ASU Chief of Police Michael Thompson is facing sanctions by Iran, alongside 10 other police leaders who were involved in the police intervention of pro-Palestine protests and encampments.
The sanctions were announced on July 4 by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which identified the leaders' actions as a "flagrant violation of human rights by suppressing (the) pro-Palestine student protest movement."
Thompson was placed on paid administrative leave on May 10 due to his actions at the April 26-27 pro-Palestine encampment on the Alumni Lawn. A video obtained by ABC 15 allegedly showed him slashing tents with a knife. He served as acting chief for ASU PD for nearly a decade, starting in 2014. Assistant Police Chief John Thompson was named acting chief as the University continues its investigation into the incident.
"The ASU Office of General Counsel review of actions taken during the encampment, including the chief's, is still ongoing," an ASU spokesperson said in a written statement.
READ MORE: ASU Police Department chief placed on leave due to actions during pro-Palestine encampment
Other police leaders with imposed sanctions included Pamela Smith, the current chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and Michael Cox, the commissioner and chief of the Boston Police Department.
According to a statement from President Joe Biden in April, the United States has imposed sanctions against "leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government's missile and drone program" in Iran.
Throughout Biden's administration, the White House has sanctioned over 600 entities, including Iran and its affiliates — Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Kataib Hezbollah, according to the statement.
Thompson and the other officials will be barred from owning Iranian-based assets, opening Iranian bank accounts, making transactions on the country's premises and entering Iranian territories. They will also be denied a visa into the country.
Edited by Sophia Braccio, Alysa Horton and Alexis Heichman.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:16 p.m. on July 16, 2024, with more context about the Biden administration's past sanctions involving Iran. This story is developing and may be updated with more information.
Reach the reporter at gheadle@asu.edu and @George_Headley7 on X.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
