By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – African-American leaders in St. Louis say they want a wide-ranging investigation into the beating of a black suspect by four police officers Monday morning. Three of those officers are white. One is black.
Video from TV news helicopters shows the officers punching and kicking 33-year-old Edmon L. Burns.
Maplewood police chased Burns into St. Louis city during morning rush hour after they got a call about a suspicious vehicle at a gas station.
The department asked the Missouri Highway Patrol to investigate the incident.
But Jamala Rogers with the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression says it needs much more scrutiny.
"We're going to be doing all we can to try to find out what happened," Rogers said. "And I think as many different sources that can do their own, including the media, will come out and see how the facts come out in the end."
Chief White says the officers were injured during the incident, and could not file reports.
"It's premature to tell anybody anything when I don't have a complete, thorough investigation of what took place," White said. "I would be doing both the city and the officers a disservice, and the victim a disservice until I find out what took place."
A fourth policeman from St. Louis City was apparently involved, but White says he does not know about that officer's condition.