Tyron McAlpin’s Arrest: Deaf Black Man with Cerebral Palsy Brutally Tased and Beaten by Phoenix Police:

Phoenix police officers responded to a report claiming that Tyron McAlpin, a Black man, had stolen a phone from a White man. 

Upon arriving at the scene, an officer immediately grabbed McAlpin, who is deaf and has cerebral palsy, and a struggle quickly followed. 

During the encounter, officers repeatedly tased and struck McAlpin in the head.

In June, the Department of Justice revealed that the Phoenix Police Department and the City of Phoenix had a history of engaging in practices that violate the U.S. Constitution and federal laws. 

This incident is now under scrutiny as part of a broader investigation into excessive force and discrimination against People of Color by the Phoenix police.

Also, the theft charge was later dropped. 

Tyron McAlpin

On August 19, two White officers confronted McAlpin in a Circle K parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona. 

They had been responding to a report of a stolen cell phone. 

McAlpin was walking and looking at his phone when the officers pulled up next to him in their vehicle.

Body camera footage from Officer Benjamin Harris, obtained by PEOPLE, shows him saying, "Hey buddy, stop where you're at," while still in the car. 

McAlpin attempted to walk around the vehicle, but within seconds of exiting, Harris grabbed him by the shoulders.

McAlpin raised his arms in response, leading to a physical altercation. 

Just 12 seconds into the footage, Harris punched McAlpin, who crouched down. 

The officers quickly escalated the situation, with Harris shouting, 

"Tase him! Tase him!" as they pushed McAlpin to the ground, demanding he put his hands behind his back while he struggled to avoid hitting his face on the concrete.

Officer Kyle Sue, identified in the incident reports, held McAlpin’s neck and repeatedly punched his head. 

As McAlpin covered his head with his hands, Harris commanded him to move and tasered him four times while he lay on the ground. 

Harris then searched McAlpin’s pockets, dumping out his earbuds, keys, and loose change, while McAlpin groaned in pain.

A passerby inquired about the officers' well-being, to which Harris replied, "We’re good now, thanks," as he continued searching McAlpin.

Though the officers attempted to stand McAlpin up, he was unable to do so and continued to moan in pain. 

At one point, Harris commented that he may have broken his hand, while Sue claimed McAlpin had bitten him.

During the incident, a White woman identifying herself as McAlpin’s wife approached and informed the officers that she had been communicating with him via phone before they arrived. 

She also explained that McAlpin is deaf and has cerebral palsy. Despite this, Harris informed her that McAlpin was "under arrest for assault on a police officer." 

The woman, shocked, asked what had happened, to which Harris replied that McAlpin had assaulted someone at the Circle K. 

She refuted the claim, saying, "He didn’t assault nobody." The officers responded, "Well, he did now."

McAlpin now faces two felony aggravated assault charges and one felony resisting arrest charge, confirmed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. His pretrial hearing is set for November 13.

The Phoenix Police Department, currently investigating the officers involved, confirmed that they remain on active duty. 

Interim Police Chief Michael G. Sullivan described the bodycam footage as "disturbing" and noted that it raises many concerns.

County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also commented on the case, stating that due to the high level of attention, she would personally review all evidence, including the video, to ensure the case receives proper scrutiny.

According to the probable cause affidavit, officers responded to the scene after a White male alleged that McAlpin had punched him and stolen his phone—an event that was not witnessed by Circle K employees. 

However, McAlpin's lawyers argue that his Fourth Amendment rights were violated, as the phone he was accused of stealing was his own. 

His defense team has expressed frustration with the city, claiming they are delaying the investigation.