Two police officers shouted orders at a 34-year-old deaf black man and repeatedly punched him during a recent encounter in Phoenix, Arizona, US, as revealed in a recently released body cam footagewhich drew widespread criticism. The man identified as Tyrone McAlpinwas lying face down when one of the officers electrocuted him.
The incident happened Aug. 19 in a parking lot where officers responded to allegations that McAlpin had tried to steal a bicycle and assaulted someone. The theft charge has since been dropped by Maricopa County AttorneyThe office of
The footage shows McAlpine walking across the parking lot, seemingly oblivious to the officer calling out to him from a police car. Focused on his phone, he only noticed the policeman when the police car blocked his path. The officer quickly gets out of the car and a fight begins.
The footage shows McAlpine raising his hands as the officer lunges at him, leading to a scuffle. A second officer arrives, helps McAlpine to be handcuffed face down and repeatedly orders him to put his hands behind his back. When McAlpin, because of his disabilities, did not comply, officers used force, including punches and electric shocks, to restrain him.
McAlpin’s wife, Jessica Ulashek, arrived on the scene, explaining to officers, “He’s deaf and has cerebral palsy. I talked to him on the phone from Circle K.” Despite her explanation, McAlpin was handcuffed and taken into custody. He was later hospitalized as a precaution.
The incident is under internal investigation by the Department’s Bureau of Professional Standards.
McAlpine’s attorney, Jesse Showalter, argued that the officers were in violation Fourth Amendment rightsstating, as reported by CNN, “The officers advanced on Tyrone so quickly that no one could avoid their attack.”
McAlpin now faces two charges aggravated assault and one count of resisting arrest. Police said McAlpin assumed a “fighting stance” when approached, a claim disputed by others who viewed the footage.
The Phoenix Police The department confirmed that the employees involved remain on active duty and have not been placed on administrative leave.
The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association said the officers were “under immediate attack” and had “the right to defend themselves using reasonable and necessary force based on the circumstances”.
The public outcry prompted Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to personally review the case. “Given the attention to this case, I will personally review the entire file as well as all the video footage,” Mitchell told CNN.
McAlpin’s initial pretrial conference is scheduled for Nov. 13, with the trial scheduled for late February.
