I hate you fucking cops for what you did to Kelly Thomas! You are heathens! Killers of the

[lonestarnot]

mentally ill. I hate you! WARNING: Sickenly graphic.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/kelly-thomas-video-homeless-man-beaten-as-he-cried-for-help-1.html

[snappyturtle]

1. I agree. When I was very young I was taught the policeman is

your friend. Today I fear them.

[lonestarnot]

2. Sad that.

[Baitball Blogger]

42. We all fear them.

And the system that supports them.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

45. Please don't fear them all.

My BIL is a cop and a very good one. His boss, the chief, is also a very good cop. They take care of my mother. Granted it is a small town in Oklahoma, and we all know each other, but still. The sheriff is also the son of a friend of the family and a very good man. They're not all scary. I promise. There are even some really good ones there in Oklahoma City. I'm sure there are good people in every city, but they are blighted in a "fraternity" atmosphere where they take up for each other far too much and are therefore guilty by association.

[snappyturtle]

59. Thank you for your kind reply.

My father was a Senior Agent in Charge in the FBI so I grew up
knowing many agents and policemen that Dad worked with. Fine all.
However, I have known of so very many bad encounters by friends
and relatives with today's present law enforcement officers that I am,
let's say, very careful. (I've never been arrested or even had a traffic
violation.)

I live in a town of 23,000 people and I cannot believe the number of
law enforcement officers for this small area. As I sit in my studio this
morning I have seen sheriff's vehicles, the regular black and whites,
constable cars, & city marshall cars! Wish I count keep count for an
entire day. Then we have these tank like vehicles at the police station
courtesy of DHS. Seems like over-kill and sets up an atmosphere of
constantly being watched...there are unmarked vehicles as well.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

62. I've never had a bad experience with the police.

I do see a larger presence, but there have been weird murders and home invasions around the city (OKC) this year and last, so they're much needed.

[DiverDave]

64. I ask again: where are all the "good cops" when these things happen?

It's good to hear of your good cops, but there are waaay too many of the bad ones.
The good cops need to stand up, but they are NOT.
WHY?

I do not trust any of them.
I stay out of trouble because I fear the police not the laws.
Course 55 has a way of sorta sucking the wildness out of a guy.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

65. They're just all you hear about.

There are way more good cops, but the whole fraternity atmosphere where they protect each other is just too strong, as I said in my post.
Be leery, don't offer too much information, but don't be confrontational. You'll be fine. They're just people.

[Pmh123]

86. All those good cops

I'll say it again if your so called good cops keep their mouth shut while the so called bad cops murder then they are all in it together forget the bloods and crips the worst gang in this country is law enforcement why you ask because the crips and bloods are criminals but the gang with
With the badges are supposed to help people not beat people to death and I'm sure they new Kelly and knew he was mental he was just target practice for them
And all the good cops know it and they raise lawyer fees for the "bad cops"
And say " oh we have a stressful job "
I went to war I know stress and I didn't beat some Iraqi to death for therapy

[qb]

3. Very sad and outrageous.

Officer Cicinelli looks bug-eyed crazy.

[hfojvt]

4. I blame that on poor training

They need to learn some better way of dealing with people than wrestling them in to submission. In the movie "Mr. Jones", Richard Gere plays a guy with severe manic-depression (or I guess it is now called bi-polar). He is being treated and sort of romancing a female psychiatrist. At one point, she gets attacked by another very large mental patient who is strangling her, and Gere runs over to help her. Now myself, I expected a big fight scene, that Gere was gonna kick that guy's a$$ just like he kicked a$$ in "An Officer and a Gentleman". (But duh, those were different characters played by the same actor). Instead of a fight scene though, the Gere character basically charms the other guy into relaxing. Sweet talking him, like "Hey, you look good. How are you doing?"

One other day, in real life, one of my dogs was missing, and after a bunch of searching, I was headed to work. But before I left my other dog started barking upstairs and I could hear another dog barking who sounded a little bit like my missing Jack. So I went over to check it out and there was a cop, along with two of my neighbors with my dog trapped in the corner of their fenced yard and he was barking like crazy and also panting like he was about to keel over. And I am just thinking "You morons, of course when an animal is distresses and trapped in a corner, he is gonna fight like his life depends on it." I have caught a number of stray dogs just by calling them over to me, but the police had no clue, or patience, to take the time to charm the animal or defuse the situation. Jack is a nervous dog with people, but not mean, but if he's in a fight or flight position and flight is impossible, of course he is gonna fight. Same thing with the human animal. Being cornered or pinned to the ground is a very stressful position. They have to expect people to fight, and a big part of their job is to make sure that nobody gets seriously hurt.

[snappyturtle]

6. No offense but training schmaining...it's common sense.

"Someone" needs to look at the psychological profiles of these officers.
This isn't just one officer....were they all trained badly or without
common sense?

[Bake]

7. Does a normal human being have to be trained to know NOT TO BEAT SOMEBODY TO DEATH?

Training my ass. They need to stop hiring psychos who get off on authority.

Bake

[obamanut2012]

9. Exactly

[WhoIsNumberNone]

16. +1

[redqueen]

34. +1

[truebrit71]

46. +1000

[blueamy66]

61. +1000000 and correctional officers as well

AZ's jail system is so fucked up....power hungry assholes...and yes, I've been in the AZ jail system, so I know of what I speak

[freshwest]

67. +1

[Rex]

12. Not bad training, it is called police brutality

and it doesn't have anything to do with courses or training and everything to do with sick fuckers that pass all the tests and become cops. Every profession has a few bad apples and even some murderous bastards. Law enforcement is no different.

[backscatter712]

28. These days, police departments deliberately recruit the "bad apples".

It's only once in a blue moon when cops get prosecuted for their brutality. The other 99.9% of the time, brutality helps get them promoted.

They want psychopaths. They want violent people to be cops. If you show any hint of empathy or kindness, at best, your career is roadblocked, and you'll probably get fired and blackballed.

They want the authoritarians. They want the scumfucks who will listen to Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage in their patrol cars, learn new and creative ways to dehumanize anyone who doesn't have a badge. They want the fuckers who think civil rights are a joke, and equality is a sucker's game. They want victim-blamers, slut-shamers and system gamers. Those fuckers are the ones testilying against you in court when they arrest you for smoking a plant or setting up a tent in a park or *gasp* exercising your First Amendment rights.

[rhett o rick]

44. Agree. But it looks like that is fine with our society. That's the type of "hero" that

seems to be worshiped on tv and in the movies.

[Bake]

73. You are absolutely correct!

And by the way, GREAT PHRASING! "Victim-blamers, slut-shamers, and system-gamers!" Jesse? Is that you? Jesse Jackson?

I applaud you, backscatter!!



Bake

[Dawson Leery]

75. Correct. This is why I am fully opposed to ANY union representation for law "enforcement".

They already have too much power. They do not need the power of a union in addition.

[AverageJoe90]

76. Sadly, that is indeed true in some areas.

Still, though, we can't deny that there's still good ones, or that police brutality isn't a recent problem......just look at the South in the '50s and '60s and how blacks were usually treated by cops in many areas.

[Mariana]

79. It's odd that the "good ones" never seem to show up

in any of these videos of police brutality or other criminal behavior. There have been a whole lot of videos made public, and in them we see the same thing time after time. If there's more than one cop there when an incident of abuse is going on, they ALL participate, to one degree or another. We never see any of them attempting to protect the victims.

[AverageJoe90]

80. True, but that doesn't mean that there aren't good cops out there.

Frankly, while it can indeed be traced to widespread police corruption in some cases, in others, it's more of a case of just a few bad apples acting together.

I certainly don't deny that there's been some unfortunate changes in policy in many places though. And unfortunately, it's also true that a lot of good cops are too afraid to blow the whistle when some bullshit does occur. We need to let the decent cops know that we're on their side and that they can trust the public and be more open with us. Truth is, if more good cops were able to speak to the public, we might be able to make far more headway into exposing and hopefully eliminating, corruption.

[marmar]

19. You have to be trained not to kill somebody?

[magical thyme]

24. I hope you got Jack back in ok shape

if one of my dogs goes missing before work or bedtime, one trick that never seems to fail is to take their squeaky ball on the search and squeak it. Even if they can resist me calling them, the squeaky ball is pretty irresistible.

Also, once my younger dog, Luna, went missing. He has a history of being abused and being a stray, so early on when I yelled at one of the horses (who stepped on my foot), he panicked, ran out of the pasture, across the street and hid behind some bushes and trees. In his fear, he wouldn't out to me (I had no idea where he was) or the squeaky ball. But when I brought my other dog, Jake, out on a leash, as soon as he caught sight of Jake, he came running home. (he no longer panics when somebody gets a scolding or yelled at. he knows he's safe and nobody will be hurt here, ever. except me, if I get stepped on of course!).

[stranger81]

27. I'm sorry, but cops should not need a training class on how NOT to be a stone-cold murderer.

This shit makes my blood boil.

[JI7]

69. anyone who needs training to know what they did is not ok needs serious help and should never

be cops or any other law enforcement.

[Logical]

72. LOL, REALLY. n-t

[earthside]

5. They get away with it.

Frankly, cops get away with assault and killing people all the time in this country.

Often there is an investigation or special prosecutor and the next thing you know in 90 percent of cases they get a slap on the wrist. 'Self-defense' you know, or 'reasonable use of force', or some other cockamamie rationalization.

I think part of this is because of the adulation and veneration that the military and paramilitary gets in this country -- from Democrats/liberals and Repuglicans/conservatives alike. All of this "I thank you for your service" stuff I hear all the time, regardless of what the soldier or cop or firefighter has done leads to a sense that they are above the rest of us.

To some of the more 'macho' twisted this kind of praise makes them think they are ultimately untouchable, and too often they are.

We can appreciate military personnel and police and firefighters without this setting them apart as somehow more deserving of praise and honor than other folks who do necessary jobs ... like collecting your trash or working in the water treatment plant, and etc., try and live without the work of those people.

[Bake]

8. Another "bad apple" I guess.

It's always a "bad apple." The good ones, few though they may be, need to CLEAN HOUSE and get rid of the psychos, one way or another. Frag their asses.

Bake

[99Forever]

11. In a sane world..

... your words would be accepted and praised. Sadly, there is less sanity with each passing day, and "good men" stand by and do nothing about it. Evil is winning, and what it will take to reverse that, is not pretty.

[Dawson Leery]

36. One term to describe this behavior on behalf of the politicians is "lionizing".

The politicians (both sides) are guilty of lionizing the members of these institutions.
Those on the further sides of the aisles seem to be the ones questioning this.
The congressional progressive caucus on the left, and Ron/Rand Paul, Mike Lee on the right.

[datasuspect]

10. cue the authoritarian defense keyboard strike force in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1

fucking shitstain pigs

[Rex]

13. Don't know how they will do it.

The video clearly shows the victim being abused.

[datasuspect]

14. well, they probably would have the same reaction they have toward rape victims

they would probably say he asked for it or didn't exercise sufficient "personal responsibility" to get psychiatric care.

they will show up - they always do.

[backscatter712]

26. Yep, the quislings will be out soon enough. n/t

[polly7]

15. The article itself is one of the saddest things I've ever read.

I couldn't do much of the video. That poor, poor man.

[pinboy3niner]

17. Local TV news reported...

...that when a paramedic arrived, he said the first thing police did was point out THEIR injuries...while Thomas lay on the ground in a pool of blood...

[Baitball Blogger]

43. They have it down to a science.

[0rganism]

87. "his floating ribs bruised my big toe!"

"I got a blister from swinging the club so much."
"His screams hurt my eardrums. Ooow, they're still ringin'.'"

and so on.

[alittlelark]

18. That was horrifying.

I used to respect the police - 20 or so years ago.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

20. Would it be helpful if Attorney General Holder would prosecute a few of them?

What is he otherwise doing?

[Tsiyu]

54. Oh, Holder is too busy terrorizing medical cannabis clinics

that are in business to help sick people.

Who cares about all the dead bodies collecting around the country? Can't investigate dead bodies, because Holder doesn't care about human life. About torture. Murder. Cold-blooded killing.

It's a sick America we live in, because of guys like Holder who have no ethics and no shame.

[wendylaroux]

21. These scumbags are sadistic monsters,

they just went into a profession that let them have their ''fun'', for awhile anyway. So disturbing I feel sick.










'

[Uncle Joe]

22. On the ground screaming that "he's sorry."

On the ground and screaming that he’s “sorry,” Kelly Thomas is 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 where two patrolman are charged with murder and manslaughter.

(snip)

At one point, Thomas – a mentally ill homeless man who was a familiar face in the city’s downtown – screams: "Dad, they are killing me."

The video and the sound of fists and a baton connecting with Thomas were graphic enough that several spectators in the courtroom left and the judge paused the video at one point as people in the crowd groaned.

Thanks for the thread, lonestarnot.

[IcyPeas]

23. can't help wondering

if the right wing radio bastards will take the side of the cops in this one like they took the side of Zimmerman.

I'm so glad this was all on videotape. How can there be a doubt here?

his poor family having to watch this - horrifying.

bastards.

[KamaAina]

30. Rodney King was on videotape, too.

Just 40 miles or so up the 5 freeway.

And we all were asking "How can there be a doubt here?" then, too.

[Blue_Tires]

66. that's what I was thinking as well...

[hifiguy]

25. A just society would impale those "cops" in the

public square. Slowly. Very slowly.

[backscatter712]

29. They used to put down mad dogs. Now they give 'em badges. n/t

[KamaAina]

31. Those are not cops, they are pigs.

[BOG PERSON]

41. same difference

[Iggo]

32. Yay, Cops!

They're the best!

[W T F]

33. If you start looking at the video tapes that are pileing up as police brutality evidence...

It easy to conclude that there is a culture of corruption deeply embedded in America's police departments. They lie and cover up their over use of force with the "I was fearing for my life" excuse, or try to make it look like they were the victim, because the suspect was "resisting arrest" AKA, trying to protect themselves from being brutally beaten. Most of the time, the District Attorney's office will not prosecute these dirty cops because they are either afraid of reprisals or part of the corruption. It's time police department budgets to be the target for juries to award victims of police brutality and hand out financially devastating punitive damages to these police departments. Send the message: "Clean up your act, or take a huge pay cut". You will find that their peers will be more than happy to weed out the trouble makers to protect their own livelihood.

[Dawson Leery]

35. I am more than tired of hearing cops complain about how hard their job is.

If they complain about how hard their job is, they are weak, even though they claim to be strong. In reality, they are bullies.
Go to the police blogs, the pigs in blue are coming out to defend their fellow pigs.
It is time to eliminate the police unions. It is time to severely curtail their power.

[blueamy66]

63. Well, they do get a paycheck, don't they?

Insurance? Pension?

If you don't like the job, don't apply and/or quit.

Nuff said.

[Uncle Joe]

38. I honestly believe much of that sadistic police brutality is directly attributed

to the corrosive, estranging effect produced by the "War on Drugs" between the people and the police.

Everyone is viewed as criminal first and citizen second, the Bill of Rights are trashed as police departments; increasingly reliant on confiscation of possessions and federal funding to wage war against the people turn ever more to hire the sadistic, authoritarian mindset most at ease with bullying and invading the peoples' privacy.

I'm not suggesting there wasn't police brutality before the escalating war on the American People but no doubt the numbers of psychology deficient officers has increased as a result.

[laundry_queen]

53. "resisting"

I find it especially entertaining when they are kicking the crap out of someone and are yelling, "stop resisting" so that in the case of someone recording video they can say, "well you just can't see it but he WAS resisting!"

[Odin2005]

56. Police departments are government-funded gangs.

[underseasurveyor]

37. Kelly was homeless and who would miss him.

So these bully cops thought they had the perfect prey and those sick fucks beat that poor man to death. The trauma surgeon that is testifying is going to try and say that Kelly didn't die from the beating but from other causes like compressions from the CPR or failure to get an airway established (intubated) in time, etc. Fact of the matter is if those cops didn't severely and violently beat that man he wouldn't have needed life saving measures.

So sad for his father. The judge has agreed to warn his dad before any autopsy photos or videos are shown so that he may leave the room.

[BOG PERSON]

39. .

[me b zola]

84. April 29 1992

[uppityperson]

40. Link to youtube vid (incident starts ~ 15 min in) since OP vid didn't load for me....

[randome]

47. This is a horror story.

But you know what? Get all the police horror stories together and line them up. You will still have -at best- one percent of the total number of cops.

What happened to Kelly Thomas should never be glossed over or forgotten but it doesn't help to take this horrible incident and use it to paint all the others with.

So for all those of you who want to shout 'Yeah, stupid pigs!' like some kind of drunken fraternity student at a football game, take a second to re-think please.

[newspeak]

49. these cops, listening to another human being pleading for their life, have lost their soul

they've become or already were psycopaths. Some without the badge would probably be in prison for murder. But, the badge gives them immunity in many cases against charges of murder. I think most of the police have become militarized and the mentality today is "us against them" and we are the "them." We, with taxes, pay for these officers to protect and serve the public, not to beat to death people who actually need help. Some are acting more like the brown shirts.

But, law enforcement is not the most dangerous job in america. I think some departments are intentionally hiring thugs; ones with a more anti-social and authoritarian behavior.

[randome]

50. 'Psychopaths' is right.

They are not the norm but there are too damned many of them in positions of authority.

[DLevine]

51. Exactly. Well said. n/t

[Rittermeister]

70. Who else would want to do the job? N/T

[newspeak]

74. there are many out of work, can't find work and you're asking "who else would want to do the job?

Most law enforcement positions have decent pay and good benefits. I would rather see those who have at least a degree in psychology/sociology and a willingness to actually serve the community and it's people, hired at a higher rate; than some authoritarian, maybe psychopathic personality given the job at a lower wage.

I've been on police rides (this was over twenty-five years ago); however, at that time the officers I rode with were decent, polite individuals. One officer I rode with had been in law enforcement for over five years at the time, and said he'd only had to draw his gun once so far. This was in phoenix. The environment and mentality seems to have changed, and I do believe that the perception has changed from serving the community and people to a "us against them" war mentality. Also, hiring some who are not fit to wear the badge.

[Odin2005]

57. And here come the pig sympathizers!

[Quantess]

48. The article understates what happened in the video.

The video is worse than the article makes it out to be. It is very upsetting to watch.

[Rittermeister]

52. I don't get how this is a huge surprise.

You recruit guys with high school educations, pay them maybe $35,000 a year, give them guns and authority and tell them to have fun playing in the societal mud. I can't imagine how that could go wrong.

[Odin2005]

55. That is why this autistic person is TERRIFED of cops.

I'm pretty damn sure many cops would take my odd mannerisms as a threat.

[Tikki]

58. You can't know how frightened this makes me..I just keep crying..

My dear sweet grandson is mentally slow and doesn't always understand commands quickly.
Right now he is a young boy and always in the protective web of family.

But, we would hope that he would be able to be somewhat independent as
a young adult; things like walking down the street at night.

Yes we will go over-board training him to answer law enforcement with 'Yes Sir/Ma'am'
but I worry about the quick trigger an officer might have if someone gets frightened or
confused and the law enforcement decides to read this as resistance.

These officers need to be held responsible for their way over-the-top actions that
ultimately led to a death.


Tikki

[DLevine]

60. Far too many cops are out of control.

They need to be reined in. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[Prometheus Bound]

68. Only two officers being charged while six participated in the murder?

Right there on videotape. Not even one of the six showed even a speck of humanity.

Six evil fucks.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

71. Wish I could get my adult sons

out of this country, it's just not an option for us. I understand more
fully how people for over two centuries were willing to give up
everything they had to come here with nothing but the clothes on
their backs for the chance to live in a free society. Those days are over.

We live in a police state. Take care of each other.

[Serve The Servants]

77. "Sooner or later this country is gonna wake up...

and suddenly find themselves facing the wolf alone because they have no sheepdogs."

Actual quote from a registered user at policeone.com regarding some of the fallout from this incident:
http://www.policeone.com/chiefs-sheriffs/articles/4182579-Fullerton-police-chief-asked-to-step-down/

Yup, ladies and gentlemen, that's how the boyz n' the blue think of us... We're sheep and they're the sheepdogs.

[raouldukelives]

78. This is how we care for the mentally ill now.

It's the least we can do for the least.

[Laxman]

81. We Are Hiring Psycopaths As Cops At An Alarming Rate

Check out this little tidbit from Georgia...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/jerad-wheeler-kicking-pregnant-woman-raven-dozier-georgia_n_1507771.html?ref=crime&icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D160187

Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

By the way, if anyone here lives in a community that has "Patch", they usually thrive on the Police Blotter entries. Check out how your own local cops are treating people these days. Occupying storm troopers.

[Serve The Servants]

82. This is worthy of it's own thread. NT

[Laxman]

83. I can do that!

[lonestarnot]

88. Wonder about that knowledge of "68 "Billyclub to the forehead" crap is similar in nature to Georgia.

Phyco's no doubt there too.

[Pmh123]

85. Good cops bad cops

No such thing
When cops kill what does the department do they circle the wagons raise defense money and anything else they can do
So it maybe guilt by association
But the cops are ok with that
So tell me where are the good cops
Where were the good cops when this man was put down like a dog
Even dogs in the SPCA are treated better

[gulliver]

89. Which cops to hate is the question.

Hating these particular cops? Maybe. I'll take your word that something wrong happened here. I don't want to watch the video.

"I hate the fucking cops in this video for what they did to Kelly Thomas..." That would be fairer. I don't like broad brush attacks. They are illogical and unfair.

[Zalatix]

90. The cops do this because America reveres them as gods and won't do anything about them.