Philadelphia police rampage caught on tape
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THE SICKENING brutality of Philadelphia police is on display for the world to see in a video showing more than a dozen white officers descending on three African American men May 5.
Taped from above by a Fox TV helicopter, the footage shows several police cruisers pulling over a car, whose three occupants are then dragged out onto the street and beaten. The three men were held down while police kicked, punched and struck with their batons. A few officers could be seen rotating from one beating to another.
"They kicked these individuals while in handcuffs," Pete Hopkins, the father of one of the men assaulted, told CBS News. "It was brute force. Any of these individuals could be killed." According to the victims' lawyer, D. Scott Perrine, the beating of one of the men produced a seriously injured leg and a welt the size of a baseball on his head.
The three men--Dwayne Dyches, Brian Hall and Pete Hopkins--are currently being held on bail as suspects in a shooting that happened prior to the incident, though no guns were found on them or in their car. Thirteen police officers have been taken off the streets and given administrative duty.
As the videotaping quickly became national news, Philadelphia's new mayor and police commissioner stepped in to comment. While labeling the beatings "inappropriate," they both tried to downplay the significance of the assault. Mayor Michael Nutter urged people not to "rush to judgment," and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey claimed race played no factor in the beatings.
But many outraged Philadelphia residents aren't likely to forgive so easily. African Americans in particular have long complained of police brutality and racism in this city. This incident also comes just months after a white Philadelphia police officer was caught with "White Power" and KKK illustrations in his locker.
Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton spoke out against the beatings after participating in a mass civil disobedience protesting the acquittal of three New York City police officers in the shooting of Sean Bell. "I've not seen anything like that since Rodney King, and it's worse than Rodney King," Sharpton said. "We cannot allow our community to be under siege."
The victims' family members and lawyers are calling for the officers to be arrested. "I'm horrified to see that our city cops would beat some human being like they did, like a gang-style fight," Leomia Dyches, the mother of one of the victims, said. She added, "I'd like to see them tried for what they did."
