Photo: Robbins Curtin Millea & Showalter, LLC
A disturbing incident involving Phoenix police officers and a Black man with disabilities has sparked outrage following the release of body camera footage. report by CNN, Tyron McAlpin, a deaf man with cerebral palsy, was repeatedly punched, tased, and beaten by two White officers in a Circle K parking lot on August 19, after responding to a report of a stolen cell phone. Despite the initial theft charge being dropped, McAlpin now faces charges related to the violent encounter.
The incident comes just months after the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a report stating that the Phoenix Police Department routinely engages “in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law,” including the use of excessive force and discrimination against people of color.
On the day of the incident, McAlpin was walking and looking at his phone when officers Benjamin Harris and Kyle Sue arrived in response to the theft report. According to bodycam footage obtained by PEOPLE, Harris called out to McAlpin from his vehicle, saying, “Hey buddy, stop where you’re at.”
Within seconds, McAlpin attempted to walk around the vehicle, but Harris quickly exited and grabbed him by the shoulders. A scuffle ensued as McAlpin raised his arms, seemingly trying to avoid the officer’s grip. Just twelve seconds into the encounter, Harris punched McAlpin, who bent forward in response. “Tase him! Tase him! Tase him!” Harris ordered as the officers wrestled McAlpin to the ground.
Footage shows McAlpin struggling to keep his face off the concrete as the officers attempted to cuff him. Officer Sue held McAlpin by the neck and punched him in the head multiple times while McAlpin clutched his own head in apparent self-defense. Despite McAlpin’s condition, Harris tasered him four times while Sue continued to strike him.
During the violent altercation, a passerby asked if the officers were alright. Harris responded, “We’re good now, thanks,” as he searched McAlpin’s pockets, dumping out his earbuds, keys, and loose change.
Despite their attempts to stand him up, McAlpin, still groaning in pain, was unable to stand. At one point, Harris remarked that he might have broken his own hand, while Sue claimed McAlpin had bitten him.
“He’s not being combative, he just doesn’t want to go into cuffs,” Harris stated over the radio.
This incident raises further concerns about the Phoenix Police Department’s handling of vulnerable individuals, particularly in light of the recent DOJ findings regarding systemic misconduct.
