07:33 AM Tuesday, February 09, 2010
3 Men Found Not Guilty After Police Beating
Date: Thursday, July 02, 2009, 7:23 am
By: The Associated Press
Three men beaten by Philadelphia police on the hunt for a police killer were acquitted Wednesday of all charges stemming from their arrests.Jurors who watched a 10-minute news videotape of the violent arrest said it did not influence their verdict on the attempted murder and other charges related to a triple shooting earlier that night.
They also found plausible defense lawyers' arguments that three young black men being pursued by police in May 2008 might have been afraid to stop, knowing they could be mistaken for the fugitive police killer.Four of the 18 police officers who were at the scene were fired. Eight others were disciplined or demoted in the wake of the highly publicized beating, which Mayor Michael Nutter called "67 seconds of seeming chaos out on the streets of Philadelphia."
Three men beaten by Philadelphia police on the hunt for a police killer were acquitted Wednesday of all charges stemming from their arrests.
Jurors who watched a 10-minute news videotape of the violent arrest said it did not influence their verdict on the attempted murder and other charges related to a triple shooting earlier that night. They also found plausible defense lawyers' arguments that three young black men being pursued by police in May 2008 might have been afraid to stop, knowing they could be mistaken for the fugitive police killer.
Four of the 18 police officers who were at the scene were fired. Eight others were disciplined or demoted in the wake of the highly publicized beating, which Mayor Michael Nutter called "67 seconds of seeming chaos out on the streets of Philadelphia."
The defendants' relatives wept and slumped in their seats as the forewoman read the verdict.
Brian Hall, 24, the lone defendant free on bail, pumped his fists and snaked his way through the crowded courtroom for the door. He declined to answer questions about the case.
Co-defendants Dwayne Dyches, 26, and Pete Hopkins Jr., 20, spent more than a year in jail while awaiting trial and were to be released later in the day.
Dyches' relatives demanded an apology from city officials and said they fear reprisals from police. All three men live in Philadelphia and are considering filing federal civil rights suits.
"He's marked. The cops are going to go after him because some of their fellow officers lost their jobs over it," said Charles Dyches, 35, a brother.
Defense lawyers argued that police tried to pin the triple shooting on their clients to justify the mistaken stop and the beating that followed. They said convictions would help in the officers' efforts to get reinstated.
"I think the process of them trying to go to arbitration to get their jobs back has been hindered," said lawyer Mary Maran, who represented Hopkins.
Dyches' relatives acknowledged his resemblance to Eric Floyd, who was captured days later and is awaiting trial in the May 3 bank-robbery death of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.
The jury deliberated for less than five hours before acquitting the men.
Please Login or Register to Rate this article
More black on black on black crime. DAMM peeps.
by
Jiggy5
July 7, 2009, 2:01 pm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes I believe they should sue. They need to do civil law suits on the officers still working. I am not in it for revenge. Police sometimes forget the qualifications and responsibilities of the job description they have. Digging in their pockets normally helps people come back to reality.
by
Elchar
July 2, 2009, 7:57 am
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two of the three men in the case spent more than a year in jail while awaiting trial.
MORE HEADLINES
Living Black History: Ice Skater Debi Thomas
While you’re watching figure skating at this year’s Winter Olympic Games, there may be a woman in Terre Haute, Indiana watching too.
Living Black History: Shani Davis Returns
For many years, the Winter Olympic Games were as white as the snow and ice that are its main playing fields.
First Lady Launching Child Obesity Campaign
The first lady hopes her campaign will change the way millions of Americans eat, exercise, look and feel.
Cities Plan Events for National Black AIDS Day
Organizations across the country are coming together this weekend to present events for National Black AIDS Day.
A New Era Begins in Baltimore's City Hall
Former Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake replaces Mayor Sheila Dixon, who was convicted of embezzlement.
Defense Officials Say Lift Military Ban on Gays
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff proclaimed that service members should not be forced to "lie about who they are."
Rod Paige: No Black Child Should Be Left Behind
The former secretary of education from 2001 to 2005, Paige was a serious advocate of education reform.
Bomb Attempt Prods Super Bowl Security Change
Sports and government officials say such lapses — where individuals got past guards on the ground — are leading to increased screening efforts.
Black Miss Virginia Becomes Latest Miss America
A 22-year-old Virginia woman who said she once thought her only talent was singing is the nation's newest Miss America.
Do Blacks Really Want to 'Transcend' Race?
Five little words — "I forgot he was black" — have exposed a contradiction in the idea of a post-racial nation.