4 th ▁Infantry ▁Regiment , ▁officers ▁from ▁the ▁African - American ▁ 7 3 3 d ▁Military ▁Police ▁Battalion , ▁and ▁local ▁civil ian ▁police . ▁The ▁trouble ▁began ▁on ▁Thanks g iving , ▁November ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁official ▁army ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 6 4 th ▁Infantry , ▁a ▁soldier , ▁reported ly ▁dr unk , ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁an ▁alter cation ▁with ▁a ▁woman ▁at ▁a ▁ca fe ▁in ▁Phoenix . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁disturb ance , ▁so ▁MP s ▁were ▁called ▁in ▁to ▁arrest ▁the ▁soldier . ▁Another ▁group ▁of ▁soldiers , ▁also ▁from ▁inside ▁the ▁ca fe , ▁witness ed ▁the ▁arrest ▁and ▁protest ed . ▁A ▁crowd ▁formed ▁and ▁the ▁MP s ▁each ▁fired ▁a ▁shot ▁into ▁the ▁air ▁to ▁try ▁and ▁dis per se ▁it . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁MP s ▁then ▁fired ▁a ▁second ▁time ▁into ▁the ▁ground . ▁However , ▁the ▁bullet ▁r ico ch et ed ▁and ▁struck ▁a ▁man ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 6 4 th . ▁Later , ▁after ▁the ▁MP s ▁and ▁local ▁police ▁had ▁dispers ed ▁the ▁crowd , ▁soldiers ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 6 4 th ▁station ed ▁at ▁Camp ▁Pap ago ▁Park ▁heard ▁an ▁ex agger ated ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁incident ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁arm ▁themselves ▁and ▁seek ▁reven ge . ▁Ar riv ing ▁in ▁Phoenix , ▁the ▁reb elli ous ▁soldiers ▁engaged ▁in ▁a ▁street ▁battle ▁with ▁the ▁police ▁forces ▁that ▁last ed ▁" all ▁night