TEMPE, Ariz. (KPNX/NBC News) – Newly released body camera footage shows Tempe, Arizona police officers using a Taser on a domestic violence suspect while he holds his one-year-old child.
The body cam video posted to YouTube does not come from Tempe Police directly, but the department confirmed the incident through a statement.
According to police, on June 15, police responded to a call for a domestic violence incident involving Ivaughn Oakry.
Oakry became verbally combative with officers inside the home, according to police.
“During this time, Oakry committed endangerment by picking up his one-year-old child who walked up to him and refused to put the child down,” Tempe PD says in a statement.
Officers are heard on the video asking Oakry to put down his child before they used the Taser on him. When officers deployed their Tasers, Oakry and the child fell onto a pile of clothing.
“The child was not injured and there was no evidence of the child being struck with the taser probes,” the statement from Tempe PD says.
Oakry was charged with one count of domestic violence endangerment for holding the child and one count of domestic violence assault on the mother of the children.
Attorney Heather Hamel is representing the family. She says the family wants the officers to be fired. She also says the charges filed against Oakry were dismissed.
Tempe PD says after reviewing the incident they have assigned mandatory re-training in contact communication; defensive tactics; and enhanced de-escalation techniques to all officers involved in the situation.
The review by the department determined there was no use of force violations that were committed during this incident, according to their statement.
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