Trial begins for shooting suspects beaten by police

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, June, 2009 | by Sam Wood Inquirer Staff Writer

Three men accused in a triple shooting who were later shown being beaten by police entered not-guilty pleas yesterday as their trial began on charges of attempted murder. 

Dwayne Dyches, 26; Brian Hall, 24; and Pete Hopkins, 20, are charged in a May 5, 2008, shootout in the Feltonville section in which three people were wounded. 

Dyches, Hall, and Hopkins were arrested within minutes, after a 21/2-mile chase that ended with police dragging them from a gold Mercury Marquis. As officers battered the three, a Fox 29 camera in a helicopter was watching.

The resulting video resulted in the firing of four officers and the discipline of four more. 

The arrest occurred two days after the May 3 slaying of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, at a time when police were looking...