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Press Releases

Philadelphia Police Beating Caught on Videotape

By Jenny Choi on May 8, 2008

A sergeant and five police officers have been suspended from street duty as authorities scrutinize the videotape of roughly a dozen Philadelphia police officers beating three shooting suspects. The footage, captured on Monday, was taken by a local news helicopter. The incident occurred two days after a police sergeant was shot and killed in his investigation of a robbery. Criminal charges against the police officers are still pending.

While officials insist race is not an issue in this case, public attitudes on the issue of police violence and brutality hinges largely on race. Blacks are far more likely than whites to see police brutality as widespread and to distrust police overall. In fact, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of whites express confidence in police to not use excessive force on suspects, compared with just 38 percent of blacks. And similar racial disparities are apparent in confidence levels in the police to treat blacks and whites equally.