(April 5, 1974 – July 10, 2011)
Biography
Kelly Thomas was born April 5, 1974 to Ron Thomas, a former Orange County Sheriff's deputy, and Cathy Thomas.[2] A diagnosed schizop hrenic, he was a "fixture" among Fullerton's homeless population.[3]The incident
On July 5, 2011, at about 8:30 PM, officers of the Fullerton Police Department responded to a call of someone vandalizing cars near the Fullerton Transportation Center. While investigating, they encountered the shirtless and disheveled Thomas and attempted to search him. According to statements given by the officers, Thomas was uncooperative and became physical when they attempted to search him, so backup was called. The officers then repeatedly shocked Thomas with Tasers, beat him with the butts of the Tasers and flashlights, and slammed him into the ground.[4] A video of the event surfaced, and Thomas can be heard repeatedly screaming in pain while they shock him (up to five times according to a witness statement) in the video, and screaming for his father.[5] A total of six officers were involved in subduing Thomas, who was unarmed and has a history of mental illness. Thomas was then taken to the UC Irvine Medical Center with severe injuries to his head, face, and neck.[6]The aftermath
The story of his beating broke shortly before his death.[7][8] An investigation into the beating was undertaken by the Orange County district attorney starting on July 7, 2011,[9] and later the FBI became involved.[10] The decision to involve the FBI was praised by the American Civil Liberties Union, which claims the Orange County District Attorney has an "abysmal" record when investigating shootings with police involvement.[11]Kelly Thomas was removed from life support and died on July 10, 2011, five days after the beating.[12] Initial reports claimed that Thomas had been very combative with officers and two had suffered broken bones.[13] Later, the police department confirmed that no officers had suffered any broken bones, and that no one other than Thomas had any significant injuries.[14] By the end of July, several news outlets had picked up the story and it had become international news.[15]
On July 18, 2011, a large protest outside the Fullerton Police Department was organized by several people, including the victim's father Ron Thomas.[16]
On August 2, 2011 many members of the public spoke out about the beating at the biweekly City Council meeting at the Fullerton City Hall.[17] Over 70 members of the public spoke to the City Council, the vast majority of whom criticized the police. Among the speakers was Ron Thomas, the father of Kelly Thomas, as well as Kelly Thomas's stepmother. The public comment session lasted for approximately three hours. The City Attorney emphasized that the City Council could not respond to the comments, however following the public comment period discussion was given to provide clarification on the city's policy regarding the mentally ill. In addition, Tony Bushala, a local developer and conservative activist, announced plans to recall three members of the City Council thought to have responded insufficiently to the beating.[18]
On Saturday August 6, 2011, a large street protest was held outside of the Fullerton City Hall. Activists at that protest, which was attended by hundreds of people, called for the release of a surveillance video shot by cameras installed at the bus depot and carried signs with slogans like "Jail All Killer Cops" and "End Police Brutality."[19]
All six officers involved in the beating were placed on administrative leave and several people, including two members of the Fullerton City Council, have called for the resignation of police Chief Michael Sellers,[20] who was later placed on medical leave for undisclosed reasons.[21] The investigation is still ongoing and the Orange County District Attorney is requesting public assistance in the case.[22] A final report has not yet been released.
No comments:
Post a Comment