Footage shows an Oklahoma police officer throwing a 70-year-old to the ground after a traffic ticket

OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma police officer does under research after recently released body camera footage shows him throwing a 70-year-old man to the ground during a dispute over a traffic ticket.

The Oklahoma City police said Lich Vu was hospitalized for “serious injuries” after the October 27 incident. Thuan Nguyen, president-elect of Oklahoma’s Vietnamese-American Community, told USA TODAY on Tuesday that he visited Vu in the hospital last week, and that he was on a feeding tube after suffering a brain hemorrhage and neck injury.

“In our community, we want to make sure that we see justice in the fact that these things don’t happen to someone else,” Nguyen said.

The police department said it is conducting an internal investigation and Officer Joseph Gibson is on administrative leave. The findings will be presented to the Oklahoma County Prosecutor’s Office once the investigation is complete.

“The Oklahoma City Police Department is committed to transparency and accountability,” the agency said in a statement statement. “We want our community to know that this matter is being thoroughly investigated and that the review process will take some time. We ask for your patience as we work to complete this investigation.”

The incident in the Oklahoma state capital has led to calls from community leaders for accountability as the country nears the end of what could be a record year for police killings, according to Police violence mapped out. Human rights advocates have done just that documented years of excessive police violence in the country, and data shows the US far surpasses other wealthy countries when it comes to law enforcement violence.

Newly released video sheds light on the October 27 incident

The Oklahoma City incident started with a minor vehicle collision involving Vu and another driver.

Body worn camera video The Friday release opens with Vu sitting in the driver’s seat of his parked car with the door open as Gibson stands in front of him in a sunny parking lot. The officer said Vu made an inappropriate turn and told him to sign a citation, noting it was not an admission of guilt.

The footage showed Vu telling the officer he would not sign the ticket. Vu got out of the car and gestured to the road as he appeared to explain the crash. A woman then appeared in the body camera video and stood next to Vu.

Gibson overhears Vu telling him that he will go to jail if he doesn’t sign the ticket.

“I’m ready to go to jail,” Vu replied as they stood in the parking lot.

“Are you ready to go to jail?” said Gibson. “Ridiculous. OK. That also means your car will be confiscated.”

Gibson stepped away to talk to the other motorist involved in the crash and gave her a ticket. When he returned to Vu, they continued to argue about the quote. Vu appeared to tap Gibson’s chest with the back of his hand.

“Shut up,” Vu said.

Gibson quickly grabbed Vu’s arm and twisted it before throwing him flat on the sidewalk as he said, “Get on the ground.”

Vu appears silent for the remainder of the video. The woman leans over next to Vu’s face and says, “I need the ambulance.”

Gibson responded, “Yes, I’m going to call an ambulance,” as he handcuffed Vu. The footage ends a few seconds later. Police said the handcuffs were removed after paramedics were called.

Oklahoma City police did not immediately return USA TODAY’s request for comment Tuesday.

Vietnamese American community leaders call for justice

Although Nguyen said the community experiences “implicit bias” in encounters with police, it usually does not escalate to the type of “violent outcome” that led to Vu’s hospitalization.

Nguyen said he and other Vietnamese American community leaders met with the Oklahoma City police chief on Thursday, and police released the body-worn camera footage the next day.

“We want to work with our officials,” Nguyen said.

In addition to possible biases, Nguyen said language barriers can hinder communication with law enforcement. Going forward, he said the community wants to hold police accountable for the incident, provide community training on how to interact with law enforcement and ensure people know their rights.

Report: Police use violence against 300,000 people per year

The organization Mapping Police Violence estimates that law enforcement officers in the US use force against at least 300,000 people each year, and approximately 30% are injured as a result. The group noted that the majority of people against whom officers use force are charged with non-violent crimes.

The group has been tracking police killings since 2013 The death toll reached a record high last year at 1,247 fatalities. According to Mapping Police Violence, most killings by officers started with traffic stops, mental health checks, disturbances, non-violent crimes or where no crime was alleged.

So far this year, the group said law enforcement has done just that 1,045 people killed throughout the country.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma police officer knocked 70-year-old to the ground after ticket