Law Enforcement Collaborates With Vietnamese Community Following Use-Of-Force Incident

The Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma spent the day Tuesday meeting with local law enforcement agencies to discuss improving relations with minority communities, the organization told News 9 on Wednesday. 

The use-of-force incident occurred last October when an Oklahoma City police officer threw 71-year-old Lich Vu onto the ground, rendering him unconscious and leaving him with a brain bleed in the ICU after Vu made unwanted physical contact with the officer. 

RELATED: 71-Year-Old Man Hospitalized Following Police Incident

The incident resulted in Sgt. Joseph Gibson being charged with one count of aggravated assault and battery, which the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office later dropped. 

RELATED: Attorney General Drummond Dismisses Criminal Charge Against OKC Police Officer

Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma President Thuan Nguyen said Tuesday began in a meeting with the OKC Fraternal Order of Police. 

"The OKC FOP met with members of Mr. Vu’s family and leaders in the Vietnamese and Asian communities. We had a very productive conversation about policing and culture and how we interact. It was a good meeting, and we look forward to working together,” said Mark Nelson, President of OKC FOP. 

Nguyen agreed that the conversation was productive, adding that they discussed de-escalation training, cultural competency, and strategies for working with various minority communities. 

Sang Tran, an adviser with the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma said, “We just want to make sure that the community would support the Asian community, the black community, the Hispanic community equally, fairly, equitably and to reduce future potential discrimination." 

Following the meeting with OKC FOP, the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma had a luncheon with local law enforcement to begin rebuilding trust between the two. 

"What was great was being able to express that to our police chief, but at the end of that conversation, it's like, how do we move forward from here?" Nguyen wondered. 

Nguyen added that he hopes to have lunch with law enforcement officials every few months to continue the conversations. 

 Since the AG’s office dropped the charge against Officer Gibson, Vu retained a civil rights attorney nationally known, in part, for representing George Floyd’s family. 

 Vu’s attorney stated in a press release:  

Lich Vu’s family announced that civil rights attorney, Devon M. Jacob, who is known nationally for providing legal representation in some of the nation’s highest profile civil rights cases such as George Floyd and Tyreek Hill, will be representing Vu in an escalating legal battle resulting from a police incident that occurred on October 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. During that incident, Oklahoma City Police Sergeant Joseph D. Gibson slammed 71-year-old Vu to the ground, rendering him unconscious, and causing him to suffer serious injuries, including a broken neck, orbital fracture, and a brain bleed.   

“As a former police officer, I can state with certainty that the force used by Gibson against Vu was excessive, and therefore, unlawful,” said Jacob, who for over 20 years has both sued and defended law enforcement officers in police brutality cases. “The law permits police officers to use force that is objectively reasonable based on the totality of the circumstances,” explained Jacob. “When Mr. Vu lightly tapped Gibson one time on his chest with the back of his hand while telling him to be quiet, he did not present as a credible threat to Gibson,” said Jacob, “he presented as an elderly frail man, who had just been in a car accident, who spoke broken English, and who was upset and frustrated about receiving a traffic citation.”   

“When the state attorney general steps in to end a criminal prosecution of a police officer who both a seasoned prosecutor and the police officer’s own police department determined should be prosecuted, the public should be very concerned,” said Jacob. “The attorney general should be enforcing the law, not deciding it.” “Since the attorney general refuses to seek justice in accordance with his office’s stated mission and his legal ethical duty, I will,” commented Jacob, while noting that a federal civil rights lawsuit is forthcoming.