Video footage recently emerged showing two Phoenix police officers beating and using a taser on a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy, drawing national attention and outrage against ongoing police brutality.
On Aug. 19, two officers, Benjamin Harris and Kyle Sue, approached Tyron McAlpin, 34, while he was passing through a parking lot in Phoenix. Mere seconds after telling him to “stop where he’s at,” Sue can be seen on camera attacking McAlpin.
After McAlpin promptly pushed him back to raise his arms, the officers began punching him and used a taser on him to get him put into handcuffs. Minutes after the struggle, a woman, identifying herself as McAlpin’s wife, can be seen informing the officers that he’s deaf and has cerebral palsy.
When she asked them to help her let McAlpin know that she was there for him, the officers promptly responded with “No. He doesn’t need to know.”
Per records, the officers arrived at the scene after employees from a Circle K store and gas station reported that another man was trespassing. When officers spoke to the man, who is white, he claimed that he was assaulted and identified McAlpin as his attacker.
A man who is deaf and has cerebral palsy is facing felony charges after he was repeatedly punched and tasered by Phoenix officers. pic.twitter.com/Zpe32bwTVl
— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) October 11, 2024
Lawyers for McAlpin have since claimed the assault was unfounded. According to records, he was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault and one count of resisting arrest. After spending 24 days in jail, McAlpin was able to pay off his $7,500 bail with the help of nonprofit The Bail Project.
The case was now reportedly being looked at by the Professional Standards Bureau as part of an internal investigation.
Charges are now reportedly being dismissed, with Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announcing last night that she’s completed her review.
“On Tuesday of this week, I also convened a large gathering of senior attorneys and members of the community to hear their opinions as they pertain to this case,” said Mitchell per ABC15. “I have now completed my review and have made the decision to dismiss all remaining charges against Mr. McAlpin.”
The arrest and confrontation concerning McAlpin came approximately two months after the Justice Department found that the Phoenix Police Department consistently discriminated against Black, Hispanic and Native American people.
After conducting an investigation, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke announced the findings as part of a 126-page report. According to Clarke, officers are disproportionately going after BIPOC citizens. In driving violations alone, Black drivers were found to be 144 times more likely than white drivers to be arrested or ticketed.
Black, Hispanic and Native American citizens were also more likely to be charged with loitering and pedestrian traffic violations.
“The police department claims it was unaware of these significant racial disparities but long standing and frequently voiced community concerns about discriminatory policing, as well as overt displays of bias within the police force should have spurred the department to analyze its own data,” Clarke said per NBC News. “Instead, the police department turned a blind eye to the data, ignored these unmistakable warnings and failed to uncover your own discriminatory policing.”
