The Birmingham Five

Five Birmingham police officers have been fired for a January 2008 beating of an already-unconscious suspect with fists, feet and a billy club, a battering caught on videotape until a police officer turned off the patrol car camera, city and police officials said today.

Authorities believe the video, [see the full 20-minute chase here] taken after a high-speed chase by several area law enforcement agencies ended when the fleeing suspect's van flipped, has been seen by numerous Birmingham officers and up to a half dozen supervisors over the past year. But top city and police officials weren't made aware of the taped beating until they were contacted by the district attorney's office two months ago.

In fact, investigators say, the suspect, Anthony Warren, didn't even know he'd been beaten until the tape surfaced at his trial in March. Warren was ejected from the vehicle and knocked unconscious, and thought all of his injuries were sustained in the wreck.

Police Chief A.C. Roper called the video "shameful." Mayor Larry Langford said it was "disgusting."

Roper said the video shamed the police department and the citizens served by the department, saying it was especially troubling because these were seasoned, veteran officers.

Roper hasn't identified the officers. Four of them worked in the department's Vice and Narcotics Unit; the fifth was a North Precinct patrolman.

The officers have the right to appeal to the Jefferson County Personnel Board.

"We've terminated over 50 years of combined service due to 10 seconds of injustice," Roper said in an interview with The Birmingham News. "We have five officers who lost their jobs and may face criminal charges, and a suspect who suffered unnecessarily."

Roper said there will be additional disciplinary action against supervisors who failed to report the incident to higher-ups. He has demanded the Internal Affairs Division track down every supervisor who saw the videotape, including those who have since retired. He said the department is reviewing its reporting mechanisms and policies.

Roper said the district attorney's office brought in the Alabama Bureau of Investigation to probe possible criminal charges against the officers involved in the incident.

The officers were notified of their termination about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"It's a sad day for the department and our 1,100 employees, but we will work through it," Roper said.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• police
• beating

[TheNRPking]

Look like fun

[robjoshow]

BEAT THAT NIGGER!!Niggers niggers niggers!!! Niggers are lazy slaves. Nigger pick my cotton. Niggers all have cockroaches. Niggers all have lice like monkeys. Niggers all smoke crack cocaine. Niggers all have low intelligence. Niggers all have smaller brains. Niggers fucked monkeys in africa and started AIDS, a nigger disease. Niggers never evolved, but the rest of us did. We are literally millions of years more advanced than the niggers. Niggers are the missing link between monkeys and humans.

[Toneytc]

He deserved it.

[ARIESIAN473]

looking at when the cop gets ran over, it doesn't look intinted. i rewinded it over and over, the suspect was vearing over from the car on the right and his car was trying to get out of the way of the spikes. the cop waited to the last minute to get out of the way and to put the spikes down, i think the cop should have did a better job in getting the road cleard from other vehicles. those cops reaction was totally uncalled for. i know that the adrenaline is pumping but that was crazy.

[jbhang10]

At first when i just saw them beating him i thought they should be fired. but then they showed him trying to run the guy over FUCK THAT you try and run over one of my boyz I'll KILL your ASS.

Piece of shit Nig Nog

( and NO i am not a racist. If he was white I would still call him a NIGGER cause he is an ignorant FUCK!

[cbolaes]

I wouldn't have put myself in that position to be running from the police in the first place. It's getting to the point where the criminals get it better than the victims or the police.

[xraidedlok]

tottally wrong his mind didnt react to go right to avoid the strip what would you be thinking if you were in a fuckin pursuit dont act like your james bond you faggots

[bepingkanojo]

That's what I'm talking about. Don't fuck with the police! Bitch ass deserved it and more. Who knew if when he was on the ground if he was faking and had a gun underneath him.

[SatanicCod]

This is what happen when you try to run over a police officer. The bitch deserved every second of it.