Phoenix police officers on leave amid probe into violent arrest of deaf man
Two Phoenix police officers were placed on paid leave amid an investigation into the violent arrest of a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy that sparked an uproar of outrage and condemnation.
The Phoenix Police Department confirmed Tuesday that officers Benjamin Harris and Kyle Sue were on administrative leave while the agency conducts a formal inquiry into the August arrest of Tyron McAlpin, 34.
Graphic body camera footage of the encounter shows the two officers pummeling McAlpin and shocking him with a Taser repeatedly after he did not comply with their commands. McAlphin faced two counts of aggravated assault on an officer and resisting arrest but those charges were dropped by Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell last week.
Footage of the arrest released at a court hearing was widely scrutinized by local and state officials and human rights advocates.
An internal police department investigation into the violent arrest is pending. The department’s interim chief, Michael Sullivan, said he would personally review that inquiry's findings.
Body camera captures how violent arrest unfolded
The officers responded to a trespassing call made by employees of a Circle K store and gas station, according to body camera footage and records.
When the officers arrived and spoke to the trespassing suspect, who is white, the man told them he had just been assaulted, and pointed to McAlpin across the street. McAlpin's lawyer has said these accusations were unfounded. No charges against McAlpin were related to that assault allegation.
The officers drove up alongside McAlpin, without speaking to other witnesses or interviewing the man further beforehand. In the video, McAlpin can be seen walking across the Dollar Store parking lot when Sue drives up to him and says, “Hey buddy, stop where you’re at.”
After a brief moment without a response from McAlpin, the officer reached out and a struggle began as Sue grabbed McAlpin's arm. McAlpin appeared to push back and raise his arms. The officers brought McAlpin to the ground, punched him over a dozen times and repeatedly stunned him with a Taser while telling him to put his hands behind his back. McAlpin was eventually put into handcuffs.
Footage leads to outcry against embattled police department
State and local officials, including Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Vice Mayor Debra Stark, expressed concern after body camera footage of the arrest was shown at a court hearing on Oct. 1.
Stark later said in a statement that she respected the county attorney's decision to drop the charges against McAlpin but said she would wait for the results of the city's investigation before deciding whether the city and police department owed McAlpin an apology.
Arizona state Sen. Anna Hernandez and state Rep. Analise Ortiz said in a joint statement that the arrest was "indicative of the larger systemic problems within the Phoenix Police Department."
"Tyron is deaf and has cerebral palsy and should never have been subjected to this brutal assault at the hands of police officers," the statement read.
In June, the U.S. Department of Justice slammed the Phoenix Police Department for civil rights violations, including that officers systematically used unlawful force and disproportionately targeted people of color.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Michael Loria, Paste BN; Maritza Dominguez, Miguel Torres, and Taylor Seely, Arizona Republic; Reuters