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July 27, 2011 12:02 PM Subscribe
"They kept beating him and Tasering him [when] he wasn't even moving." There are some people in the town who felt Thomas was scary and prone to yelling, but the majority of people paint him as a "very quiet and polite" man.
"It just sucks. Everything about it sucks." Those are the words of Jeremy Popoff, owner of the Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen. On July 5 outside his restaurant, Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old mentally ill homeless man, was arrested in a violent clash with Fullerton police. Thomas died five days later, after he was removed from life support. The people of Fullerton remember 'a quiet, gentle soul'.
There's some footage showing the reaction of bystanders.
"It just sucks. Everything about it sucks." Those are the words of Jeremy Popoff, owner of the Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen. On July 5 outside his restaurant, Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old mentally ill homeless man, was arrested in a violent clash with Fullerton police. Thomas died five days later, after he was removed from life support. The people of Fullerton remember 'a quiet, gentle soul'.
There's some footage showing the reaction of bystanders.
This post was deleted for the following reason: I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Popoff, but this is kind of just "a horrible thing happened, here's some bystander footage of this terrible thing that happened" and long experience and plenty of previous police/taser/etc threads on mefi suggest there's not a whole lot of good to come of this being a post. -- cortex
How many more mentally ill people need to be executed in public by the police before we start acting like the civilized nation we believe ourselves to be? Jesus Christ.
posted by clockzero at 12:17 PM on July 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by clockzero at 12:17 PM on July 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
[anticipating] "Yeah, but you have to understand how stressful a cops job is and [blah blah]... line of danger for [blah blah]... occasional mistake [blah blah]... two sides to the story [blah blah]..."
Just no. I can't even begin to condone/sanction/rationalize/excuse such blatantly psychopathic abuse of authority, of which this is only one recent example.
And if *you* can (back to the anticipating), please take a good hard look in the mirror and ask what "humanity" means to you.
posted by TomStampy at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Just no. I can't even begin to condone/sanction/rationalize/excuse such blatantly psychopathic abuse of authority, of which this is only one recent example.
And if *you* can (back to the anticipating), please take a good hard look in the mirror and ask what "humanity" means to you.
posted by TomStampy at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
These damned cops need to remember who they work for, the tax payers. Granted, Kelly Thomas proably wasn't working therefore probably not paying taxes. So maybe that is why the FPD beat him to death.
Hey FPD, why did y'all beat Kelly Thomas to death?
posted by brando_calrissian at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2011
Hey FPD, why did y'all beat Kelly Thomas to death?
posted by brando_calrissian at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2011
And by that I mean, proper, affordable/free mental health care for the indigent, for everyone.
posted by clockzero at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by clockzero at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2011
.
posted by schyler523 at 12:19 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by schyler523 at 12:19 PM on July 27, 2011
The photo linked in the first article is... brutal (open with caution; I know I linked it, but you will be sick and angry after seeing it). The state he is in, from that hospital photo... that was murder. I can't/won't watch the videos.
And these fucks won't even get more than a slap on the wrist- the Good Americans out there think what happened is okay, because Kelly Thomas "scared people" and tried to bum cigarettes from customers.
posted by hincandenza at 12:22 PM on July 27, 2011
And these fucks won't even get more than a slap on the wrist- the Good Americans out there think what happened is okay, because Kelly Thomas "scared people" and tried to bum cigarettes from customers.
posted by hincandenza at 12:22 PM on July 27, 2011
How many more mentally ill people need to be executed in public by the police before we start acting like the civilized nation we believe ourselves to be? Jesus Christ.
All of them? Seriously have you felt the way the wind's blowing in this country?
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:22 PM on July 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
All of them? Seriously have you felt the way the wind's blowing in this country?
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:22 PM on July 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
How do I explain this sort of thing to my kids? Seriously. They tell 'em at school, "find a police officer if you're in trouble." It's up to me to tell them that the police in this country, more often than not, are the trouble. Suggestions - this is not a rhetorical question.
posted by digitalprimate at 12:23 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by digitalprimate at 12:23 PM on July 27, 2011
What hincandenza said...that photo made me a bit sick to my stomach (I am not usually squeamish.)
I would say more but I'd probably regret it later, so I'm walking away from this thread now...
posted by schyler523 at 12:25 PM on July 27, 2011
I would say more but I'd probably regret it later, so I'm walking away from this thread now...
posted by schyler523 at 12:25 PM on July 27, 2011
Better yet, the cops aren't legally obligated to help your kids if they do go to them. If they're feeling nice or heroic then they might help. Power without accountability, gotta love it.
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:26 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:26 PM on July 27, 2011
Damn, was hoping it was about Clarence Thomas. (The tasering part, not the murder part.)
posted by Eideteker at 12:27 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by Eideteker at 12:27 PM on July 27, 2011
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posted by FatherDagon at 12:11 PM on July 27, 2011