Tempe police investigating pepper spray attack on protesters

Tempe police said this case is being investigated by detectives.
Tempe police said this case is being investigated by detectives.

The Tempe Police Department is investigating an attack on protesters that occurred Sunday evening at Mill Avenue and University Drive.

In a statement, Tempe police said community members were engaged in a protest "when a subject deployed what appeared to be pepper spray from a vehicle toward members in the crowd."

Both Tempe Police and Fire Departments responded to the incident.

The incident was filmed on social media accounts by protesters and others.

Several protesters and social media accounts identified the person in the car spraying pepper spray as Jennifer Harrison, the AZ Patriots leader who has led protests against illegal immigration and railed against government restrictions in response to COVID-19.

On Monday, Harrison confirmed that she was the person in question, but was using the pepper spray in self-defense.

Referencing videos of the incident posted on social media, Harrison said, "you can clearly see an assault against the passenger window and the stream of pepper spray deployed after the unprovoked attack."

The Tempe police statement said "victims were treated" but did not provide any details on how many people were injured or the severity of those injuries.

Tempe police said they coordinated with witnesses and victims and the case is being investigated by detectives.

Have a news tip on Arizona prisons? Reach the reporter at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com or at 812-243-5582. Follow him on Twitter @JimmyJenkins.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tempe police investigating pepper spray attack on protesters