Video of Five Birmingham Police Officers Beating Unconconscious Man in 2008

What they did was just a reaction for seeing one of their own being assaulted by this criminal, the reaction was obvious and for that they shouldn't be reprimended.
Normal citizens stop and obey rules, this criminal was trying to scape for some reason and in his attempt almost killed an officer, just imagine that the officer that was injured and almost killed was your brother?, what would you do? If you say "nothing" that is not true, we as humans have reactions and feelings and when things happen that fast, we have no time to think and meditate our actions, thats why they kicked his butt.
If any of you out there that read this, consider that it was part of your family the one that almost got killed by that criminal, just think about it one minute, well, those 5 officers that were dismissed from their work didn't had that much time to think.
I am in favor that the criminal that was on the minivan gets sentenced to death.

Alan, your excuses for the cops are absolutly disgusting. Under NO circumstances is it justified for the police to act as judge, jury and executioner.
SMASH THE POLICE STATE.

the officer ran out into lanes in front of the white van with that tire popping strip, a little too late if you ask me when there's a speeding car headed your way. that cop was also laying it in front of civilian cars headed straight for him. totally reckless of that cop. it was like watching the cops in Smokey and the Bandit, until the van flipped when it became obscene

that the pigs that come on and comment here can justify beating an unconscious person is seriously disturbing

go back to your sensitivity trainings gentlemen. time to re-up on that professional conduct training. tell your sergeants that you need more. you obviously are not ready to patrol the streets if you think cops are justified in acting like wild dogs when their adrenaline is up

I am reminded of a passage from "Our Enemies in Blue" by Kristian Williams:

The police ought to understand clearly that they are being paid to take a certain degree of risk and that their safety does not come before public safety or the common good. Unfortunately, the police typically place their safety first and in recent years we have come to accept this priority.

By way of counterpoint, consider the performance of the U.S. Marshals deployed to protect James Merideth during his September 1962 entrance into the University of Mississippi. Two hundred Marshals faced off with 2,000 White people determined to prevent the school's integration. The Marshals stood for hours, while the crowd attacked them with bricks and sporadic sniper fire. Twenty-nine Marshals were injured, but they never broke ranks or fired their weapons. Recalling this episode, consider how little we have come to expect of the police...

Although I can not feel too much sympathy for that knot head driving the van, it did seem like the officer trying to put down the tire strip should not have been there. That strip should have been in place already, the van was going pretty fast for the officer to take that chance. It's a miracle he wasn't killed, as for the "trained police officers" who started beating on an unconscious person (although a criminal) is still disturbing. To say these officers got caught in the moment is not acceptable, according to the video there were other officers who didn't. These guys were just pissed off and wanted to get their licks in. I don't think they should have been fired but they do need some sort of additional training. I know we are not perfect but Anger,Badge & A Gun, not a good combination. That is why you go through extensive training.

IT'S THE COPS FAULT FOR RUNNING INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

DOESN'T JUSTIFY SHIT

AND THEY COVERED IT UP ONLY TO NOW RELEASE IT

WHY?

TO COVER THEIR OWN BUTTS OF COURSE

YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE COP RAN OUT WAY TOO SOON

YOU CAN CLEARYLY SEE HE'S NOT MOVING ON THE GROUD

COPS BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM ANYWAY

BEING FIRED IS NOT ENOUGH

TAKE THEM TO COURT

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/05/21/18596739.php

Justice for Christopher Harris!

Although the police chief disingenuously claimed that the department had "terminated 50 years of combined service due to 10 seconds of injustice", there's significantly more to this story than the beating. This teaches us what to expect from police videos.

As reported at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090520/ap_on_re_us/us_police_beating_video:

Authorities believe numerous Birmingham officers and as many as a half-dozen supervisors saw the video over the past year, but none reported it...

He said supervisors may face discipline, and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation will review possible criminal charges.

District Attorney Brandon Falls said Wednesday the tape of the beating surfaced unexpectedly as prosecutors were preparing to try Warren.

He said prosecutors had a video of the chase "but the beating was not on the copy we had."

Falls said the prosecutor wanted to play the video for the jury but, for technical reasons, she needed another copy and asked for the original.

"We got the original the week before the trial ... and that's where she saw the rest of the tape," he said.

He said they contacted the defense, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the Birmingham police chief...

Crew said police "deliberately tampered with the evidence" in their handling of the video prior to the criminal trial.

"As horrific as the beating is, the deliberate tampering of evidence is just as horrific," she said.