Phoenix officers punched and shocked a deaf Black man, body camera footage shows

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix officers repeatedly punched and shocked a deaf Black man with a Taser nearly two months ago when they responded to a call that the man had committed an assault at a convenience store, according to body camera footage.

The man, Tyron Scott McAlpin, 34, has been charged with felony resisting arrest and aggravated assault stemming from the Aug. 19 encounter with the officers. McAlpin’s arrest was first reported late last week by ABC15 Arizona. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Police say Officer Benjamin Harris suffered a hand injury when hitting McAlpin, while McAlpin bit the hand of Officer Kyle Sue during the struggle, which was recorded on the officers’ body cameras. Neither officers’ race was revealed in police reports.

At a court hearing, Harris testified that everything could have been avoided if McAlpin just indicated he was deaf, ABC15 reported.

Jesse Showalter, an attorney representing McAlpin, said the first officer to make contact with McAlpin wasn’t able to figure out he was deaf because the officer took no steps to deescalate the situation and instead immediately starting using force.

Phoenix police said in statement Tuesday, “There was nothing that the officers were told or witnessed to indicate Mr. McAlpin was hearing impaired.”

The man who called the police, who is white, told them that McAlpin, who was walking nearby, punched him in the face.

An officer caught up with McAlpin in a nearby parking lot and immediately put his hands on him after stepping out of his patrol vehicle, and the struggle began.

McAlpin was arrested on suspicion of assaulting the man who called the police but hasn’t been charged with assaulting him.

Showalter said his client was never involved in a fight with the man.

The encounter is under investigation and was assigned to the agency’s internal affairs unit, the department said.

The Phoenix Police Department has been accused by the U.S. Justice Department of discriminating against Black, Hispanic and Native American people, unlawfully detaining homeless people and using excessive force, including unjustified deadly force.

The city has said it is committed to reforms in its police department but has resisted efforts to enter a consent decree with the Justice Department.