A 17-year-old, Joseph Lopez, has been charged as an adult for throwing a firework at Glendale Police officers during a protest in February.
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, hundreds of people were protesting at 67th Avenue and Camelback Road when police declared an unlawful assembly due to increasingly aggressive behavior. As police tried to disperse the crowd, Lopez allegedly lit a firework and threw it into a group of officers. The explosion caused injuries ranging from burns to hearing damage.
Lopez was indicted on 22 counts of Aggravated Assault, a Class Two Felony Dangerous; one count for each officer who was hurt.
“When an officer is assaulted, it’s not just an attack on them, it’s an attack on the safety of our communities,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “I will not tolerate anyone treating law enforcement as targets or endangering their lives.”
A judge ordered Lopez be held on a $100,000 secured bond, meaning that for the defendant to be released they must pay the court an amount equal to 10% of the full bond.