Oklahoma officer charged for slamming 71-year-old man to the ground

Article content

OKLAHOMA CITY — Prosecutors charged an Oklahoma City police officer with felony assault on Thursday after he slammed a 71-year-old man to the ground, breaking his neck, following an argument over a traffic ticket.

Sgt. Joseph Gibson, 28, was charged in Oklahoma County with one count of aggravated assault and battery in connection with the Oct. 27 dispute. Body-worn camera video released by police shows Gibson throwing Lich Vu to the ground after Vu touched Gibson during an argument following a non-injury traffic accident.

“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,” Behenna said in a statement.

Vu suffered a brain bleed, and a broken neck and eye socket and remains hospitalized, prosecutors said.

Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn declined to comment on the charge and referred to a statement the department released in October, indicating Gibson was placed on administrative leave while his actions were being investigated.

“We want our community to know that this case is being thoroughly investigated, and the review process will take time to complete,” according to the statement, which was also released in Vietnamese.

The use of force prompted outrage in Oklahoma City’s Vietnamese community, particularly since the video shows Vu had difficulty communicating with Gibson during the interaction and appeared not to understand what the officer was telling him.

Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Nelson said the organization is sympathetic to Vu and recognizes the severity of his injuries but expressed concern about the impact the charges will have on officers in the field.

“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,” Nelson said in a statement. “Sgt. Gibson followed his de-escalation training and protocol when assaulted.”