Video footage showing an Arizona man getting hit with a Taser by police as he is holding a young child has sparked calls for the officers involved to be fired.
The police chief in Tempe, Arizona, on Tuesday defended the officers' actions, saying they were responding to a domestic violence call and that the man put his family in harm's way.
The June 15 incident was captured on police body-camera footage that was posted to YouTube Monday.
The video shows that when police arrived at the family's home, the man, Ivaughn Oakry, 31, opened the door without a child in his arms.
Police said in a statement Tuesdaythat Oakry "became verbally combative with officers."
The confrontation continued inside the apartment where children can be heard screaming in the background. Oakry picks up a child, a 1-year-old according to police, who walked up to him.
"You need to drop the kid. I don't want your baby to get hurt," an officer can be heard saying to Oakry.
When another officer tries to grab Oakry’s arm, he yells, “Don’t touch me."
Oakry continues to hold the child and to demand repeatedly that the officers leave before he is hit with a Taser. Multiple pops can be heard on the video.
Oakry then fell onto a pile of bags filled with clothing while still holding the child, police said. He continued to resist but was eventually taken into custody, police said.
Oakry was taken to the Tempe's city jail and charged with child endangerment and assault. All of the charges were dismissed by the city prosecutor’s office, Oakry's attorney, Heather Hamel, told NBC News Wednesday.
Hamel says her client acted within his constitutional rights.
"Mr. Oakry’s actions arose in the context of police officers illegally and unconstitutionally entering his home without a warrant or his consent," Hamel said. "Their actions were noncompliant with the Constitution."
Black Lives Matter activists on Tuesday called for the firing of the officers involved in the incident.
Oakry was "affected by the Taser," police said, but the child was uninjured and there was no evidence of the child being struck with the Taser probes.
Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir said Tuesday, "I'd ask people to ... examine the choices this man made with his children."
Police said in a statement that an administrative review found that the officers had not violated the department's use-of-force policy. However, the officers were given mandatory retraining in contact communication, defensive tactics and enhanced de-escalation techniques, the statement said.
"The Tempe Police Department recognizes that training for every encounter is challenging; however, we will continue to evaluate and improve tactics, communication, and de-escalation techniques to achieve the highest standards," the statement said.
