Former OKC officer approved for disability pay after violent arrest incident

A former Oklahoma City police sergeant who was caught on camera forcefully arresting an elderly man has been approved to receive disability retirement pay.

Sergeant Joseph Gibson, who resigned from the Oklahoma City Police Department in March, was granted “in the line of duty” disability retirement by the Oklahoma City Police Pension and Retirement Board. The decision follows an incident from October 2024, when Gibson was captured on video throwing 71-year-old Lich Vu to the ground during an arrest. The encounter left Vu with a brain bleed.

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Gibson had served with the department for six years. According to pension rules, officers with less than 20 years of service are eligible to receive 50% of their final average salary upon approval for disability retirement.

The incident, which drew public scrutiny after video footage surfaced, contributed to Gibson’s resignation earlier this year. The pension board’s decision allows him to receive benefits despite the controversy surrounding his departure.