Man tells Justice Department he was dragged from his car by Phoenix police

PHOENIX – In 2022, Jeffery Henderson, then 44, moved from Texas to Arizona in search of a fresh start in life.

“I moved to Arizona because of the opportunities as an electrician and thought this was a place I could call home for many years,” Henderson said.

In June 2022, the Army veteran says he was greeted unkindly by Phoenix police while on an afternoon drive near 19th and Dunlap Avenue. His attorney reported the experience to the U.S. Department of Justice, and a 34-month investigation into Phoenix police conduct found it was not an uncommon experience.

Henderson said he was driving east on Dunlap Avenue when a Phoenix police officer pulled up next to him.

“He was coming at me at a very high speed,” Henderson said.

Officers began looking for him through their windows, Henderson explained. Thinking officers were looking for someone else and he was in the way, he pulled into the lane closest to the curb and waved for officers to pass.

He said he was neither speeding nor driving erratically.

“I didn’t know what I had done wrong,” Henderson said.

When the officer turned on the hazard lights to stop traffic, Henderson began recording from his car.

In the recording obtained by 12News, he can be heard saying that police are following him.

Henderson said he didn’t stop immediately, but drove a few blocks to find a shopping center to turn into. In the video, Henderson is seen pulling into a parking lot and searching for his driver’s license, insurance and vehicle registration before coming into contact with the officer for the first time.

“He approached me calmly at first,” Henderson said.

But within seconds the situation would escalate.

The officer questioned Henderson about why he did not stop immediately and then ordered him to turn off his car.

In the video, Henderson can be heard asking why he is being stopped and then asking for the officer’s name and badge number. Immediately, the officer appears to open Henderson’s door and tells him to get out of the car.

“When I got out of the car, I tried to give them my driver’s license, my insurance and my vehicle registration. They never asked for it,” Henderson said.

In the video, Henderson asks if he is being detained as he gets out of the car.

The officer confirmed this, took Henderson out of the car and handcuffed him.

During the arrest, Henderson can be heard yelling at the officers that the officers had twisted his arm behind his back and that he was in pain. In the video, the officers tell Henderson not to resist and he tells them that he is not resisting.

In their report, which was obtained by 12News, Phoenix police say they stopped Henderson for making an “unsafe movement.”

Here is an excerpt from the police report on this case:

“The Camry began to decelerate below the speed limit and then quickly moved into lane number 3 of eastbound traffic. I then observed the Camry brake again and head toward the curb, nearly striking it. After noticing the unsafe movements on the roadway, I pulled behind the Camry in lane 3 to conduct a traffic stop. After pulling behind the vehicle, I activated my hazard lights and siren in the area of ​​N 16th Ave and W Dunlap Ave. The Camry did not have tinted windows and I could observe the driver, Jeffery Henderson, (waving) his right hand in a (forward) motion as if to tell me to follow him. The driver continued eastbound at a low speed of approximately 35-40 mph and did not attempt to flee the traffic stop. While I was behind the Camry, I continued to have my siren running to get Jeffery’s attention, and Jeffery responded by continuing to make hand gestures telling me to follow him. After about seven to ten blocks, Jeffery eventually pulled into a commercial parking lot.”

Officers would arrest Henderson for refusing to stop and driving under the influence.

Phoenix Police body camera video obtained from the scene and obtained by 12News shows officers noticing a strong odor of marijuana coming from Henderson at the time of the traffic stop.

Henderson told officers he had smoked marijuana the day before and found marijuana in the car. Officers found a sealed package of marijuana in his car, as well as rolling papers and a marijuana joint.

Henderson would undergo and pass a breathalyzer test and have a blood sample drawn.

The charges were later dropped by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

“What happened to Jeffery should never happen to anyone,” said Henderson’s attorney Ashley Adams.

She reported the case to the Justice Department as part of its investigation into civil rights violations in the department.

After a 34-month investigation, the report released Thursday concluded that Phoenix police routinely used excessive force and violated the rights of minorities and disadvantaged populations.

The report also found that black drivers in Phoenix are 144% more likely to be cited or arrested for minor traffic violations than white drivers.

The report also found that officers often inappropriately escalate situations in the first minutes or even seconds of an encounter.

“It doesn’t get better unless you look at the criticism we have, and … this report is very critical of our police department,” Phoenix Police Department interim Chief Michael Sullivan said shortly after the report was released.

On Friday, dozens of families who say their loved ones were victims of brutality and excessive use of force by Phoenix police called on city leaders to sign a settlement that would require federal oversight of the department to implement reforms.

“All of these families, their attorney and their supporters have told the absolute truth about what happened to the Phoenix Police Department,” said activist Jarrett Maupin.

City leaders say they currently disagree with that. The city of Phoenix said it “takes all allegations seriously and plans to review this lengthy (DOJ) report with an open mind.”

Henderson knows something must be done to prevent his story from happening to others.

“They’re here to protect, to serve and to help the community,” Henderson said. “Not to be terrorists and make people afraid of them.”

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