It has been a week now since the Fullerton Bad Asses have been found "not guilty" for the MURDER of Kelly Thomas in 2011. There have been a number of protests, and thankfully, not a lot of violence.
I remember the 1992 Los Angeles riots after the LAPD officers were found not guilty for their "unprovoked" beating of Rodney King. Let's see...
Mr. King had lead the police on a dangerous high speed pursuit. Mr. Thomas, well, he was just sitting there.
Mr. King got out of his vehicle and charged at the police...somehow, I don't think he wanted to run up and shake hands with the officers and say "good pursuit, alright you got me!" Mr. Thomas, who had just been threatened with physical harm, was backing up, hands forward with palms out, in a "please don't hit me" posture.
Mr. King kept trying to get up and assault the officers. Mr. Thomas was begging for mercy, begging for help, begging for the beating to stop, even saying "I'm sorry!" Somehow, I do not believe that Mr. King asked for mercy, or said "I'm sorry" to the officers.
Most poignantly, Mr. King lived for 20 years after the beating, died by drowning in his swimming pool. There was alcohol and drugs in his system. Mr. Thomas died in the hospital 5 days after his beating and nearly dieing in a pool of his own blood. There was no alcohol or drugs in his system.
Jay Ciscinelli(sp) has said that he plans to try to get his job back. I think that if he does try to get a job as a cop again, it needs to be in a place far, far away from Fullerton CA. I just don't think people around here will be able to trust him. I know I certainly will not. If he does get back in with FPD, I will be a lot quicker to refuse to say anything more then "talk to my lawyer" if I am approached.
What do we need to do?
First, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said that "If you see something that is wrong, change it with your hand; if you cannot do that, then curse it with your mouth; and if you cannot even do that, then hate it in your heart."
I say, use your hand...and your feet...AND your mouth. Show up at Fullerton city council meetings and DEMAND that they do NOT rehire these officers under ANY circumstances. If, as Ciscinelli(sp) says, he does sue, try to send an amicus brief to the judge opposing a favorable decision. Just because he was found "not guilty" is NOT the same as saying that he was "innocent." The same goes for the other officers.
If they DO get rehired, show up to city council meetings and scream at the city council demanding they be fired again!!! If they get enough grief, they will relent, Insha'Allah.
Protest at the police station. Stand on their lawn with signs protesting. However, absolutely avoid any fisticuffs, because fisticuffs WILL land people in jail and WILL result in orders to disperse. This would be highly counter productive.
Make phone calls to your members of the California Assembly and Senate. DEMAND that the "Police officers bill of rights" be amended. No, we do not need to know where an officer lives or his personal phone number. We do not need to know how much rent or taxes he pays, or when or what he eats for dinner. However, we should be able to get answers to certain questions...
1. Has he/she been accused of misconduct?
2. What kind of misconduct?
3. What was the result of the investigation?
4. What disciplinary actions were taken?
5. If he was "exonerated", why? On what grounds?
These people are PUBLIC SERVANTS. Yet they have NO public accountability!!!
The Fullerton PD has been involved in a number of highly questionable incidents, including
1. The malicious prosecution of an individual for assault on a police officer, who, it was determined was actually innocent. The exculpatory evidence showed that the officer perjured himself in testifying.
2. A police parole violation raid was conducted...at the WRONG ADDRESS!!!
3. Officer Albert Rincon...the Fullerton PD official groper. SEVEN complaints by different women...and...nothing was done.
4. The Kelly Thomas beating...obviously.
5. More?
Khadijah
