PHOENIX, AZ — A Black man, who is deaf and has cerebral palsy is facing felony aggravated assault and resisting arrest charges after he was repeatedly punched and tasered by a pair of Phoenix police officers.

The violent and rapid arrest of Tyron McAlpin raises serious questions and could serve as a test case for Phoenix and the Department of Justice as the two battle over whether the police department in America’s fifth-largest city needs federal oversight.

Acting on false claims from a white man under investigation, body camera video shows officers unexpectedly go after McAlpin, punch him in the head at least 10 times, Taser him four times, and wrap their arms around his neck.

  • jonne
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    1 month ago

    Usually the arrestee wasn’t even resisting. Cops are just trained to yell 'stop resisting’regardless of the situation because they know the body cam footage won’t show what’s actually happening because it’s strapped to the chest of the guy doing the punching.

    • Stopthatgirl7@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 month ago

      They also know it can affect the memory of any eye witnesses Memory is malleable and they try to screw with it and implant the idea that the person they’re arresting WAS resisting.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I’d normally say good luck successfully arguing the deaf guy with cerebral palsy was resisting you in any way that required the need to retaliate that way, but these are cops, so the judge would probably say, “not guilty and also someone give these brave boys in blue a medal!”

    • vxx@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Absolutely. I wouldn’t comment scrapping that law if it wouldn’t be abused, and in my opinion it doesn’t serve any positives that would outweight it.

      Just reduce sentences for cooperating or something. It would be the first incentive of rehabilitation right at the moment of arrest.

      • chingadera@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        The way you’re thinking is not wrong.

        That said, resisting is a felony and rehabilitation was never part of the plan. Private prisons exist.