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Acting Swiftly, Philladelphia Commissioner Fires Four Police Officers in Beatings

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: Crime & Justice News, May 20, 2008

"Philadelphia Police Officer Vincent Strain, a cop's son,

zoomed from suspect to suspect, kicking each of the

three men wanted in a triple shooting, reports the

city's Daily News. Officer Patrick Gallagher, a two-year

veteran, bashed one of the shooting suspects in the

head with an unknown object. Officer Patrick Whalen,

just one month out of the Police Academy, pummeled

two suspects. And Officer Robert Donnelly, also fresh

out of the academy, was arguably the worst violator of

department policy: With a gun in his hand, Donnelly

allegedly yanked one suspect from the car and struck

and repeatedly kicked him.

Yesterday, Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey

fired the four and disciplined four others, including

demoting a sergeant, for their role in a May 5 police

encounter filmed by a news helicopter and seen

around the world.  'All of us as law-enforcement

professionals have to understand that, unlike

criminals on the street, we have rules that we have to

abide by,' Ramsey said.  'We have an obligation to do

things the right way.' Ramsey punished the eight

officers just two weeks after the dramatic footage first

aired locally on television. The video shows officers

rushing a Mercury Grand Marquis and pulling out the

three men. The officers then kick, punch and stomp on

the three, whom police say had fled a shooting."

Philadelphia Daily News - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0012JJF05Hfmyz7zhTsGTMvpK9a8Ek5n1widNQBhr5UQ3RibxYCA9Eyt6xL5-8SVK2SD2Rf1DnLOBJ9Us0J5yF_1XAos4QGkZQecju8h9zZrIwGbXEOixUX2b7iBE5SA-hehAp2yxlKhe_RK0iJ8CiYqlfhlKGAsDKi6FP1p4B595oGY4FfjjS7QTzelBWlhWprDnOd4ommQas=

 

 

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on May 20, 2008 (boomark / email).