Recently released body cam video shows two Phoenix, Ariz. police officers shouting at 34-year-old Tyron McAlpin, a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy, on the morning of Aug. 19. One officer repeatedly punched him, while the other officer tased McAlpin.
The two officers, Benjamin Harris and Kyle Sue, approached a man who accused McAlpin of assaulting him. He says he was trying to stop McAlpin from stealing a bike at a Circle K convenience store. In the incident report, Harris claimed that McAlpin had a “fighting stance, with his legs planted for stability and force delivery.”
McAlpin is no longer accused of the alleged crime of theft that prompted the officers to confront him, but is now charged with resisting arrest, as well as two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer.
In the released body cam footage, Harris is seen assaulting McAlpin first, as he initially had his arms at his side when Harris charged at him.
Sue and Harris have not been placed on administrative leave and are actively working, pending an ongoing internal investigation.