Cops In Beating Death Of Kelly Thomas Found Not Guilty By Reason Of Orange County
The two former Fullerton, California, police officers accused of beating a homeless man to death were found not guilty on all charges Monday. The beating of Kelly Thomas, who suffered from schizophrenia, was captured on videotape, but an Orange County jury was not convinced by the prosecution's case that the cops had acted excessively. Because they were cops, of course, and because Thomas was just a homeless guy who, instead of complying with multiple contradictory orders, kept flopping around and trying to breathe while six cops piled on him, too bad, so sad, no big whoop, law and order hooray!
The verdict is "controversial," in that even the Daily Caller described it as a "shock" following the detailed testimony showing that Thomas died of injuries suffered at the hands of cops. When commenters on Free Republic are calling the verdict a travesty, then you know there's something seriously screwy.
The trial was the first time that Orange County cops have ever been charged with murder in the death of a suspect, and it's unlikely that the cops would have even been charged if the killing hadn't been caught on videotape. Now the jury has agreed with the defense that the two former cops, Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, were just doing whatever was necessary to subdue a violent, out-of-control drug addict, which apparently includes punching suspects repeatedly in the face with a taser while they beg for help.
Thomas was confronted by Ramos and Cicinelli outside a restaurant on July 25, 2011; a restaurant worker had accused him of trying to break into parked cars. In the videotape (graphic, not safe for work or lunchtime or humanity), the police can be seen taunting and threatening Thomas, who appears to be confused but trying to comply; somehow, to the jury, it looked like he was resisting arrest instead of getting the shit beaten out of him.
Ron Thomas, Kelly's father, said that he still hopes that the Justice Department will file federal charges against the former officers, adding, "I've never seen something so bad happen to a human being, and have it done by on-duty police officer ... And they can walk away scot-free."
Persons expressing surprise at this basic fact of American life are advised to pay closer attention.
Doktor Zoom's real name is Marty Kelley, and he lives in the wilds of Boise, Idaho. He is not a medical doctor, but does have a real PhD in Rhetoric. You should definitely donate some money to this little mommyblog where he has finally found acceptance and cat pictures. He is on maternity leave until 2033. Here is his Twitter, also. His quest to avoid prolixity is not going so great.
