Charges dropped against deaf man hit, tased by Phoenix officers
This image from Phoenix Police Department body camera footage from Aug. 19, 2024, shows Tyron Scott McAlpin, a Black man who is deaf, being punched and shocked with a Taser by Phoenix police officers when they responded to a call that the man had committed an assault at a convenience store in Phoenix, according to police.
(Phoenix Police Department via AP)
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has dismissed all charges against a deaf man who was repeatedly punched and shocked with a Taser by Phoenix police officers.
Tyron Scott McAlpin, 34, was charged with felony resisting arrest and aggravated assault stemming from the Aug. 19 encounter with the officers. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“Last Friday, a leader of the local chapter of the NAACP shared his concern with me regarding the prosecution of Mr. Tyron McAlpin," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell stated Thursday in a release.
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Charges dropped against deaf man hit, tased by Phoenix officers
(Phoenix Police Department via AP)
This image from Phoenix Police Department body camera footage from Aug. 19, 2024, shows Tyron Scott McAlpin, a Black man who is deaf, being punched and shocked with a Taser by Phoenix police officers when they responded to a call that the man had committed an assault at a convenience store in Phoenix, according to police.
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INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has dismissed all charges against a deaf man who was repeatedly punched and shocked with a Taser by Phoenix police officers.
Tyron Scott McAlpin, 34, was charged with felony resisting arrest and aggravated assault stemming from the Aug. 19 encounter with the officers. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“Last Friday, a leader of the local chapter of the NAACP shared his concern with me regarding the prosecution of Mr. Tyron McAlpin," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell stated Thursday in a release.
"I promised I would personally review the case including a large volume of video recordings, police reports and other materials that have been forwarded to my office.”
Mitchell said she convened a gathering Tuesday of senior attorneys and members of the community to hear their opinions about the case.
“I have now completed my review and have made the decision to dismiss all remaining charges against Mr. McAlpin.”
The incident began when a man who called 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 was not charged with assaulting him.
Police said 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. McAlpin is Black. He also has cerebral palsy.
At a court hearing, Harris testified that everything could have been avoided if McAlpin indicated he was deaf, ABC15 reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
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