Matt Leslie
It has now been exactly two months since the Fullerton City Council held a session to study different proposed models of overseeing the troubled Fullerton Police Department. The March 19 session ended with an acknowledgement by Mayor Bruce Whitaker that the council had not allocated sufficient time for the meeting. Since then, nothing has been placed on the council’s agenda, public or closed session, to further consider how to ensure greater accountability and transparency in the FPD.
July will mark the second anniversary of the death of Kelly Thomas, a homeless man beaten so severly by officers of the Fullerton Police Department that he never regained consciousness and was removed from life support by his family. A civil suit filed by his father, Ron Thomas, has yet to be settled, but a recent settlement in a case of wrongful death against the city of Downey suggests that the people of Fullerton may have a big bill to pay in the future.
In October, 2011 31-year-old Michael Nida was approached by Downey police officers who were seeking a suspect in a nearby armed robbery. For unknown reasons, he bolted from the police, and after a chase and a reported scuffle with officers, the fleeing Mr. Nida was shot to death by a police submachine gun. Mr. Nida was unarmed, and had nothing at all to do with the robbery.
Unlike the Fullerton police officers who beat Kelly Thomas, the Downey police officer who shot Michael Nida was never criminally charged, and yet the city of Downey still paid $4.5 million to his family last week. If the FPD officers caught on tape beating Kelly Thomas into a coma are first found liable for his death in criminal court, one can only imagine what kind of bill Fullerton taxpayers may be in for when the civil suit filed by his father is eventually settled. The first trial could begin as early as next month, and yet neither the Fullerton City Council or the City Manager have seen fit to officially address police oversight in the two months since March’s study session on the subject. Recall that Fullerton has already paid $1 million to the mother of Kelly Thomas in a separate settlement.
What will it take for the Fullerton City Council to act responsibly and adopt a police commission to act in the interest of the people of Fullerton? Does someone else have to be injured or killed before anyone in the city government pays serious attention to establishing real and effective oversight of the Fullerton Police Department?
fullertonrag.com 
Mathew,
Thank you for being relentless in pursuit of justice for Kelly. I do not know what the answer is but I do know that when we were protesting outside the police department things seemed to moved along a whole lot faster. They don’t want attention brought to their failure to lead. Although we have different people on the Council nothing has changed. Nothing. I say we begin protesting again, it seems to be the only thing they can’t “control”.
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Please notify me of news and changes. Thanks, Margaret Farris
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Obviously the cops will walk
That is the American way…….. Huh?
We love our brutal cops – Dirty Harry and Clint.
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I should add that COPs are unionized so here goes your romanticism for unions.
Once you will understand that the German National and Russian Soviet Socialism was implemented by workers unions you may think twice about their oppressive role in our society.
The IRS too is unionized….. look what they do!
Since there are no right wing public sector unions it is proper to say that the brutality and oppression comes only from the left-liberal-progressive-socialism.
Therefore, do not support unions and their collective bargaining power when only they can carry the guns.
Fear the Obama care!…….. it has nothing to do with the healthcare and everlasting to do with oppression.
Both Nazi Germany and Soviets had free medical care like Obama,s.
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Yes, cops are unionized, no, the NAZIs weren’t particularly kind to leftists or unions, and no, just because some unions use strong arm tactics does not mean that brutality and oppression only come from the left. Just ask the people of Central America, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, Syria…
Not sure how Obama’s flawed non-solution to the crisis of healthcare in this country got into your head, but Canadians have free medical care too, and they’re not Nazis or Soviets. They just decided that it was a better solution than what they had before.
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FYI, NAZI is an acronym for National Socialism aka National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Please freshen up so we are not mixing apples and potatoes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Party
Soviet socialism was exactly identical to Nazis except that Soviets did include every nation into their camp while Nazis only the Germany.
They both had same concentration camps except that Stalin and Mao murdered 100 more people then Hitler.
I have lived 22 years in old communist Czechoslovakia so I do not need to look at Canada health care example. Yes everything was free. Unlimited sick leave with 100% pay too.
So you must ask why people did not liked it. Why the Canadians are cumming to USA for treatment.
Such health care is only good for simple medical procedures and more complicated are denied to you.
But you must lived to believe it and next year you will start learning.
So, virtually all brutality which would equal to the Fullerton, Anaheim and Santa Ana COPs is caused by leftists unions which protect COPs from the punishment.
Show me one right wing police union?
FYI, German NAZI were leftist, it was similar like China today, private corporations, controlled by the government, only banks were nationalized, and that is why they were prosperous.
In contrast Soviets nationalized the industry and that is why they failed like all American unionized industry today – look Detroit and other once giant industrial cities converting to Right To Work concept.
The religious brutality is essentially leftist too because the church holds everything in common, but we should stay out of that because it is too complicated when the Christianity has about 36 denominations, so do Muslims, and they are fighting about the issues which happened about 2000 years ago.
Bottom line is that Kelly Thomas and hundreds of others in the Orange County are murdered with a blessing of leftist.
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Stanley, this is nonsense. The Soviets nationalized industry, the NAZIs (yes, I know what the Z stands for) did not. Soviets liked communists, Hitler had them shot. The Soviets didn’t mind abortion at all, the NAZIs outlawed it, except when they forced it on people through eugenics programs. The NAZIs also slaughtered union members and homosexuals. I don’t care what they called themselves. It can hardly be argued by anyone who isn’t delusional that the NAZIs somehow occupied the left wing of Germany during their period in power, unless it was by default because they had everyone else killed.
I do not accept the notion that being a union member makes one a leftist. I challenge you to ask the members of the Fullerton Police Officers Association about their political views to prove your contention that they are.
Detroit’s industries were never nationalized (unless you count WWII or the bailouts) and they failed just like Russia’s nationalized auto industry, for many of the same reasons–lack of forward vision being one of them.
Churches can be left or right. Some support violence, some do not. LIberation Theology was/is highly leftist, and its practitioners were killed by rightists governments in Central America.Tell me, who was the Right, and who was the Left in Poland during the Solidarity movement?
Your arguments are unconvincing to me, but I will grant you your last point, at least in part. Most of the people who think of themselves as the nominal Left in Fullerton were completely absent and utterly silent during the protests against the killing of Kelly Thomas in 2011, except when they spoke out in favor of the police. But the real leftists–and anyone else with a conscience– were out there week after week demanding justice, Stanley. I saw them.
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From your last paragraph I am sensing that you are distinguishing between “nominal Left” and “real Left”.
I had 6 years older brother who was COP and in early 60s joined communist party. One time he to tried to explain to me a difference between the “nominal communist” and “real communist” which was total fantasy.
So could you please define for me the Left and Right by using 3 major opposing qualifying elements for each?
Also try to explain the Normal and Real left by using only one key opposing qualifying element.
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From library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/ukra.html
The death toll from the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine has been estimated between six million and seven million. According to a Soviet author, “Before they died, people often lost their senses and ceased to be human beings.” Yet one of Stalin’s lieutenants in Ukraine stated in 1933 that the famine was a great success. It showed the peasants “who is the master here. It cost millions of lives, but the collective farm system is here to stay.”..
FYI the Ukraine is not Russia. It was occupied by the Russians.
This was done before the war by simply implementing the collectivism. I can tell you the hortatory which I have personally witnessed in the old Czechoslovakia where the left was implementing the farm collectivism.
FAQ: Was it done by “nominal Left” or “real Left”.
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Citation[ The American Feminist leader Gloria Steinem has written:
“Hitler himself, and the Nazi doctrine he created, were unequivocally opposed to any individual right to abortion.” (Ms., Oct. 1980)
THE TRUTH
The Nazis certainly were not “pro-Choice”, but they were not “anti-abortion” either. The Nazis believed that a woman’s body beloned to the State, and the State would decide what to do with it. The Nazis did not allow abortion for healthy “Aryan” German women, but demanded and forced abortion upon women deemed “unAryan” (i.e. Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, etc.) and “Aryan” German women who were thought to be feeble-minded, or have hereditary diseases. (Abortion in the New Europe, p.114)]
The Plan Parenthood, policy is for verbatim adopted from Nazis because it is aimed at minorities Blacks, Hispanics, Indians etc.
Last week a black doctor was convicted for exactly same as if done by Nazis.
Dr. Kermit Gosnell was acquitted of killing a fourth baby. He was also convicted of the death of a patient who died from a sedative overdose. All minorities and blacks http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/13/hold-hold-hold-abortion-clinic-trial/2138541/
Is this atrocity condoned by the “nominal Left” or “real Left”
Neither covered the trial.
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Would you say that church going, god fearing conservative COP would brutally kill Kelly Thomas a poor beggar on the street?
Did any of these Fullerton COPs went to the Church and if so who was their pastor and congregation.
Does the Fullerton Police Station and City Hall allow displaying of 10 commandments mainly the AUGUSTINE #5 Thou shalt not kill?
Maybe the Fullerton “nominal Left” or “real Left” should adopt some rules of God given decency.
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I think you need to start our own blog Stanley.
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I know!
Truth is painful!
But if you would be real leftists–with a conscience you would know that I have my own blog already, more than one.
I am glad that you as leftist represent the most brutal ideological concept known to man.
Enjoy.
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I should add that it was Democrats (liberal – socialists) who sent American citizens of Japanese nationality, many born in USA, to concentration camps and same as Fullerton PD the left liberal guards brutal beat to death thousands prisoners.
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it was Democrats (liberal – socialists) who were the only one using the “A” bomb on human beings.
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I watched Ron Thomas tonight use this blog to take another sad swipe at Kelly’s mom while thinking he was standing on noble ground.
He stated he had to correct something in this blog: you see, whatever he should be awarded from his civil suit will NOT come from us, the Fullerton taxpayers. He explained it as such: When Kelly’s mom settled and took her money, that was the deductible and so she did cost the taxpayers moneys. But not him, whatever he might get will come from the city’s insurance and thus, no money will go from the taxpayers to him.
He continues with his self- righteousness and delusions that he’s able to fool us. Regardless of who takes a settlement first, if one deductible covers all then yes, we’d paid for his, too.
Now, should we discuss what if there rate hikes, raised deductibles, or anything else to follow from this that we, Fullertononians might also have to cover?
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*This took place at tonight’s city council meeting, during opening public comments.
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