OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.–Oklahoma County prosecutors charged OKC Police officer with felony assault Thursday for brutally slamming an elderly Vietnamese man to the ground following miscommunication over a traffic dispute.
Lich Vu, 71, remains hospitalized after suffering a broken neck, broken eye socket and brain bleed after white OKCPD Sgt. Joseph Gibson, 28, brutally slammed him onto the pavement and detained him. According to bodycam footage of the October 27 incident, the altercation came after Sgt. Gibson grew visibly frustrated that Mr. Vu wasn’t understanding his commands.
“We evaluate the law and the facts in each individual case, and in this particular case determined the officer’s actions were an unreasonable use of force,” Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna said in a statement.
The Black Wall Street Times previously reported that the incident drew a response from the city’s Asian community and Oklahoma-based advocacy organizations. They pressed for charges against the OKC officer and better resources for police to cross language barriers with residents from diverse communities.
“OKC residents of color, especially those with limited English proficiency, have frequently reported negative and violent interactions with officers who show little patience or desire to communicate effectively across language barriers,” the Asian Task Force of Oklahoma stated after the release of the OKCPD video. “This incident speaks to a troubling tendency to apply violence rather than compassion or understanding to some of our most vulnerable residents.”
OKC’s high rate of police violence
The disturbing instance of police violence against an unarmed, elderly individual continues the OKCPD’s callous disregard for human life when dealing with members of the public. The city of Oklahoma City reached a $1 million taxpayer-funded settlement with the family of Bennie Edwards at the end of November.
Edwards, a 60-year-old man experiencing homelessness and a mental health crisis was shot in the back by Sgt. Clifford Holman, who was charged with first degree murder. Newly elected Oklahoma County DA Behenna dropped the charges against Holman–and dropped charges against five officers involved in the killing of 15-year-old Stavian Rodriguez, who was gunned down while convenience store footage showed him putting down his gun.
OKC Fraternal Order of Police calls officer’s actions “good faith”
According to the Associated Press, Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Johnson didn’t respond to a media request for comment on the assault charge against OKC officer Gibson; he pointed to a previous press release. It stated Sgt. Gibson was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Mr. Vu remains in the hospital recovering from his injuries.
Meanwhile, not everyone was pleased with OKC DA Behenna’s decision to charge the officer. The Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police released a statement defending the officer’s “good faith” actions.
“It is very disappointing to see a police officer face felony charges for actions taken in good faith while serving in the line of duty,” OKC FOP President Mark Nelson said in a statement. “Sgt. Gibson followed his de-escalation training and protocol when assaulted.”
Notably, OKCPD had among the top ten highest rates of police killings of civilians of any U.S. city per population in 2023, according to data from Mapping Police Violence.
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