Protestor calls for accountability after troopers use tear gas at Arizona Capitol

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - There are questions about law enforcement tactics during Friday night’s protest at the State Capitol. Arizona’s Family asked DPS for an on-camera interview about it, but they declined. “The reason we went is we wanted to support young women, we had the laws in place when we were at childbearing age, and we just wanted to support women,” said Liz Perracchio, who was at the protest with a fellow union member. “It was really calm; people held signs.”

But things changed quickly after DPS troopers fired tear gas into the crowd. Liz’s friend, who has compromised health, had her pacemaker start going off. “My eyes started burning, my throat started burning, I had difficulty breathing, my skin was burning, and people just started running,” said Perracchio.

DPS said they warned the public about the tear gas and made the decision after saying protestors tried to breach the Capitol. Videos and images circulating online show a man kicking the door and others banging on the glass. Arizona’s Family had a crew on the ground, along with Perracchio; they did not hear a warning for the tear gas.

“My question is if you have all those police inside why don’t you open the door and arrest him if he’s being violent. Why would you do this to a bunch of innocent people who are calmly peacefully protesting?” said Perracchio. Now, she’s calling for accountability. “I feel like people should be held responsible doing this. This was way, way, way beyond anything I would ever, ever expect,” she said.

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