Homeless man beaten by six Fullerton, CA Police

Kelly Thomas’ father, a retired Orange County, California, Sheriff's Deputy, did not recognize his own son when he went see him at the UC Irvine Medical Center after Fullerton Police beat him into a coma on July 5. The officers were responding to a call about vandalized cars when they encountered Thomas, a homeless schizophrenic, and attempted to search him. Thomas’ father says his son may have been off his meds, which would explain why he may have resisted arrest. However, nothing can explain his gang-style murder committed by Fullerton cops.

Kelly Thomas was described as gentle and quiet by those who knew him and/or encountered him regularly.  He had no weapons on him.  According to witnesses, he was not resisting arrest - he was lying on the ground, crying out for his father.

We need a better mechanism in place to prevent police from using this kind of force. A taser is designed to subdue someone after one hit. Tasing an unarmed individual (who was lying on the ground and not "resisting arrest," per witnesses) multiple times while beating them so severely that they go into a coma and later die…that’s not police work. That’s murder.

Numerous videos of the event, taken by witnesses to the crime, are posted on YouTube, including: http://youtu.be/1ljYNgLnpxM. 

One citizen was actually assaulted by an officer for refusing to stop videotaping the event (http://youtu.be/U9XPbdRqrZw).  There is also purportedly a clear "dispatch-operated video camera" tape of the event, though this tape has not been released to the public, citing the ongoing investigation (http://youtu.be/t0baWrHrBQM).  The public deserves to see this video.

One unarmed, malnourished indigent man should not have required this excessive show of force.  It is, rather, brutality at the hands of those who are sworn to "serve and protect."

By signing this petition, we demand a speedy investigation into the incident, public release of the findings, and public release of any videotape footage caught by city-owned/operated cameras.  Further, any officer found guilty of excessive force should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, both criminally and civilly. And the Chief of Police should be held accountable for the actions of his Police "force.
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