Cops Gone Wild: The Police Execution of Kelly Thomas (by Eddie Rose)

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We visited one of our favorite dining venues last Tuesday, September 27, The Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton, CA.  Unfortunately, knowing that Kelly Thomas was brutally murdered by six out-of-control Fullerton police officers only a few hundred feet away, left a bad taste in our mouths, so to speak.

Kelly Thomas was a 37-year old homeless man.  Perhaps his appearance offended some people.  Perhaps his seemingly aimless ways scared some people.  Perhaps his mental problems gave the police an excuse to regard him as non-compliant.

None of these are “criminal” offenses.  The  Fullerton police had no right to administer “street justice”, to brutally murder Kelly Thomas.  If they felt he had broken some law, they should have taken him into custody and let the courts determine his guilt or innocence.

The mission of the police should be “to protect and serve”.  The actions of these Fullerton police officers have given a black eye to law enforcement.  It is unfortunate that Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas only decided to pursue criminal charges against two officers, Manuel Ramos, accused of second-degree murder, and Jay Cicinelli, accused of the lesser charge of  involuntary manslaughter.  At the very least, the other four officers should have been charged with conspiracy and/or excessive use of force, if not involuntary manslaughter.

The people of Orange County should be legitimately concerned that Rackauckas will “blow” this case, much the same way that his counterpart, former Los Angeles City Attorney Gil Garcetti, “blew” the Rodney King beating case, as well as the OJ Simpson murders, by allowing sympathetic juries to be impaneled.  After all, it is abundantly clear that the only reasons Rackauckas filed any charges at all was (1) to further his own already tarnished image, and (2) because the FBI was ready to take over if Rackauckas didn’t act.

Epilogue—The three Fullerton City Councilmembers who tried to sweep this entire matter under the rug should be recalled.  Had it not been for some alert citizens who caught this horrific execution on video tape and came forward, these six Fullerton officers would have undoubtedly gotten away with their crime.

The Honorable Eddie Rose

Former Laguna Niguel (CA) City Councilman

“A Voice—Not an Echo”

About Eddie Rose