5 Birmingham cops fired after beating suspect
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5 Birmingham cops fired after beating suspect
Beating video...
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/05/...e_officer.html
20 min high speed car chase leading to the beating
http://videos.al.com/birmingham-news/2009/...ing_vide_1.html
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/05/...e_officer.html
20 min high speed car chase leading to the beating
http://videos.al.com/birmingham-news/2009/...ing_vide_1.html
Originally Posted by The Birmingham News
Five Birmingham police officers have been fired for a January 2008 beating of an already-unconscious suspect with fists, feet and a billy club, a battering caught on videotape until a police officer turned off the patrol car camera, city and police officials said today.
Authorities believe the video, [see the full 20-minute chase here] taken after a high-speed chase by several area law enforcement agencies ended when the fleeing suspect's van flipped, has been seen by numerous Birmingham officers and up to a half dozen supervisors over the past year. But top city and police officials weren't made aware of the taped beating until they were contacted by the district attorney's office two months ago.
In fact, investigators say, the suspect, Anthony Warren, didn't even know he'd been beaten until the tape surfaced at his trial in March. Warren was ejected from the vehicle and knocked unconscious, and thought all of his injuries were sustained in the wreck.
Police Chief A.C. Roper called the video "shameful." Mayor Larry Langford said it was "disgusting."
Roper said the video shamed the police department and the citizens served by the department, saying it was especially troubling because these were seasoned, veteran officers.
Roper hasn't identified the officers. Four of them worked in the department's Vice and Narcotics Unit; the fifth was a North Precinct patrolman.
The officers have the right to appeal to the Jefferson County Personnel Board.
"We've terminated over 50 years of combined service due to 10 seconds of injustice," Roper said in an interview with The Birmingham News. "We have five officers who lost their jobs and may face criminal charges, and a suspect who suffered unnecessarily."
Roper said there will be additional disciplinary action against supervisors who failed to report the incident to higher-ups. He has demanded the Internal Affairs Division track down every supervisor who saw the videotape, including those who have since retired. He said the department is reviewing its reporting mechanisms and policies.
Roper said the district attorney's office brought in the Alabama Bureau of Investigation to probe possible criminal charges against the officers involved in the incident.
The officers were notified of their termination about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"It's a sad day for the department and our 1,100 employees, but we will work through it," Roper said.
Authorities believe the video, [see the full 20-minute chase here] taken after a high-speed chase by several area law enforcement agencies ended when the fleeing suspect's van flipped, has been seen by numerous Birmingham officers and up to a half dozen supervisors over the past year. But top city and police officials weren't made aware of the taped beating until they were contacted by the district attorney's office two months ago.
In fact, investigators say, the suspect, Anthony Warren, didn't even know he'd been beaten until the tape surfaced at his trial in March. Warren was ejected from the vehicle and knocked unconscious, and thought all of his injuries were sustained in the wreck.
Police Chief A.C. Roper called the video "shameful." Mayor Larry Langford said it was "disgusting."
Roper said the video shamed the police department and the citizens served by the department, saying it was especially troubling because these were seasoned, veteran officers.
Roper hasn't identified the officers. Four of them worked in the department's Vice and Narcotics Unit; the fifth was a North Precinct patrolman.
The officers have the right to appeal to the Jefferson County Personnel Board.
"We've terminated over 50 years of combined service due to 10 seconds of injustice," Roper said in an interview with The Birmingham News. "We have five officers who lost their jobs and may face criminal charges, and a suspect who suffered unnecessarily."
Roper said there will be additional disciplinary action against supervisors who failed to report the incident to higher-ups. He has demanded the Internal Affairs Division track down every supervisor who saw the videotape, including those who have since retired. He said the department is reviewing its reporting mechanisms and policies.
Roper said the district attorney's office brought in the Alabama Bureau of Investigation to probe possible criminal charges against the officers involved in the incident.
The officers were notified of their termination about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"It's a sad day for the department and our 1,100 employees, but we will work through it," Roper said.
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I think the guy should have been beat!! Having said that the officers should have known better 
... then to beat him in front of the camera 
They should've waited till he was conscious before they lite into him.
... then to beat him in front of the camera They should've waited till he was conscious before they lite into him.
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From: Long Beach, CA
Originally Posted by magician,May 23 2009, 01:30 PM
The cops shouldn't have been fired.
They should have been charged and convicted.
They should have been charged and convicted.
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Cops had to get their anger out after an intensive and dangerous 20-minute chase. And the suspect assaulted a cop prior to the chase.
I'll just say this before the "blame the victim" conservatives say it: It's his fault for not wearing a seat belt. If he wasn't ejected, he wouldn't leave any room for the beating.
I'll just say this before the "blame the victim" conservatives say it: It's his fault for not wearing a seat belt. If he wasn't ejected, he wouldn't leave any room for the beating.
