An Oklahoma City resident is claiming that Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers beat him for disobeying their orders. The only problem is that 64-year-old Pearl Pearson is deaf—a fact that he says a sign in his car indicates.
According to Fox 4 News, Pearson allegedly fled the scene of a car accident before being pulled over by the Highway Patrol officers on Jan. 3. According to the affidavit, Pearson resisted the two officers and didn’t respond to the commands (that he couldn’t hear). This resulted in a seven-minute scuffle during which Pearson says he was hit in the face before he could show is ID. There’s no reference in the affidavit as to whether the troopers knew the 64-year-old could not hear, but he was arrested and then later slapped with charges for leaving the scene of an accident and resisting arrest.
Pearson’s neighbor Sacia Law does not understand how the situation came about and says that Pearson is a kind person. "He's hearing-impaired. You can’t yell at him from behind his car and get a response," she said. "I know they do dangerous jobs and they put their lives on the line, but that is over the top."
Local affiliate KFOR received a statement from the patrol saying that Pearson’s arrest and the officers’ actions were being reviewed.
Total Source for Hearing-Loss & Access, an Oklahoma group that provides a variety of services for the hearing-impaired, is raising money on its website to help Pearson and his family pay for his legal and medical expenses.
Read more at Fox 4 News.