In a shocking incident that has sparked widespread outrage, Tyron McAlpin, a Black man who is deaf and has cerebral palsy, faces felony charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest following a violent encounter with Phoenix police officers.
Body camera footage from the August 19th, 2024, arrest reveals a deeply disturbing scene: McAlpin is punched at least ten times, tasered four times, and placed in a chokehold. This violent escalation occurs as he struggles to understand the officers’ commands, not out of defiance but because of his disability.
Even more troubling, this brutality stemmed from false accusations made by a white man, later proven to have fabricated the assault. McAlpin’s attorneys have refuted the officers’ claims that he was “throwing punches” and taking a fighting stance, calling these assertions blatantly false. The video clearly shows McAlpin trying to protect himself from unprovoked violence.
“The answer is easy. He’s deaf. He couldn’t understand what they were doing. And he had done nothing wrong,” McAlpin’s attorney, Jesse Showalter, stated. “Everything I see in that video is Tyron just trying to avoid being harmed by these officers, and that only made them escalate the violence they used.”
This case follows a damning Department of Justice report highlighting systemic issues within the Phoenix police, including excessive use of force, racial bias, and mishandling of individuals with disabilities. Despite these findings, the department seems to be doubling down, pursuing charges against McAlpin while disregarding the context of his disabilities.
As McAlpin’s legal team continues its fight for justice, this incident could become a crucial test case for police accountability, demanding a reevaluation of how disabled individuals are treated in confrontational situations.
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