Current:Home > ContactBody camera footage shows Phoenix officers punch, shock deaf man with Taser -Secure Growth Academy
Body camera footage shows Phoenix officers punch, shock deaf man with Taser
View
Date:2025-04-27 02:20:14
PHOENIX — Two Arizona police officers are under national scrutiny after newly released body camera footage showed them repeatedly punching and shocking a deaf Black man with a Taser nearly two months ago.
Tyron McAlpin, 34, was punched and shocked with a Taser by Phoenix police officers Benjamin Harris and Kyle Sue in August, newly released video showed. McAlpin has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
Body camera footage of the Aug. 19 arrest outside a Circle K was released on Monday and has since drawn condemnations from civil rights groups such as the Arizona State Conference NAACP, which called for the officers to be placed on administrative leave until a full probe is conducted.
"Tyron was not a suspect in an actual crime, he had not done anything wrong, and he also has communication challenges," said Arizona NAACP Vice President Andre Miller. The Phoenix Police Department said the incident is the subject of an ongoing investigation and was assigned to the Professional Standards Bureau on Aug. 30.
The newly released video comes four months after the U.S. Justice Department released a scathing report that said Pheonix police officers violated people's civil and constitutional rights. The DOJ concluded officers used unlawful force, disproportionately targeted people of color, and routinely violated the rights of protesters, unhoused people, and people experiencing mental health crises.
What happened to Tyron McAlpin
On Aug. 19, Phoenix police were called to a Circle K to remove a white man from the convenience store whom the caller said had been the "aggressor in a fight," according to Harris' police incident report. Harris escorted the man out of the store, who then said he had been assaulted and pointed to McAlpin on the sidewalk, according to the report.
McAlpin has not been charged with assaulting the man.
Body camera footage later showed Harris driving toward McAlpin and saying: “Hey, buddy, stop where you’re at.” McAlpin, who is deaf, according to court records, kept walking.
Harris then pulled up next to McAlpin, opened the door, and immediately reached for him, saying: "Have a seat." After a struggle that lasted about 10 seconds, Harris and Sue brought McAlpin to the ground and repeatedly punched and shocked him with a Taser.
They also told McAlpin to put his hands behind his back, and he did not comply. As Harris instructed McAlpin to put his hands behind his back, Sue struck the back of McAlpin’s head, prompting him to raise his hands over his head for protection.
The video later showed Harris shouting more forcefully for McAlpin to comply before he began punching him with closed fists. Later, McAlpin stood up and mentioned that he believed his knuckles were broken.
As Sue continued to strike McAlpin, Harris pulled out a Taser and fired at McAlpin. In the footage, McAlpin could be heard crying out as Harris continued to shout: "Hands behind your back."
The officers are seen on the video punching McAlpin at least a dozen times and shocking him with a Taser four times.
In Harris' incident report, he said McAlpin swung punches at his head and bit Sue. At one point in the video, Harris brought his arm around McAlpin’s face. The footage shows his closed hand moving toward McAlpin’s mouth, which is already open, and appearing to pass near his teeth.
After McAlpin is handcuffed, body camera video shows a woman telling officers that McAlpin is her husband and that he is deaf and has cerebral palsy.
The officers remained on duty as of Tuesday.
McAlpin's lawyer denied wrongdoing and said his priority was to get what he called unjust charges dropped. McAlpin spent 24 days in jail before making bond, CBS News reported. He later pleaded not guilty.
Violent arrest follows scathing DOJ report
The Pheonix Police Department was recently under a national spotlight after the Justice Department published a 126-page report following a nearly three-year investigation.
Pheonix police violated the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments, according to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The constitutional amendments protect free speech, prohibit unreasonable searches and seizures, and guarantee equal protection under the law.
"Our investigation revealed systemic problems within Phoenix Police Department that deprive people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law," the report read. "We found pervasive failings in Phoenix Police Department's policies, training, supervision, and accountability systems that have disguised and perpetuated these violations for years."
Phoenix City Councilmember Kevin Robinson referenced the Justice Department in a statement. He, along with Councilmember Carlos Galindo-Elvira, said they are "concerned about the contents of the video."
Robinson cited a Justice Department recommendation calling for consistent processes to investigate misconduct.
"Now is the time to prove to our residents that our City's Police Department will ensure allegations of misconduct are fully examined," Robinson said.
Contributing: Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY; Reuters
veryGood! (1569)
Related
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Could Target launch a membership program? Here's who they would be competing against
- Coach Outlet's AI-mazing Spring Campaign Features Lil Nas X, a Virtual Human and Unreal Deals
- A birthday party for a dying father chronicles childhood before loss in 'Tótem'
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- New York appeals court hears arguments over the fate of the state’s ethics panel
- These Brightening Serums Deliver Radiant Skin That Glows 24/7
- Massachusetts man is found guilty of murder in the deaths of a police officer and elderly widow
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- About that AMC Networks class action lawsuit settlement email. Here's what it means to you
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Tiger Woods finishes one over par after Round 1 of Genesis Invitational at Riviera
- 8 states restricted sex ed last year. More could join amid growing parents' rights activism
- Rob Manfred definitely done as MLB commisioner after 2029: 'You can only have so much fun'
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Body believed to be missing 5-year-old Darnell Taylor found in sewer, Ohio police say
- 'Hot Ones' host Sean Evans spotted with porn star Melissa Stratton. The mockery crossed a line.
- Heather Rae El Moussa Reacts to Valentine’s Day Backlash With Message on “Pettiness”
Recommendation
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
North Carolina judges say environmental board can end suit while Cooper’s challenge continues
Taylor Swift plays biggest Eras Tour show yet, much bigger than the Super Bowl
Southern lawmakers rethink long-standing opposition to Medicaid expansion
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
Polar bears stuck on land longer as ice melts, face greater risk of starvation, researchers say
Taco Bell adds the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada to menu - and chicken nuggets are coming
Snoop Dogg's Brother Bing Worthington Dead at 44