The Oklahoma City police officer who after a traffic stop has been charged with one count of aggravated assault and battery, the local district attorney announced Thursday.
Body camera footage from the Oct. 27, 2024 incident showed Sgt. Joseph Gibson stop Lich Vu, 71, for an illegal U-turn after a minor incident.
In the footage, Vu denied making U-turn, said his car was hit by another person and the officer asked him to sign the citation. Vu eventually got out of the car and the two got into a verbal argument that escalated.
Security video footage from a nearby business showed that Vu appeared to touch the officer’s arm and Gibson immediately grabbed Vu’s hand, pulled it behind his back and threw him onto the floor. The interaction happened within seconds and footage showed Vu hit the pavement headfirst.
Vu was hospitalized with significant injuries including an orbital fracture, neck fracture and brain bleed.
District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna said in a statement that her office takes “all use-of-force incidents very seriously” and “in this particular case determined the Officer’s actions were an unreasonable use-of-force.”
Under state law, an assault and battery is considered aggravated when great bodily injury is inflicted and when it’s committed by “a person of robust health or strength upon one who is aged, decrepit, or incapacitated.”
Oklahoma City police declined to comment Friday on the charge, but said Gibson remains on administrative leave.
If convicted by a jury, the range of punishment for aggravated assault and battery is zero to five years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections or zero to one year in the Oklahoma County Detention Center and/or a fine of up to $500.
The incident sparked outrage among the Vietnamese community.
“I feel like this is the due process of justice in its best form,” Thuan Nguyen, the President-Elect for the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma, told NBC affiliate , on the officer charge.
Nguyen said that he’s stayed in touch with the Vu family and he is now at home, but is still recovering.
“Still in a lot of state of confusion,” Nguyen said. “I do know that he may not be able to walk again.”
The Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police said Thursday it stands in support of Gibson, who they allege “handled this call for service with professionalism.”
“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. Sgt. Gibson followed his de-escalation training and protocol when assaulted,” President Mark Nelson said in a . “We recognize the injuries that Mr. Vu sustained, and we are sympathetic to him and his family. However, we believe strongly that every detail of this incident matters and needs to be considered.”
“We are deeply concerned about the impact this charging decision will have on the ability of officers to rely on their training and professional judgment to preserve order and protect the public,” the statement concluded.
