Five police officers brutally kicked and beat an unconscious suspect after a high-speed chase through Birmingham, Alabama, in an incident caught on camera and discovered a year later.
The five officers have been fired, Mayor Larry Langford said at a news conference Wednesday. An internal inquiry is continuing.
The dashboard-cam footage, which officials believe was shot in January 2008, was aired for reporters Wednesday. It showed the end of a 100-mile-an-hour police chase of a van driven by Anthony Warren, suspected of illegal drug activity.
Police had chased the van almost 50 miles, winding from downtown Birmingham to suburban Hoover. The video captured the van knocking down a police officer standing on a roadway, then turning up an interstate highway ramp, where it flipped over and rolled into a ditch.
Warren was ejected from the van and stopped moving. The five officers — one black, four white — ruthlessly beat the suspect, who is black, the video shows.
A police mug shot taken five days after the beating was posted on the Web site of The Birmingham News. It shows a badly bruised man wearing a neck brace.
Below is full video which explains, but certainly does not condone the officer’s anger fueled actions:
Police Chief A.C. Roper told CNN that the video was brought to his attention in March by the district attorney’s office, which stumbled upon the footage as it was preparing for Warren’s trial.
Warren was charged with attempted murder, but no trial took place because he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated assault. He is in prison serving a 20-year sentence.
Roper said he was “shocked” to learn of the video and that it had been around for so long without his knowledge.
In addition to a continuing internal investigation that could lead to disciplining supervisors, he said the Alabama Bureau of Investigation is considering criminal charges against the five officers.
Langford said the incident brought back to mind days of segregation and police brutality toward blacks.
“The culture of the past was that police brutality was acceptable,” Langford said. “In Birmingham, Alabama, in the present day, it is not acceptable.”
Langford said the five officers showed exceptional restraint in chasing the fleeing suspect and performed in exemplary fashion until the last scene caught on the video.
The camera captured 11 seconds of the five officers beating Warren with their fists and batons.
“Those 11 seconds will not be tolerated,” said Langford, who signed letters of termination for the five officers on Tuesday.
“Over 50 years of combined police experience gone over 11 seconds,” he said.
[..YouTube..] That’s a shame he finally had to get rid of Dora. Such a fine piece of crap she was. I remember the days when we could run over anything from trash cans to garbage compactors and not even think twice about it.
[..YouTube..] dude watched him his this trash can that got wedged under his truck and he took out the can , three yards and two mail boxs. and he just drove off.
[..YouTube..] HAHA NO WAY I WAS IN THE CAR!
[..YouTube..] Good job by the cops – pity they got sacked for beaten up a scumbag! This should be shown to every scumbag in the world – don’t run from the police or you get owned! And what if he had run over an innocent person – would everyone be feeling the same?? I would not.
[..YouTube..] Hahaha small world man!
[..YouTube..] And what was his crime anyway? Being a suspect in a crime? Failing to stop at a designated beating spot? Driving recklessly while NOT employed by government police force?
[..YouTube..] And what was his crime anyway? Being a suspect in a crime? Failing to stop at a designated beating spot? Driving recklessly while NOT employed by government police force?
[..YouTube..] I hope that the next time you feel sorry for some scumbag he has just killed someone you know – how would you feel then? Don’t make these guys out to be heroes – unless you’re a scumbag yourself?
[..YouTube..] I hope that the next time you feel sorry for some scumbag he has just killed someone you know – how would you feel then? Don’t make these guys out to be heroes – unless you’re a scumbag yourself?
[..YouTube..] Im all about removing scumbags from the street, but he was unconcious! we just payed police officers to beat us and be reckless with thier power, fuck that.
[..YouTube..] But the fact is he didnt hurt anyone except himself. This is just comes being dicks. Obviously you are A dick too because you think its cool. I hope one day you get beat by the cops for absolutely no reason.
[..YouTube..] Won’t happen – you know why? I obey the law! Simple as that – if you don’t break the law and become a scumbag the police don’t look at you.
[..YouTube..] Is this the American dream ?
reflections please
[..YouTube..] there is no reason for this, they were like a pack of animals FACT, for eg if sum 1 tried runnin over my mum and i beat shit out of them i would go jail
[..YouTube..] ACAB
[..YouTube..] being BLACK was the crime. F these dumbass reporters they dont know shit!
[..YouTube..] being BLACK was the crime. F these dumbass reporters they dont know shit!
[..YouTube..] sadistic cops pound white people too. dont try to fool yourself. check out other videos. the the cops beating a homeless man. they should be doing time for assault…….
[..YouTube..] they’re talking like it was just a routine pull over and then they beat him up.
he ran over a cop. yeah he didn’t deserve to get beat, but they didn’t just pull him over for running a red light or something and then beat him up.
[..YouTube..] too right man. its funny how ehen a policeman does shitlike this, their name isnt published oir anything, he is just refered to as a policeman, when in fact this is the same if nto worst as any other assault