Judge releases video evidence in beating case of NYPD cop in the Bronx

The lawyers defending six men charged with attacking off-duty NYPD Officer Eric Hernandez say their clients are innocent and they have the tape to prove it. At a pretrial hearing Friday in Bronx court,

News 12 Staff

May 5, 2006, 10:51 PM

Updated 6,727 days ago

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The lawyers defending six men charged with attacking off-duty NYPD Officer Eric Hernandez say their clients are innocent and they have the tape to prove it.
At a pretrial hearing Friday in Bronx court, lawyers for the men accused of beating Hernandez at a Bronx White Castle in January asked the judge to make videotape evidence accessible in full to each defendant's legal team. The tapes include complete copies of video shot inside the restaurant by a surveillance camera, as well as video taken outside the restaurant by an anonymous witness. One lawyer says the abridged version of the witness? video is biased and will taint any potential jurors? opinion. In the end, the judge decided that each tape in its entirety should be released to the lawyers present.
Officer Hernandez died February 8 from a gunshot wound sustained in a friendly fire incident outside the White Castle. According to police, Hernandez stumbled out of the restaurant after the attack and drew his weapon. That prompted a fellow officer to fire. The defendants cannot be charged with murder since the medical examiner ruled that Hernandez died from the gunshot wounds.
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