2 Cops Fired Over Filmed Beating

A police officer has quit and two others were fired Tuesday after a patrol car dashboard camera caught them punching and kicking a handcuffed suspect.

West Palm Beach police released the video Monday, showing what happened to Pablo Gilberto Valenzuela, 42, on May 26. He suffered a broken jaw and bruised eyes, authorities said.

Kurt Graham, a new officer still on probation, resigned July 22.

City spokesman Chase Scott said the two other officers, Louis Schwartz and Jason Zangara, were dismissed Tuesday after an internal investigation.

He said the police department has "a zero tolerance policy for use of excessive force."

The president of the Palm Beach County Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, the union representing the officers, told CBS station WPEC in West Palm Beach that the officers didn't deserve to be fired.

"I don't think they should be fired," PBA President John Kazanjian told WPEC. "We'll take it to arbitration if we have to."

A telephone call to an L. Schwartz in West Palm Beach rang unanswered. No telephone listings could immediately be found for Zangara or Graham.

According to the city, Schwartz attempted to arrest Valenzuela for robbing a pharmacy of about 1,000 Oxycontin pills.

The officer was involved in an unrelated traffic stop in the pharmacy parking lot when a clerk ran out of the store and said they'd been robbed, he said.

He said Schwartz caught the masked suspect behind the store, where Valenzuela attempted to pepper-spray him.

Schwartz drew his gun and ordered Valenzuela to the ground.

The video shows Graham arrive and put a knee into Valenzuela's back as he was being handcuffed. The video then shows Graham punch and kick Valenzuela in the face. Schwartz is also seen on the video kicking Valenzuela.

Zangara, the third officer, then lifted a handcuffed Valenzuela to his feet. As the suspect pulls away from the officer, Zangara can be seen punching him several times in the face until the man collapsed.

Valenzuela was arrested on charges of robbery, assault and battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.

Graham and Schwartz insist they only kicked Valenzuela because the man was trying to bite Graham's leg. Zangara said he punched Valenzuela after he tried to spit on him.

Schwartz and Zangara had been on administrative leave since around the time of the incident.

[MendelPotok]

This is disgusting, just think of how many beatings aren't filmed. This is the tip of the iceberg of police brutality, who's watching the watchers?

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[ericv2644]

Those officers give a bad name to all the good officers out there trying to protect the public. It makes everyone''s job more difficult when the police can''t be trusted. These officers violated the law and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. the officers also falsified police reports alleging that the man had assaulted them when if fact they assaulted the man. This will probably affect his prosecution if the charges aren''t dropped altogether because of a bad arrest. great job criminal cops!

[patriot12436]

skyhawke761
All these bleeding hearts will cry like this until they become a victim of a criminal, then listen to them squeal like piglets for a cop to help them.

[patriot12436]

cepe10
And when are you up for parole again ?

[patriot12436]

gbdmd
The incident with rodney king did not film where he attacked the officers first after trying to allude capture for speeding.

[patriot12436]

patriot75
Police departments to day require mental screening as well as physical and aptitude tests. Many departments now require a bachelors degree, yet the pay is not commensurate with a degree graduate in other fields. Most officers answer the calling to be an officer out of a sense of pride and civic duty to help their communities. They sure do not take the job for the pay. I would like to know what you do.

[patriot12436]

mensarino
Rodney king was stopped for speeding, had to be chased, was high on pcp, thern he hit one officer and broke his jaw, then kicked another officer breaking his rib before he was beaten. I think it was too bad they didn''t shoot the piece of garbage.

[keithle1]

Imagine how many arrests are made by police in the USA in a year. How many make the news because of "police brutality"?

If you think you could do a better job & be a nice, sweet, gentle person when you''re surrounded by nothing by the dregs of society 24-7, then you go out & try it. Having to make split second life or death decisions. Sit in the back of a police car for a month or two & see what they go through to keep your butt safe.

I don''t have a problem with the police. But then I have never been arrested or spent time in jail/prison.

I''M FUNNY THAT WAY.

[swwils]

Quit,Fired how about arrested and convicted of assault and battery with bodily injury.Some of these police officers think they can do what ever moves them,and finally they are getting caught.I realize we must have a society of law officers to maintain rules of the nation.We also must have a police force that is not taser crazy,or butt kicking happy.I guess we need a police system to police the police a little bit better.

[stupidrules3]

For all of you who like to paint all the police with a broad brush, look up the story of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsome. This young couple was carjacked, raped, mutilated, and murdered. When the SWAT team had the last suspect cornered in an abandoned house, they were told that they weren''t expected to get this guy alive. They got together and decided that they needed to take the guy alive to prevent any innocents from being hurt and to prevent all the other suspects from blaming everything on the dead guy. The SWAT team members were the ones who found Channon Christian''s mutilated body bent double and stuffed in a trash can.
So many of you are willing to condemn all police officers for the actions of a few. I would encourage you to look at all the cases where the police do their job properly and get absolutely no recognition for it and then re-evaluate your harsh judgment of these people who are doing their best to protect you from the scum that would gladly do you harm.