Six Cops Beat Mentally Challenged Homeless Man To Death

SANTA ANA, Calif. - Residents in Fullerton, Calif., are outraged after a mentally-disabled homeless man died following a physical confrontation with five police officers.
In surveillance video taken aboard an Orange County.

Santa Ana, California (CNN) -- A Fullerton police officer pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony use of excessive force in the beating death of a mentally ill homeless man who died after a police arrest.

Cpl. Jay Patrick Cicinelli was released Wednesday on $25,000 bail, according to his attorney and a spokeswoman for the prosecutor.

Meanwhile, the arraignment of the officer facing more serious charges, Manuel Anthony Ramos, was continued to September 26 at the request of his attorneys. Ramos was being held Wednesday after Orange County Superior Court Judge Erick L. Larsh set his bail at $1 million.

Ramos, who is 37 and a 10-year veteran of the Fullerton police, is charged with second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the July beating death of Kelly Thomas, who was unarmed.

Thomas' father, Ron, urged the judge not to reduce Ramos' bail from $1 million because of "the horrible manner in which my son was murdered."

The September 26 court hearing, however, will also review Ramos' bail.

The judge ordered both officers to surrender their guns within 24 hours. He also set a pretrial hearing for Cicinelli on November 4.

The charges were announced Wednesday by the Orange County prosecutor.

The actions of Ramos "were reckless and created a high risk of death and great bodily injury," District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told reporters.

Ramos faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life if convicted, authorities said. Cicinelli, who is 39 years old and a 12-year Fullerton police veteran, faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted.

Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia, was beaten by police during an altercation and died five days later. The FBI is also investigating civil rights violations in the case.

Six Fullerton officers, including Ramos and Cicinelli, were put on paid leave after Thomas' death. The case drew widespread attention to the police department of Fullerton, located about 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Since then, two other brutality allegations have been made by men who were allegedly injured by Fullerton police last year, and Officer Kenton Hampton has been placed on paid leave in connection with one of those two complaints, a department spokesman said. Hampton, 41, is a five-year veteran of the Fullerton police, prosecutors said.

The other four officers involved in the Thomas incident -- Hampton, Officer Joseph Wolfe, Sgt. Kevin Craig and Cpl. James Blatney -- were not charged because "the evidence does not show knowing participation in an unlawful act on the part of these officers," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Six
• Cops
• Beat
• Mentally
• Challenged
• Homeless
• Man
• To
• Death
• police
• rouges
• murders

[DanceRooster]

Two other charges have be filed against Fullerton police, and Officer Kenton Hampton has been placed on paid leave in connection with those complaints, Hampton is a five-year veteran of the Fullerton police, prosecutors said The other four officers involved in the Thomas incident --were not charged because "the evidence does not show knowing participation in an unlawful act on the part of these officers," the prosecutor said . I guess accessory to murder is not a crime if your a cop.

[DanceRooster]

Officers Jay Patrick Cicinelli was charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony use of excessive force in the beating death of a mentally ill homeless man who died, his bail was set at $25,000 dollars. & Manuel Anthony Ramos a 10-year veteran of the Fullerton police, is charged with second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the July beating death of Kelly Thomas, who was unarmed. His bail was set at $1.0 m dollars.

[4987dennis]

Little hard to imagine when the TV announcer's lip syncing is not working very well and the video that they warned was very graphic was not graphic at all. Anyone can dub in a voice on a video. Jeez

[DanceRooster]

@4987dennis There synced on my end, maybe you should upgrade your player. And do a little research for yourself like reading the news reports.

[InnateIntelligentOne]

FUCK THE POLICE STATE, YOU ALL WILL PAY!!! ALL OF YOU ASSHOLES WILL PAY!!! KARMA IS A BITCH.

[SuperNewf1]

This was a premediated murder. They beat his head to a pulp. Arrest the perpetrators and HANG THEM!

[forgottenbooks]

Why was he homeless if he had a dad?

[wicca584]

@doobersmanster Mussolini was a Socialist ? You idiot, I guess next you will tell me Adolf Hitler was also a Socialist, Because he was leader of the National Socialist workers party ? And no I didn`t vote for Obama, Firstly and manly because I`m not a septic tank

[doobersmanster]

@craneywatch A well armed public!!!

[doobersmanster]

@wicca584 The same could be said about you ...slave. You are the Bundle of sticks not me..I am for Freedom and am as far from a Fascist as you can get and Capitalism has nothing to do with Fascism Mr. Brain washed idiot!!! Capitalism is about freedom to buy and sell as you see fit without any government intervention. How about getting a clue .Mussolini was a SOCIALIST.... Mr.Brainchild! You are a typical indoctrinated idiot who probaly voted for Obama. You make me sick...Thanks

[wicca584]

@doobersmanster Socialism has nothing to do with this incident, The military are paid by the State, As is the Fire service etc,, Are they to blame ? Please don`t pollute the comments section with your Capitalist/ Fascist crackpot bullshit thanks

[doobersmanster]

@vividtwist Yep..it is sad..Fear of the police is greater than doing what is right..so sad.

[doobersmanster]

@craneywatch Me too there are to few of us that care more about what is right than getting kicked in the face by Socialist bundles of sticks. We need to stop fearing our Government and get back to Freedom and Liberty in this country.

[craneywatch]

@doobersmanster Yeah, how to say, who cares? I feel bad that people became more senseless, selfish cowards.

[craneywatch]

@throttlehard I am afraid worse scenario, that blind people would let police officers cover each other back.In this case the murderers will not be punished and the brutality from police officers would prosper. Then, here goes another question" Who is going to police the police?

[craneywatch]

We have to pray that something useful is going to be done in regard to senseless police brutality. The life is unfair many people say like that. So what? Let's make it even more unfair. Let's make it feel like hell. Let's crush and feed upon each other. Yeah, then we just only prove what the humanity is all worth... But how about making this world better and more fair? How about teaching how to live life with minimum brutality and more support? I'd really like that.