An Oklahoma City Police Department officer has been put on leave after using force in the arrest of a 70-year-old man. Image by
Simaah from
Pixabay
Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The Oklahoma City Police Department has placed one of its officers on administrative leave after body camera footage shows him throwing a 70-year-old man to the ground following a traffic ticket dispute.
Lich Vu was hospitalized for "serious injuries" following the Oct. 27 incident. The video was posted on Facebook by the Oklahoma City Police Department.
Thuan Nguyen, president-elect of the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma, said he visited Vu in the hospital last week and that he was on a feeding tube after suffering a brain bleed and neck injury, according to USA Today.
"In our community, we want to make sure we see justice in that these things don't happen to another person," Nguyen said.
The police department put officer Joseph Gibson on leave pending an investigation, the results of which will be presented to the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office.
"The Oklahoma City Police Department is dedicated to transparency and accountability," the agency said in a statement. "We want our community to know that this case is being thoroughly investigated and the review process will take time to complete. We ask for your patience as we work to conclude this investigation."
The incident began after Vu was involved in a minor traffic accident with another car. The video shows Gibson citing Vu for making an illegal U-turn and asking him to sign a citation, noting that the signature would not be an admission of guilt. Gibson politely explained why he was issuing Vu the ticket.
Vu can be seen on the video trying to explain what happened during the incident, gesturing and pointing to the street and becoming argumentative. "We don't argue on the side of the road," Gibson said. "We argue in court."
Gibson told Vu he would go to jail if he did not sign the citation.
"I'm ready to go to jail," Vu responded.
"You're ready to go to jail?" Gibson said. "Ridiculous. OK. That involves impounding your car, too."
Gibson left the area where Vu was standing to issue a ticket to the other driver involved in the accident then returned to Vu and a woman who was in the car with Vu and now standing next to him as Gibson approached.
After arguing, Vu appears to strike Gibson near the area of his body camera with the back of his hand.
"You shut up!" Vu said. A scuffle ensued at which point Gibson can be seen grabbing and twisting Vu's arm and throwing him to the concrete sidewalk. "Get on the ground," Gibson said.
Vu appears still for the rest of the video. The woman leans down next to Vu's face and says to Gibson, "I need the ambulance."
Gibson called for an ambulance to be dispatched to the scene.
Language barriers can hinder communication with law enforcement, Nguyen said. It was not clear in the video if Vu understood everything Gibson was saying.
Nguyen added that the Vietnamese community wants Gibson held accountable if the investigation shows that the officer used excessive force, including conducting training on how police and people in non-native English speaking communities can more effectively communicate, and ensuring that people know their rights when it comes to police encounters.
