Tape Captures Philly Cops Beating Suspects

Up To 15 Officers Could Be Taken Off Street Following Incident, Mayor's Office Says

(CBS/AP)  More than a dozen police officers will be taken off the street as authorities investigate a video showing three suspects being kicked, punched and beaten after they were pulled out of a car during a traffic stop, the mayor's office said.

"At a glance it does appear to be a bit beyond the pale," said Doug Oliver, a spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter. "Officers are not allowed to operate outside of the law."

The police involved in the beating are being put on desk duty during the department's investigation, reports CBS News reporter Tara Mergener.

The police department believes about 15 officers were involved in Monday night's arrests in the city's Hunting Park section, where police had been investigating a triple shooting, Oliver said. Some have already been taken off the street, while others still need to be identified, he said.

The three suspects were charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment, according to court officials.

The video, shot by a WTXF-TV helicopter, shows three police cars stopping a car on the side of a road. About a dozen officers gather around the vehicle and pull three men out. About a half-dozen officers hold two of the men on the ground on the driver's side. Both are kicked repeatedly, while one is seen being punched; one also appears to be struck with a baton.

On the other side of the car, another group of officers can be seen kicking a third man who ends up on the ground.

Oliver said that, while the use of force appeared excessive, the public should withhold judgment until all the facts are known.

"We are not going to prejudge the situation based on the video," he said. "We all saw the video, but none of us was there."

Oliver initially said 15 officers had been taken off the street Wednesday. He later said about 15 officers were at the scene, but that the exact number identified and already off the street was unclear.

"One way or the other, everyone associated with this will be taken off the street," Oliver said. "The officers involved in this incident will be reassigned."

A message left with Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman, was not immediately returned Wednesday morning.

The confrontation occurred just two days after Philadelphia Police Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski was killed, reports CBS News Correspondent Randall Pinkston. The suspect, Eric Floyd, got away.

Liczbinski was shot with an assault rifle after a robbery in the city's Port Richmond section on Saturday. One man was fatally shot by police after the shooting, another was arrested Sunday and a third remains on the lam.

Police are not saying the three men were connected to the police officer's murder, but the killing, the third in two years, weighs heavily on the minds of every Philadelphia cop, Pinkston reports.

"There's no excuse for not concucting ourselves properly," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told CBS News. "There's a lot of stress, a lot of tension."

Defense attorney Scott Perrine is a former prosecutor who represents the three suspects in the car.

"There is a big disconnect between saying an officer was murdered and therefore we're going to proffer this explanation and the justification of a stressed out police, a police force that's emotional," Perrine told CBS News.

[cyberus-2009]

Ah yes .. the "officers are on edge" after a cop is shot .. a get out of jail free card ... for them.

[eveningjoe]

I guess you would have to ask yourself how you would feel if someone you knew was shot and killed for no good reason at all. Maybe it''s time for the police to take the law in their own hands. They arrest the bad guys and the judges just let them out of jail. And through the whole process, were paying for it.

[smilingez50]

when police officers behaves like criminals, they are criminals. for those police officers that follow the rules, great job and may God keep you safe and sane. God bless you.

[omnibus66]

Yes, the cops are out of control in this country, but then, they always have been. We are just now seeing it because of surveillance cameras and video cameras in the hands of citizens and journalists.

Whenever you give power to anyone, eventually they will abuse it, unless there are effective controls to prevent abuse. Too many cops consider civilians their "enemy", and too many cops took the job because they were attracted to the power trip.

Better screening of applicants, better training, and better pay would get us better cops.

[bozworth4]

I guess you would have to ask yourself how you would feel if someone you knew was shot and killed for no good reason at all. Maybe it''''s time for the police to take the law in their own hands. They arrest the bad guys and the judges just let them out of jail. And through the whole process, were paying for it.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by EveningJoe

I guess since the Court has decided about evidence and arrest, when the police beat down your door, kill beat someone in the house, because they need to " take the law into their own hands " your mood might change! Have had someone killed, (road rage) shot by an off duty gestapo cop over not using a turn signal.
I repeat the cops do this because they can!!! And your thinking will help further their cause. Welcome to the new King George II world order!

[nuke5001]

Number 1, yeah the cops were out of control somewhat, but did they kill the killers? No
Number 2, why does the news media only report the negative, never anything good. Oh yea except this week we get to watch the proms of the cast. Oh boy that is some great news that I just had to see. Give me a break, who really cares about their prom.
I do not remember seeing anything about the cop getting shot on the news, but when they do something such as this we will have to hear about it forever. Get over it!

[magoo2u1]

Yes, the cops are out of control in this country, but then, they always have been. We are just now seeing it because of surveillance cameras and video cameras in the hands of citizens and journalists.


SOOOOOOOO correct. The only person I knew personally that became a cop was a bully, liar , dope head. He was kicked off the force eventually but he cost the citizens of his county millions in a lawsuit brought on from his actions. They have been bullying America for 200 years and we only now have cameras to help us judge if they were justified. I don''t see any justification here. Then again, based on some comments, if your upset about anything you get a free pass on beating people. That will make the streets safer when we all start that as a policy.

[pfd572]

And what if the ''officers on edge'' took the law into their own hands and had the wrong person? Or shot an 98 year old woman to death in a barrage of bullets? Like Caesar''s wife, they must be held to the highest standard. If they can''t to the job legally and with control then maybe they are in the wrong job. hmmm??

[pfd572]

Take back the city like they did in NY? Oh, baby, that sounds great. I mean NYC certainly hasn''t had its share of out-of-control police officers.

[observer2020]

Very typical of Philly cops. And that kind of attitude spills over into NJ...they act the same way. I witnessed it myself.

[rowdytexan2]

I guess when you''re involved in a shooting, and when you''re surrounded and you won''t cooperate, get out and show yourself, and your weapons, you are going to get kicked to the ground until they find them or not.

Everyone evidently skipped the part where these individuals had just been witnessed at a shooting.

Or is it just more fun to rant against the cops?

Everybody talks about cops like they''re trash till they need one! Then you want them there as fast as they can get there to take a bullet for your arse.

[idnnsg]

RowdyTExan2 said, "I guess..."

That''s right, you''re GUESSING! You just made up that stuff about "you won''t cooperate, get out and show yourself, and your weapons". The article quoted the lawyer saying, "It [the videotape] clearly shows a lack of any reasonable investigation before these police yank these individuals out of the car and take turns delivering blows." But NOWHERE does the article say anything about the "suspects" failing to cooperate. Besides, what POSSIBLE justification could there be for "a half-dozen officers hold two of the men on the ground. Both are kicked repeatedly, while one is seen being punched; one also appears to be struck with a baton."

There is NO JUSTIFICATION, period!

Cops are supposed to apprehend suspected criminals. Cops don''t get to decide which "suspects" are guilty. Cops don''t get to administer punishment. And kicking and beating people is NOT a legal punishment, even if a trial and conviction had already occurred.

People who support this kind of abuse by cops are nazi sympathizers in training.

[battleroaron]

looked like a gang attack to me, are those cops or or gangbangers wearing blue????????? i thought that behavior got you arrested.it''s too bad America has turned into a policed society, using fear and intimidation as tactics.these suspects were surely treated innocent until found guilty.....

[marcpcbs]

Programs! Programs!

Get your programs here!

Can''t tell the cops from the criminals without a program.

Programs! Programs!

[ranger1948]

Here we go again jumping to conclusions about what happened. Everyone knows how much you can rely on what a reporter reports. Why can''t people be objective and wait till the facts come out and then form an opinion. If the cops have done something illegal it should come out and they should be prosecuted, but lets not try to hang them without a trial.What were the circumstances that these men were stopped for ? Lets get the real facts not what a reporter reports just to get attntion for a story.

[quetzalcrist]

Which is worse?
Thugs who commit crimes?
or
Thugs who (Supposedly)protect the public?

[love4all2]

You know this is not anything out of the ordinary. just like Rodney King they got caught on tape. this happens all the time. The city they are in is very dangerous more so than L A. and with an officer being killed a few days prior emotions are bound to run high. Granted what they did was wrong and they need to be held accountable but, living in a major city I can understand. Knowing a few police officer in the city here their life is on the line every single day.
they know they can be killed at any moment. And these kids in the car were supposedly just involved in a shooting.
this is my take on the situation. but until everything is out in the open we won''t know

[erasmus81]

"Cops are supposed to apprehend suspected criminals. Cops don''''t get to decide which "suspects" are guilty. Cops don''''t get to administer punishment. And kicking and beating people is NOT a legal punishment, even if a trial and conviction had already occurred."

Posted by IDNNSG at 09:24 AM : May 07, 2008

Exactly right.

I can understand how frustrating it must be for cops. They have to stand by and watch while these kinds of idiots get away with the things they do. BUT they do not have the right to take the law into their own hands.

What really gets me is how stupid the cops are becoming though. I mean, if you are going to do something like this, DON''T GET CAUGHT!

[usbrit-2009]

One thing I can tell from the video - every one of the cops needs to go on a diet!

[jn122736]

Number 1, yeah the cops were out of control somewhat, but did they kill the killers? No
Number 2, why does the news media only report the negative, never anything good. Oh yea except this week we get to watch the proms of the cast. Oh boy that is some great news that I just had to see. Give me a break, who really cares about their prom.
I do not remember seeing anything about the cop getting shot on the news, but when they do something such as this we will have to hear about it forever. Get over it!
Posted by nuke5001 at 08:50 AM : May 07, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

nuke5001, your first sentence nullifes your entire coment"

These people were/are ""suspects"", They have not even been charged as as ""killers""

[lochlan-2009]

I can count 16 cops, and a dog.

"The police involved in the beating are being put on desk duty during the department''s investigation"
-Are you kidding me? They blatantly broke the law and we are going to continue to pay these violent criminals.
THEY SHOULD BE IN JAIL!!!!!!!!!!

Philly, it''s getting close to riot time for you people. Atleast get ready to pay millions $$$ of your tax dollars on this case. The attorney is expecting atleast that.

"A court official said late Tuesday that the defendants had been charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangering."
-And the cops were charged with...?

[Syndicate]

They should have shot the cops in self defense.

[yomamasafro]

I think everyone here needs to remember that we are only seeing this incident after the cops pull these people out of the car. The media only shows you small snipets of a much longer incident that happened. Did the men in the car give chase? Did they not comply with request to stop and get out of the car? Were they spotted with weapons? I am not defending the cops actions, it seemed like excessive force to me, but I haven''t seen the whole scenerio of what lead up to that 30 seconds in time either. With Rodney King no one seems to remember that he had a rap sheet that was as long as he is tall. That he refused to pull over, had been involved in refusing arrest before and that he had a histoy of extreem violence while on PCP. The cops out here in LA have been immensly crooked and Rampart was eveidence of that. I just wonder how most of us would deal with putting our lives on the line everyday, knowing that the news won''t show the whole story of what lead up to the incident. Only the 30 or so seconds that grabs the watchers attention and gets them ratings...

[hypnotoad72]

Force is necessary to bring a non-complying suspect down. Now that video (at least on my monitor) makes it hard to discern when or if the suspects complied with the demand to desist all movement.

Perhaps there was ill will, excessive force, et cetera. I''ll let the jury decide. I was not at the scene, so I do not know the full list of events and probably never will.

And while this doesn''t always justify the cops'' point of view, most violent criminals won''t think twice before acting aggressive. Under some conditions, they might be inclined to put their own lives first. Yes, they are professionals and that should count too. But under the circumstances, blindly siding with these particular suspects is not a smart thing to do!

[hypnotoad72]

yomamasafro - thank you for posting. We need more posters like you and I to put in other viewpoints and otherwise rational thought instead of the, dare I say it, typical rabble-rousing responses that are said.

[yomamasafro]

Hypnotoad, I give congrats to you also on a non partial rational susinct response. This is an emotional issue but when you are talking about peoples lives, guns, media hype, and emotion all rolled into one, I think alot of us get lost and gloss over facts and learning the whole story.

[citizen1982]

Maybe these aren''t suspects but enemy combatants. If this is the case then the beatings are justified. Right?

[tbweb]

People who work with the public on a daily basis go through a lot of stress. I know a couple of people who drive Transit Buses and all they have is horror stories about how abusive the public is. One guy tells me thugs get on his bus and don''t pay and he doesn''t even challenge them, let them get on free for fear of his life! I don''t agree with the Police in this video beating these citizens "in public" like that, but its Philly, so I understand. The Police should beat their azzes behind closed doors if they really truly deserved it (and many do!!) and not in the public view. The Police salaries are too low for what they do, Police salaries should be doubled! Its easy to criticize the Police sitting safe on the sidelines, Police take a lot of abuse and deal with extreme stress. God bless them, Police are the last line of defense before the animals take over the zoo!

[jsmithcsa]

As others have said, it certainly doesn''t look good for a "professional police department" to conduct themselves in this manner. However, that said, let''s get the hearings done and see the results before we call the hangman on these officers (or the department as a whole).

[martin9p2]

If the cop-killer was not killed on the spot, he was treated humanely and properly. There are unwritten laws that one will be beaten to a pulp when cops catch a cop killer. Besides, the killer probably had weapons and behaved violently and had to be forceably subdued. Bravo, my friends in blue.

[citizen1982]

What happened to innocent until proven guilty? You guys need stay on your compound.

[bobnjersey]

at least they didn''t shoot the guys 40+ times ... they''re clearly showing restraint.

[speakinup]

"Maybe these aren''''t suspects but enemy combatants. If this is the case then the beatings are justified. Right? - Posted by Citizen1982


See what the far left has spawned. Krap like this.



Sure, 1982 - then again, maybe you aren''t a Citizen.

[waterandsand]

i love the fatty whos standing off the suspect gettin his cheap kicks at the dudes head. poor fat piggy didnt get his daily donut count in i guess

[sistatee-2009]

Any tapes of the triple-shooting? Probably not.

[quetzalcrist]

Sounds like Houston P.D.
Were these Thugs trained in Texas?

[martin9p2]

After a triple shooting, I''d say the officers were beating the suspects to smithereens to protect the citizenry and themselves from further violent crime, wouldn''t you? I''d say the officers were taking great personal risk by not shooting the killers and by allowing the killers to be taken to the station house.

Philly cops have a long history of this brand of thuggery as do most big city forces in the northeastern USA

[citizen1982]

For those who feel this type of behaviour by police officers is right....
Sie sind alle guten Deutsch.

[excoachken]

This is typical of a city, run by a thug and where cops, parking meter maids, and all other city employees have an ATTITUDE! W.C. Fields was a man ahead of his time, when he described Philadelphia!

[lochlan-2009]

"We need MORE police brutality, not less.

I''''m tired of the criminals'''' so called rights. They have the right to get beat dead.

Posted by diatreme"

Here''s to seeing you, a bloody pulp on the side of the road, after your speeding ticket, Nazi.

[tbweb]

For many years now without a break including this year Philly is averaging 2 murders a day! Every day at least 2 people on average are being gunned down, killed! On days when Philly gets a break and no one is killed, it seems like criminals are keeping score and make up for it on the weekend to get the murder average back up to 2! Actually its more like 2.5 murders a day in Philly, closer to 3! Something to consider before people start feeling sorry for criminals in Philly.

[dronemonk]

The video is reminiscent of the LA riots, when that trucker was drug out of his truck and beaten silly by a gang of thugs. The difference being: some of those thugs went to prison for what they did. These thugs in uniforms will, at worst, lose their jobs. Not their freedom. Can you say "proto-fascism"?

[navyjimfl]

just cops doing what cops do.....nothing new

[mexinvasion]

Dumb to run from cops. Even dumber to run from cops who are really mad about losing one of their own to a bank robber. The 3 dummies who ran gambled and lost.

[lochlan-2009]

Something to consider before people start feeling sorry for criminals in Philly.

Posted by tbweb

I don''t think anyone is feeling sorry for criminals. IF, these people were cop killers, (which nowhere does it say they were), then life in jail, even the death penalty is fine with me.

None of that changes the fact that, what these police officers did on this video makes them the criminal.

[neoconslayer]

tbweb: So, since there have been a lot of murders in Philly, cops can beat down anyone they encounter? You are the kind of person they were talking about when they said that people who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither.
martin9p2: excellent neocon reasoning: someone did something atrocious, so let''s go punish some people who vaguely sort of remind us of the people we think did it because the people who actually did it aren''t readily available for easy punishment. That is pure cowardice.

[sean5002]

###############################

This is insane! ,That is a police department without much leadership. You remove those badges and thats criminal thuggery .

This no question explains why cops are getting gun down. That Police department have thugs hiding behind badges. All these so call cops in the video needs to be fired and be charge with assault.

If this Chief doesn''t do that , then the community will continue not to trust the Police department.

And the citizens have every right to clinch their guns ... if they feel their civil rights will be threaten.. when some thug hiding behind a BADGE will assault them.

BTW.. Civil rights branches should be involve in this.
Who the heck is running that city?//////.

[consciousnes]

How many times have you been faced with a criminal with a gun pointing at you?
I an sure that this was NOT just a normal traffic stop. NO Police force in the nation would have that many officers involved with just a normal traffic violation. There must have been some other reason they were all called there.
Why was the news hilacopter there, there must have been severl calls about the stop to get the news people there to film it. There is no news in giving someone a ticket.
MEDIA should tell the WHOLE story, not just hype it for new value.

[usmcvn2]

DA*MN!!! What the bad guys do??? Steal the donuts??