Phoenix Police Pummel a Deaf Man, Months After the Justice Department Found Widespread Civil Rights Violations
Video footage of Phoenix police officers beating and tasing a deaf black man with cerebral palsy has led to an internal investigation and widespread media coverage—and it couldn’t come at a worse time for the city. This summer the Justice Department (DOJ) released a scathing report accusing the police department of systemically violating the civil rights of vulnerable residents.
Local TV news outlet ABC15 first published footage last week showing the violent arrest on August 19 of Tyron McAlpin, who is now facing felony aggravated assault and resisting arrest charges as a result of the incident.
According to reports filed by the officers, they were responding to a man trespassing at a Circle K. That man told the officers he’d been assaulted by McAlpin, pointing him out. Officers leaped out of their car and immediately began a physical confrontation with McAlpin, who could not hear their commands.
In their incident reports and court testimony, the two officers said McAlpin took a fighting stance and repeatedly punched them. One of the officers claims McAlpin bit him on the wrist.
In June, the Justice Department released the findings of an investigation into civil rights abuses by the Phoenix Police Department. That report concluded that the Phoenix police routinely use excessive force and illegally retaliate against residents, violating their First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
The investigators documented incidents where Phoenix police fabricated incident reports, needlessly used physical force and dangerous restraints, illegally detained homeless people and destroyed their property, delayed medical aid to wounded suspects, and assaulted people for criticizing or filming them.
Among the report’s findings was that Phoenix police offic
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