UK & World News
- 9 May 2012, 7:03
Court Shown CCTV Of Cops Beating Homeless Man
Footage of a homeless man being beaten and tasered by police just five days before he died has been shown in a court in California.
Kelly Thomas, 37, died on July 10, 2011, after the incident outside a bus station in Orange County.
Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, has been charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and faces a maximum of 15 years to life in prison if found guilty.
Corporal Jay Cicinelli, 40, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and use of excessive force. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Both have pleaded not guilty to charges over his death, which sparked protests by local residents and an FBI investigation.
The video was shown during a preliminary hearing in which a judge is set to decide if there is sufficient evidence for the two policemen to stand trial.
The grainy footage from the bus station camera, combined with audio picked up on radio microphones the officers wore, has never been played in public before the hearing on Monday.
Defence lawyers claim there is not enough proof to say the officers were directly responsible for Mr Thomas' death and that medics could have been to blame.
what do you think?
Fleur Black
thats not grainy! its perfectly clear. the crackling of the taser is very clear. don't the white cops like blakc guys in Orange County?
J D
Are you trying to cry racism? Check your facts, the victim is white, one of the cops is Hispanic. Yet you don't see white people cry racism. They were just ***** cops regardless of race!
Andrew Hogarth
the homeless are to be protected .....!! looks like the Americans ahve got it wrong ....YET AGAIN...!!
Fleur Black
the officer on top is clearly whacking the guy with his nightstick.
William Noble
Thats just the police all over thow they are just BIG bullies on power trips i would give every copper that cant do there job by the book just do away with them i mean DEATH penalty to them all
Stephanie Thraves
i found this fotage very disterbing , and i hope they do convict who ever did this , it is disguting ,
Doshtosh
Truly disgusting, and very sad as he begs God to help him, but things don't happen that way, it very bad.
Stephanie Thraves
THESE COPS WANT SENDING DOWN FOREVER , B......S
Phylip de la Maziere
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Mike Drouin
AMERICA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doshtosh
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stuart walmsley
Licensed thugs in uniform proffering summary roadside torture. What is the difference between Syrian and the USA police, despite the moral posturing of western politicians they both allow the police to run amok using violence and intimidation. You have only to look at the "occupy" footage from America of police pepper spraying and truncheoning peaceful demonstrators. Bullies, it took four of them with truncheons and tasers. This makes my blood boil.
Mike Eaton
In a civilised community the strong are supposed to protect the weak - this is a fine example of a non civilised country at work! Unfortunately what happens in America today happens in this country tomorrow, the bad news is this is old and is already happening here - our police consider themselves above the law and carry out these beatings regularly - they ensure that any film is confiscated after the event - This will be a good training film for a lot of them (there are still a few good ones but they are rapidly leaving in disgust).
Elliot Rievers
To serve and protect ! Time for some training on arresting without predudice. In this country we have Police who only bother to turn up if you shout ef off down the phone at them. . .even then they are not bothered about the incident itself . .. but who swore ! ? oooh some one swore sir !
Nathan Pegg
Well dodgy. He seemed to be no danger to anyone, no threatening behaviour, no weapon shown or suggested. The idiot who was thrashing him with a torch needs to go down for sure. That was just thuggery. I have no problems with four on one for safe restraint, but that was gang violence. And amongst those four, it didn't occur to any one of them to speak up, that they had crossed the line. If you watch police shows here you'll know that a brit would have reasoned with him until he got bored of playing up. Don't tar ours with the same brush. They might have to be to**ers to enforce the law sometimes, but they know they're not above it.
David Woolacott
Those good Christian American cops?
Mark Wood
Who said they are Christian?? Doesn't seem that way to me... "Whatever you do to the least of these my brothers...you do to me"... doesn't quite square with the pictures.
Austin Samara
American police are trigger happy violent cowboys, these two should be sent prison for life. American political system talks about human right in other countries around the world should be looking at their own systems.
David Rankin
homeless guy could have been on meth or anything.not to say the police were innocent but all these protesters in the u.s. why did they not help the homeless guy.when he was on the streets begging , they did not give a jot about him till they see a way to get at the police, then it,s there all good people,
Terry Cochran
Why the surprise? The police are and will always be the lacky's of the Gov. the trial of these cops is irrelevent they are as guilty as hell as the footage shows, Why do you beat a man who is cuffed and a danger to no one but himself? Answer, you dont.You could hear the terror iun that mans cries he knew they were out to do him serious harm purely because they could. these uniformed wearing humans are showing the true meaning of humanity for to me inhumanity is to never give in to our base feelings and behave so appallingly. Yours in despair Tel
Mary Steel
Orange County, full of wealthy people, the ones who are not are forgotten, they probably do not like the homeless being a blight on their landscape, any one of us could end up in that situation, we never know what befalls us in the future, to see the LAW (joke) being responsible for this kind of violence is a disgrace, they should hang their heads in shame. Come to California shout the holiday adverts, no thanks, think I will keep well away.
Michael Hobson
More police state brutality. They are suppose to be PEACE officers by definition of the name. That is not peaceful, nor is the allegation by their defense trying to pass the blame onto the medics that treated this guy after the poolice beat him...!!!!
Neil Servis
5:36am on 9/5/2012
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