Four Philly Cops Fired Over Videotaped Arrest

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Four Philly Cops Fired Over Videotaped Arrest

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Police Chief Charles Ramsey, second from right, speaks during a news conference on Monday May 19, 2008, at police headquarters in Philadelphia after announcing four officers will be fired and four others disciplined for their roles in arrests. (AP)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia’s police commissioner said Monday that four officers will be fired and four others disciplined for their roles in the beatings of three shooting suspects, an encounter that was captured on videotape and drew widespread outrage.

Another eight officers who had physical contact with the suspects will undergo additional training on the department’s policies concerning the use of force, Commissioner Charles Ramsey said. He said the police department made the disciplinary decisions after reviewing frames from enhanced tape of a video shot by a television news helicopter on May 5.

The video, shot by WTXF-TV, shows the suspects being pulled from their car on the side of the road and groups of officers kicking, punching and beating the men. A total of 19 officers — 18 city police and one transit officer — were involved.

Two of the officers being fired are relatively new to the force and can be terminated immediately, Ramsey said. Two others are being suspended without pay for 30 days with intent to dismiss.

Three other officers are being suspended and one sergeant is being demoted. A criminal investigation is continuing.

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Police said they had been pursuing the car in connection with a triple shooting. The three men — Brian Hall, 23, Pete Hopkins, 19, and Dwayne Dyches, 24, all of Philadelphia — have been charged with attempted murder and related counts stemming from the shooting. Their attorneys have said they had nothing to do with it.

One of Dyches’ attorneys said he suffered a welt on his head the size of a baseball and that one of his legs was seriously injured.

All three of the shooting suspects are black. Ramsey has denied allegations that the beatings were racially motivated and said at least one officer involved is black.

The beating occurred at the same time police were conducting an intense manhunt for a suspect in the slaying two days earlier of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, but Ramsey said Monday that there was no indication that any of the officers thought the suspect was among the three men in the car.

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PPitts

about 1 month ago

72 comments

Agreed julz! When law enforcement officer stoop down to that level the only difference between them and street thugs or gangbangers is that they are wearing uniforms!
julz

about 1 month ago

275 comments

I'm sorry but when you act as the people you are aprehending, you are no better. You need to show yourself as the better person and one with higher standards. A person to be respected, trusted, reliable, and above all no matter what one that shows compassion.
PPitts

about 1 month ago

72 comments

There is nothing you could say to change my mind because you are WRONG and can't admit it. Once you have put 14 full time years on the street like I have then maybe your opinion will be worth something. Yes, I am a reserve deputy still with the department and probably do more in the 16 hours a month required to work than you do full time in an entire month. And yes I teach full time now training officers not to be like you. The point that you don't blame those guys for what they did shows just how much you DON'T KNOW!!!! Just at first glance of the video (if you knew anything), I could pick out at least 10 officer safety issue violations, not to mention probably another half dozen policy violations, and this dosen't even include the excessive force issue. And Mr. Poop_Clown, I will leave it at this......Just typing this response to you......I have forgotten more about law enforcement in this two minutes than you will ever know! Stay Safe if possible!
Poop_Clown

about 1 month ago

173 comments

Well PPitts, you showed your true personality. I was just trying to change your mind, and you decided on a personal attack. If a message board makes you that upset, God only know what you act like on the street. If you want to engage, I will meet you in Fight Club. Also, is a Reserve Officer in your department a real cop? Just wondering. The point I was trying to make was that I don't blame those guys for what they did. If they were just beating up punks at random, that would be a problem. But with the totality of the circumstances--who cares! Their only mistake was not seeing that helicopter On second thought, never mind Fight Club; There is nothing I can learn from you. If you worked Full-time for a large department you would probably be the Chief's driver. The following year you would be a Lt. in IAD. Don't respond. I'm thinking I don't need to correspond with you any longer. LOL! and it must be the PPitts being you....................................................
PPitts

about 1 month ago

72 comments

LOL Poop_Clown....by the way...the name is appropriate for you! According to your profile I see you've been doing this for a WHOLE TWO YEARS! WOW! Typical rookie attitude. God forbid you ever do something as stupid as those Philly cops did and they call me as an expert to come and testify against you....can you say goodbye to that long 2 year career. When you dry out behind the ears some more or maybe get a little more gray matter between them, maybe you will be worth listening to. But for now......your arrogance and ignorance speaks volumes. I've seen too many of your kind come and go in this profession and I'm still here. You will be lucky to make it another 2 years with that attitude............DO I HEAR WENDY'S CALLING FOR YOU TO SUPER SIZE IT.....I THINK I DO!
roscoeswat

about 1 month ago

2 comments

I agree with PPitt's comments. I was a cop in CA in a town with a "Hood." Most of us on the department worked hard to clean it up while remaining professional. In my four and a half years there I was in about 100 street fights and can say that I won every one of them and did so without beating down any prisoner. The unprofessional behavior of some cops smears us all.
Poop_Clown

about 1 month ago

173 comments

PPitts- Yawn.......calm down
PPitts

about 1 month ago

72 comments

Poop_Clown. Been there done that! I have had bottles, bricks, rocks, etc. thrown at me. Been shot at twice and have had people try to stab me. It just amazes me how officers such as yourself think they can justify inappropriate, unprofessional, unetchical, and unlawful behavior based on "the area they work in." Grow up and get a clue or get out of the oven if you can't stand the heat! Just for your info, I worked in a town that was one big "hood" in your words. The town next to us was about 10 times bigger and per capita, our violent crime rate was 47% higher than that of the larger city. There wasn't a night that went by that we weren't at the projects or some place else dealing with large disturbances, shootings or stabbings. So, as you can see, my thought process is just fine. The difference between you and I it seems, is that I can do my job professionally, ethically, and lawfully, without having to make piss poor excuses! Probably be reading about you soon.
Poop_Clown

about 1 month ago

173 comments

Sorry PPits, but I really think your attitude would change if you worked in what I call the "Hood". One area of Philly is called the "Bad Lands". This is a one square mile area not to far from Temple U. It accounts for 1/4 of the cities homicides. In one recent year, there were 100 homicides in this one square mile area. In the "Hood" which I like to call it, there are more part I crimes that are not reported than a lot of other departments report. These officers encounter hostile crowds frequently while dealing with everyday crime, and the officers are usually short handed and can only respond to the most serious crimes. PPits, trust me, your thought process would change after the first rock or bottle gets thrown at you while your working in the "Hood".
bakeman4285

about 1 month ago

119 comments

Something I have to ask those who think a 'good ole beatdown' is appropriate from time to time ...what kind of message is being sent? Will the 'scumbags' in the 'hood' see this as a message that there are dire consequences for violence? Or.....will they see that all they have to do is push a few police officers buttons, elicit a response such as this from those officers, and then sit back and watch while careers are destroyed, taxpayers are burdened with yet another lawsuit, and deserving sentences are reduced to appease public outcry? Once again, all these officers have done is damaged the credibility of all law enforcement and empowered the bad guys. We must remain above reproach....
htsvcop

about 1 month ago

108 comments

I sorta feel bad for those officers, as I'm sure they were amped up due to the several recent line of duty deaths...but the fact is, they were wrong. We've had two officers killed in the last two years and are definitely on edge but there is a difference in taking care of business and violating people even if they are bottom-feeding scum.
Nae

about 1 month ago

67 comments

That is unfortunate that the outcome is what it is. I hope that this will be a lesson to others and it won't happen again. Cameras/recording are a butt-saver 99 percent of the time...but they also tell the truth.
BPAIZZY

about 1 month ago

23 comments

I must admit, it does not look good, Prima facie, for these officers.
ilegworldchamp

about 1 month ago

301 comments

bsmedmpa; As a retired East Coast Police Officer , I see your remarks very troubling if you have any intention of becoming a Law Enforcement Officer . As a Sworn Officer you are a representative of your community and what your community stands for. A Police Officer is justified in using what ever force is necessary to make the arrest. If the POS attempts to give you a hard time, then you meet force with force, using one upmanship. Any time I was called to an Affray, even in the summer time, I would while en-route , put on my sap gloves, ready to do battle without appearing brutal. Now that is a far cry from kicking at someones head when it is not accidental. I am sure the Officers who were Fired were the ones KICKING. You must always be the epitome of composure and reason for the general public. You are the representative of Law and Order , not just another Street Thug. But most important , you must always believe that SOMEONE HAS A CAMERA ON YOU. Do your job , and let the Courts do there's. Never reduce yourself to the level of some street punk, that's not in the job description. The occasional reminder to the subject that you are the person in authority is OK.
RCG239

about 1 month ago

207 comments

Still backing PPitts, he's responded well to a number of skewed viewpoints, with people justifying the beating. What these officers did wrong should be obvious, but apparently from some of these comments, it's justified either by 1) the killing of Sgt recently or 2) the type of police work in the "hood". That type of conduct just simply cannot happen ANYWHERE---there is a higher standard for LE, even when you're dealing with morons. Those who justify and even encourage the beatings (such as Bsmedmpa), are the ones I am concerned will be the next policelink headline for officer misconduct.