The Phoenix Police Department has opened an internal investigation into the detainment of a Wall Street Journal reporter who was conducting interviews outside a Chase Bank in November.
The reporter, Dion Rabouin, who is Black, was reporting outside the bank when he was handcuffed and placed in a police vehicle, The Wall Street Journal said in a statement.
Rabouin’s detainment occurred Nov. 23 but gained widespread attention after the television station ABC15 reported on the episode Wednesday.
Footage taken by a bystander shows Rabouin being handcuffed and sitting inside a police vehicle. An officer can be heard telling him, “I’m not giving you any more chances.” Rabouin is heard responding, “You’re not giving me any chances for what? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
In a statement, the Police Department said that it had opened an “administrative investigation” after receiving a letter from the editor-in-chief of the Journal, which, police said, expressed concerns about the “interaction” between Rabouin and one of their officers.
“Bank personnel contacted police after they received customer complaints that a man was approaching people as they entered the bank asking them personal questions,” the department said. It added that the interaction between Rabouin and the police officer took place on private property.
Once the investigation is complete, it will be made public, the department said. Rabouin was not charged.
The incident comes amid a sweeping federal investigation into the conduct of the Phoenix Police Department and whether it engaged in discriminatory and abusive practices and used excessive force.
The Journal said it was “deeply concerned” at the treatment of Rabouin, who is based in New York and covers finance.
Rabouin did not immediately respond to requests for an interview Sunday but has acknowledged the incident on Twitter.
“Things really escalated quickly,” Rabouin said in an interview with ABC15.
He said that he had been standing on the sidewalk next to the building when bank employees came outside to ask what he was doing. Rabouin told ABC15 that he had identified himself as a journalist and that no one had asked him to leave.
Shortly after, Rabouin said, a police officer showed up. He said he had offered to leave but the officer grabbed him and told him, “This can get bad for you if you don’t comply.”