry this incident happened" and that it was being investigated. | Phoenix police chief Jeri Williams said on local news that she was "sorry this incident happened" and that it was being investigated. |
| The officers involved have been assigned desk duty while the investigation takes place. | The officers involved have been assigned desk duty while the investigation takes place. |