FULLERTON: One-eyed cop at center of
beating death of mentally disabled man

by
Ernesto Cienfuegos
La Voz de Aztlan

Photograph taken by father Ron Thomas of his son after beating by six Fullerton cops. (More Photos)

Los Angeles, Alta California - August 4, 2011 - (ACN) La Voz de Aztlan has confirmed the identity of the Fullerton police officer at the center of the heinous and horrific beating death of Kelly Thomas, a 37 year old homeless but harmless man that suffered from schizophrenia. That officer is former Los Angeles Police Department cop Jay Cicinelli. Officer Cicinelli was joined by at least 5 other Fullerton cops on July 5th at the Fullerton Transportation Center in what family, friends and witnesses are calling "a brutal and merciless murder at the hands of thugs with a badge."

Victim Kelly Thomas in happier times at his home in Fullerton.

Jay Cicinelli has only one eye. He lost his left eye in a shoot out while he was a rookie with the LAPD. After losing his eye, the LAPD let him go. The Fullerton Police Department hired him about 13 years ago. He and the five other cops have only recently, and after much pressure by the Fullerton community, been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. A large number of Fullerton citizens said at a City Council meeting this week that they just did not feel safe with these six cops patrolling the streets.

Jay Cicinelli - Fullerton one-eyed cop at center of heinous beating. Cicinelli is a former LAPD cop.

Thank God for cell phones cameras, videorecorders and YouTube because without them these cops would probably had gotten away with murder. Because of a photograph that Kelly Thomas' father took at the hospital with his cell phone of the mangled and beaten body, a cell phone video by an alert citizen of the beating and a security video recording on a public bus, the incident would have surely been swept under the rug. In fact a cover-up of the outrageous incident was attempted by the police chief and the city administration soon after it occurred on July 5th. The six cops where out in the streets endangering the public until anger and outrage increased as more and more citizens became aware of the incident through YouTube and trough the efforts of the father of the victim Ron Thomas. Eventually the intensity of the outrage was so great that the six cops were forced onto 'paid' administrative leave, the immediate resignation of the police chief is pending, a recall of the City Council has been started and an investigation by the County District Attorney and the FBI are now underway.

The coverup, however is still continuing. There have been allegations that two cops suffered broken bones as a consequence of Kelly Thomas resisting arrest. This has been thoroughly refuted by witnesses. Kelly Thomas was totally disabled and unable to resist after being tasered repeatedly and hit on the head with the butt of a taser that splattered blood all over the sidewalk, curb and street. A witness stated that one cop dropped his knees on the head and throat of the victim as he laid on the concrete. Kelly Thomas, according to the father Ron Thomas, weighed a mere 135 pounds while one of the six cops was 6'4" and weighed over 230 pounds. The cops allege that they received a 911 call concerning someone breaking into cars parked at the Fullerton Transportation Center. When they arrived they went directly to Kelly Thomas who was seated on a public bench. The cops say that Kelly Thomas started running and that they tackled him to the ground. Two cops started beating Kelly Thomas and then two more squad cars arrived and more cops joined in the beating frenzy. The cops are refusing to release the recording of the 911 call causing some Fullerton citizens to speculate that there was never a 911 call. There are credible allegations that the Fullerton police is on a campaign to rid their downtown area of homeless people. At this week's City Council meeting a Fullerton businessman who identified himself as Mr. Cantor was shouted downed by Fullerton citizens when he started glorifying the Fullerton officers and thanking them for the help he received in resolving certain problems. This incident can be seen on the archived video of the meeting at http://fullerton.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=295

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Most damning of all, is the Fullerton police refusal to make public a high resolution security video they have of the entire incident taken by a permanent police camera at the scene. The video has not been shown to members of the City Council and one councilwoman, Sharon Quirk-Silva, is demanding to see it and in addition has asked the City Manager to seek the immediate resignation of Police Chief Michael Sellers.

This incident is now attracting world attention. The eyes of the world are upon the City of Fullerton. Will there be justice for Kelly Thomas?

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The Ballad of Kelly Thomas

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Related La Voz de Aztlan Report:

Key witness gone missing in Fullerton police murder of Kelly Thomas

Hospital Photos of Kelly Thomas' broken neck and beaten face