Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper and Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford said that five officers who participated in an alleged beating in January 2008 have been fired from the Birmingham Police Department.
The incident in question comes from the alleged beating of 38-year-old Anthony Shannon Warren.
The beating occurred after Warren led Birmingham Police on a high speed chase that started in Birmingham and ended in Hoover.
During the chase, Hoover Police Officer Mike Lucas was struck by Warren's vehicle while attempting to place spike strips on the roadway.
At the end of the chase, the van overturned on the I-459 on-ramp, ejecting Warren, who lay motionless as officers ran toward him. The video shows them beating him with fists, feet and a billy club.
Officials in the Birmingham Police Department released a statement saying that "police brutality and misconduct will not be tolerated".
Police Chief A.C. Roper said the officers, who were not identified, were seasoned veterans but acted in a "shameful" manner.
Roper said the department had "terminated 50 years of combined service due to 10 seconds of injustice." The officers can appeal the decision.
He said disciplinary action may be taken against supervisors. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation will review possible criminal charges.
Authorities believe numerous Birmingham officers and as many as a half-dozen supervisors saw the video over the past year, but none reported it.
"In addition to these terminations, we're also reviewing our supervisor's actions, reporting mechanisms and policies," Roper said.
Warren, who had been held under $1 million bond after the chase, pleaded guilty in March 2009 to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Because of his plea, no trial was held.
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