Posted on 12/03/2013 7:47:27 AM PST by Uncle Chip
A bloody beating by police that left a California homeless man dead began when one of the officers on trial in his death snapped on a pair of latex gloves and told him, "Now you see my fists? They're getting ready to f*** you up,'" a prosecutor said Monday.
Opening statements by Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and defense attoneys Michael Schwartz, defense attorney for Jay Cicinelli, and John Barnett acting for Manuel Ramos, each painted a very different story of the night a violent confrontation occurred between police officers and Kelly Thomas.
A 33-minute video of the July 2011 encounter has been synced with audio from the officers' recorders and will be a key piece of evidence throughout the trial.
Rackauckas gave the jury a blow-by-blow account of the beating that left Kelly Thomas, 37, in a coma for five days before he died.
'The conduct of these two officers on trial here went far beyond anything acceptable in a free society,' Rackaukas told the courtroom.
Ramos, 39, and Cicinelli, 41, encountered Thomas while investigating a call that he had been tampering with cars at a Fullerton transit center.
Ramos, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and is the first officer charged with murder for on-duty actions in the history of Orange County. Cicinelli has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and use of excessive force.
Rackaukas described how officers had bantered with Kelly Thomas for 13 minutes before they became frustrated with his evasiveness. At this point in the confrontation, the tone changed.
'There was a change at this point, a significant change for the worse," Rackauckas said. "This was the turning point where Ramos went from casual to malicious.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
It should be First Degree Murder for both of these monsters.
They are the face of “Law Enforcement” today!
Size 44 uniforms and size 4 hats!
These are the kind of cops who will enforce gun confiscation laws.
There are also the kind that have, judging by their eagerness to defend their actions, a large following of disciples, worshipers, and bootpolishers on this forum.
They know who their friends are and will remember.
Only the police can protect us, so we have to do everything they say.
Only when you hit their collective pocketbooks will this type of abuse diminish.
Amazingly, no dogs were shot during this incident. Maybe that’s why the cops beat this man to death: they were so upset that they didn’t get to shoot someone’s dog.
Well,,,,,, If one goes to the link, and views the pics of the victim,,,,,
The cops should be on Death Row!
Oh, yeah, and to use my gun and badge as a license to act like a criminal with impunity, knowing my "brother" officers will all lie under oath to protect my sadistic, eminently jailable spime.
A study was done here in Massachusetts a while ago where, over a period of 10 years, 86 car accidents happened involving State Police cruisers (which we all know never drive at excessive speeds...). An eyebrow or two were raised when it became public that in 86 of 86 cases, the civilian motorist was cited as being at fault. Implying, conversely, that the Mass State Police are perfect. Unlike any other organization in existence, the State Cops never make an error; at least not while driving at way over the speed limit.
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Give a man a gun, a badge, and carte blanche with the murderous power held in those two items, and you've got a bubbling cauldron of venal abuse furiously boiling away, just waiting to burn the crap out of an unsuspecting public.
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"? ("...but who shall guard the guards?")
;-\
As a Police Officer and a Correctional Officer (former) I have been in altercations with several individuals similar to this fellow that was killed.
It is a frightening experience. Because of drug use or mental condition the combative person seems to not feel pain. You however do. That said from what I can see and what testimony and accounts I have read it certainly appears that these Officers went too far and at some point the subduing of a suspect became the punishment of a suspect.
I’m with you on that one and I did see the results of their handiwork. And I feel the same about the eon who murdered the Mexican child.
Officers went too far and at some point the subduing of a suspect became the punishment of a suspect.
++++++
And subsequently become PR for LE in general.
Only when you hit their collective pocketbooks will this type of abuse diminish.
++++
By then it will likely be too late....
Necessary force does not, and should not, include 2+ armed men beating, tasing, smothering, and crushing to death and unarmed man no matter how uncooperative. And it’s obvious at some point he became cooperative. What merciless thugs!
That this sort of police excess is condemned by the majority of posters on a conservative site is testimony to how far the police have fallen in public esteem.
No evidence that the victim in this incident did not feel pain, but ample evidence to the contrary as he begged for mercy.
If law enforcement doesn’t like the blow back they get from scumbags like these, they should start doing all they can to get rid of them, everywhere. Otherwise, these scumbags become the face of law enforcement. Cops are the only people who can get rid of bad cops before bad cops do bad things.
(His defense attorney) described Ramos as a ‘good cop, a patient cop’...
Can’t you just see the compassion and patience on Ramos’ face in the photos?
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