PHOENIX, AZ — A Black man, who is deaf and has cerebral palsy is facing felony aggravated assault and resisting arrest charges after he was repeatedly punched and tasered by a pair of Phoenix police officers.
The violent and rapid arrest of Tyron McAlpin raises serious questions and could serve as a test case for Phoenix and the Department of Justice as the two battle over whether the police department in America’s fifth-largest city needs federal oversight.
Acting on false claims from a white man under investigation, body camera video shows officers unexpectedly go after McAlpin, punch him in the head at least 10 times, Taser him four times, and wrap their arms around his neck.
When I was in Uni, I watched a (white) guy blow up a toilet with a cherry bomb. The police came running as he was quickly exiting the bathroom.
The dude who did the crime saw the police on his way out and, without hesitation, shouted at the cops “two black guys just went running that way!” and pointed to the stairwell.
The cops didn’t think twice. Those racist fuckers went charging past the actual criminal in the direction of nonexistent men of color.
I learned an important lesson in systemtic racism that day.