Months after multiple Phoenix police officers assaulted a Black man during his arrest, they’re facing disciplinary actions. But although the brutal attack on Tyron McAlpin was caught on video, their punishment as a result is more than shocking.
As The Root previously reported, McAlpin was arrested in August near a local convenient store. It all started when Phoenix officers responded to a call about a fight happening inside of the store. According to the caller, the aggressor was “a white male,” according to NBC News. When officers began questioning the man involved, he falsely identified McAlpin, who was walking by the store, as the aggressor.
It didn’t take long for the cops to set their sights on McAlpin. They abruptly drove over to him, and as soon as one of the officers got out their vehicle, he lunged at the Black man — who was looking down at his phone at the time — with no warning, according to bodycam footage. After a brief scuffle with McAlpin, he was brought to the ground despite having no clue why he was being tackled.
“Tase him, tase him, tase him,” one officer can be heard telling the other. According to reports, McAlpin was tased four times and punched in the head several more times. Eventually, the officers commanded McAlpin to “get your hands behind your back,” but it seems they missed a few important details about the 34-year-old man.
McAlpin’s wife eventually showed up to the scene, telling the cops “He’s deaf, and he has cerebral palsy.” One of the officers then asked the woman, “How can he be deaf if he was on the phone?” to which she responded saying, “Because I know sign language, that’s why. I sign to him.”
McAlpin was later taken into custody and charged with felony aggravated assault and resisting arrest, according to Fox 10 News. But after Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell reviewed the case, the charges were dropped in October.
Now, five months later, the three officers involved have been suspended without pay for 24 hours. The police chief also announced two of the three officers will undergo more training. “The decision to suspend the officers reflects our commitment to accountability and maintaining public trust. At the same time, we stand by the men and women of this department who are placed in difficult situations every day,” Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan said. “Our goal is to learn from this and move forward together as a stronger department and community.”
The announcement comes almost one year after the Department of Justice (DOJ) ended a probe into reports of police brutality in the Phoenix Police Department, according to the DOJ. The DOJ’s report found the department repeatedly violated the rights of people with disabilities, used excessive force, and disproportionately targeted minorities.