DU Bad Cop Beatdown of the Week

Published on May 20th, 2009

Birmingham police beating video

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 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.”

If the cops ever get wise to the fact they are being taped, we will being seeing much less of this. Of course it will still go on, we just won’t see it.

32 users responded in " DU Bad Cop Beatdown of the Week "

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# 1 Wildsolution said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:20 am

Of course they had to beat him, they left thier tazers in the cruiser. ;_P

# 2 SparkyOne said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:23 am

All too young or stupid to recall the words “Smile you’re on candid camera”.

# 3 O'Really said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:27 am

I usually agree that law enforcement officials are stepping outside the lines, but in this instance I can see the justification for attacking er..approaching the suspect that way.

He was attempting to elude capture, he nearly ran over a police officer while evading stop sticks, and put several innocent bystanders at risk. They [cops] had no idea that he was unconscious when he was ejecting from the van and only beat him for approx. 12 seconds until they realized the he was unconscious and not moving. Based on his previous behavior he could have continue to present a real danger.

Still no excuse for beating another person, but it’s not as bad as the article makes it out to be!

# 4 Little Timmy said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:30 am

“They [cops] had no idea that he was unconscious when he was ejecting from the van and only beat him for approx. 12 seconds until they realized the he was unconscious and not moving.”

Read The article, it says they stopped to turn off the camera. Who knows what happened next.

# 5 Miss_X2b said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:40 am

An ejection from a vehicle, like that one in the video, usually means the person is either dead or critically injured. Dopey cops.

# 6 Mac Guy said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:46 am

Who gives a shit? He nearly killed a cop, nearly killed other innocent bystanders.

He SHOULD get beaten for that.

# 7 Brian said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:48 am

probably retaliation for side-swiping their spike-laying buddy, but it’s no excuse.

cops shouldn’t be allowed to turn those cameras off

# 8 Barack McCain said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:58 am

They should have peed on him and then rolled the van back on top of him.

# 9 jamrat said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:58 am

Heh, caught by their own camera. They should be fired for rank stupidity.

# 10 Ah_Yea said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:58 am

I got three things out of this.

A) Don’t try to run over a cop.
B) Wear your seatbelt.
C) Know that cops are too stupid to turn off their OWN DASH CAMS before beating you senseless.

# 11 Dallas said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:58 am

#3, #6.. Your rationalization to justify what you see is equally amazing. As if law enforcement somehow is also privileged to “get even” as they see fit.

Sickening that people actually celebrate this type of behavior out of law enforcement.

# 12 Benjamin said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:59 am

No excuse to beat someone when they are unconscious.

This is a rare case where they actually fired the idiot cops. However, I hope the guy they beat still goes to jail. He could have killed someone.

# 13 jko said, on May 20th, 2009 at 9:40 am

He almost killed a cop and endangered who-knows-how-many people on the road. If anyone deserves a good beating, it’s that guy.

If more people took a beating for crap like this, maybe we’d see less of it happening.

# 14 killer duck said, on May 20th, 2009 at 10:13 am

McCullogh, if you watched some a-hole nearly kill Dvorak by running him over, and you caught up to him, what would you do? Give him a hug?

How many people did this “suspect” put at risk, innocent people who are not even cops, just riding on the road.

# 15 RTaylor said, on May 20th, 2009 at 10:25 am

Honestly, if I had been the guy that threw those spikes, I would have shot the son of a bitch. Things are tough on the streets. You don’t hire Saints as cops either.

# 16 jopa said, on May 20th, 2009 at 10:54 am

First of all, the police officers should have beaten this scum bag some more, and more brutally. The SOB almost killed a cop during the chase as can clearly be seen in the video. Of course, nothing should be done to the officers.

Second thing, at the end of the article, the loser Mayor of birmingham, Larry Langford says: “We put cameras in the cars for their protection,” he said of the officers. “These idiots were too stupid to know they would film them doing something wrong, too.”

This is corrupt politician, that is under investigation of the SEC:
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/12/birmingham_mayor_larry_langfor_15.html

I wish the police officers to live long and prosper and I hope the “mayor” will go to prison.

# 17 McCullough said, on May 20th, 2009 at 10:59 am

#14. It appeared the guy deserved a beat down. But that doesn’t mean they should actually do it. It’s a matter of law.

We used to have a thing called due process in this country. There was good reason for it. Cops cannot be allowed to administer punishment. They were fired for that reason.

# 18 jpfitz said, on May 20th, 2009 at 11:06 am

These guys are police officers not judge and jury to delve out any form of punishment “they” feel fit.

# 19 ECA said, on May 20th, 2009 at 11:30 am

“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.”
this happened over 1 year ago, and is NOW coming to court??

# 20 eyeofthetiger said, on May 20th, 2009 at 11:42 am

5 of those Officers were just fired. That roach probably will have his health bills paid and a ticket out of jail card punched.

# 21 O'Really said, on May 20th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

# 11 Dallas said, on May 20th, 2009 at 8:58 am

#3, #6.. Your rationalization to justify what you see is equally amazing. As if law enforcement somehow is also privileged to “get even” as they see fit.

Sickening that people actually celebrate this type of behavior out of law enforcement.

I in no way condone that behavior, but cops are people and people get bent out of shape when they’re almost run over by a fleeing criminal.

As far as rationalizing…well you’ve obviously rationalized what you’ve seen to feel the way you do. It’s human nature to contort what we see into our own sphere of knowledge. That’s why there are prejudices and biases which everyone is guilty of.

# 22 George said, on May 20th, 2009 at 12:59 pm

The officer trying to deploy the spike strips did get run over by the “suspect”. His leg ended up under that van. It was obvious he was trying to kill that officer.

# 23 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz said, on May 20th, 2009 at 1:12 pm

Its worst then shooting a unarmed person in the back!!

# 24 Sister Mary Hand Grenade of Quiet Reflection said, on May 20th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

What if the guy was just texting while driving and just fucked up?

# 25 Delta Dan said, on May 20th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

If they would just shoot these a-holes that start these car chases then they wouldn’t have to beat them.
A lot of you idiots need to become cops and show them how it’s done, IF you were men!

# 26 Li said, on May 20th, 2009 at 4:55 pm

#12 Haven’t you learned, Ben; there are always people who will make excuses for people in authority.

We’ve become a nation of pansy boot lickers.

# 27 Bushed said, on May 20th, 2009 at 5:01 pm

The best defense against abusive cops? An armed public.

Ever wonder why cops like restrictive gun laws? So they can abuse with impunity.

Remember an armed society is a polite society.

# 28 Nimby said, on May 20th, 2009 at 6:20 pm

“until a police officer turned off the patrol car camera”

They can turn them off????

# 29 N74JW said, on May 20th, 2009 at 6:20 pm

Many of the responses in this thread are down-right scary. This creep should spend a great deal of time in jail, right next to the moronic ex-cops that blatantly violated his civil rights.

# 30 noname said, on May 20th, 2009 at 7:23 pm

# 26 Li
“We’ve become a nation of pansy boot lickers.”

So true, welcome to the new Reagen/Bush America.

This tape so clearly demonstrates COPS don’t need any degree of resistance, talk back or danger to throw the first punch, kick …..

Cops are maladjusted animals first, then; they become tame, professionals and innocent people who are just trying to do a good job when before the Judge explaining the story.

It your word against theirs, unless there is a tape from a camera.

# 31 Uncle Patso said, on May 21st, 2009 at 2:08 am

RTFA. The guy pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 20 years. Even if he and/or his family wins a lawsuit, he’s not likely to see the light of day for at least 10 years. If he lives that long, he’ll be 50 years old and likely somewhat less of a troublemaker than previously.

Anyone who saw him fall 20 feet to the ground like a sack of potatoes and lie there unmoving should realize he was at least unconscious if not already dead. Are cops to be allowed to beat up on the people they kill as well?

I don’t think anything I could write would be as good as a local commenter on the Birmingham News website posted:

“I have a long family history of cops and they are very noble, caring people so not all law enforcement officers are this way but now the fingers will be pointed at all because of this. Guys, Great Job…now look what you’ve done. You’ve given your fellow officers (all of them) a bad name and you have put no telling how many millions of dollars in the criminal’s hands.”

# 32 Our friends said, on May 21st, 2009 at 6:07 am

The cops heard that one of their own was just run over by this thug and you want them to kiss his civil rights on the ass. They were chasing a TERRORIST. They deserve medals of courage and their jobs back.

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