FOUR rank and file cops have been suspended in an unprecedented step by the Garda (police) Commissioner Fachtna Murphy following a complaint by the mother of a teenager of a vicious assault by the officers.The woman claimed the attack on her son happened at their home in Dublin's south inner city, and she reported it to the 10-month-old Garda Ombudsman Commission.The complaint was made 10 days ago but only came to the notice of senior officers last weekend. Murphy moved swiftly and by Monday night the four officers, three men and a woman, were removed from duty pending the outcome of the commission's investigation.It's the first time a cop under investigation has been suspended before the result of the Ombudsman Commission inquiry has been completed.The commission was set up by the government as an independent body to investigate complaints about police behavior. It was established following the perceived failure of the previous system in which the police themselves investigated allegations against officers.The commission, headed by former Irish Times editor Conor Brady, has received more than 2,000 complaints from the public since its establishment in May of 2007.It mostly reaches findings of fact which are then reported to both sides when an inquiry has concluded. A complainant then has the option of deciding for themselves whether to pursue the matter further.But the commission also has the power to refer matters of concern to the Director of Public Prosecution and to recommend criminal prosecutions.The alleged group beating happened a day after a dispute involving the youth, aged 19, and a cop.He made a statement first to his solicitor and then to the Ombudsman Commission, and a formal investigation was immediately begun. He has been interviewed a number of times, as have his family members.The cops involved in the alleged attack have also been interviewed by investigators working for the Commission.Spokespersons for the commission and for the Garda force both confirmed that four members have been suspended as a result of the alleged incident. They declined to comment further.