Supreme Court, Things That Tick Me Off

Five Fullerton Cops Beat Homeless Man To Death

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old homeless schizophrenic, is shown on the left, after his confrontation with Fullerton California police officers, and on the right before his brutalization. He was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange County in critical condition on life-support and died five days later. Kelly was unarmed, had a slight build, and of medium height.

Witnesses claim that officers continued hitting Kelly with the butts of their flashlights even after he had stopped moving.

Kelly’s father, a retired Orange County sheriff’s deputy, didn’t recognize his son when he visited him at the hospital, and said “This is cold-blooded, aggravated murder.” Kelly’s father said his son was probably off his medication and couldn’t understand the officers’ commands.

An investigation is underway by the Orange County district attorney’s office and witnesses are sought.

In Olmstead v. L.C., the Supreme Court held that, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with mental disabilities have the right to live in the community rather than in institutions. One consequence is that even people with serious mental disorders, that are controlled by medication, are members of society. The side effects of the medication are claimed to be worse than the illness they’re supposed to treat and individuals are reluctant to continue the treatment.

This incident demonstrates a lack of self-control by the officers who have manifested sociopathic tendencies.

The video below doesn’t show much of what took place but other videos may surface.

H/T: LA Times, Orange County Register, Reason Hit & Run.

123 thoughts on “Five Fullerton Cops Beat Homeless Man To Death”

  1. UPDATE:

    Kelly Thomas Death: Officer Manuel Ramos Charged With Murder

    “Officer Manuel Ramos was charged with one count each of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of 37-year-old Kelly Thomas after a violent confrontation on July 5 with officers, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said at a news conference.

    Police Cpl. Jay Cicinelli was charged with one count each of involuntary manslaughter and excessive force, he said.”

  8. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fullerton-death-20110812,0,6171933.story

    “Cops saw video of deadly incident with Kelly Thomas before writing reports
    Supervisors allowed Fullerton officers involved in a violent confrontation with a homeless man to view the footage to help them write up accounts of the incident. A former LAPD official calls it a ‘bad practice.'”

    “Embattled Fullerton police chief goes on medical leave Embattled Fullerton police chief goes on medical leave”

  9. Where’s Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson? Why is there no rioting and looting? Oh, yeah right. The poor guy is white. This will just embolden them and when they do this to a person of color then the feces will fly. They aught to take a lesson from Costa Mesa cops and just haul them off,cap them somewhere quietly and cremate them.

  10. Years ago, it was acceptable for police officers to brutalize Blacks, Mexicans and other unfortunates who could not protect themselves. Being homeless puts you into the abuse category and thus allowing their badges to become hunting licenses. It’s absolutely cowardly and dispicable, but this is going to be downplayed for the folllowing reasons:

    1) President Obama will not weigh in on this one, even though this goes way beyond acting “stupidly”.

    2) The media doesn’t really want to make any sound that sounds like a rally cry. This event could become a flashpoint.

    3) At least 5 officers involved could be leaving the force and possibly those in the chain of command to the top. No one wants to lose their job, pension or freedom. They’ll fight tooth and nail to avoid trial and publicity.

    I sympathize with law enforcement that wants to keep things calm. However, the Rodney King riots didn’t break out until after the biased verdict. Now is the time to deal with this before it looks like a cover-up.

  11. It is the mission of the Police Department to facilitate and administer the laws of governing bodies, the orders of the courts, and to direct all energies and resources toward maintaining the health, welfare and safety of citizens.

    Am i reading that right? For some reason im confused.. i wonder why, oh yeah flashlights and tasers..

  12. It amazes me, with the way the United States is today, that we citizens have not risen up and revolted. Police, politicians, medical providers, oil companies, etc., they are all part of an establishment that makes them think they are invincible and untouchable. Something drastic needs to happen to get us back on the right track of society.

  14. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/08/05/us/AP-US-Katrina-Bridge-Shootings.html?hp

    Jury Convicts 5 Officers in Post-Katrina Shootings
    By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
    Published: August 5, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted five current or former police officers in the deadly shootings on a New Orleans bridge after Hurricane Katrina.

    Former officer Robert Faulcon, Sgts. Robert Gisevius and Kenneth Bowen, Officer Anthony Villavaso and retired Sgt. Arthur Kaufman were convicted of charges stemming from the cover-up of the shootings. All but Kaufman were convicted of civil rights violations stemming from the shootings. Kaufman, who investigated the shootings, was charged only in the cover-up.

    However, the jury didn’t find that the shootings amounted to murder.

    (end excerpt)

  18. This story has disappeared from MSN. It’s taken this long to surface and now it looks like they want it gone. He’s not Rodney King, but he’s dead. Where’s the outrage? Oh, I forgot, he’s “homeless”. I get that makes a difference and the fact that maybe he’s not a “minority”. The media should have been all over this one. But what can you expect these days from the media?

  19. What’s going on in Quartzsite, AZ… and why isn’t the MSM covering it? (… or have I missed the stories…)

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