Squirrel Infiltrates Philly PD

'Officer Davis, don't spray him,' kids beg on video

(NEWSER) - Don't spray him, bro! A Texas cop recently pepper-sprayed a tiny baby squirrel in front of a horrified crowd of yelling schoolchildren. Now the cop is a YouTube "star," thanks to a cell phone video of the confrontation. "Nooooo," cry kids as the tiny speck on the ground gets a face full of spray. "Officer Davis, don't spray him!" The little guy is seen after the police take down writhing in agony on the ground outside the Mesquite middle school. Authorities defend the cop, saying he was protecting the children from a squirrel that could have been rabid, notes Fox News . The squirrel was cared for at a local animal shelter and released into the wild, according to officials. For other squirrels in the news, check this out. More»

Philadelphia sergeant purposely shot himself in the shoulder

(NEWSER) - A white police sergeant in Philadelphia has admitted that he made up a story about being shot by a black assailant and instead purposely shot himself in the shoulder, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . "There's some speculation he did it to get attention, or to get transferred," said the city's police chief, who called it a "terrible and embarrassing chapter in our history." More»

(NEWSER) - British transit cops in Philadelphia to trade counter-terrorism tactics with their US counterparts were treated to an American specialty, the Daily Mail reports—Dunkin’ Donuts. The UK contingent is touring railroad terminals on the East Coast so that “our two organizations” can “work and learn from each other,” the British commander said. But when he starts talking about sharing “best practices,” you wonder what he means. More»

Vigorous chase leads to heart-melting

(NEWSER) - Two Philly cops engaged in an intense chase yesterday, using their cruisers and their feet as they took to the streets in pursuit of a fugitive, Inquirer columnist Jill Porter reports. The hour-long hunt ended with the apprehension of a terrified youngster and moved one of the arresting officers to say, "We've got to find her a home." The runaway is … a puppy. More»

Philly officers ordered off streets amid furor

(NEWSER) - Authorities have ordered 13 Philadelphia police officers involved in the videotaped beating of three black suspects off the streets, AP reports. The video shows the suspects being kicked, punched, and hit with nightsticks while appearing to offer no resistance. Rev. Al Sharpton compared the incident with the videotaped beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles. More»