5 police officers fired for beating unconscious chase victim (the video...OMG)

[Liberal_in_LA]

The car rolls and guy is tossed from the vehicle. His clearly unconscious body has barely stopped rolling and the cops
begin beating him. And almost all the arriving cops get their licks in. OMG. :wtf:

Video here:

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/05/birmingham_police_beating_vide.html



Story here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hf2W6z_dNifY1dTDfKRu29ZgyeigD98A5RT80

5 Ala. officers fired for beating caught on tape
1 hour ago

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Five Birmingham police officers were fired Wednesday for beating an apparently unconscious suspect after a roadway chase, an attack caught on a patrol car videotape that didn't surface publicly for a year.

Police Chief A.C. Roper said the officers, who were not identified, were seasoned veterans but acted in a "shameful" manner.

The video shows police pursuing Anthony Warren's van on Jan. 23, 2008. One officer on foot was injured when the van swerved through traffic. The van overturned on a ramp, ejecting Warren, who lay motionless as officers ran toward him. The video shows them beating him with fists, feet and a billy club.

Roper said the department had "terminated 50 years of combined service due to 10 seconds of injustice."

The officers can appeal.

Authorities believe numerous Birmingham officers and as many as a half-dozen supervisors saw the video over the past year, but none reported it.

"In addition to these terminations, we're also reviewing our supervisor's actions, reporting mechanisms and policies," Roper said.

[lisa58]

1. I can't watch it - sounds horrible enough - glad they got fired.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. Beating is brief. They pile out of cars and get their licks in pretty fast... but still horrific.

[YOY]

5. It's not Rodney King but it is totally unnecessary and disgusting.

The guy is obviously unconscious and perhaps in need of medical treatment.

[DS1]

3. DWB

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. Lying unconscious while black

[GaYellowDawg]

11. No - it was a little more than that.

At the beginning of the video you see the guy running over a cop's foot, and he was clearly aiming for the cop. Before you even say it, this does not justify the beating in any shape, fashion, or form, and the cops involved should not only be fired, but be convicted of assault and obstruction of justice. But the guy was no innocent.

[Oregone]

38. You don't know he was aiming at the cop from the video

You really can't see much. I can't possibly fathom what the hell caused that entire situation, but Im not about to watch that an assume I know what this idiot was doing. I wonder if he even knew. Maybe there is something I am missing here

[MrCoffee]

56. The hell you don't...asshole swerved to hit the cop.

You can see it clearly if you're eyes are open.

[Oregone]

58. It almost looks like there is something in the lane he went around

a strip of spikes in front of the black car? A little black strip comes off the road a bit I think as the passenger side tire hits it. Maybe thats just a crack filling but it looks like he went straight to the lane without them in it, and stayed in it for at least 50 yards.

I don't know. I haven't seen that claim anywhere though from anyone. Ive watched it quite a few times. I really cannot say he swerved to hit a cop (or not) beyond a doubt.

[Rebubula]

19. Nevermind...

...that he almost killed a cop during the chase as seen early in the video.

I am glad that these guys got fired, but this is much more than a DWB issue...but I agree wholeheartedly that it happens all the time.

[DS1]

29. Ah, I couldn't find the video link, so I missed that

I was simply wondering why he was pulled in the first place and the chase was initiated

[redqueen]

6. Wow... it's not often that we see anything besides 'suspended with pay'.

Glad to read they're looking at the supervisor's actions too.

Are people finally getting sick of abuse of power, and the coverups of the same?

[atreides1]

12. Bet they'll get their jobs back

It says they can appeal the decision, and the police officer's union will be backing them all the way. One question, did the department fire them in accordance with regulations?

Here in DC, MPD had to rehire several officers who were fired for various reasons because the department failed to terminate their employment within departmental guidelines.

[superduperfarleft]

7. "Authorities believe numerous ... officers and as many as a half-dozen supervisors saw the video"

"but none reported it."

What a shocker. :sarcasm:

I wonder how many of those "numerous" officers are those "good" cops that the police-worshipers on DU like to tell everyone about, the ones that look the other way when their co-workers are acting like scumbags.

And rest assured, if a private citizen were accused of assault, it wouldn't take a year for them to "fired" (they probably would've been locked up long before then), much less take a year to make sure they weren't walking around with a gun bullying people in that time.

[Mythsaje]

8. Ah, c'mon now... Just a few bad apples.

Nothing to see here. Seriously.

The police apologists here make me crazy. YES, I know there are good cops out there. I've met a few. I've talked to others on the policeone messageboard. But the FIRST thing any of them should do is go after things like this. Protecting their own when they step over the line doesn't help anyone, and just increases public suspicion of the police.

[Quantess]

21. So how did they think they would get away with it?

I suppose they were planning to blame all his injuries on the car accident?

The accident looked bad enough. I'm sure he was probably badly injured from the accident. That's pretty sick to beat up a guy who was ejected from an overturned car, no matter what he was wanted for.

[Echo In Light]

23. Brute sadism overrides upholding the law

[LostInAnomie]

30. They probably weren't thinking.

They were reacting out of anger. Afterall, the guy had just ran down another officer just seconds before.

[Quantess]

33. I can understand they were justifiably angered by that.

Still, if they felt vengeful, they could have just cheered to see him in a bad car crash, lying on the ground.

But I'm wondering why nobody thought to report it afterward.

[superduperfarleft]

52. If they can't control themselves...

They need to either find themselves a new line of work, up their meds, or be in prison. Or maybe all three.

[lpbk2713]

9. "To serve and protect."

Riiiight.

:eyes:

[Echo In Light]

27. Scroll down to "To Protect And To Serve"

"Pigs, and pig like attitudes"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5688300#5688432

[randr]

10. Clearly out of control cops

The adrenalin rush of a high speed chase is no excuse. These men are trained officers and have a responsibility to control their actions in any situation.

[GaYellowDawg]

17. Yep - looks like they saw this guy run over a cop's foot and lost it.

Still no excuse. At all.

[Mojo_electro]

13. I saw that video just now,,..

Prosecution for these out of control thugs is the only correct course of action in this case, IMHO.

Mojo

[Catherine Vincent]

14. Before I read the story, let me guess...the perp is black?

Figures.

[Rebubula]

22. Why?

I am pretty sure the cops would have laid a beat down to anyone that almost killed one of their own in the chase. You did watch the video, right?

That said, DWB is a real problem in this country...or I should say that cops pulling over people just for being black is a problem.

[LostInAnomie]

25. You'll notice that almost no one has mentioned that in this thread.

I'd have a hard time controlling myself too if someone had purposely just ran over one of my own with a van.

[Fire1]

26. I didn't even have to read it to know that. I saw the state and

it was an automatic assumption proved correct.

[QC]

66. Good thing that police brutality never happens in places like New York and California. n/t

[Fire1]

77. I didn't imply otherwise.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. It appears one of the cops pointed to the dash cam and then ran to turn it off

Soon after he leaves the frame the picture turns to snow.

[GaYellowDawg]

18. Yep - that's pretty clear obstruction of justice, isn't it?

Sure looked like it to me.

[frog92969]

16. Release their names to the public

Just in case our "justice" system wants to "look forward".

[LostInAnomie]

20. I don't have too much pity for that piece of shit.

He's almost killed a police officer just seconds before.

[GaYellowDawg]

24. I get you - but even so, he shouldn't have been beaten like that.

And I also think the officers ought to be prosecuted regardless.

[LostInAnomie]

28. Legally he may have not deserved it...

... but karmically he deserved every bit of it.

[armyowalgreens]

31. Eh I'm not one for Karma.

My first reaction was...wow that motherfucker deserves whatever he gets.

But then I watched him getting beaten as he was unconscious. And there is clearly something morally wrong with that. Revenge is really something that should never be acted upon. It never helps anyone. Beating an unconscious man isn't going to get anything good accomplished.

Plus it makes me question the professionalism of those officers in other situations. How many times have they done something like that before? At what point do they lose their cool?

[LostInAnomie]

32. That's asking a lot of a human being.

Not only is you adrenaline rushing from a high speed/high risk chase where not only are you but the public at large is at risk, but also seconds before you have just witnessed this person intentionally running over a fellow officer. How long does it take for a person to become fully in control of their mental faculties after something like that? 5 minutes? 2 minutes? 1 minute? The less than 30 seconds that took place between the running down and the wreck?

Like I said in the previous post. Legally, the guy shouldn't have been beaten. But, that doesn't mean he didn't deserve it.

[Fire1]

36. I think running over his FOOT and running over HIM deserves

some distinction. Those 5 pos over reacted and are devoid of morals. Good riddance to bad rubbish.:thumbsdown:

[LostInAnomie]

39. Right, because they had time to discern the difference.

The guy only ran over his foot because the police officer was scrambling to get out of the way. If he had a slower reaction time he would have been crushed under the van.

[Fire1]

42. After bringing myself to read this shit, I find that the officer

who was 'struck' by the van was ON FOOT and 'injured.' Must not have been too bad of an injury. They didn't even bother to ellaborate on the officer's so called injury or condition. They still deserved to be fired and again, good riddance to bad rubbish.

[LostInAnomie]

45. Watch the video.

It's only about 10 seconds in. Watch the police officer being struck and how fast the action happens afterwards and then honestly tell me that the other officers would have had time to be fully appraised of the struck officer's condition.

Have a speeding van run over your foot and see how "so called" your injury is.

[Fire1]

49. Happened to my husband and a friend of mine as a KID. No

big deal. So, yes, it's a 'so called' injury not melo-drama.

[LostInAnomie]

59. Right...

[superduperfarleft]

53. As I said before, if they can't handle it, they need to find a new line of work. n/t

[armyowalgreens]

54. Multiple officers beat him at once... You are telling me that's all from adrenaline?

I honestly don't buy that for a second. I could understand if one or maybe even two jumped out and kicked him or something like that. But 5 officers got out and joined together to beat an unconscious person. That isn't a result of adrenaline.

The point is that officers are suppose to be able to control themselves. It takes a certain kind of personality to be an officer, and those officers clearly don't have it. Neither do I. Which is why I will never be a police officer. If they can't keep themselves under control in extreme circumstances like that, then they don't need to be officers.

[Raineyb]

73. Then hopefully they'll find a new line of work.

If these assholes can't refrain an unconscious man because they're jacked up on adrenaline then they're obviously in the wrong profession.

[Liberal_in_LA]

35. Crime victims don't get the option of 'taking the law into their own hands'. We have to let the

justice system work. Why do cops get a pass? Why are they allowed to hand out immediate justice?

[LostInAnomie]

41. Who said cops get a pass?

These police lost their careers for what was probably a moment of uncontrollable emotions and bad judgment. Legally, what they did was wrong. What is legal and what is just doesn't necessarily coincide though.

We DUers like to imagine that police work takes place in some kind of ivory tower where emotions and incredible pressures never come into play. These police officers had just witnessed a fellow officer being ran over not 30 seconds beforehand. It's east to say "well, they should have done this or that", or to call them names. But, we don't honestly know because we are not in that situation.

[Quantess]

37. Karmically, he got ejected from the vehicle in a car accident.

Too bad the officers weren't satisfied with that spontaneous karmic payback. They wouldn't be in trouble right now if they had.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

48. So what karmic retribution do the pigs deserve?

[LostInAnomie]

50. I don't know. What would be the correct karmic retribution...

... for the people who protect our community having an emotional over-reaction to witnessing one of their own being ran down with a van?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

51. Maybe getting run over the van would be preemptive karmic retribution.

If the pig got run over with the van would that be karmic retribution?

Would running over him with a van be protecting the community?

[LostInAnomie]

57. What exactly did the cop that was ran over do wrong again?

Besides simply being a "pig" that is?

[cherokeeprogressive]

68. Screw karma. What a stupid notion. They should be subject to the letter of the law.

If a civilian would be held for prosecution for such an act, so should a cop. Plain and simple.

They should be treated in exactly the same way a civilian or group of civilians would be treated if they beat the shit out of an unconcious individual, and had it caught by a camera lens.

You defend the cops with the excuse that they were overcome by adrenaline. The beating lasted only TEN SECONDS. Then, suddenly, they all just stood up. They weren't overcome by adrenaline, they were MAD.

If a civilian would get jail time for such actions, then the cops should be held to the exact same standard. No if's, and's, or but's.

[armyowalgreens]

60. Let's refrain from childish name calling shall we?

Pigs? That's inappropriate.

I'm not forsaking these officers for the rest of their lives. I just don't think they should be police officers.

[Ignis]

61. Just like Rodney King deserved his beating? (nt)

[LostInAnomie]

62. Did King intentionally run a police officer over with his car?

[Ignis]

63. So that's all it takes to "deserve" police brutality?

Sick. Very, very sick.

[RetroLounge]

70. Are we a nation of karma or laws?

:eyes:

RL

[L0oniX]

34. Police brutality ...the fun part of law enforcement.

[bamacrat]

40. Alot of people around here are trying to defend them.

Saying that they are under alot of stress and it was a heat of the moment type thing, bullshit. Train them better, dont just let any hillbilly be a cop. The guy was passed out defensless, no honor, shitty cops and reaffirms my disgust with police. They are corrupt and most do it for the power trip. Fuck them.

[Ex Lurker]

43. I'm not trying to defend them. They went way overboard. I iwll note, however, that

the headline is very misleading.

[LostInAnomie]

46. I don't think fairness was the intention...

... of the thread title.

[proteus_lives]

72. I see both sides of the issue.

I get why they reacted the way they did. But I don't approve because we need higher reactions from the police. The guy would already been going to prison for a long time because trying to kill the cop. Now he has a excuse for his douchebaggery, I hope he doesn't get off.


That being said, it's amazing the way some DU'ers treat cops. They treat the same way Freepers treat them/minorities. Astonishing, one of the groups you can be bigoted against on this site.

[Fire1]

44. Power is all there is to that job. I agree it's thankless but

neither does it pay enough to put you life on the line everyday. That should shed some light on the general mentality.

[Duer 157099]

47. Why am I reminded of that early scene in 2001?

I mean, 2001: A Space Odyssey of course.

[nilram]

55. 50 years of combined service

Wow. I think there's a LOT of video tape that need re-reviewing...

[cboy4]

64. And how many times every day throughout America does this

occur when there doesn't happen to be a dash cam picking up the abuse?

Sad to imagine.

[Amaya]

65. cops are just fucking scary

my husband was born and raised in Germany is afraid of the cops here.
these assholes should be jailed.

[Juche]

67. He ran over a cops leg

That doesn't justify it, but cops get violent if you attack one of them.

This is why we need a nation full of police camcorders and civilians with camera phones, so things like this are caught when they happen.

[arcadian]

69. Send in the police agologists.

Oh wait. They're already heeeeeeere...

[proteus_lives]

71. I'm glad they were fired.

They shouldn't be wearing badges.

[Froward69]

74. WE should produce a TV show

Instead of "cops" or "worlds wildest police chases" it should be "worlds most brutal police abuse."
this one...
the Texan in Utah,
rodney king,
etc etc etc.

[Generic Brad]

75. "Chase victim"?

Shouldn't that be "captured victim"?

[derby378]

76. Every cop who beat that suspect deserves to face charges

Getting fired isn't enough. These men were charged with upholding the law and serving their community. Prosecute 'em.