A jury in Santa Ana has found two former murderous sadistic evil foul inhumane vile despicable former police officers totally in the right for beating a mentally ill homeless man to death as he begged for his father and for his life. Here is the film:
There are only so many words one can drag from the vocabulary to describe how horrific this crime was, and how equally vile and despicable the jury is for endorsing such a brutal act of senseless, cruel and depraved violence.
I do not care to read beyond the headline. Instead, I would like to picture Kelly as he was in life:
Kelly Thomas under flickr, attribution creative commons
To Kelly’s Father, and Mother, Ron and Kathy, and to Kelly’s extended family, my husband and I and countless others who read this are heartbroken. We want you to know that we are so so sorry. We are also absolutely furious. How does one accept the unacceptable? We do not know. But just because some verdict happened somehow in our broken court system means nothing in a system outside of the courts and inside our hearts, that we consider to be one of humanity, and that is what matters.
posted by Crane-Staion
Frederick Leatherman Law Blog 
wow this is just mind blowing. How was he to put his hand behind his back when they were on top of him? They were yelling at him to put his hand behind his back, he was saying he can’t, they beat him for struggling…..maybe he wasn’t “struggling” against them but instead trying to get his hand behind his back as they demanded, and got beaten for it. Fuck that is sick.
I heard him get threatened when he was just sitting on the ground doing nothing wrong but leaning back. That cop was on a power play. Do as i say or i’ll punch you in the face. He got beaten and hit, not for being aggressive, but for being scared and trying to move away. The third guy said something about smashing his face up with the taser because he was resisting. He wasn’t resisting with his face dude. Maybe he was just trying to put his arm behind his back, or trying to get some air.
Fucking unbelievable. The US just keeps getting scarier.
Hi Crane! Oh, I just wanted to reup on my above thing… about Heaven and Hell… Tell you what: if there wasn’t any of them, well we would invent them!! and that is enough!
New post up:
Jodi Arias resentencing scheduled for St. Patrick’s Day
I can hardly conceive of a world in which Michael Dunn walks free, but at least he’s done some time if corruption and stupidity reign.
Apparently the FBI will investigate the Kelly Thomas case, for what that’s worth. I pray it makes a difference.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-kelly-thomas-verdict-fbi-to-examine-trial-evidence-20140113,0,4049891.story#axzz2qKOT364W
I don’t know whether to be encouraged or discouraged by that news, so I’m going to wait and see what happens.
Encouraged because they might actually do something in the public’s best interest, which is to pursue justice.
Discouraged because they might focus on legitimizing the outcome of the trial in order to protect the cops.
I don’t know what the hell they’re doing in Trayvon’s case.
At least they’re doing something in KJ’s case. Toward what end I don’t know.
The problem is that most of what they do is more of the same of what has already been done. I hate that. There is no other game in town. The only game in town is lies and corruption.
What are the jurors thinking? Is that how they would want to be treated? If it were their family member would they see it differently? I’m so at a loss to understand.
They weren’t thinking.
Somehow I can’t shake the feeling the thing was rigged. Orange County and all. Color me tin foil hat.
It used to be a nearly all WASP, Republican county. Not so any more – closer to 80% Mexican, Asian, Black, Arab, and other, but I get the picture that it’s still pretty conservative or that people simply want to think that the local PD work for them and were just keeping them safe from Kelly Thomas, WTF.
I am getting the WTF picture is kind of like the WTF picture we have here. The Real People, ie, the acual down-to-earth folks you really see, breathe air with and rub shoulders with, are not the ones 1) with money 2) with political clout 3) with connections and pull 3) with corrupt inclinations.
I am 100 percent convinced that most of the courts in this country are dirty, but not because of the Real People like You and Me. It’s not the 99 percent. It’s the One percent.
They could care less. I really really hate myself for saying something so awful, but maybe if something this horrific were to happen to certain folks like the (in general, rich and priviliged residents of OC) maybe they would have some compassion rather than such raw hate in their hearts.
I just returned home from the protest that’s been going on since this afternoon at the Fullerton transit center at the spot where Kelly Thomas was killed. His mother and one of his cousins were there, understandably upset, and crying, and angry (and perhaps other family members as well, I don’t know – I didn’t see his father). The protest was small and mostly quiet. It will continue and hopefully get larger tomorrow – I believe there will be a march on Saturday.
I am mostly stunned silent because I don’t understand how a crime can be so clearly recorded and the criminals not be held responsible for what they did.
The police station is nearby and is enveloped in a very uneasy aura.
The world is upside down and backwards.
This is not good to know, not good to say, and not good to say I know, but I think it’s undeniable: UNTIL THEY ARE AFRAID they will do every wrong that can be done. UNTIL THEY ARE AFRAID. And the acquittal of murderers like Fogen and these two thugs is making it less and less likely that murderers and thugs who are (a) white and (b) in power or connected to power will ever again feel fear.
Dunn will probably be acquitted too and the murderers of Kendrick too (if they are even charged) and so forth. These are not trials; they are whitewashes. We all pay for them. Some of us pay for them with our lives.
Remember, civil rights only gained a foothold when there was fear. Yes there were protests and yes there was organized action and so forth and so on but most of all, where there was fear, progress began. Other than that, power concedes nothing. “See these fists: they’re getting ready to fuck you up” was a sentence the cop had no fear of saying out loud. Until a thug like him is afraid, those fists are allowed to do anything.
These thugs are no better than brownshirts in Nazi Germany. We are not the great showcase of freedom to the world. How ashamed we should be!
I wish I could say that love will heal the world. I wish I could say that “all those who do harm are like a precious treasure” (because those who do harm cause us to perfect our practice of patience and compassion.)
I’m afraid there there must be war against the system first to root out evil before love can proceed . . .
Thank you for being there and for coming back and sharing, I hope you will continue to do so. I got a feeling that his father really needs people right now. We wish we could be there.
I promised Kelly that if this unthinkable verdict happened that I would honor him in the street. The first wave of protests after his death were, to me, up to the citizens of Fullerton to decide what kind of governance they’ll tolerate. Now that the Orange County Court system has failed the victim of this case, as decided by twelve citizens from various parts of the county, it’s time for all concerned to turn out to the streets.
I’ll continue to go for as long as protests continue and you’ll be there in spirit Crane, as will all of you warriors – I thought of Crane and Fred and so many of the rest of you who have posted the past two years on the blog when I was standing there, holding a candle and wondering at the enormity of it all.
In one corner, apparently right on the spot near a curb where Kelly was mortally injured, there was a stand among some flowers and candles and signs with a book that people were signing for the family and it was beautiful to see so many strangers offering their thoughts. People stood there for very long periods of time writing too, so you know there were some heartfelt comments. I heard many snippets of conversations and interviews as I moved around through the crowd (maybe 150 at most) – there were several apparently well-loved or well-scorned folks who had organized the protests in 2011 – I’m sure many of the people there tonight had been involved and weren’t coming out for the first time.
Lots of news trucks and more media people, than a small gathering really needed were present – all the cameras and notebooks seem really overwhelming when your mind is already spinning. PD choppers were circling above Fullerton – they didn’t buzz the site continually or anything, but are definitely making circles that part of the city (Fullerton College is nearby) and there were far more cruisers on the street than you’d normally see at night.
Imagine too that the weather has been quite balmy here while everyone else has been freezing, so the weather was nice, moon visible, perfect night to raise a little hell and do a little grieving.
I am shamed that the world is so topsy-turvy that the strong can prey on the weak and call it justice with an official stamp of approval.
That sentence perfectly captures the way I’m feeling tonight.
And the Michael Dunn trial is scheduled to start three weeks from today in Jacksonville.
Thank you so much, I have withheld your screen name and shared your description of the somber gathering at the other site where I posted this-Firedoglake. When I first posted, to be honest, I was so shaken and angry I wasn’t even making sense.
I noticed Fred had been up all night. He finally made coffee and is writing some post about Jodi Arias- he is so sickened he said he finally just got up.
We certainly are in solidarity with you, and wish we could be there physically. Can you believe how Ron is holding it together, looking at the bigger picture, calling for us all to get together and put a stop to all of this brutality and unacceptable madness? What a graceful man he is.
Ron:
“No more victims. You know what? Right now somewhere someone is getting the daylights beat out of them or shot by police officers… this has got to change…”
These are all show trials. We live in a tyranny; in a police state; in a racist, fascist, lying, corrupt pigsty. We put on trials to shut up protestors because after the show trial, they’re not allowed to complain because they got “due process.”
At least this country as a whole (though not individuals trapped here) will get what they have brought upon themselves (and their evil progeny) when this Rome falls.
I agree, and I have believed this for many a year. If, after this, anybody still thinks there is ‘justice’ in the US courts, they are sorely mistaken. It is a liars game and nothing more.
Ron:
“All of us need to write our senators…”
“Only the people can make the changes.”
“There were some really good witnesses that should have should have been called that weren’t.”
“We can help everybody that has been murdered. Only the defense side can appeal things.”
my sister, an attorney, suggested that the prosecution did not really try to win the case…I wouldn’t be surprised especially considering they just dropped the charges against the 3rd “officer” because the other 2 were acquitted. It’s disgusting.
It is disgusting, and the thing is, to my way of thinking, they didn;t even need lawyers in this one. The tape speaks for itself. You know, until lately, I’ve never been much of a heaven/hell type of a person, but I hope there is a hell. In fact, I hope there’s a hell before the hell, like 60 billion years on skewers before one ever even gets to hell!
There’s lots of cool hells in the Buddhist pantheon, hot ones, cold ones, you name it. And they’re not forever, so it’s not like you’re wishing someone to hell for eternity – everyone clears their karma eventually and gets to move on.
But 60 billion years sounds good for Ramos and Ciccinelli.
To the skewers!
*gavel bangs*
Looking at the photo, Kelly appears to be making a kind of pose with a small small one under his chin, he sure seems the guy next door in his demeanor, etc.
I mean… When the hell are the stupid… hoi palloi that comprises a great part of the population, going to, ah, grow a few: (IQ points,) and realize that they are on a train to nowhere? Visevise: like a train to a slaughter house/ (and there was such trains!! )
I used to think it was over kill, the way we were steeped in the WW2 attrocities, and Adolph and his wierd side kicks. But alas, yes, “It can happen Here”,
Just finished ”Dark Ages America”. Morris Berman. He says what I think: It is not going to get better, too many stupid are in control.
He didn’t actually say that, but that’s my take.
It’s not getting better. Saw Tyson the Astronomer, and he thinks that the universe is expanding for ever, not recycle/ contraction watershed event.
I disagree, I think it all recycles.
But as Fred is also a sage in things cosmological, The one thing that flies in the face of these looming times of doom, may be, that concept of Synchronicity! I trew the book out, it had stains from a wine spill, and, tell the truth, it was too awfull.
But I read about 100 pages of that book you told of, “Cosmology…”, and I saw enough to realize that you and I have the correct take on the issue.
____________________
To recap on the point about Kelly, It must be obvious and more so each time, that US is undergoing some transformation, under the slack view of a wasted population in which the main operators have been coopted and/or compromised, with the methods that are. Read: Erik Larsen’s book: “… Beasts… ” for a lucid look into the time that was the building of the 3rd Rike, and you may come away from that with some concern, about if it could happen here, da da.
Kelly, got killed by cops. Sometimes some of the dumbest cops, get filled up with donuts and java, and well, off to the races!… “Let’s us go and… “, do this or that!
You remember that thing they call: ” Good Cop/ Bad Cop”
Well that is one thing, but there are good cops, and there are a few that ain’t all that good.
If this doesn’t tell us the justice system is broken, nothing does.
What’s broken Crane? It is all working flawlessly… visa vise: the purpose.
Now about your comment about Heaven and Hell!
I mean I tried to bring you up here, as it was over there… (FDL)
and, I would have liked to comment there, but am not allowed to.
Crane, you made some real good comments about heaven and hell, there, and I wanted to comment to that particular issue.
Get back to me.
I would like to chime in on the issue!
Ed
Ed, OMG, I have been MIA for a bit, mostly doing research in my case and doing writing, I am so sorry. I have not been here much, but not to worry, I will be back, and we will talk heaven and hell.
Were you referring to that part about 60 billion years on skewers before God sets a court date, to figure out when to send a horrible person to hell?
I endorse what you said 100%.
I am leaving the same comment here that I left at another spot where I saw this posted – partly because I cannot come up with anything more original at this time and partly because even though it is 45 minutes later, I am still in pain over this, crying uncontrollably.
WTF???!!!! Please, please, PLEASE tell me you are kidding! I was trying to work, now I am crying so hard I can’t see, partly from such a deep sadness for humanity and partly from RAGE!!!!! How can this BE??!!!
I don’t know Rachael, I don’t know. Fred is going for a drive. He can’t quite handle it just now.