PHOENIX — The Phoenix Police Department said Wednesday an internal investigation into the detainment of a journalist last November determined claims made against one of its officers were unsubstantiated.
Dion Rabouin of the Wall Street Journal was handcuffed and placed in the back of a patrol vehicle after he was accused of trespassing outside of the Chase Bank near State Route 51 and Cactus Road. The reporter said he was interviewing bank customers for a story he was working on.
A bank employee allegedly told a Phoenix police officer that Chase Bank would press charges if Rabouin didn't leave, according to an incident report.
The officer then proceeded to detain Rabouin as the reporter repeatedly tried to tell the officer that no one asked him to leave the property.
"I was just confused," Rabouin told 12News earlier this year. "I didn't understand what was happening or why it was happening."
Rabouin filed a complaint in November accusing Officer Caleb Zimmerman of excessive force, detaining him based on race, and threatening Rabouin if he didn't comply.
Phoenix police said they determined these allegations to be unfounded.
But during the investigation, the agency concluded Zimmerman had violated a search policy when the officer retrieved Rabouin's wallet as he was detaining him.
Phoenix police have revised its policy for trespassing arrests due to a lack of clarity and decided not to file a written reprimand against the officer for the policy violation.
"...the fact that the incident did not involve malicious intent, repeat offenses, or a reckless or willful disregard for policy, the decision has been made to require the officer to receive training," the agency wrote in a statement.
The Wall Street Journal released the following statement:
"The video speaks for itself. The Phoenix Police Department handcuffed our journalist and placed him in the back of a police vehicle simply for reporting. That is outrageous, no matter the outcome of the internal investigation."
*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.*