The arrest of a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy, who was repeatedly punched and Tased by a pair of Phoenix police officers in August has come under new scrutiny after police body camera video and surveillance footage from his arrest was released by his attorney, NBC News reports. Tyron McAlpin was arrested by officers Benjamin Harris and Kyle Sue on Aug. 19, and ultimately charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest. Some have argued the officers’ actions are further proof that the Phoenix Police Department, which the Justice Department has said discriminates against minorities and uses excessive force, needs federal oversight. There is no indication that the officers knew McAlpin was deaf or had cerebral palsy before his arrest. Amid mounting public outcry, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement Monday that the case “merits additional scrutiny.”
McAlpin’s attorney, Jesse Showalter said his priority remains getting what he described as unjust charges dropped. “Anytime a person is facing felony charges, which necessarily involve a loss of their civil rights, potentially involve prison time, that always has to be the first priority,” he said. “My personal focus is making sure that people in this community are aware that this has happened. And that once people hear about the story, they’ll come forward with additional information.” The Phoenix Police Department said in that McAlpin’s arrest is the subject of an ongoing internal investigation. The department has not answered questions about the officers’ status of employment while the investigation is conducted. The Arizona NAACP has called for them to be placed on administrative leave until a full investigation is conducted into their behavior and for the community to be advised of the timeline of that investigation. The organization has also demanded the charges be dropped, that the police release the full body camera video and surveillance footage from the arrest, and that the police department immediately review and reform its protocols for interacting with people with disabilities.
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