Taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/08/us/california-police-beating/index.html?hpt=ju_c2
May 8, 2012
A graphic video played at a hearing Monday to determine whether two California police officers should stand trial in the beating death of a homeless man showed them kicking and punching the mentally ill man as he lay on the ground — screaming in pain and begging for help.
The victim, Kelly Thomas, died five days after the beating on July 5.
Manuel Ramos, a 10-year veteran of the Fullerton, California, police department, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, while Cpl. Jay Patrick Cicinelli faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony use of excessive force in the same case.
Both have pleaded not guilty.
The black-and-white video was played during a preliminary hearing for the two officers.
It begins with Thomas — a 37-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia — sitting and being told by Ramos to put his feet out and hands on his knees.
The officers were responding to a call about a homeless man looking into car windows and pulling on handles of parked cars.
In the video, Thomas is slow to cooperate.
Ramos then tells him: “You see my fists? They’re getting ready to f— you up.”
Thomas, who is unarmed and shirtless, stands and another officer walks over. They hit him with their batons and hold him on the ground as he begs for help. ”Ok, I’m sorry, dude. I’m sorry!” he screams. At one point, Thomas says he can’t breathe. The officers tell him to lie on his stomach, put his hands behind his back and relax. ”Ok, here, here, dude, please!” he says.
Other officers arrive.
At times, trees block the view of the camera and it’s not always clear who is doing what as officers pile on top of Thomas. One uses a Taser stun gun.
Thomas cries out for help and. toward the end of the beating, for his father: “Dad! Help me. Help me. Help me, dad.” His voice gets softer and trails off.
By the end of the video, he is lying in a pool of blood as the officers wonder out loud what to do next. One can be heard saying: “We ran out of options so I got to the end of my Taser and I … smashed his face to hell.”
Thomas suffered brain injuries, facial fractures, rib fractures, and extensive bruising and abrasions, according to prosecutors.
The Orange County coroner listed his manner of death as a homicide and said he died after having his chest compressed, leaving him unable to breathe.
The FBI is investigating possible civil rights violations in his case.
Six Fullerton officers, including Ramos and Cicinelli, were put on paid leave after his death. The case drew widespread attention to the police department of Fullerton, located about 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
This is what our police have become – soulless murderers and persecutors of the innocent who have done nothing wrong to anyone else. I hope that there will be better screening by the state from now on to check out police officers who have bad tempers and anger problems that might make them prone to do something like this. Police get away with a lot of stuff nowadays, since they basically have a get out of jail free badge (card) to sacrifice. So when they want to get in someone’s face, beat someone up, or just grief whoever they want – they do so with nothing to fear. They might get a week suspension with pay and be right back on the prowl. I knew a cop like this who was aggressive to homeless and poor people in general who was in Lowndes County Sheriffs office. If I recall correctly his name was Charles Hamrick. He would literally push and hurt homeless people if he had to deal with them (source – homeless people). I think there is a lot of anger towards homeless people from police because the cops know there is not any money to rob them of so they are worthless. If they get arrested they have it made better in jail then on the street. Plus there is no pleasure for the cop knowing they are forcing someone to pay out money to the court. Might as well beat them up then, heck, why not kill them if they arent a pleasure toy right? This is what American law enforcement does in its malicious freedom.