PHOENIX — Multiple families of victims killed at the hands of police gathered in solidarity to demand change in the community.
There was an outpouring of support and stories filled with similar narratives about unjust actions people have experienced by the family members who came out for the event. Those families are now calling for change.
The protest came after Jacob Blake was shot seven times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"My brother was murdered and tortured by Phoenix police on January 4, 2017," Muhammad Muhaymin’s sister said.
Families who shared similar experiences are calling on city leaders and the police chief to punish those who they feel are accountable for their loss.
"After my brother was killed they made sure they put a narrative out there that was not true and I’m sure everyone that's had this experience, knows it's one that paints a picture of who they want you to believe they were," she said.
Organizations like Black Lives Matter have called for the same actions.
"While they've been out on vacation, these families are still here demanding answers and this is the first time they've come together in this way but it will not be the last," Beate Hernandez, one of the organizers, said.
She along with so many other families held up signs, burned sage and laid long stem roses at the event, all in an effort to relay messages of hope and reform as people wrangle with the loss of their loved ones.
"It was sending two officers to my parents’ house so no one would go to the scene, but I went to the scene because I heard the gunshots, I heard my brother die. How is that fair? Where is the accountability with that?" she said.
The families have called for a hiring freeze on new police officers as well as firing the officers involved in fatal incidents. They want officials to release use of force evidence, incident reports and all unedited video to families within 72 hours.
Protesters also asked that video and documents are released to families 48 hours prior to releasing them to the public.