Four Philadelphia police officers fired after videotaped beating

Today, the Philadelphia police chief announced the punishment. Four officers would be fired and four others would be demoted or suspended for their conduct.

The incident took place when three suspects were chased and arrested on May 5 following a shooting. Philadelphia's Fox 29 television news cameras caught the confrontation from a helicopter after police apprehended three men who had allegedly fled a shooting.

The video showed the police following the suspects' vehicle, which was later blocked in, forcing the car to slow down and stop. More than a dozen officers then surrounded the car, pulled out the suspects, dragged them to the ground and began beating them, according to the video.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey admitted that the video did not look good, according to Fox 29, but he said at the time that he would not "rush to judgment." Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter took a different approach. "You have to take this in the context of the environment of what were operating," he told the news media. A police officer, Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, had been recently murdered in the city.

After reviewing the videotapes, Ramsey condemned the behavior of some of the officers. "We do have a group of officers whose actions were outside department policy and procedure," he reportedly told a news conference.

Some of the officers involved may also face local and federal criminal charges, according to Reuters, and the FBI is reviewing the video, Ramsey said.