Phoenix cop repeatedly tased deaf man Tyron McAlpin then told his wife: ‘No. He doesn’t need to know’

A deaf Phoenix man was punched and tased repeatedly by police officers responding to an assault call, according to records and footage.

Tyron McAlpin, 34, lives in Phoenix.

On August 19, 2024, McAlpin was walking through a parking lot near a Circle K convenience store in Phoenix when two officers pulled up, records show.

Within seconds of approaching him, Officer Benjamin Harris jumped out and started punching McAlpin, footage shows.

Officer Kyle Sue joined seconds later, forcing McAlpin to the ground and punching him too, the recording shows.

The officers were responding to a call about an assault, police said. But Derek Stevens, the man who had actually caused it, pointed police toward McAlpin from across the street, records state.

No officer questioned any witnesses before confronting McAlpin, records show.

“Tyron never assaulted Derek Stevens nor has Tyron ever been charged with assaulting Derek Stevens,” attorney Jesse Showalter said.

“Our investigator has spoken to employees at the Circle K who were present that morning and who stated definitively that Tyron did not assault Derek Stevens,” Showalter said.

Harris told the body camera he thought he had broken his own hand punching McAlpin, footage shows. He then tased McAlpin at least four times while McAlpin lay on the ground, writhing and moaning, the video shows.

Minutes later, a woman identifying herself as McAlpin’s wife arrived and tried to explain that he is deaf and has cerebral palsy, footage shows. Harris dismissed her on the recording: “No. He doesn’t need to know.”

McAlpin was booked on two felony counts of aggravated assault and one count of resisting arrest, court records show.

He could not afford his $7,500 bail, records show. McAlpin spent 24 days in jail before a nonprofit, The Bail Project, paid to secure his release.

The case surfaced months after a Justice Department report found Phoenix police discriminate against Black, Hispanic, and Native American residents, records state.

That federal inquiry also determined that officers use excessive force at a rate the report called “overwhelming.”

Phoenix’s mayor called for a “full and thorough investigation” after the footage went public.

The department said both officers remain on active duty while its Professional Standards Bureau reviews the case.

The Maricopa County Attorney said she is personally reviewing the full file.