| 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.
# 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.
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.
Its worst then shooting a unarmed person in the back!!
What if the guy was just texting while driving and just fucked up?
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!
#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.
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.
“until a police officer turned off the patrol car camera”
They can turn them off????
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.
# 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.
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.”
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.