Another "Rodney King" media circus?

[Dumbfounded]

AP
5 Ala. officers fired for beating caught on tape

Published - May 21 2009 12:21AM EDT


In this undated photo released by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Anthony Warren in seen. A video released by the sheriff's office shows...


Five Birmingham police officers were fired Wednesday for beating an unconscious suspect ejected from a car after a chase, an attack captured 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 hurt when the van swerved through traffic. It overturned on a ramp, ejecting Warren, who lay motionless as officers ran toward him. The video shows them beating him with their fists, feet and a billy club.

An attorney representing Warren in a civil case said he was hospitalized after the chase and didn't realize he'd been beaten until a prosecutor preparing for his trial requested the tape, saw the attack and told the defense about it.

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

The officers can appeal.

Wendy Crew, an attorney for Warren, filed a claim against the city in March, the first step before filing a lawsuit seeking damages. She said Wednesday the claim was over the "horrific" beating and an attempt to suppress the video of it.

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.

He said supervisors may face discipline, and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation will review possible criminal charges.

District Attorney Brandon Falls said Wednesday the tape of the beating surfaced unexpectedly as prosecutors were preparing to try Warren.





Will this story be kept quiet by the media or will it be another Rodney King three-ring media circus with a huge mult-million dollar lawsuit for this "victim?"

[Sock Puppet]

Let's see which gets more coverage?

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,5769393.story

Caught on camera: Robbers attack man in motorized wheelchair

By Sofia Santana | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
5:32 PM EDT, May 20, 2009

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY - Miami-Dade police are looking for two robbers who pulled a disabled man off his motorized wheelchair during a robbery and this afternoon released a surveillance video of the incident.

The victim, Celedono Carrera, 66, of Miami, was not seriously injured, police said.

The robbery happened about 1:30 p.m. on May 8, in a parking lot in the 2200 block of Northwest 54th Street, in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.

Detectives did not release a description of the robbers but said they appeared to be in their late teens.

no other description other than their late teens eh? why?

[Ms.Depew.to.you]

Why shouldn't it become a media circus? I hope everyone who knew about the tape gets their @$$ handed to them. They knowingly covered it up.

[Dougles]

Can you blame them? He ran over one cop and nearlly hit a whole lot of other people!

Or what about the two BLACK cops the nearlly kids the 14 year old 120 lbs boy for "resisting arrest"?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/...ef=videosearch

[300miles]

The driver should go to jail, and the cops should be fired.

It was a pretty stupid move by the cops, considering how long they'd been on the force. They should know the stunt they pulled is the kind of stupidity that let's criminals go free.

[Dumbfounded]

I do not blame the cops for beating this guy and I've been the recepient of police harassment and STILL think they "did the right thing" and I wish they BEAT HIM MORE.

CAN YOU BLAME THEM? This stupid animal almost KILLED innocents while fleeing like a maniac! I'm sorry the cops got caught and I'll be the FIRST to state that there are FAR MORE than a "few bad apples" among law enforcement but these guys should NOT HAVE BEEN FIRED.

Now this waste of flesh is going to sue and win MILLIONS because someone was STUPID enough NOT TO TOTALLY LOSE THE TAPE.

I heard that Detroit has outlawed high speed chases because they put far too many bystanders in danger (fatalities from past car chases). Other cities will probably follow suit.

By no means am I a brown-nosing cop kiss ass, but in THIS case, the police were MORE THAN JUSTIFIED IN THEIR ACTIONS.

[300miles]

in THIS case, the police were MORE THAN JUSTIFIED IN THEIR ACTIONS.

Nope, they weren't justified. The police are supposed to uphold the law. They are not judge and jury. They are not above the law. If you or I did what they did, we'd probably get sent to jail. They're lucky that they only got fired.

[Dumbfounded]

Nope, they weren't justified. The police are supposed to uphold the law. They are not judge and jury. They are not above the law. If you or I did what they did, we'd probably get sent to jail. They're lucky that they only got fired.

Nearly ALL of the time I think that cops' tempers are TOTALLY OUT-OF-CONTROL;WAY too many "loose cannons" with guns, badges and other toys they overuse and abuse.

Add to that the cops on roids and HGH and the job stress and the tempers of
these "professionals" becomes even MORE dangerous.

WHY I side with the cops in THIS case is that after a fifty mile chase ANYONE would have lost it.

I'm not trying to sit on both sides of the fence on this one.

I WISH cops were as professional as they and their brown-nose supporters brag they are.


There is also NO QUESTION that the psych screening process used by MOST police agencies is FLAWED and that there SHOULD be HONEST periodic psych (and physical) exams for all law enforcement but that's fantasyland.

Truth is, I like the idea of a REAL criminal getting a little justice whether its by the cops, a bunch of bystanders/Good samaratans or the all-too-rare vigilante hurting/killing a violent, convicted offender.

And to qualify my statements, I am not a "racialist" or "sadist."

When I read stories such as a pizza deliveryman shooting and killing a would-be armed mugger, I smile.