Sharpton calls Philadelphia police beating 'worse than Rodney King'

Jet, May 26, 2008

The recent videotaped police beating of three Black shooting suspects in Philadelphia has shocked and angered Black leaders and city officials.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called the beating "worse than Rodney King."

"I've not seen anything like that since Rodney King, and it's worse than Rodney King, and we cannot allow our community to be under siege," Sharpton said on his radio show.

"We've got to stop this nonsense in our community, acting like you got to be a certain level Black to be treated within the law."

A sergeant and five officers were removed from street duty as authorities investigate the video footage.

More them a dozen police officers were involved in the incident, said Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

"It absolutely shows inappropriate behavior," Mayor Michael Nutter said during an interview on "Good Morning America."

The incident occurred when police stopped the suspects' ear while investigating a triple shooting. No weapons were found in the ear or on the suspects, Ramsey said, but officers said they had seen them shoot three people on a drug corner moments earlier.

The video, shot by WTXF-TV from a helicopter, showed three police ears stopping a ear on the side of a road.

Officers gathered around the vehicle and pulled three men out. About a half-dozen officers held two men on the ground on the driver's side. Both were kicked repeatedly, while one was punched; one also appeared to be struck with a baton. On the other side of the car, more officers kicked a third man.

The three suspects, Dwayne Dyches, Brian Hall and Pete Hopkins, were each charged with attempted murder in the alleged shooting, police said.

There was at least one Black sergeant involved in the beating, Ramsey said.

--Associated Press