Cellphone Video Shows Four Cops Beating Philly Motorist Charged with Aggravated Assault and Resisting Arrest

The video below purports to show what happens after two Philadelphia cops stop a motorist for allegedly ramming into a pole and driving off last week. Backup shows up about two minutes in, and then it's four of the city of brothelry love's finest subduing Marcus Warryton, the "suspect" (who does not appear to be charged in connection with the traffic violation). The Philadelphia Daily News reports, by way of an update that all but one officer (the one who  "struck" Warryton) are back on patrol:

During the struggle, police said, two officers suffered cuts and bruises, and another injured his neck.

At one point, Warryton allegedly reached for one officer's handgun, police said.

Warryton needed seven staples to close gashes on his head. He was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and resisting arrest.

Warryton's family said publicly that they believed that he was the victim of police brutality.

Presumably the portions of the police narrative that aren't on tape happened at some point before (and probably not after) the video. An Internal Affairs investigation was opened and in another Daily News article that asked whether cops used too  much force in the arrest, a police spokesman admits there are some "training issues" apparent from the incident: 

Comments

[Res Publica Americana]

We can expect dismissal and prosecution for these assholes, right? After all, the PPD only wants what's best for the citizenry, right?

[Ice Nine]

"These"? As far as I could tell, the only cop who did anything wrong with this "suspect" - who was resisting arrest - was the one who clubbed him. And yes, that one should be dismissed and prosecuted.

[PS]

Yeah that's how I see it also.

[A Frayed Knot]

+1

[sloopyinca]

First off, if you have your shirt pulled up over your head and can't see which way two men are pushing and pulling you, a normal reaction would be to make your body rigid, if just to catch your balance. Hell, that's probably a reflexive action. Second, the guy goes limp after a couple of blows and only starts to resist again when the officer with the collapsible baton (which is probably illegal in Philly like it is in most PD's) rares back like he's going to strike him again (at about 1:55).

Agreed, the only one that should face charges is the cop with the baton, but his "resisting" in many ways is a normal reaction to being put physically off-balance with no visual means to see what is going on. The cops should have pulled his shirt completely off or back down and tried to calm him before the situation got out of hand.

[Ice Nine]

I think you missed your calling.

[Bill]

On the contrary, I have a lot of respect for the baton swinger. I bet he can eat a lot of donuts at one sitting.

[John]

They look like an angry congress of baboons.

[Tim]

Don't rev yer bike in Philly...

[Drake]

The must be Flyers fans - they went hockey-style with the shirt over the head.

[John]

They guy had on a Pens sweeter. What did he expect?

[NoVAHockey]

Fluery to stop a puck now and then?

[Drake]

These cops are gonna spend at least two minutes in the box.

[Cdr Lytton]

I read the headline as the four officers were charged but I knew that couldn't be right. A cop getting hit with resisting arrest?

[zamoracarl711]

as Marvin said I am inspired that anybody able to make $6830 in one month on the computer. did you see this web page makecash16Com

[albo]

Clearly there are some kinds of people who deserve a beating.

[sarcasmic]

The solution is always training. Like dogs.

[Abdul]

Throw the cops a biscuit every time they are polite and courteous?

[Pi Guy]

And rub their bellies.

[Mike M.]

"May I suggest you use your nightstick, officer?"

[niobiumstudio]

Nah, that's too old school. Now they are training their "peace" officers to use the butt end of the taser (after it has run out of batteries/reloads).

[Agile Cyborg]

Bored and psychopathic cops equal violent reaction to even subtle resistance.

[Stormy Dragon]

Maybe it's just me, but the one with the nightstick seems to be the only one breaking the law. The other three seemed to be doing it right. The guy clearly was resisting, and they stopped as soon as he stopped.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

Stop. Resisting.

Problem solved, amirite?

[albo]

Yeah, I'm usually torn between righteouse outrage at police being a bit too enthusiastic, and forehead-slapping at dumbass perps who continue to resist. C'mon, even good cops have a right to defend themselves.

[sarcasmic]

C'mon, even good cops have a right to defend themselves.

What good cops?

[Pi Guy]

Wouldn't "good cops" have told Donut Boy to stop beating on thhe guy at some point?

I thought so.

[sarcasmic]

It happens all the time. Good cops restraining bad cops from using excessive force, that is.
You just don't hear about it because the anti-cop bigots at Reason and other news sites don't publish the stories.
But trust me. It happens all the time.
Especially here in WA where I chose to work because we have the best policies and the best men.
/dunphy

[Stormy Dragon]

You mean like the one does at 1:50 when donutboy goes in the second time?

[Pi Guy]

I heard that but I thought is was someone on the sidewalk. Hard to tell.

[Stormy Dragon]

You can see the one cop put his arm out to block donutboy from coming in again.

[R C Dean]

Let the record show that the semi-mythical "good cop" may have been captured on video.

Of course, this sighting is controversial, since the same cop seems to have watched the initial beatdown without lifting a finger.

[oldtimer]

For your information:
the city of brothelry love's finest
closed down the city's most prominent bordellos about twenty years ago.

[R C Dean]

You mean, like when my buddies and I "close" the bars at the end of a night out?

[oldtimer]

Doughnuts aren't the only thing they get for free.

[sloopyinca]

Settlement reached in Zehm murder. Cop still not sentenced after conviction in federal court over 7 months ago. No state charges filed even though state admits responsibility in Zehm's death.

This whole thing stinks to high heaven. If only we had dunphy here to explain to us that if we don't like it, we should change the laws.*

*The departmental policies are what stymied the investigation, and those are set by the union and their compliant officials across the table at their CBA meetings. The law was subverted by union largesse...the same union whose virtue he extols on here every time he graces us with his presence.

[sloopyinca]

We're talking about this Philly PD, right?

From teh WIKI: Eleven people, including John Africa, five other adults and five children, died in the resulting fire.[12] The firefighters were stopped from putting out the fire based on allegations that firefighters were being shot at, a claim that was contested by the lone adult survivor Ramona Africa, who says that the firefighters had earlier battered the house with two deluge pumps when there was no fire.[10] Ramona Africa and one child, Birdie Africa, were the only survivors....Mayor W. Wilson Goode soon appointed an investigative commission called the PSIC or MOVE commission. It issued its report on March 6, 1986. The report denounced the actions of the city government, stating that "Dropping a bomb on an occupied row house was unconscionable."[13] No one from the city government was charged criminally.

[John]

The lack of sentencing isn't that unusual. He may have a deal to cooperate with the feds against other cops. In those cases, sentencing his postponed until he has testified, that way the hammer is still hanging over his head.

I wouldn't read too much into it. If the feds cared enough to prosecute him, they will care enough to sentence him.

[sloopyinca]

Um, no. They're waiting to sentence him because they want to see if his appeal will get the case thrown out and/or a retrial. And our prisons are full of non-cops waiting on their appeals and requests for a retrial.

FTA: Although Thompson was convicted by a jury last year, he has yet to be sentenced for his federal conviction and remains free as his lawyers seek a new trial. U.S. District Court Judge Fred Van Sickle postponed the sentencing after an expert witness claimed that federal prosecutors incorrectly summarized his expected testimony.

So a conviction can essentially be stayed because a defense witness says prosecutors misrepresented him? Isn't that up to the jury to decide?

Fuck our criminal "justice" system and its double-standard.

[John]

Yes they are. It is like a double wrong going on here. It looks like the Feds may have committed misconduct. If they did, I don't care if he is a cop, there ought to be hell to pay.

[sloopyinca]

How did they commit misconduct? By trying to paint a guy's testimony a certain way in closing arguments? Every prosecutor and defense attorney worth his salt does that. The defense attorney could have objected or rebutted. They chose to let it stand because they knew their guy was fucked once the jury went behind closed doors. They are gaming the system, and the defense lead should be disbarred.

[John]

It was his "expected testimony". That means it wasn't in closing. The article is unclear what happened. But the only reason I can think that a government summary of expected testimony would be important would be in a motion to suppress the expert testimony. If the government lied to the court and said he was going to say one thing and that meant he shouldn't be allowed to testify as an expert, that is misconduct.

[sloopyinca]

I've been following this case pretty closely, and that's not exactly how it happened. The prosecution rebutted his testimony before he was even called and the defense is saying they misrepresented him. They had their opportunity to object or rebut and they chose not to because they knew the prosecution would blow hole after hole in this guy's testimony, which was hardly "expert."

It's a clear-cut case of a double-standard and will come out in the wash, because no judge in the world would suspend sentencing for over half a year in a case where a non-cop killed somebody.

[John]

yeah. It is a total case of double standard. You only get out of going to jail if the judge rules that your appeal has a high chance of succeeding. No way does that have much of any chance much less a high chance. That cop should be in jail right now.

[sarcasmic]

That would never happen in WA where dunphy works. Wait a sec...

[sarcasmic]

In response to sloopyinca|6.11.12 @ 10:47AM

[sloopyinca]

I was starting to wonder if I was invisible today. Nobody even bit on the Neil Armstrong slam in the AM Links.

[RBS]

I guess everyone is tired of talking about that old asshole.

[sarcasmic]

Lights the dunphy signal

[The Fatman]

I think we may have finally caused that piece of shit to stop coming here. Or maybe he finally died in a fire?!? I hope his progeny went with him. Love the signal by the way.

[sloopyinca]

I think he showed up on Saturday, but avoided every thread or subthread discussing police brutality or wrongdoing.

We're not rid of him yet.

[RBS]

He occasionally shows up on non dirtbag cop related threads.

[The Fatman]

I have noticed that too. I excoriate the bastard as a coward for not getting into these discussions when I see him. Fucking Cowardly, scum-sucking, fuck-stick, jack-booted thug asshole.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

Sugar Free or Warty?

OH! Never mind...my bad...