JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
In Phoenix, the violent arrest of a Black man who is deaf and has cerebral palsy has sparked public outcry. Recently released body camera footage of the incident came just a few months after a scathing report from the U.S. Department of Justice. That report outlined widespread misconduct by Phoenix police. For more, let's go to Christina Estes with member station KJZZ. Hi there.
CHRISTINA ESTES, BYLINE: Hi there.
SUMMERS: So, Christina, just start, if you can, by telling us about this arrest. How did this all start?
ESTES: Sure. A convenience store employee called cops to remove a guy who'd been trespassing. When they got there, that guy claimed he'd been assaulted by a man walking across the street. That man was Tyron McAlpin. Body camera video shows the officer pulling into the parking lot where McAlpin was walking, and the officer calls out to him to stop. Of course, McAlpin is deaf.
Then the officer gets out of his vehicle, tells McAlpin to take a seat. And immediately, there's a scuffle. The officer says McAlpin swung at him. Within seconds, you hear that officer say to another, tase him, tase him. In the video, you see the officers repeatedly punch and tase McAlpin while he's facedown on the ground. One officer says McAlpin bit him during the struggle.
SUMMERS: OK. Christina, I understand that McAlpin was then charged with three felony counts - aggravated assault on officers and resisting arrest. But then late last week, those charges were dropped. What happened?
ESTES: The Arizona NAACP contacted Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and expressed serious concerns. Mitchell then reviewed the case and decided to dismiss all charges. The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, a union representing police officers, called the dismissal appalling. In a statement, the group's president said, police are trained on how to interact with people who are, quote, "hearing-impaired and/or disabled." But they say they're also trained on how to defend themselves if faced with a violent individual intent on hurting them.
SUMMERS: OK, I want to know more about that training. What are Phoenix police trained to do when they encounter someone who's deaf or someone disabled?
ESTES: Well, the two officers involved testified at a court hearing earlier this month, and they described their training as light and brief and said they couldn't remember much about it. I talked with Phoenix Councilman Kevin Robinson. He served 36 years on the police force before retiring. Robinson said it's obvious the department needs more training.
KEVIN ROBINSON: This particular incident clearly is not a good look for us. We proclaim to be a self-correcting, self-assessing organization. And, you know - and then there's still an investigation that has to be conducted. But the look itself is not very good, so I know we have a ways to go.
ESTES: Andre Miller with the NAACP says Phoenix police need federal oversight.
ANDRE MILLER: Because I know for a fact we don't want to see other differently able people or other deaf people accosted by the police because this could have truly resulted in him losing his life.
SUMMERS: Christina, you mentioned potential federal oversight. What might that look like?
ESTES: The Department of Justice investigated the Phoenix Police Department and found police routinely used unjustified deadly force and discriminated against people of color, among other things. But even before the DOJ's report, city officials were touting a range of police reforms, and they say they are committed to those changes. The city really wants to avoid federal oversight.
As for Tyron McAlpin's case, both officers are on administrative leave as the police department conducts an internal investigation. Following McAlpin's arrest, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs urged all public safety workers to participate in a training developed with the state Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
SUMMERS: All right. We have been talking with Christina Estes from member station KJZZ in Phoenix. Christina, thank you so much for your reporting.
ESTES: You're welcome.
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