By tf-lawyer.com In an interview with ABC15, it was reported that Phoenix police officers responded to an incident almost two months ago involving an alleged attack on a man inside a convenience store. During the response, officers used a Taser multiple times on a 34-year-old deaf Black man, leading to concerns about excessive force. Body camera footage revealed one officer deploying the Taser on the suspect, who fell to the ground, while another officer restrained him from a kneeling position.
The man in question is Tyron Scott McAlpin, who was charged on August 19 with felony resisting arrest and aggravated assault. Despite the allegations, McAlpin has pleaded not guilty to all charges, with news of his arrest being first reported by ABC15 Arizona last week.
According to police reports, Officer Benjamin Harris injured his hand while attempting to subdue McAlpin, who reportedly bit Officer Kyle Sue’s hand during the struggle. The incident was captured on the body cameras of both officers. While the reports did not disclose the officers’ ethnic backgrounds, the footage showed that both the officer using the Taser and the one restraining McAlpin were white.
Harris stated in his testimony that if McAlpin had communicated his hearing impairment, the situation might have been avoided. However, McAlpin’s attorney, Jesse Showalter, argued that the first officer who made contact did not realize he was deaf, as he immediately resorted to using force without any attempts to de-escalate the situation.
The Phoenix Police Department did not respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press on the incident on the 15th. According to the 911 caller, a white man, McAlpin had punched him in the face. The arriving officers pursued McAlpin to a nearby parking lot, where they immediately engaged him, leading to a physical confrontation.
McAlpin was arrested for allegedly assaulting the man who called the police, but he has not yet been formally charged with any assault. His attorney emphasized that McAlpin never fought with this individual.
The police told ABC15 that an investigation into the incident is ongoing and is being handled by an internal review team.
The Phoenix Police Department has faced prior accusations from the U.S. Justice Department regarding discriminatory practices against Black, Hispanic, and Native American individuals, illegal detention of homeless people, and excessive use of force, including unreasonable deadly force. The Phoenix city government has expressed its commitment to reforming the police department but has declined to enter into a consent decree with the Justice Department.
