CA - Two Fullerton PD officers accused of beating Kelly Thomas to death

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Just catching up with all the articles, etc.

I am particularly disturbed by witness accounts that allege an officer beating a motionless Kelly Thomas in the back of the head with the butt end of a taser, until blood spurted out.
He smashed the poor man's head in after he was already unconscious??!!

Disgusting and criminal! Throw the book at him, if those accounts are true. Maximum justice!
 
JoeFromLB said:
Just catching up with all the articles, etc.

I am particularly disturbed by witness accounts that allege an officer beating a motionless Kelly Thomas in the back of the head with the butt end of a taser, until blood spurted out.
He smashed the poor man's head in after he was already unconscious??!!

Disgusting and criminal! Throw the book at him, if those accounts are true. Maximum justice!
Click to expand...

OMG. IMO, THAT says they (at least some of them) WERE trying to kill him.

I'm guessing attempted murder will be difficult to prove in a court of law. But, you have to wonder, how many times does a person (cop or otherwise, - but especially cop) believe you can bash someone'd HEAD before they are going to eventually die???

Good lord. There is NO WAY they're going to be able to sweep this under the rug. But if these brutally violent cops get off, there will only be more violence, mayhem and complete distrust between the citizens and the cops - for a long, long time. Nothing good will ever come of that.

Who do you call when the cops are the bad guys???
 
I just heard about this today.

You guys, I feel like I have been punched in the stomach. I work with the homeless, and I've also worked with LE. I'm not a conspiracy nut who thinks that all cops are bad, far from it, I adore them.

But this was murder. This is no different from soldiers overseas who murder civilians. We need to hold people in positions of power to more accountability. There is no way, no way in hell, that that many officers had to use such excessive force.

Oh, this poor man. I'm crying just thinking about it. The homeless are still human beings! Some of the dearest people I have ever met have been clients at the shelter I work with. So sweet. My God...
 
Cops saw video of deadly incident with Kelly Thomas before writing reports
By Richard Winton and Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times
August 12, 2011

Fullerton's acting police chief acknowledged Thursday that the department had allowed police officers involved in a deadly encounter with a homeless man to watch a video that captures the incident before writing their reports about it.

Acting Chief Kevin Hamilton said supervisors allowed the review so that the officers would have a chance to refresh their memory and write an accurate account of the incident involving Kelly Thomas.

But the practice is at odds with the way many other police departments deal with serious use-of-force cases. The LAPD's former inspector general, Jeffrey Eglash, said that allowing police to look at video before giving evidence is a "bad practice."

"You want each person's recollection. I would look at the videotape like another witness," he said. "It allows the officers to conform their statements to other evidence rather than getting their independent witness recollection. It is not a practice that advances the truth-seeking."​
Full article: click here
 
Kelly Thomas' Parents File Claim Against Fullerton
Thursday, 11 Aug 2011, 6:41 PM PDT
Text Story by: City News
Posted by: myFOXla.com Web Staff

Fullerton - The parents of Kelly Thomas, the mentally ill homeless man who died following a struggle with Fullerton police last month, filed a claim today against the city, a precursor to a lawsuit.

Fred and Cathy Thomas filed the claim alleging excessive force in the July 5 arrest of their son at the Fullerton Transportation Center.

The claim alleges their 145-pound son was on a bench at the transportation center when six police officers "used excessive and deadly force" on Thomas "without justification and acting under color of law."

The claim further alleges the officers "in unison severely beat (Thomas) with their fists and with objects and subjected (Thomas) to excessive applications of Taser electricity and to numerous forms of excessive and deadly force under circumstances in which (Thomas) was subdued and restrained and represented no threat of harm to the Fullerton police officers, causing the death (of Thomas)."

The claim does not state a dollar figure, but says it should be "in an amount that would place it within the unlimited jurisdiction of the Superior Court."​
Full article: click here
 
DA vows 'fair result' soon into probe of homeless man's death
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 11, 2011 7:51 p.m. EDT

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told CNN on Thursday "there is no question whether or not force was used."

"The question is whether or not it's reasonable force, given all the circumstances presented to police at the time and whether or not they were overcoming unlawful resistance by Mr. Thomas," said Rackauckas. "These are legal questions that have to be answered."

The district attorney did not give a specific timetable as to when charges will, or will not, be filed. But he said it should not take long.

"I think we'll have the whole picture here in a short time, and we're moving toward a just and fair result," said Rackauckas.​
Full article: click here
 
I heard yesterday that the officers also had like belt cams or something like that. not dash cams but devices on their belts that would record at least the audio.
 
I went to the protest again today. It was very emotional. I made a huge sign. It's photo 54 of the photos posted today on this FB link. (I don't know who the guy is holding the sign. Just a nice guy who took over when my mom (who also came) got tired!) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-kelly-Thomas/148030748606881?closeTheater=1

At the end of every protest, everyone walks off their corners and off the street and to the police department courtyard where everyone places their signs on the floor in front of the doors and chants the names of the officers who killed Kelly, sing songs about him and demand justice. Kelly's family is usually there and it's very intense.

There are people from all walks of life at the protest: Homeless people of all ages, people who have suffered police brutality or lost someone who did, people who knew Kelly, political groups from both sides of the aisle and local civic groups, as well as concerned citizens from Fullerton and elsewhere.

The little kids with their signs like, "Who are the good guys now?" really get to you. But every time I see Kelly's dad, I want to cry.
 
Hackers threaten Fullerton police website, email
Group Anonymous is seeking prosecution of officers involved in confrontation with homeless man and resignation of police chief

FULLERTON – The hacker group Anonymous is threatening to disrupt the Fullerton Police Department's website and email after the death of a mentally ill homeless man last month following a confrontation with police officers.
The group is demanding the resignation of Police Chief Michael Sellers, the prosecution of the officers involved and the city to pay out $5 million to the family of Kelly Thomas, 37, who died July 10. Police said Thomas resisted while officers were investigating reports of an attempted car burglary. Six officers responded to subdue him, and a bloody photo showing Thomas' injuries has received national attention
http://www.ocregister.com/news/police-312020-officers-anonymous.html
 
joe jones said:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/16/california.homeless.death/index.html?hpt=ju_c2

hiring a consultant to look into police force and the murder
Click to expand...

Yeah, there has been some progress, but not fast enough. The police chief also went on indefinite medical leave, citing "stress".

Here's a link to video of the protest march today. It was very emotional. I'm holding my giant sign at minute 2:11 but you can only really see the back of me. We were standing at the site where Kelly was murdered. It was very intense again today, very emotional and it is getting bigger every week: http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/category/the-crime-beat/
 
JBean said:
Hackers threaten Fullerton police website, email
Group Anonymous is seeking prosecution of officers involved in confrontation with homeless man and resignation of police chief

FULLERTON – The hacker group Anonymous is threatening to disrupt the Fullerton Police Department's website and email after the death of a mentally ill homeless man last month following a confrontation with police officers.
The group is demanding the resignation of Police Chief Michael Sellers, the prosecution of the officers involved and the city to pay out $5 million to the family of Kelly Thomas, 37, who died July 10. Police said Thomas resisted while officers were investigating reports of an attempted car burglary. Six officers responded to subdue him, and a bloody photo showing Thomas' injuries has received national attention
http://www.ocregister.com/news/police-312020-officers-anonymous.html
Click to expand...

You can see these Anonymous guys in the video I posted above, wearing V for Vendetta masks. Most of them, though, were actually wearing suits with their masks!

They were responsible for the mass BART shutdown recently but they have not yet been able to hack the FPD computer system.
 
gitana1 said:
Yeah, there has been some progress, but not fast enough. The police chief also went on indefinite medical leave, citing "stress".

Here's a link to video of the protest march today. It was very emotional. I'm holding my giant sign at minute 2:11 but you can only really see the back of me. We were standing at the site where Kelly was murdered. It was very intense again today, very emotional and it is getting bigger every week: http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/category/the-crime-beat/
Click to expand...

Great to see the pressure building instead of dissipating. Of course, the prickly powers still think they can "stall and delay and hope it goes away" -- but it's too late for that political BS. Also great to see Veth Mam getting his just attention, and hopefully some justice. His case is a perfect example of the police making up their reports to clear their actions.
 
Recent article:

Cops increasingly under siege after homeless death
By GILLIAN FLACCUS - Associated Press,GREG RISLING - Associated Press | AP – 21 hrs ago

FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) — Until last month, the most pressing issues in this quiet Southern California suburb were whether to build homes on rolling hills north of the city, how best to preserve a historic movie theater and a downtown bar scene that got a little too popular for its own good.

Now, the historic city that's home to five colleges and a vibrant nightlife is the target of international outrage after a mentally ill homeless man died following a violent fight with six police officers that was captured on camera. In the video, 37-year-old Kelly Thomas, who suffered from schizophrenia, can be heard crying out for his father over the zapping sound of a stun gun.

The incident last month has ensnared Fullerton in an ever-widening array of state and federal investigations, resignations and rowdy protests — and things promise to get worse for the city before they get better. The acting police chief last week ordered an internal investigation into an unrelated, but volatile confrontation last year after reviewing cell phone footage that appears to contradict sworn testimony given by police officers in court.

More at link:
http://news.yahoo.com/cops-increasingly-under-siege-homeless-death-091743663.html
 
This happened 7/5, and it is now 8/23/11. The city council just last week called for an investigation? This city's police dept. has been out of control, it seems, for a long time. Get rid of all of them and start over, imo. Just because some officers or brass may not have been involved, I don't buy it for a minute that they didn't know that this crap was going on.
They need to clean house immediately, imo, and move this investigation along on all fronts.
Gitana1, please let us know what is going on when you can. ty
 
shadowraiths said:
D.A. sees no signs of 'intentional killing' by Fullerton police
By Richard Winton and Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times
August 9, 2011

Prosecutors are still probing whether officers used excessive force against a schizophrenic homeless man. The man's father says he suffered brain injuries from blunt force trauma and lack of oxygen.

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas on Monday said that he's seen no evidence so far suggesting Fullerton police officers intentionally tried to kill homeless man Kelly Thomas, but that his office is still trying to determine whether the officers used excessive force in his death.

Rackauckas, speaking about it publicly for the first time, said the investigation is in its early stages and his office has yet to get a cause-of-death determination from the Orange County coroner's office.
​
Click to expand...


Tuffy said:
Huh? Are you kidding me? :waitasec:
Click to expand...

Well, Chief of Police and Head of DA are buddies.

No one saw that coming?

I am going to say this again; I really, really, really hope that the FBI will sort this out in the light and not a back room.

I don't understand how it's so incredibly hard to do the RIGHT thing now days.​
 
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