FOP Plans Party For Beating Cops

PHILADELPHIA - Fox 29 has learned that the Philadelphia Fraternal Order Of Police plans to hold a party to celebrate the return to the force of eight Philadelphia police officers cleared in the public beating of three suspects.

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The officers were caught on tape by SkyFox in May 2008 beating three murder suspects.

An arbitrator ruled last week that the two fired officers should be reinstated, and four other officers were too harshly punished for the attack. No officers were charged after a grand jury released its findings last August.

The August 2009 grand jury report said the three suspects, because they eluded police, fell under the guidelines that justified the actions of the 20 officers who beat the three men on camera in a 14-minute video shot by Fox 29.

An invitation posted on the FOP Web site says "Our Guys Are Back" (Helicopter Video Incident) and its asks members to come out Friday night to the FOP lodge on Spring Garden Street.

The invitation promises a free party with an open bar and music, and features a smiley face with a police hat on it.

Back in Feltonville, where the controversial videotaped arrest happened two years ago, some said a party for these officers is a bit over the line as the city tries to move on and heal from this incident.

Fox 29 asked FOP President John McNesby for comment. He declined an on-camera interview Wednesday but said over the phone that the officers were exonerated by an "ethnically-diverse" grand jury and an arbitrator.