An elderly Oklahoma man suffering from cancer was seriously injured when a police officer forced him to the ground during a traffic stop.
Disturbing footage shows Lich Vu, 70, being violently thrown to the sidewalk during an argument with Officer Joseph Gibson of the Oklahoma City Police Department at the scene of the Oct. 27 collision. shared by department,
The footage begins with Wu sitting in the driver’s seat of his car while Gibson tells him he is writing a ticket for an improper U-turn.
“I didn’t do it,” Wu insisted.
After a few minutes the old man came out of the car and the argument between the two continued.
When Gibson warned Wu that he would go to jail if he did not sign the ticket, Wu said, “I’m ready to go to jail.”
“You ready to go to jail?” Gibson scoffed. “Ridiculous. Okay. This includes impounding your car, too.”
Gibson then spoke to the other driver involved in the collision, who was issued a ticket.
When Gibson returned to discuss the situation with Wu, the older man was striking Gibson in the chest with the back of his hand.
“You keep quiet,” Wu said.
The footage shows the officer yanking Wu’s arm and twisting it before pinning the man to the ground and handcuffing him.
The handcuffs were reportedly removed after paramedics were called, KWTV-9 reported.
Wu — who has bone cancer — had surgery to repair a brain hemorrhage, and was treated for a broken neck that required him to use a feeding tube to eat, his daughter told the outlet. told.
As of Monday, Wu was still conscious and out, News 4 has reported,
Wu’s family accused Gibson of using excessive force during the confrontation, leading the department to release a statement saying the matter was under investigation.
Gibson is on administrative leave while the investigation continues.
Vu’s injuries also sparked outrage among Oklahoma City’s Vietnamese community, News 4 said.
“I think it’s too much,” said Thuan Nguyen, president-elect of the Vietnamese American Communities of Oklahoma.
“You shouldn’t argue with the cop, but in some cases, I think we should give our side a chance to be heard before a citation is issued,” he said.
Nguyen said Vu could speak English, but there may have been a language barrier that led to a miscommunication between him and the police.
“Our Asian community feels an implicit bias,” he said.
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