Friday, June 27, 2008

Philadelphia Man Arrested over Anti-police Video

PHILADELPHIA

A man who authorities say posted an Internet video showing himself waving a gun and claiming to rejoice whenever a police officer is shot in the city was arrested Thursday.

Andre Moore, 44, of West Philadelphia, faces charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, corruption of morals of a minor and harassment, police Lt. John Walker said.

In the video posted on YouTube, a man authorities identified as Moore complains about officers in West Philadelphia's 18th police district, calling them "a bunch of liars" and saying he celebrates "whenever they shoot a cop in Philadelphia."

At another point, he is shown waving a gun and talking about officer shootings in the city. According to a probable cause affidavit, the man removes the ammunition magazine from the gun, racks the slide, points the pistol at the camera and pulls the trigger as he speaks.

"Boom! ... When you shoot the cop, you shoot them dead, OK? Anywhere, head or the heart. That's why the last cops lost their lives," he says.

Three city police officers have been killed in the line of duty in a little more than two years.

An arrest warrant was issued for Moore after he was identified in the video, which was posted June 7, said Kevin Harley, spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office. The video was removed from YouTube following Moore's arrest at his apartment, police said.

"We believe these were terroristic threats that are not protected by the First Amendment, particularly when he encourages people to promote violence in Philadelphia and when he shows people how to use a gun to shoot a cop," Harley said.

Arrest documents said Moore works as a security guard at Albert Einstein Medical Center, where Officer Chuck Cassidy died after being shot during a robbery on Oct. 31.

Moore remained in custody Thursday and it was unclear whether he had an attorney.

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