Phoenix police officers on leave amid investigation into violent arrest of deaf man

Two Phoenix police officers have been placed on paid leave amid an investigation into the violent arrest of a deaf black man with cerebral palsy that sparked outrage and condemnation.

The Phoenix Police Department confirmed Tuesday that officers Benjamin Harris and Kyle Sue were on administrative leave while the agency conducts a formal investigation into the August arrest of 34-year-old Tyron McAlpin.

Graphic body camera footage of the encounter shows the two officers beating McAlpin and shocking him with a Taser repeatedly after he did not comply with their commands. McAlphin faced two counts of aggravated assault on an officer and resisting arrest, but those charges were dropped by Maricopa County Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell last week.

Footage of the arrest released at a court hearing was widely scrutinized by state and local officials and human rights advocates.

An internal police department investigation into the violent arrest is pending. The department’s interim chief, Michael Sullivan, said he would personally review the findings of that investigation.

Body cam captures how the violent arrest unfolded

Officers responded to a trespassing call made by employees of a Circle K convenience store and gas station, according to body camera footage and records.

When officers arrived and spoke with the burglary suspect, who is white, the man told them he had just been assaulted and pointed to McAlpin across the street. McAlpin’s lawyer has said those allegations were unfounded. There are no charges against McAlpin related to this assault complaint.

The officers drove by McAlpin, without speaking to other witnesses or interviewing the man further. In the video, McAlpin can be seen walking through the parking lot of the Dollar Store when Sue walks up to him and says, “Hey buddy, stop where you are.”

After a brief moment of no response from McAlpin, the officer reached over and began a struggle as Sue grabbed McAlpin’s arm. McAlpin appeared to pull back and raise his arms. Officers knocked McAlpin to the ground, punched him more than a dozen times and repeatedly stunned him with a Taser while telling him to put his hands behind his back. McAlpin was eventually handcuffed.

The footage prompts outcry against the embattled police department

State and local officials, including Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Vice Mayor Debra Stark, expressed concern after body camera footage of the arrest was shown at an Oct. 1 court hearing.

Stark later said in a statement that he respected the county attorney’s decision to drop the charges against McAlpin, but said he would await the results of the city’s investigation before deciding whether the city and police department they owe McAlpin an apology.

Arizona state Sen. Anna Hernandez and state Rep. Analise Ortiz said in a joint statement that the arrest was “indicative of larger systemic problems within the Phoenix Police Department.”

“Tyron is deaf and has cerebral palsy and should never have been subjected to this brutal assault at the hands of police officers,” the statement said.

In June, the US Department of Justice criticized the Phoenix Police Department for civil rights violations, including that officers systematically used illegal force and disproportionately targeted people of color.

Contributors: Jeanine Santucci, Michael Loria, USA TODAY; Maritza Dominguez, Miguel Torres and Taylor Seely, Arizona Republic; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Phoenix officers on leave after violent arrest of deaf man