Philadelphia didn’t live up to its reputation as being “The City of Brotherly Love” once video from a television news helicopter surfaced and was broadcasted on YouTube. The video showed footage of 15 Philadelphia police officers severely beating three young, black men: 24-year-old Dwayne “Lionel” Dyches, 23-year-old Brian Hall, and 19-year-old Pete Hopkins.
Furthermore, there are new reports surfacing that are increasing public outrage. We need to encourage the public not to jump to conclusions and assume that the trio had anything to do with the earlier shooting of a police officer that led to his death. However, several other reports are stating that it could’ve been up to cover up a violent case of mistaken identity.
Dyches’ attorney, Eldridge Suggs, gave a statement that the police knew that his client and the other two had nothing to do with the shooting, but, according to BET.com, they believed that they found the man responsible for the fatal shooting of a Philadelphia police officer.
“All they’ve done” Suggs said, “is make up some facts to account for the beating. And the reason why they beat this man is because he looked so much like the cop-killer.”
Thirteen Philadelphia police officers have been put on desk duty. At Friday’s news conference, Suggs showed the media a photo of his client and Eric Floyd, the suspect of the police shooting, calling their resemblance “uncanny”, he told Philly.com. Floyd was arrested last week and is now charged with the murder of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and Mayor Michael Nutter claimed that the officers were after the three young, black men for a triple shooting in North Philadelphia, and are denying a cover-up but admitted the incident was “a black eye on the force”.
On the other hand, Al Sharpton visited Dyches in a city prison, where he helped him see his mother on Mother’s Day. He calls the beatings of Dyches, Hall, and Hopkins were even “worse than Rodney King”, reference to the 1991 beating of the black Los Angeles man beaten by white Los Angeles police officers over a traffic stop.
“I think the judicial system is set up to deal with matters like this”, the Reverend said, “but what we saw is not the way you deal with it. It’s not dealt like that in other instances. I think people have the right to expect that their rights are protected, no matter what their background.”
Leomia Dyches said that the beatings on her son, Hopkins, and Bell left her traumatized, for she can no longer hear police sirens anymore.
“He [Dwayne]’s a good son” she continues after her visit from her son. “He might have had some problems, but he wouldn’t hurt anyone. I’m hurting inside, but I know I have to stand up and fight for my son.”
Source(s): LIVESTEEZ and MyFox Philadelphia
