Shocking Bodycam Footage Shows Phoenix Officers Punching And Tasing Deaf Man With Cerebral Palsy

The recent arrest of a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy in Phoenix has raised significant concerns and outrage from the community. Newly released body cam footage shows Tyron McAlpin being repeatedly punched and shocked with a Taser by a pair of Phoenix police officers.

On August 19, Tyron McAlpin was taken into custody by officers Benjamin Harris and Kyle Sue. The incident has only recently caught the eye of the national media, following the release of body camera footage and surveillance clips by one of his lawyers, Jesse Showalter.

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In response to the growing public concern, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell issued a statement on Monday, asserting that the case deserves further examination. Mitchell expressed her strong confidence in the attorneys at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and those who have already assessed the case, but she intends to personally review the matter as well. “Because of the attention on this case, I will personally review the entire file, as well as the totality of the video,” she said. “I may reach a different conclusion or I may not, but I believe this case merits additional scrutiny.”

As detailed in a police incident report shared with NBC News by McAlpin’s attorney, Officer Harris arrived at a Circle K convenience store on E. Indian School Road shortly before 8 a.m. on August 19 in response to an emergency call regarding a fight.

The 911 caller described a white man in his twenties as the aggressor, who was still inside the store, according to the report. Harris later recounted that he encountered a man with dried blood on his T-shirt and an unkempt appearance.

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During their conversation, the man claimed he had been attacked while attempting to prevent a bike theft. He then identified McAlpin, 34, who was walking nearby, as the individual who had assaulted him. Following this, Officers Harris and Sue pursued McAlpin in separate vehicles, ultimately locating him in the parking lot of a different store.

Footage from Harris’ body camera captures the officer attempting to apprehend McAlpin just moments after stepping out of his vehicle. According to Harris’ report, he initiated the arrest when McAlpin failed to respond to his verbal command to “stop where you’re at.” McAlpin’s attorney pointed out that he is deaf, which would have prevented him from hearing the officers’ instructions.

Harris stated that upon exiting his vehicle and reaching for McAlpin’s left arm, McAlpin “immediately displayed active aggression by throwing punches” at Harris’ head, starting with his left arm.

In the body camera footage, within 15 seconds of the encounter, an officer can be heard instructing, “tase him,” while ordering McAlpin to place his hands behind his back. During this time, Officer Sue begins striking McAlpin repeatedly in the head. As McAlpin lies face down with Sue restraining his left hand, Harris uses a Taser on him, urging him to get his hands behind his back. Sue continues to punch McAlpin in the back, prompting him to scream and move his right hand behind his back in response.

Harris then claims, “I think I broke my hand,” while alleging that McAlpin had bitten him. Much of this confrontation is recorded on Harris’ body camera, but Sue’s camera detached early in the incident and only captures the ground. McAlpin’s attorney has refuted the claim that his client bit Sue, asserting that the injuries sustained by both officers stemmed from their “frenzied and violent attack on Tyron.”