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There are good cops and there are bad cops. Most of the cops that I know are good cops.

What do you expect from pigs hired to protect the state?

The officers crossed the line, but it might at least put it in perspective what happened immediately beforehand: a Philly police narcotics team witnessed the vehicle stop at 4th and Annsbury St. in Feltonville (rough part of Philly) and four men get out with one shooting three people who were at the intersection. The shooter fled on foot and the remaining three got back into the vehicle where they were stopped by police and the video takes place.

The officers crossed the line big time (I can't say that enough), but then again they are pretty much raw after having one of their own executed in cold blood by a street thug and these guys basically shot up a corner a few minutes before this. Philly is a warzone at this point and I'm amazed that we haven't seen more of this as the officers out there are pushed to the breaking point by street violence.

Here's more details from the Philadelphia Inquirer: http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/200805 ...

That's what happens when you try and hold up a Dunkin' Donuts.

I saw this on the news last night. I'm very much one who will support looking at these sorts of instances with an objective viewpoint to see what's really going on (opposed to the general tendency on Digg to outright bash the police). Unfortunately it looks like there are a lot of cops in the wrong here, taking over the top physical action against the suspects. That officers have already been taken off of the street, and the police commissioner and mayor have spoken out against these actions, suggests that the system will work to appropriately try punish those found guilty. Worse yet is that there are bound to be people trying to turn this into a racial issue, when it's more about the police reacting to having one of their own gunned down.

***** thugs. The only difference between them and the people they arrest is they have a badge

how often does this happen without cameras recording? there must be some 'odds of camera recording' calculation...

I fought the law and the law won!

Dugg for the insane cop that runs up and kicks the car in the ***** license plate.

The one officer on the left should clearly be brought up on charges! His leg extention was terrible and he did not use his heel enough.

Those of you who are trying to justify these actions need to realize something very elementary...

They're police officers, their duty is to UPHOLD the law. By breaking the law ( which is what they're doing. ) they are lowering themselves to that of which they are arresting.

I nearly got my face smashed by plainclothes philly cops in an unmarked car once, they nearly ran over my foot as i was crossing the street at a greenlit pedestrian crossing and I called "ey watch it!". No joke.
Well okay , I may have said "ey watch it, asshole!" But still. ***** took me in cuffed and went gestapo. Didnt even read me any rights.

Good thing they weren't dressed like Santa Claus, they would have been shot afterwards. Philly is a rough city.

Unbelievable - I'm shocked my the casualness of it all. Like one cop can running over and just started kicking whoever was on the ground next to the other 4 cops, while the others went ***** at the passenger.

I really want to play some GTA4 now.

Cops Gone Wild!

You know, when I walking through Liberty City the other day, I happened to spot a cop that was abusing his power.


I shot him.

It makes me want to throw up every time the media attempts to draw a distinction between cops and civilians. Cops are civilians too. They're not military. We're all just being conditioned to accept that they are.

One of their officers were just shot in cold blood a few days before. These four kids had just tried to kill someone immediately before stopping their car. There's too much tension and anger built up in the Philadelphia police right now. In any other situation, I'd hop on the cop-bashing wagon, but this is just a result of the force's built up tension over the last few months.

what this isn't GTA IV?

Cops shouldn't be allowed to gather in Philly I guess. They obviously can't control themselves so their right of assembly should be taken from them. This looks a lot like a roving gang of yutes looking for someone to beat up. When the ***** will cops realize there are ***** cameras EVERYWHERE and that it is far better to be respected by the populace than hated?

I think that was just a preview clip from GTA 5, "City of Brotherly Love: Cops Revenge"

ridiculous. cops get away with this sh!t all the time.

Sometimes, sadly, the Police are just another gang. With healthcare benefits.

By the number of cops that show up, it looks there was a police chase going on. So the driver was breaking the law.

So the cops were really just dishing out his sentence right there on the spot. Yeah didn't you read the headlines? The police have become the prosecutor, judge and jury, all in the name of homeland security and fighting terrorism. They are clearly performing calculated maneuvers to ensure that the punishment fits the crime, and who better than the law enforcement officers at the scene of the crime. We should be thanking the cops for not killing the suspects right there on the spot. Yes, the punishment of running from the cops is death, so next time you see flashing lights, pull over and receive your patriotic beating with fervor and gratitude and your life just might be spared.
/sarcasm

"... after they were pulled out of a car during a traffic stop."
Looked more like the end of a police chase to me.

While police brutality is VERY WRONG - if you run from the cops, and put innocent peoples lives at risk while doing it (car chases more often that not end up with civilians hurt), then you deserve what you get.

Anyone with that much power and authority should need a college degree. Sadly, most people who are dedicated enough to get through college don't want to be a crummy police officer. And even then, people are still assholes and do ***** like this.

Oh, and if you didn't know, they had just came from another shooting so that's why they acted in such a manner. Was it right? No, I'd like to kick the ***** out of those cops myself.

If you just came from a shooting and felt threatened, ok, I could see you kicking the guy to the ground and stepping on him to keep him secure... but 3+ men kicking one person? Cowards. Absolute ***** cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves. A public apology is necessary.

And to identity matrix: They weren't clearly "perfoming calculated maneuvers to ensure the punishment fits the crime". That sounds like ***** lawyer talk, and everyone knows how much ***** is involved with the law. Hell, OJ Simpson was found not guilty of murder. If they've become the prosecutor, judge, and jury, then where the hell is their degree? No, that's not their job. We have law school for people who want to get into those fields. Police are meant to carry out the law, not interpret it. And they're certainly not my judge or jury.

Yes, there are good cops and bad cops. I'd say the majority are bad. *prepares for police families burying me*

The police have become a brotherhood of paranoid and frightened sadistic little men who, despite automatic pistols, shotguns, machine guns, tasers, clubs, mace, dogs, assault teams, armoured vehicles, and bullet proof vests, don't feel safe from us. So we have all become fair game for their brutality. Get used to it people; since 9/11, the police have been indoctrinated to think all civilians are terrorists and they are the occupation force with the same mentality as our troops in Iraq, where civilian abuses and murder are accepted and the norm.

Thats what you get for shooting up a street corner minutes before. I live in Philly and stand behind the police 100%. They just had one killed 2 or 3 days ago and about another handful since the beginning of the year. These people that were beat were just SHOOTING at people, criminals have more rights then anyone anymore.

Hmmm...

Police "brutality" vs anarchy.

Why not take the police away for a few months? Either it will work out and the people will be able to effectively take care of their own crime and rule on their own, at which point they won't need police, OR things will go to hell in a few days, which means they'll stop bitching and beg the police to come back.

Interesting experiment I think. Definitely a win-win scenario.

That is sickening. There is *no* justification for what happened. Each and every one of those thugs should be jailed.

Those cops did the right thing. The perps deserved everything they got & more.

I live in this city and although I've seen Philadelphia's finest abuse their power more than a few times (RNC 2000), I respect them for the job they do in a town that is basically, at this point, a war zone.

As much as you want to bitch about them, would you do their job? Would you want to deal with these thug douche bags on a daily basis? I know I wouldn't. 3 officers have been shot dead in the last 24 months alone....and the starting salary: $38K.

Granted, not an excuse for the brutality, but because I know just how dangerous this city is and the circumstances surrounding this particular incident...It's (gulp) partially understandable.

good for them, it's about time we take our streets back

Tough situation. Cops went a little overboard. Suspects probably deserved it. You love the fact that these scumbag criminals are getting the ***** beat out of them but you hate the fact that its ***** cops breaking laws and doing it.

This is why we need a Batman. We need someone to live in that gray area between right and wrong.

thats after three black guys killed a cop on a routine stop and these three guys fit the description. Yeah its wrong they did it but there are mitigating circumstances. Hey I know lets riot in Philly and kill all chances of economic recovery. Great idea ... ***** holes

I have no pity on them. All they had to do was get outside of the circle for a couple seconds. Shooting a cop is only like two stars.

It's so easy to make all these police brutality comments from behind your computer screen and bash cops as they ride around putting their lives at risk every day. I would love to see some of you people go do this job esp in a city like Philly. Then we will see just how you would react in this situation.

It scares me to think that there really is a whole society of people in this country who actually believe that these three criminals are the victims and the officers need to be prosecuted. No, I'm not a police officer or any type of voice of authority, but simply a concerned citizen who would like to know that I might take my family out on the street after sunset and not worry about being mugged, shot or raped by gangs of undereducated, over drugged thugs with assault weapons and no fear of the law. Anyone of you who think the police were in the wrong obviously were never a victim or know a victim of a violent crime. I have never been a victim myself, but I can imagine my reaction if my wife, daughter, mother or friend were one.
The officers in Philly should be honored not disciplined. The mayor and commissioner should be reprimanded for showing no backbone when it comes to dealing with criminal sympathizers.

Good. Philly is a cesspool with a sky rocketing murder rate. Maybe the cops can beat the stupid out of a few people and improve things.

Being a cop in Philly has to be hell. I am not kidding when I say parts of Philly look like it was bombed.

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...and I am continually caught on video repeatedly not giving a ***** about police kicking suspects. If your going to do stupid ***** that makes the cops want to kick you, then guess what? They probably will...

it has nothing to do with whether or not the perps deserved it, the job of a police officer is to uphold the law, not pass judgement and break the law at the same time, that's what the judicial branch is for :D

I figured they were just gearing up for the Flyers / Penguins series.