Additional Coverage:
Oklahoma City Police Officer on Leave for Excessive Force
An Oklahoma City police officer has been placed on administrative leave after body camera footage showed him using excessive force against a 70-year-old man.
The incident occurred on October 27th during a traffic stop. The video shows the officer, Joseph Gibson, issuing a ticket to Lich Vu for making an illegal U-turn. Vu became argumentative, refusing to sign the citation.
Gibson then threatened to arrest Vu if he did not comply. Vu responded that he was willing to go to jail. Gibson returned and engaged in a scuffle with Vu, during which Gibson threw the elderly man to the ground.
Vu was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, including a brain bleed and neck injury. The police department has launched an investigation into the incident, and the results will be presented to the district attorney’s office.
The Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma has expressed concerns about language barriers hindering communication with law enforcement. They are calling for accountability and training to improve interactions between police and non-native English speakers.