Philadelphia police

Closing Arguments Set in Philadelphia Police Trial

Closing arguments are set in the trial of two Philadelphia police officers charged with wrongly beating a man who has since been fatally shot.

Philly.com reports the arguments will be held Friday in the trial of officers Sean McKnight and Kevin Robinson.

The officers have denied wrongly beating 23-year-old Najee Rivera without provocation during a May 2013 traffic stop.

The officers say Rivera fled after running a stop sign and they mistakenly believed he was a drug courier, because others had been using scooters and ATVs to move guns and drugs.

The officers were charged after Rivera's girlfriend found neighborhood surveillance video that prosecutors say contradicts the officers' claims that Rivera attacked them.

Rivera died in December, 15 days after he was wounded during a street fight.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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