Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond dismissed a criminal charge against Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Joseph Gibson on Friday. The charge stemmed from an incident where Gibson slammed a 71-year-old man to the ground during a heated dispute over a traffic ticket, leaving the man with a broken neck.

Drummond stated: “As Attorney General, I will not permit Oklahoma police officers to face criminal prosecution for conduct adhering to their training … While the outcome of this incident is unquestionably devastating for Mr. Vu and his family, I do not believe the officer exhibited criminal intent.” He added that it is never acceptable for a member of the public to strike, push, or otherwise make unwanted physical contact with a police officer.

The police released body-camera and security surveillance footage that showed the incident between the two individuals. The footage revealed that Vu argued with Gibson over the circumstances of the traffic collision for which Gibson was issuing citations to all parties. Vu then tapped Gibson’s chest with the back of his hand, saying: “Shut up.” Gibson grabbed Vu’s wrists, forcefully slammed him to the ground, and handcuffed him.

Prosecutors said in Gibson’s affidavit of probable cause that Vu sustained a brain bleed, along with fractures to his neck and eye socket. They also determined that Gibson’s actions were an unreasonable use of force because Vu was a 71-year-old man in poor health while Gibson was young and in “robust health.”

Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicky Behenna filed the original charge against Gibson. In response to the dismissal of the charge on Friday, Behenna said that she was “surprised and disappointed that Attorney General Gentner Drummond took this case away from [her] office and the citizens of Oklahoma County.”

The incident also sparked outrage within Oklahoma City’s Vietnamese community. The video revealed Vu struggling to communicate with Gibson, seemingly unable to understand the officer’s instructions during the encounter. Drummond, however, emphasized that Vu should not have touched Gibson in the first place. Drummond stated: “No individual is allowed to hit or push an officer, regardless of whether he or she doesn’t understand English well or comes from a different culture. The simple truth is, this unfortunate incident never would have occurred if Mr. Vu had kept his hands to himself.”