ATLANTA — An Atlanta police officer has been indicted in connection to an incident in 2019, where he is accused of breaking a man's ankle.
Officer Donald Vickers was charged on April 5, 2019, with aggravated assault battery and violation of oath by a public officer, the indictment shows.
Vickers' indictment was filed Tuesday in the Fulton County Superior Court. The indictment stems from an incident that 11Alive previously covered in an investigation.
Vickers is accused of using unnecessary force when he tackled Tyler Griffin during a traffic stop in April 2019. As a result, Griffin's left ankle was broken. The newly-released indictment states Griffin's ankle was deemed "useless."
The officer's bodycam video of the incident shows Vickers and another officer approaching Griffin during the traffic stop. They suspected Griffin was drinking and driving at the time. In the bodycam video, you can hear the officers telling Griffin to get out of the car. He complied and he's seen briefly brushing an officer's hand away. Vickers is seen running and tackling Griffin to the ground in response.
Griffin then tries to stand up and walk but isn't able to. Bodycam video shows Vickers mocking his injured ankle as Griffin screams in pain.
"Come on man, you're such a little girl right now," Vickers can be heard saying in the video.
Griffin previously told 11Alive that he didn't understand why the police tackled him. He said he had never been in trouble with officers before.
Griffin's attorneys filed a lawsuit more than a year later on June 15, 2020. Documents obtained by 11Alive show that his lawsuit is still pending.
Records from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council show Vickers, who's been with APD since 2006, remained actively employed up to the indictment.
In a statement, APD said after learning of his indictment, "the Department relieved Ofc. Vickers of duty and he will remain in that status pending an emergency hearing with the Chief of Police."