The Rev. Al Sharpton called a videotaped police beating of
three shooting suspects in Philadelphia "worse than Rodney
King," prompting the city's police commissioner to chide
anyone "fanning flames ... from afar."
The civil rights activist made the comments Thursday as he
interviewed the mother of one of the suspects on his radio
show.
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Thirteen police officers have been taken off street duty
as police investigate the television news footage, according
to Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman. The video shows officers
kicking, punching and beating the three black men during a
traffic stop Monday.
"I've not seen anything like that since Rodney King,
and it's worse than Rodney King, and we cannot allow our community
to be under siege," Sharpton said. "We've got to
stop this nonsense in our community, acting like you got to
be a certain level black to be treated within the law."
