Marchers suspected of tossing bottles during Arpaio protest, officers use pepper spray

Disturbance breaks out at Arpaio immigration march

PHOENIX — A disturbance broke out Saturday afternoon during a protest of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s immigration policies when a group of marchers allegedly threw water bottles and other items at police officers.

Lt. Pat Hofmann of the Phoenix Police Department says officers used pepper spray as they tried to separate protesters from an officer on horseback who was trying to take away the bottles and got crowded by the protesters.

Four people were detained, and Hofmann says one is expected to be charged with aggravated assault on a police officer.

The scene was chaotic as officers tried to break up the disturbance.

Protesters yelled obscenities at officers. One officer shook his pepper spray canister as he ordered people to move on.

The chaotic scene was cleared within a few minutes.