CNN's Gary Tuchman, a correspondent on the ground in Phoenix, could barely speak to anchor Don Lemon after he got tear gassed.



"The police have deployed tear gas and some concussion ordinance that has startled people here. There hasn't been any violence so far, that's the good news. But the tear gas here is very acute. Most people have left," Tuchman reported.



"But all of our faces right now are burning, all of our throats are burning," Tuchman said.



"Why did it happen? I don't know the answer," he said.



"There were some water bottles thrown at police and the next thing we felt was the burning tear gas," he explained.



Earlier, another CNN reporter nearly got hit by the lit end of a smoke grenade after protesters chucked water bottles at the police.



Police release statement to disperse:





Got statement from Phoenix PD Sgt Jonathan Howard. Pepper spray was used to disperse crowds and there have been no arrests as of this time pic.twitter.com/bSROQVqqaY — Hunter Walker (@hunterw) August 23, 2017