PHOENIX – A Phoenix police officer was involved in an incident with a Phoenix City Council member who says he was detained on Friday morning.
The parties involved were 27-year-old Officer Brian Authement and Councilman Michael Johnson who represents District 8.
Crews were battling a fire near 18th Street and Vinyard on Friday morning. Councilman Johnson reportedly exited his house onto his yard and asked Officer Authement if he could go check on a neighbor whom he thought may not even know about the fire in his south Phoenix neighborhood.
The officer allegedly told him to stay where he was and not move.
At that point Councilman Johnson asked a fire battalion chief if he could go check on his neighbor and the fire battalion chief said it was okay.
When Officer Authement saw the council member he confronted him about leaving the area in front of his home. The officer then reportedly threw the council member to the ground and handcuffed him.
Police say Councilman Johnson was released when a supervisor arrived on the scene and they investigated the claims.
3TV has learned Authement is assigned to the midnight shift at the South Mountain Precinct and has been with the Phoenix Police Department for two years.
Councilman Johnson is a former Phoenix Police detective for 20 years and is now retired.
