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Activist seeks help in sheriff's abuse probe

A civil rights leader is calling for opponents of an Arizona sheriff who has aggressively cracked down on illegal immigration to videotape alleged racial profiling by his office.
/ Source: The Associated Press

A civil rights leader is calling for opponents of an Arizona sheriff who has aggressively cracked down on illegal immigration to videotape alleged racial profiling by his office.

The Rev. Al Sharpton is scheduled to meet with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday. Sharpton says the videos will help the U.S. Department of Justice in an investigation of alleged civil rights abuses by the sheriff's office.

Critics say sheriff's deputies racially profiled people during immigration and crime sweeps in some Latino areas of metropolitan Phoenix.

Sharpton has called for Arpaio's resignation or removal from office.

Arpaio says people pulled over in the sweeps were approached because deputies had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes.