PHOENIX (AP) — All charges have been dismissed against a deaf Black man who was repeatedly punched and shocked with a Taser by Phoenix police officers responding to a call that a man had committed an assault at a convenience store.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced late Thursday that her office would not pursue felony charges of resisting arrest and aggravated assault against the man, Tyron Scott McAlpin, 34. The Aug. 19 encounter was first reported late last week by ABC15 Arizona.
Mitchell said in a statement that she began looking into the case last week after the local NAACP chapter shared concerns about McAlpin’s arrest. She said she reviewed a “large volume” of videos, police reports and other materials.
Police say 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 officer’s race was revealed in police reports.
At a court hearing, Harris testified that everything could have been avoided if McAlpin had just indicated he was deaf, ABC15 reported.