Kelly Thomas was a schizophrenic man living on the streets of Fullerton. As far as I can tell, he wasn't violent and he didn't cause trouble.
Despite this, the police found reason to search him. When he refused and turned away from them, they hit him with a nightstick.
He pleaded for help, but they kept beating him. One of the two officers pulled on some rubber gloves and said "Now you see my fists? They’re getting ready to fuck you up."
They beat him to near-death while Kelly cried for his father. They broke every bone in his face. He died in the hospital several days later.
(I'm not going to share a picture of his face because it's pretty bloody. If you have a strong stomach however, you should look it up.)
All of this was caught on camera.
The jury saw this video, saw the remains of the man's face, and they found these bastards not guilty. They claimed that they were "just doing their job."
It is not an officer's place to beat anyone to death, whether they be a child molester or just a homeless man.
I can't believe that any person could watch this and believe that these men were in the right.
I am horrified that this jury let the beating of a helpless man slide. I am horrified that no one reported this.
I am even more horrified by the fact that these officers want their jobs back. That's right. These assholes might get back on the streets.
I'm not really sure what we can do about this besides spread the word. These men will not be convicted of murder, but with our help, maybe they'll never hold a government job again.
