PHILADELPHIA (Map, News) - 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.

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."

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said he does not believe the confrontation was racially motivated, but instead thinks that tensions in the wake of the weekend slaying of a fellow officer played a part.

The beating occurred at the same time as police were conducting an intense manhunt for a suspect in the slaying of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, 39, who was killed responding to a bank robbery Saturday. He was the second city officer killed on the job in seven months.

At a news conference Thursday morning, Ramsey called the confrontation a "black eye" for the force and "an embarrassment to the entire department."

In an interview later in the day with The Associated Press, Ramsey said: "I know everybody's trying to make this into a racial thing. I don't believe it is."

"We just had a policeman murdered on Saturday ... and emotions are running high," he said.

"There's no excuse for it, but fanning flames, and making accusations from afar, is not in anybody's best interest," said Ramsey, who took over as commissioner in January after serving in the same role in Washington, D.C.

King, who is black, was videotaped being beaten by white Los Angeles police officers after he was stopped for speeding in 1991. Four officers were acquitted of most criminal charges in 1992, triggering rioting in Los Angeles and neighboring cities that left 55 people dead and caused $1 billion in property damage.

In the Philadelphia case, officers who stopped the car Monday night believed its occupants had been involved in a triple shooting a few blocks away. They included members of a narcotics unit working the area and patrol officers called in response to the shooting.

The three suspects - Dwayne Dyches, Brian Hall and Pete Hopkins, all of Philadelphia - were each charged with attempted murder and related counts in connection with the shooting, according to court records.

D. Scott Perrine, a lawyer representing the three suspects, has said his clients had nothing to do with the shooting, police had no reason to follow their car and the beating was unjustified.

Leomia Dyches complained to Sharpton on Thursday that she could not see her son when he was in the hospital.

Ramsey noted to the AP that he was in custody at the time, charged with attempted murder. All three suspects were treated at a hospital soon after the confrontation, Ramsey said, and they were being held Thursday in lieu of bail of $100,000 or more.

The commissioner pledged to send the department's preliminary investigation to the District Attorney's Office by next week. If prosecutors decline to file charges, he will deal with the officers involved internally, he said.

Ramsey said he did not know the race of all the officers on the scene - there were about 15 - but said that at least one sergeant involved is African-American.

The Internal Affairs unit is still working to enhance the tape and identify all of the officers in the footage, a department spokesman said.

Sharpton's remarks came a day after he was arrested along with hundreds of other demonstrators as he blocked traffic to protest the acquittal of three New York detectives who fatally shot an unarmed black man in on his wedding day.

Ramsey said the beating does not reflect the behavior of the whole Philadelphia department, and cast a shadow during a time that should have been focused on the period of mourning for Liczbinski, whose funeral will be held Friday.

Mayor Michael Nutter has also criticized the officers' behavior, calling it unacceptable.

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Associated Press writer Kathy Matheson contributed to this report.

Comments from Examiner Readers

7:54 PM MST on Sun., May. 11, 2008 re: "Sharpton visits victim of Philadelphia police beating"

Examiner Reader said:
Why isn't Sharpton meeting with anyone from Sgt Liczbinski's family?

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5:13 PM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008 re: "Sharpton: Philly police beating 'worse than Rodney King'"

Examiner Reader said:
These guys deserved to get clobbered. Making them out to be innocent guys just out for an evening drive and then set upon by racist cops just shows how delusional you are. Thugs only understand an ass kicking and thrive in environments where their enablers coddle them and blame society for their mayhem. Good work PPD, too bad you were caught on camera.

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12:56 PM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008 re: "Philly officers taken off street after videotaped beating"

Examiner Reader said:
OK.Do not delete my comment any more.Take they 15 police and lock them up.I dont care if they were tierd there is no need for 15 police idiots to beat up 3 young men.

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11:55 AM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008 re: "Philly mayor: Officers' actions were 'inappropriate'"

Examiner Reader said:
OK, so they convicted Michael Vick for letting his dogs fight, however,a cop can beat a man especially a black man worse than a dog and it's only (inappropriate behavior) that is definitely a hhhmmm moment!!

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11:10 AM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008 re: "Philly officers taken off street after videotaped beating"

Examiner Reader said:
So they connected them to two things. Does anyone find this crazy. They pulled the guys from the car and started beating them. Stop trying to make this crap ok.

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11:08 AM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008 re: "Philly mayor: Officers' actions were 'inappropriate'"

Examiner Reader said:
So they caught the other guy and tried to connect these guys to it. They still have not seen there mathers or medical attention per one of the mothers they have hight bail etc. Is there something wrong with this picture???

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8:28 PM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008 re: "Philly officers taken off street after videotaped beating"

Examiner Reader said:
All you who feel sorry for these 3 thugs remember they just tried to murder someone!! If you still feel they are just fine young men being victimized by the evil Philly police department offer to take them into your home for a while and nurture them.

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4:16 PM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008 re: "Philly officers off street, video of beating being analyzed"

From the South said:
This is another act of police officers over reacting. The action of these officers was not required. Based on the images, the car stopped and the police officers rushed to the car. They pulled these guys out and began kicking, stomping as well as hitting them with their fist. Police officers are to enforce the law and not enforce the penalties. These officers where completely out of line. This act is a culture within most police forces and is often supported. Whatever these guys did or didn't do, the police officers should not have done this. This will soon be the normal and acceptable behavior of police offiers across our country.

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2:30 PM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008 re: "Philly officers taken off street after videotaped beating"

Examiner Reader said:
Why does it seem that the cops are always wrong? Over the years, the cops have had their authority stripped away. Anytime they use force, the liberals and the media automaticly assume they have crossed the line. Let them do the job they were trained to do and our streets will be a lot safer. Hats off to all cops, they do a thankless job. Gone are the days when officer O'Malley caught you doing something and beat you and then brought you home and your old man beat you as well. Today that's considered excessive force and child abuse. But we were better off. My how times have changed.

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8:36 AM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008 re: "15 Philly officers taken off street after videotaped beating"

Examiner Reader said:
It would be nice if the news would tell us what this men did...who knows, they probably got what they deserved...media, always siding with the CRIMINALS!!

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7:22 AM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008 re: "TV video shows Philly officers kicking, hitting 3 suspects"

Examiner Reader said:
All around the U.S. it's the same old song. Police can't be trusted no more than the criminals so who do you call, and there's definately no justice in the judicial system. Guess the "Black man" deserves to be beaten and hung ,,,huh.

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3:30 AM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008 re: "TV video shows Philly officers kicking, hitting 3 suspects"

Examiner Reader said:
the cops acted like thugs and should get the same treatment or worse firing is not enough criminal charges at a minimum those that did not stop the other cops should be suspended

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10:03 PM MST on Tue., May. 6, 2008 re: "TV video shows Philly officers kicking, hitting 3 suspects"

Examiner Reader said:
They probably deserved what they got and much much more.

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