KNXV’s Investigation Into Police Abuse Earns Hillman Award

In 2017, Glendale, Ariz., police officers make a routine traffic stop.

Their body cameras reveal what independent law enforcement experts call the most sadistic cases of police misconduct they’ve ever seen.

KNXV’s — Scripps’ ABC affiliate in Phoenix (DMA 11) — ongoing coverage of the incident and the culture of violence in the Glendale police department earned it the U.S. Hillman Prize in broadcast journalism for its 2019 investigative series, Abuse of Force.

“Thanks to KNXV’s determination to explain how this kind of brutality could go unpunished, thanks to its storytelling ability, and thanks to its sheer guts, the public found out just what was going on in one of Arizona’s largest cities,” said Hillman judge Harold Meyerson.

In announcing the award, the Hillman Foundation said: “Abuse of Force represents local investigative reporting at its very best.”

The Hillman Prize is a journalism award given annually that recognizes journalists and public figures for socially responsible journalism, both in traditional and new media forms. Recent winners include The Washington Post, 60 Minutes and the New York Times Magazine.

“Congratulations to Dave Biscobing and the rest of the award-winning ABC15 Investigators team,” said Brian Lawlor, Scripps’ local media president.

“Their dogged commitment to asking the tough questions, holding authority figures accountable and bringing underreported experiences to light is a shining example of critical public service journalism.”

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