<html>
<body>
<font size=4><b>Video of police beating:<br>
</font><pre><a href="http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/5493">
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/5493
</a></b></pre><font size=3>May 8,
2008<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/us/08philadelphia.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/us/08philadelphia.html<br>
</a></font><h1><b>Police Beating of Suspects Is Taped by TV Station in
Philadelphia </b></h1><font size=3>By JON HURDLE<br><br>
PHILADELPHIA About 12 police officers were videotaped on Monday beating
three men stopped in response to a drug-related shooting, and six of the
officers have been removed from patrols, Police Commissioner Charles H.
Ramsey said Wednesday.<br><br>
In the incident, captured by a Fox TV helicopter, officers surrounded a
car carrying the three men. They were pulled from the car, and two were
kicked and punched on the ground by officers on the driver’s side. The
third man was beaten by other officers on the passenger side. <br><br>
</font><font size=4><b>(here comes the excuse)<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>The incident, on Monday night, in the Hunting
Park section followed the shooting death of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, 39,
a 12-year member of the force, on Saturday in the nearby Port Richmond
section. <br><br>
Sergeant Liczbinski was pursuing three robbery suspects. The police
arrested a man sought in the case late Wednesday night, the Associated
Press reported. Another was arrested on Sunday, and a third was fatally
shot by an officer shortly after the officer’s killing, The A.P.
said.<br><br>
Mr. Ramsey said at a news conference that the police were under great
“stress and pressure” after Sergeant Liczbinski’s death. He is the third
Philadelphia officer to be killed in the line of duty in the last two
years.<br><br>
But, Mr. Ramsey added, there was no excuse for the behavior on the
videotape.<br><br>
The video is being examined to try to identify more officers involved in
the beatings. Mr. Ramsey said he expected more officers to be reassigned
to administrative duties as a result. <br><br>
District Attorney Lynne Abraham will decide on filing criminal charges
against the officers, Mr. Ramsey said.<br><br>
The new mayor, Michael A. Nutter, has emphasized reducing the violence
that has given Philadelphia one of the highest murder rates in the
nation.<br><br>
Mr. Nutter and Mr. Ramsey are trying to overcome decades of distrust
between the mostly black residents of areas like North Philadelphia and a
largely white police force. <br><br>
The beating victims, all from North Philadelphia, have all been charged
with assault, conspiracy and recklessly endangering another person. D.
Scott Perrine, a lawyer for the three, called the incident a blatant
example of police brutality.<br><br>
“We have not seen stuff like this since the 1960s and the 1970s in
Philadelphia,” Mr. Perrine said. “These officers are criminals, and they
should be prosecuted.” <br><br>
He denied that his clients had any connection with the shooting of
Sergeant Liczbinski, and he said the Police Department was seeking to
explain the “zealousness” of the officers in the incident by saying the
force as a whole was distressed and exhausted by the sergeant’s
death.<br><br>
The three men are being held on bail, awaiting a preliminary hearing on
May 16.<br>
</font><pre>-----------------------------------
</pre><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#008000">415 863-9977<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#0000FF">
<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.Freedomarchives.org</a></font><font size=3> </font></body>
</html>