✊🏾 He Wasn’t the Suspect. But He’s the One Who Got Tased.
The Deaf, Disabled Black Man Brutalized in Phoenix—and the Slap-in-the-Face 24-Hour Suspension That Followed
He was Deaf. He had cerebral palsy.
He was not the suspect.
But when Phoenix police showed up on a 911 call about a white man causing a disturbance, they zeroed in on the first Black body they saw.
And what did they do?
They tased him.
They punched him.
They tackled him in the street.
And then they charged him with felony assault.
That man’s name is Tyron McAlpin.
And the cops who attacked him? They’re back on the job after just 24 hours of unpaid suspension. No charges. No accountability. Just another chapter in America’s long tradition of criminalizing Black existence—especially when disability is part of the picture.
📽️ Here’s What Really Happened
Officers responded to a call about a white man named Derek Stevens causing chaos inside a Circle K.
When they arrived, that same white man flipped the narrative and claimed he was the victim—and pointed to McAlpin, who was across the street, minding his business.
Despite the 911 caller specifically describing the white man as the aggressor, police swarmed McAlpin.
McAlpin, on a video call with his wife using sign language, couldn’t hear the orders being barked.
That didn’t stop officers from shouting, tasing him four times, and delivering over ten punches to his head and back.
Meanwhile, the actual suspect? Never cuffed. Never charged. Never touched.
🎥 The Receipts Speak Louder Than the Excuses
The bodycam footage tells the full story.
Officers leapt out of their cruiser, never identified themselves, and initiated violence first. One even complained on tape, “I think I broke my hand,” after repeatedly punching McAlpin in the skull.
They later claimed he was “aggressive.”
But the video shows a man caught off guard, unarmed, and trying to protect himself from an attack he couldn’t even hear coming.
🔥 This Is Bigger Than Tyron
Let’s be clear:
This didn’t happen in a vacuum.
Just months earlier, the DOJ released a damning report showing “overwhelming statistical evidence” of Phoenix PD’s discrimination against Black, Brown, Native, homeless, and disabled residents. This department was already under scrutiny.
So what does Phoenix PD do when confronted with this brutality?
They suspend the three officers—for just 24 hours. One single day.
That’s not justice.
That’s a sick joke.
🧱 We’ve Seen This Before…
From Emmett Till to Tyre Nichols, the story always starts the same:
A white person lies.
The police believe them.
A Black body pays the price.
As Andre Miller of the Arizona NAACP said:
“This was reminiscent of many falsehoods like Emmett Till that have claimed the lives of Black citizens in America.”
And let’s not forget:
Tyron McAlpin still had to file a $3.5 million legal claim just to get on the road to restitution.
Why?
Because if you’re Black and Deaf in America… you can’t afford to just survive. You’ve got to fight to prove you were never a threat in the first place.
📢 So What Do We Do Now?
We amplify.
We expose.
We organize.
That’s why Kin+ exists.
We don’t water it down for advertisers. We don’t neutralize the truth for “both sides.” We’re here to own the mic, tell our stories, and make sure Tyron’s name doesn’t fade into another viral hashtag with no justice behind it.
✊🏾 Final Word From the Architect
This ain’t just a tragedy.
It’s a blueprint for how racism, ableism, and cowardice still operate in America today.
They weren’t scared of what Tyron did.
They were scared of what he represented:
A Black man living his life—on his terms. In his body. On his block.
That’s why we tell these stories. Loud. Unfiltered. And on our terms.
🗣 Your Move, Community:
Share this drop. Let them know we see everything.
Drop a 🧱 in the comments if you know this ain’t “just a mistake”—it’s a design.
Demand Phoenix PD fire all three officers without pay and without pension. There number is: (602)-262-7626
🧱 This Is Kin+
The media they fear.
The receipts they can’t ignore.
The revolution that’s already here.
Kin+. You don’t just belong… you OWN.