City of Brotherly Love Turns Ugly May 9, 2008
Posted by Reginald Johnson in African-American, Crime, Legal, Life, Minority Issues.add a comment
You’d expect it in L.A. You’d expect it in N.Y.C. or Boston. You MIGHT even expect it in Chicago [moreso in Detroit]. You wouldn’t expect it in ‘the city of Brotherly Love ’.
On Monday about a half-dozen police officers were videotaped kicking and beating three men that were pulled from a car during a traffic stop. The video was captured by a WTXF-TV helicopter that saw the police chase take place.
The video clearly shows three police cars stopping a car in Philadelphia’s Hunting Park neighbourhood. The news station’s video shows about a dozen officers gathering around the stopped vehicle. Immediately police officers ran to the car and pulled out the driver and two passengers.
In the tape the men are shown being punched and kicked repeatedly. One of the men beaten was hit several times with a police baton.
What’s interesting, or rather unfortunate for some, is that the police chief of Philadelphia is Washington, D.C.’s very own former chief, Charles Ramsey. Chief Ramsey had this to say of the situation, “On the surface it certainly does not look good in terms of the amount of force that was used. But we don’t want to rush to judgment.”
From what I am able to determine, the officers were responding to a report of a shooting nearby.
Two days before the attack, Officer Stephen Liczbinski, a city officer, was shot to death, with an assault rifle, while responding to a bank robbery. Ramsey said that police officers of Philadelphia have been on edge since the shooting. Police officers fatally shot one of the robbery suspects; another was arrested Sunday and a third man is still being sought.
The three men quickly got a lawyer. Attorney D. Scott Perrine has agreed to represent the men.
A court official said late Tuesday that the men (Dwayne Dyches, Brian Hall and Pete Hopkins - all of Philadelphia) had been charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangering. Bail was set for two of the men, while the third was awaiting arraignment.
On Wednesday, six of the police officers (one police sergeant and five officers) were removed from street duty. They were removed while authorities investigate the videotape.
During a press conference Chief Ramsey remarked, “We certainly are concerned about what we saw on the tape. The behavior that at least was exhibited on the tape is unacceptable.” He also said officers are on edge, upset and tired from an exhaustive, round-the-clock police manhunt.
Ramsey wanted the citizens of Philadelphians to take sympathy on the police officers who beat the three men.
Also, Wednesday night, the third suspect in the third suspect in the death of the slain police officer. Eric Floyd and his girlfriend were arrested. They were found in a dilapidated house with boarded up windows.
A supporter of the officers removed from street duty believes they were justified in their actions. “It is certainly far from unheard of that somebody who was compliant engages in a fatal attack,” the former prosecutor and police officer said. “Until somebody is handcuffed and secured, they could be a threat.”
Last year Philadelphia had nearly 400 homicides. It’s believed that’s enough to put any officer on edge.
The parents of the three men expressed complete outrage. They said that their sons were on their way back home after attending a prayer vigil for their friend, Andrew Coach, who was killed Sunday.
Police said that they believe that the triple shooting may have been retribution for the slaying of Coach.
While the death of any law enforcement personnel in the line of duty is a very sad situation, it should not excuse the excessive actions of the officers during the traffic stop. The only thing that could justify such actions would be if their lives were in danger.
In viewing the tape, I didn’t look like the officers lives were in danger. Even when the officers had removed the driver and passengers it didn’t appear to me that each of the three men could successfully take on four men a piece.
It’s important to note that no weapons were found in the car or on the men that were beaten. The police department did say some people had witnessed them shoot three people on a drug corner moments earlier. A Washington Metropolitan police officer said to me today, “Possibly the suspects ditched the weapon after the shooting. It’s a good possibility. Although I think the Philly officers were a bit excessive.”
