Body camera video shows an Oklahoma City police officer forcefully taking down and handcuffing a 71-year-old driver after a traffic stop last month.
The driver was hospitalized with serious injuries, and the officer was placed on administrative leave, police said about the Oct. 27 stop.
Body camera video released by police shows an officer, whom police have not publicly identified, stopping a driver for an illegal U-turn after a minor accident.
“There was a use of force, and an elderly man sustained serious injuries that required hospitalization,” police said in a statement. “An investigation was immediately initiated, and the officer was placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
The incident will be presented to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office soon, as police are dedicated to transparency and accountability, the statement said.
A representative for Oklahoma City police declined additional comment Tuesday.
Thuan Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma, identified the driver Tuesday as Lich Vu, 71, and said he remains in the hospital with a skull fracture.
Relatives of Vu could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
The body camera video shows an officer speaking to the driver with the door open, telling him he is writing a ticket for an improper U-turn.
“I didn’t U-turn,” the driver says.
The officer asks the man to sign the citation, explaining it is not an admission of guilt but a contract that he’ll take care of the citation later, the video shows.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the driver says, adding that his car was hit by another driver.
