"We are paying these Police to Beat us" - Philadelphia Police Change Story in Taped Beating of Black Men

Although Internal Affairs investigators said they were making progress in identifying the Philadelphia police officers depicted in a news video kicking and beating three shooting suspects, the criminal probe of those three has developed its own problems. Yesterday's preliminary hearing for the three was aborted after the three victims they allegedly wounded on May 5 failed to appear for court. A judge issued bench warrants for their arrest. The missing witnesses were just the start of a tumultuous day in a case that has attracted international attention. By day's end: Police changed a key element in their original description of the shooting and car chase that followed. They now say that the shooter was one of the three suspects arrested and not a fourth man who is still a fugitive. Police also denied news reports that they now believe only the three suspects were involved. They insisted they are still seeking a fourth suspect who fled on foot. The morning after it happened, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey explained it this way: "A car pulls up, four occupants get out.  They approach a group of males standing on the corner.  One of the individuals opens fire and strikes three individuals.  He takes off on foot running.  The other three individuals get in the car and take off."

Problem is, police now say there was no fourth man who fired the shots.  They say the gunman was Pete Hopkins, the suspect officers pulled from the front passenger seat. But his lawyer and his mother aren't buying it. "It's just a cover-up, we already know that.  That's what they gonna do to cover up. That's what they gonna do," said Shirley Hopkins, mother of Pete Hopkins. "The story's changed.  I wonder how many more times it's going to change," says Scott Perrine, Hopkins' lawyer. [MORE]