Armed Off-Duty Cop at ICE Protest Said He Wanted Students to 'Assault' Him So They Would Be Arrested

A police sergeant in Phoenix, Arizona, was placed on administrative leave after he attended a high school protest while armed and allegedly said he intended to provoke students who were demonstrating peacefully against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The officer, who is currently on administrative leave, said he intended to provoke students protesting against ICE into attacking him so arrests could be made.

Students of Hamilton High School in Phoenix organized a peaceful protest against ICE earlier in the month of January. An off-duty police sergeant, who was armed, attended the protest and tried to provoke students participating in the demonstrations.

As reported by The Mirror US, parents said the protest remained peaceful until the officer arrived wearing a mask and carrying a holstered firearm.

According to police reports first reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, the off-duty police sergeant, identified as Dustin Mullen, told officers from the Chandler Police Department that he was at the Hamilton High School Protest to provoke a reaction from students so that they could be arrested.

“I plan just to let them all assault me, and you guys arrest them all, and I’ll keep it on film,” Mullen said, according to the police report accessed by FOX 10.

Phoenix Police Chief Mathew Giordano later said that Mullen was suspended with pay while the department conducted an internal review of the incident. He said the department would review Mullens's conduct during the student protest against ICE activities on January 30.

The protest at Hamilton High School came shortly after ICE agents killed an ICU nurse named Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The incident in Minneapolis drew nationwide outrage and led to protests and demonstrations across schools and other establishments.

Videos of the incident from January 30 posted on social media showcase a masked man with a holstered weapon and two extra bullet magazines on his hip confronting student protestors. Mullen also said that more counter-protests like his were planned, some involving armed participants, and that his goal was to “get all these kids in jail if they want to break the law,” according to FOX 10 Phoenix.

A teenage girl allegedly threw a cup of water on Mullen, according to the video reviewed by FOX 10 Phoenix. This contradicts earlier claims from the Chandler Police Department that it was a bottle of water. The girl was detained, later released, and picked up by her mother at the site of the walkout. Mullen also said he intended to press charges against the minor.

A spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department said Mullen was required to surrender his badge and firearm pending the outcome of the investigation into his conduct.