Phoenix police sued by deaf man with cerebral palsy after violent arrest

PHOENIX — The deaf man repeatedly punched and tasered by Phoenix police officers in August has filed a federal lawsuit against the city.

Tyron McAlpin’s arrest grabbed national headlines after ABC15 broadcasted video of the sudden and violent encounter.

In the new complaint filed by McAlpin, his attorneys allege that officers assaulted him, violated his constitutional rights, and wrote false reports to arrest him.

“In the last 10 years, the City has repeatedly avoided disciplining officers who used force, including deadly force, in ways that violated City policies and training,” according to the lawsuit. “This failure to discipline or retrain officers is so widespread that it amounts to an unwritten policy that has created a culture of impunity among the City’s officers.”

Read the full complaint below:

McAlpin was arrested on August 19, 2024, and charged with resisting arrest and aggravated assault. Officers initially went after McAlpin based on false and unverified allegations from another man.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office dropped McAlpin’s charges the week after ABC15’s first report on the arrest, which drew national outrage.

Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at [email protected].