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Video portrays violent death of Kelly Thomas (beaten to death by police)
LA Times ^ | May 8, 2012 | Richard Winton

Posted on 05/07/2012 11:20:38 PM PDT by heartwood

On the ground and screaming that he was "sorry," a shirtless Kelly Thomas is shown being hit again and again with fists, a baton and finally the butt of a stun gun by Fullerton police officers in a dramatic video that was shown for the first time Monday in an Orange County courtroom.

The grainy black and white video of Thomas' violent encounter with police outside a bus depot is the centerpiece of the prosecutions' case against two officers accused of escalating a standard police encounter with a homeless man into a fatal beating.

At one point, Thomas — a 37-year-old mentally ill homeless man who was a familiar face in the city's downtown — screams out: "Dad, they are killing me!"

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: cop; cops; donutwatch; fullerton; kellythomas; leo; police
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It's a start. Four officers involved not charged yet.
1 posted on 05/07/2012 11:20:43 PM PDT by heartwood
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To: heartwood

Sounds like pure jack booted thugs to me.

Has the union come out defending them?

Or are they still scouring their Facebooks for any hint of criticism of Obama?


2 posted on 05/07/2012 11:28:46 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: heartwood

I have to look at this objectively. I’m as white as rice but this dude is being combative. Yes I know he’s schizophrenic but if the officers don’t know that then he is possibly on drugs but regardless, he is not obeying commands and is also hostile and combative. He escalated the situation and was resisting all the way.


3 posted on 05/07/2012 11:30:31 PM PDT by GeorgeWashingtonsGhost
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To: GeorgeWashingtonsGhost

Yeah, who needs a legal system. Just let the cops beat to death anyone they want to.


4 posted on 05/07/2012 11:33:03 PM PDT by Politicalmom (THIS IS NOT A GOP CHEERLEADING SITE!!!)
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To: GeronL

At least one of the officers is drawing a sweet pension. Wouldn’t want him to go without 70K per year for life.


5 posted on 05/07/2012 11:34:43 PM PDT by boop (I hate hippies and dopeheads. Just hate them. ...Ernest Borgnine)
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To: Politicalmom

How can you get him into the legal system without detaining him? He would not submit, so he committed suicide by taser.


6 posted on 05/07/2012 11:38:17 PM PDT by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
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To: GeorgeWashingtonsGhost

If cops can’t control themselves, they shouldn’t wear the badge.


7 posted on 05/07/2012 11:39:22 PM PDT by abercrombie_guy_38
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
They beat the guy to death. Where do you get suicide by taser?
8 posted on 05/07/2012 11:41:21 PM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: GeorgeWashingtonsGhost
He escalated the situation

not sure Officer Ramos helped the situation (major understatement)....

"See my fists?" Ramos says.

"Yeah," Thomas replies. "What about 'em?"

"They're getting ready to f— you up," Ramos says while sliding on a pair of latex gloves. The statements and the menacing acting of putting on the gloves, Rackauckas said the preliminary hearing, set the deadly encounter into motion.

9 posted on 05/07/2012 11:41:26 PM PDT by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

He was not resisting, he was thrashing in pain. I bet you just love the part where the cop snaps on the gloves in preparation to kill the unarmed man.

“Thomas suffered brain injuries, a shattered nose, a smashed cheekbone, broken ribs and internal bleeding, according to authorities. But he died of “mechanical compression of the thorax” — his windpipe was crushed.”


10 posted on 05/07/2012 11:44:06 PM PDT by Politicalmom (THIS IS NOT A GOP CHEERLEADING SITE!!!)
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To: All

Wow. A lot of statist newbies on this thread...


11 posted on 05/07/2012 11:45:08 PM PDT by Politicalmom (THIS IS NOT A GOP CHEERLEADING SITE!!!)
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To: GeorgeWashingtonsGhost

you and obamasa... are either uninformed or jackboot supporters. the cop put surgical gloves on to beat this kid. you really think 6 cops couldn’t restrain him? sick.


12 posted on 05/07/2012 11:46:15 PM PDT by quimby
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To: GeorgeWashingtonsGhost

First of all what does being white as rice have absolutely anything to do with this?

Why are you injecting race into this tragedy.

Kelly Thomas was not on drugs.

According to surveillance camera and the mini video camera worn by the officers, Kelly Thomas complied and was not combative.

None of the six police officer suffered any injuries during this incident.

Kelly Thomas was beaten about the head and neck with flashlights and the butts of Taser.

Kelly Thomas was shocked 5 times with the Taser after he complied.

According to the medical examiners, Kelly Thomas died because the officer pressed so hard on his chest that he couldn’t breath.

Take a look at the video shot by witnesses to the beating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8CLrUmciSg8

Take a look at the picture of Kelly Thomas before and after the beating. It’s amazingly graphic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eolzmeSZ75Q&feature=related


13 posted on 05/07/2012 11:47:49 PM PDT by PanzerKardinal (Some things are so idiotic only an intellectual would believe it.)
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To: GeorgeWashingtonsGhost

o hogwash...they could have cuffed him long before they beat the crap out of him. He also was threatened and therefore had reason to try and get away! He feared for his life and rightly so! Good lord man..where is your compassion?


14 posted on 05/07/2012 11:48:20 PM PDT by fabian (" And a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo with laughter")
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To: PanzerKardinal

I think he meant dumb as rice


15 posted on 05/07/2012 11:50:17 PM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
He would not submit, so he committed suicide by taser.

They beat the guy to death.

Read the article.

16 posted on 05/07/2012 11:54:25 PM PDT by Semper Mark (Oh. Who's being naive, Kay?)
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To: heartwood
The grainy black and white video of Thomas' violent encounter with police...

I thought there was supposed to be a high quality police video in full color that was monitored at the station in real time. Not so?

17 posted on 05/07/2012 11:57:53 PM PDT by Ken H (Austerity is the irresistible force. Entitlements are the immovable object.)
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To: heartwood
The whole point of a pension and early retirement for a cop is the they will put their life and body in the line of duty.

And part of that is having the ability to at least handle someone physically. If two or three cops cannot control someone with physical mechanics without the need for a taser or batons, then we need a total review of the police body.

You put your body on the line and subdue the suspect. That is part of the job. A high school wrestler could have done it.

18 posted on 05/08/2012 12:05:43 AM PDT by Theoria (Rush Limbaugh: Ron Paul sounds like an Islamic terrorist)
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To: fabian

Sometimew freepers are just stupid and adore cop odor

Bet they sleep with nightsticks and dark raybans

Likely never seen a busted grape cept on tv


19 posted on 05/08/2012 12:06:52 AM PDT by wardaddy (I am a social conservative. My political party left me(again). They can go to hell in a bucket.)
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To: GeorgeWashingtonsGhost

watch the video. They murdered the man. 1st degree with full intent.


20 posted on 05/08/2012 12:18:34 AM PDT by reardensteel
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