The Oklahoma prosecutor’s office, in the United States, is investigating a city police officer accused of assault and break the neck of a 71-year-old man after an argument over a traffic ticket. Body camera video released by the police shows the officer throwing the man to the ground after telling him to shut up during an argument.
Joseph Gibson, 28, is accused of assaulting and injuring Lich Vu, a man of Vietnamese origin. The incident occurred in a dispute that took place on October 27 caused by a traffic accident in which there were no injuries and which the media reported this Friday.
As the agent took him by the arm, The man fell to the ground headfirst, which caused a brain hemorrhage, a fracture of the neck and eye socket and forced him to remain hospitalized. According to local television station KWTV, Vu has already been discharged from the hospital but still feels dizzy and has a headache.
The police department placed the officer involved on administrative leave while the case is investigated. For her part, Oklahoma County Prosecutor Vicki Zemp Behenna said in a statement that “the officer’s actions show an unreasonable use of force.”
“The Oklahoma County Prosecutor’s Office takes all use of force incidents very seriously,” the prosecutor added. The city’s Vietnamese community has condemned what happened and has shown its support for Vu, stating that the video shows that the man has trouble expressing himself and to understand the agent through the language.
“The Prosecutor’s Office has done the right thing,” Thuan Nguyen, the president of the city’s Vietnamese community, said of the open investigations. “This is the first step, but we cannot replace the pain.” If convicted, the agent faces up to five years in prison or a fine of $500.
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