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Fullerton police charged in beating death


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Officers charged in death of Kelly Thomas

“Fullerton, California (CNN) — A police officer has been charged with second-degree murder and another faces an involuntary manslaughter charge in the death of a mentally ill homeless man who died after a confrontation with police, California prosecutors announced Wednesday.

The actions of Fullerton Police Officer Manuel Ramos, who has been charged with second-degree murder, “were reckless and created a high risk of death and great bodily injury,” Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told reporters.

The second officer, Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, is being charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony excessive force, the prosecutor said.

The charges come in the death of 37-year-old Kelly Thomas, who was beaten by police during an altercation in July and died five days later. The FBI is also investigating civil rights violations in the death of Thomas, a homeless man with schizophrenia.

Six Fullerton officers were put on paid leave after Thomas’ death. The case put widespread attention on the police department of Fullerton, located about 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Since then, two other brutality allegations have been made by men who were allegedly injured by Fullerton police last year, and officer Kenton Hampton has been placed on paid leave in the wake of one of those two complaints, a department spokesman said.

The district attorney has described the incident involving Thomas as “a violent and desperate struggle.”

Thomas’ father told CNN that he would like to see at least two of the six officers charged with manslaughter because, he said, “the other four weren’t as involved.”

Ron Thomas spoke outside the district attorney’s office just before the prosecutor’s news conference was scheduled to begin Wednesday morning. He said the prosecutor’s office wasn’t going to allow him into the news conference, but he was scheduled to meet with the prosecutor afterward.

Regarding all six officers involved in the arrest of his son, Thomas added: “They should all lose their jobs and not be allowed to work in law enforcement.”

A family attorney for Thomas has already publicly released Thomas’ hospital and medical records showing that he was brain dead by the time he reached the hospital after the police altercation. Thomas had no narcotics or prescription medicine in his body, the attorney said.

According to the medical records released by the family attorney, Thomas died from brain injuries as a result of head trauma. Thomas also suffered multiple broken bones in his face and rib fractures, and he was shocked multiple times near his chest cavity and on his back with a police Taser, the family attorney said.

Thomas suffered nose and brain trauma and smashed cheekbones, according to the medical records. The family attorney accused police of using their Tasers to deliver some of the head and face blows.

The medical reports provided by the family attorney said Thomas suffered internal bleeding, and Thomas also choked on his blood, the family attorney said.

Several bystanders witnessed the encounter and others recorded portions of the beating on cellular phones, according to the family attorney.

The incident began after six officers responded to reports of a man attempting to break into cars near a bus depot just blocks from Fullerton City Hall, according to police.

Following the beating, there was no evidence that vehicles were burglarized, nor was Thomas in possession of any stolen property, according to the Thomas family attorney.

Thomas was taken off life support five days after the July 5 incident.”

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I remember hearing about all this when it had just happened (I live like an hour away from Fullerton). Everyone in CA wants these pigs strung up.

It's goddamn inhuman. CA authorities are seriously THE BIGGEST ASSHOLES in the world.

Somewhere there's video footage, if I recall correctly you can hear the man calling out "Dad! Dad!" before it cuts out.

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Saw this today. They should get the good ol death penalty. Judicial system is fucked. First Casey anthony then this. Piss.

"Well, I’m sure you know that our country is the only so-called advanced nation that still has a death penalty. And torture chambers. I mean, why screw around?

But listen: If anyone here should wind up on a gurney in a lethal-injection facility, maybe the one at Terre Haute, here is what your last words should be: “This will certainly teach me a lesson.” "

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  • 2 years later...

"Well, I’m sure you know that our country is the only so-called advanced nation that still has a death penalty. And torture chambers. I mean, why screw around?

But listen: If anyone here should wind up on a gurney in a lethal-injection facility, maybe the one at Terre Haute, here is what your last words should be: “This will certainly teach me a lesson.” "

 

The purpose of the death penalty isn't to teach a lesson to the person being put to death, it's to set an example for all the people still alive.  People need to learn that it's not ok to do something like this and if you do, the ultimate consequence awaits you.  I say these idiots should suffer the most extreme consequence for what they did.

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From the LA Times article...

 

And yes we all need to fix this in whatever "clause" it stands in...

 

FROM LA TIMES:

"Police officers have the privilege, the right to use force to overcome resistance," said Ira Salzman, a defense attorney who often represents police officers. "When you have the law allowing use of force, that is a tremendous protection." 

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It's really strange to me that this is not on national news. They will show a story about a cat who rides on a vacuum cleaner, but this complete fucking injustice is swept under the rug.

I live an hour and a half away from Fullerton and not one single person has mentioned this at all today. Not even the local paper. It's pretty disgusting.

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according to the OC register, the FBI is allegedly looking into the case after the announcement of the not-guilty verdicts. so i guess there's the faintest glimmer of hope that justice will be brought.

 

I live an hour and a half away from Fullerton and not one single person has mentioned this at all today. Not even the local paper. It's pretty disgusting.

 

it got pretty good coverage in the OC register, and rightfully so. but it's pretty insane what local and network news channels choose to televise. ridiculous.

 

 

 

edit: a change has to be made to the clause that states a police officer can use force. as many as six officers were beating the shit out of thomas at once? isn't it a given that someone is going to resist the harder you try to end his life? what a joke.

 

also, classic quote: Jay Cicinelli, the officer charged with involuntary manslaughter, said: “We ran out of options so I got the end of my Taser and … I just start smashing his face to hell.”

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