Kelly Thomas Case: Police Who Beat Homeless Man to Death Found Not Guilty

January 14, 2014

Kelly Thomas Case: Police Who Beat Homeless Man to Death Found Not Guilty

by Kit Perez in Headlines 4 Comments

Remember the homeless man who was beaten to death by the police outside a restaurant in Fullerton, CA in 2010? We reported on this case last November; of the three cops who caved in Kelly Thomas’ head and chest with their batons and fists, only two had to stand trial for second degree murder. Yesterday, all three of them went free.

The defense attorney for one of the officers gave a statement saying that “These peace officers were doing their jobs…they did what they were trained to do.”

If “doing what they were trained to do” as a police officer includes beating a mentally ill homeless man to death in public and on video while he cries out and begs for someone to help him, then the problem is far greater than just those cops.

In the sequence, [police officer] Ramos is captured slipping on a pair of latex gloves and telling Thomas – shirtless and sitting on a street curb – “Now you see my fists? They’re getting ready to [f—] you up.” Thomas replies, “Start punching, dude.”

Protect and serve? It sounds like Americans in Fullerton need to be protected from the cops.

assault beating Fullerton Kelly Thomas Kit Lange murder police

Written by Kit Perez

4 Comments

OldSoldier54 says:

January 14, 2014 at 12:13 pm

This is sickening.

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Jodi says:

January 14, 2014 at 1:58 pm

This is an absolute travesty. I *tried* to watch the video you linked from last November. I couldn’t get through it, it was so violent. What was the jury’s logic for this verdict?!

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- GWB says:
  
  January 14, 2014 at 2:23 pm
  
  I haven’t looked into this (I haven’t seen the video), so I’m making no judgments when I ask this, but…
  
  Could the video everyone is seeing be much like the Rodney King video? The video they showed every night on the news for months was highly edited to remove the dangerous car chase and Rodney’s subsequent violence in resisting arrest. Then it was looped to make you watch the one piece over and over and over.
  
  I ask because I tend to trust a jury slightly more than I trust the internet. Was the video somehow not credible in the eyes of the jury? I always tend to think: there has to be more to this story. (Remember that “everyone” thinks that Zimmerman stalked and shot down Trayvon in cold blood, despite the jury’s verdict.)
  
  I’m not as big a police defender as I used to be. But, I find it weird that something that “everyone” thinks is so obvious didn’t come across that way to a jury.
  
  Reply
Jodi says:

January 14, 2014 at 2:06 pm

Looks like the FBI may not be done with its investigation: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/FBI-to-Examine-Kelly-Thomas-Trial-Evidence-240043431.html

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