The family of a Phoenix man killed in a Fourth of July shooting by a woman claiming self-defense is requesting that the Phoenix police transfer the investigation to another agency.
Paul Franco, 51, was shot and killed in the parking lot of his apartment complex in uptown Phoenix, and the woman who shot him is claiming self-defense after an argument with several pro-Palestinian protestors that took a deadly turn.
She has not been charged with a crime.
The woman in question is one of over a dozen people suing Phoenix police for falsely arresting them during a Black Lives Matter protest in October 2020, which has yet to go to trial.
The family is arguing that it's a conflict of interest for the department to investigate a person they're currently involved in a lawsuit with.
Benjamin Taylor, an Arizona Civil Rights Attorney, explained to 12News that "it's very common for this to occur every day."
"We represent a lot of people who have been arrested by the police department, and we're suing them also for civil rights violations," he said.
Franco's sisters fear that the civil case is influencing the decision on whether to refer charges to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
"Political. That's what I think," Franco's sister, Evelyn Valasco, told the news outlet.
They're now calling for another agency in Arizona, possibly the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, to lead the investigation and analyze whether the woman claiming self-defense should be charged with a crime.
"There's a conflict of interest. Yes, I do. I believe so they should," Margaret Velarde, another sister of Franco, said.
"Maybe the police are afraid because they're already in that lawsuit. It's going to influence how it's going to go. Definitely," added Velasco.
Phoenix PD responded to 12News' inquiry into whether police can investigate someone for a crime who is suing them.
"The Phoenix Police Department is committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation into the events of July 4, which may include review from an outside police agency," the statement reads.
"Once completed, the investigation will be turned over to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review and charging decisions," the statement concluded.
