Police Beating Caught On Camera

Five Birmingham police officers have been fired for beating an unconscious man after he was thrown from his van at the end of a police chase.

The Janauary 2008 attack was caught on a patrol car dashcam that didn't surface publicly for a year. Authorities believe numerous Birmingham officers and as many as a half-dozen supervisors saw the video over the past year, but none reported it.

Police Chief A.C. Roper says the officers were seasoned veterans but acted in a "shameful" manner. As he puts it, the department "terminated 50 years of combined service due to 10 seconds of injustice." The officers can appeal.

Roper says in addition to the terminations, he's also reviewing "supervisor's actions, reporting mechanisms and policies." And he says disciplinary could be taken. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation will review possible criminal charges.

The suspect, Anthony Warren, had an extensive criminal record including convictions for theft, receiving stolen property, and escape.

News release from the Birmingham Police Department

The Birmingham Police Department reports today that five Birmingham Police Officers are under investigation in connection with the use of excessive force against a 37-year-old male suspect, which occurred on Friday, January 23, 2008, at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Birmingham Police Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop in Birmingham. The suspect failed to stop and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit ended in Hoover at I-459 and Highway 31. The incident was captured on video.

Chief A.C. Roper states, “The video was also troubling because these are seasoned veteran officers. In fact, we’ve terminated over 50 years of combined service due to 10 seconds of injustice. There are no winners in this situation. We have 5 officers who lost their jobs and a citizen who suffered unnecessarily.” Two officers served with the Birmingham Police Department twelve (12) years, the others served seven (7), eight (8), and thirteen (13) years respectively.

Chief Roper also states, “In addition to these terminations, we’re also reviewing our supervisor’s actions, reporting mechanisms and policies.”

This incident is still under investigation.