Kelly Thomas

Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen Is Innocent

Bombshell evidence destroys a lawsuit claiming the Fullerton restaurant's owner tricked cops into attacking Kelly Thomas

Timeline to Kelly Thomas' Killing

[Moxley Confidential] Did Fullerton cops kill the schizophrenic homeless man because he annoyed them?

Orange County Register Questions Ron Thomas's Nonprofit Status

Questions about the money raised by the Kelly Thomas Memorial Foundation and how it's being spent continue to swirl. Two weeks ago, the Weekly wrote about a scuffle of words between Ron Thomas,  father of slain homeless man Kelly Thomas, and Stephan Baxter, organizer of Art With an Ag ... More >>

Michael Gennaco, "Independent" Investigator in Kelly Thomas Killing, Says No Conspiracy Took Place

Last night Michael Gennaco, the independent investigator empowered by the city of Fullerton to conduct a probe into the death of Kelly Thomas, delivered his third and final report to the  city council. Seeing as how the former United States prosecutor enjoys attorney-client privilege with ... More >>

Then there Were Three: Jay Cicinelli Drops Like a One-Eyed Fly

Despite only having one eye, we're sure Jay Cicinelli saw this one coming from a mile away. The Fullerton cop, charged with involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force in the unnecessary beating death of homeless man Kelly Thomas, has been fired. "The employment status of Corporal Jay C ... More >>

Calls for Civilian Cop Oversight Continue In Fullerton

A year after Kelly Thomas' death, the Police Oversight Proposal Committee ask for the formation of a new entity

[UPDATED with DA Office Response:] John Huelsman, Stepfather of Kelly Thomas-Beating Jay Cicinelli, Says Fullerton Cop is "Sacrificial Lamb"

Updated, with DA office response at the end of post.ORIGINAL POST, JULY 11, 3:30 P.M. John Huelsman, stepfather of one-eyed Fullerton cop Jay Cicinelli, sat down with Fox affiliate KTTV-TV Channel 11 yesterday to defend the accused officer in the court of public opinion. No surprise here: ... More >>

PAS Gallery's Piggish Kelly Thomas Exhibit

The Fullerton space's show dedicated to the beaten-to-death-by-cops homeless man has some good pieces, but others lack true insight

Kelly Thomas Memorial Concert - Fullerton's Downtown Plaza - 7/7/12

The weekend remembrance of Kelly Thomas, the 37-year-old homeless man beaten to death by Fullerton cops one year ago, culminated with the second annual Kelly Thomas Memorial Concert echoing through the city's Downtown Plaza Saturday with eight bands, including OC punk legends The Adolescents, taking ... More >>

Slidebar Cafe Hides Behind Veil of Shame On Eve of Kelly Thomas Vigil

While friends and family of Kelly Thomas mourned the one-year anniversary of his brutal beating death at the hands of Fullerton Police at the bus depot on Thursday night, the Slidebar Cafe hid behind a mysterious black curtain.Perhaps they wanted to shield themselves from the sorrowful sobs and crie ... More >>

Art with an Agenda

PÄS Gallery

Fullerton Homeless Talk about Kelly Thomas After Slidebar Protest

In between the afternoon and evening protests at Slidebar in Fullerton over their role in the Kelly Thomas killing, the only people left buzzing around the area were there a group of homeless men. They walked leisurely around the Fullerton Bus Depot or sat on benches in the shade, and while they w ... More >>

Fullerton Police Finally Release Records per Mental Health Advocates' Request--But Are They Holding Back?

As promised, activists with Mind(ful) Liberation Project (MLP) have posted 22 pages of documents obtained from the Fullerton Police Department online. Prompted by the Kelly Thomas killing nearly a year ago, the organization filed a records-request for materials related to entry-level training and re ... More >>

[UPDATED with Documents Released] Mental Health Activists Still Waiting for Fullerton Police to Respond to their Public-Records Request

UPDATE JUNE 6, 9:23 P.M.: For the better part of 17 business days, Megan Osborn of Mind(ful) Liberation Project had heard nary a peep from the city of Fullerton. The organization sought to obtain, through public records requests, police training manuals and other documents related to mental health i ... More >>

Fullerton Residents: Vote Out Three Lousy City Councilmen Today

Attention Fullerton residents:You've eaten breakfast. You've eaten lunch. But before you eat dinner please make sure you've given the boot to three incumbent city councilmen who are facing a critical recall election today.Why?When the world was watching Fullerton in the wake of the July 2011, police ... More >>

Bootlicker David Whiting and the Footwear of Justice

This week Orange County Register columnist David Whiting changed things up. Instead of licking the boots of brutal police officers, he licked the loafers of the three Fullerton councilmembers facing recall in June: former Mayor Dick Jones, former Fullerton cop Don Bankhead and former Fullerton Polic ... More >>

Ron Thomas Approached to Appear at Trayvon Martin Rally, Declines

Ron Thomas confirmed today he was approached by the Justice for Trayvon Martin Foundation, which sought his support along with civil rights leaders Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton for an April 26th rally in Los Angeles. The event was geared toward bringing attention to the unarmed  Florida teen s ... More >>

Kelly Thomas Murder Trial Brings La-La Land Teevee Reporters and Their La-La Land Flubs

The Kelly Thomas murder trial has brought Los Angeles-based television reporters to a place quite unfamiliar to them: Orange County. As a result, many are a-bumbling and a-stumbling through their live remotes, as they've obviously got the afternoon-drive traffic back to La-La Land on their minds. Po ... More >>

The Kelly Thomas Beating & "Fullerton Metal Jacket": Where It All Started

The first thing I thought of when I heard about the Kelly Thomas beating was the first cover story I wrote for OC Weekly some 16 years ago. "Fullerton Metal Jacket: When The Police Go Military, The City Goes Vietnam," was published on March 8, 1996, just months into our paper's existence. It concern ... More >>

Kelly Thomas Case Will Go to Jury Trial, Judge Rules!

The two officers charged with the death of Kelly Thomas will have to answer for their actions at trial. Orange County Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm rendered his decision at 2:30 p.m. following a three-day preliminary hearing. Referring to the felony charges faced by both Manuel Ramos (sec ... More >>

Dying Kelly Thomas Initially Ignored By Fullerton Paramedics

During the first hour of today's preliminary hearing for two Fullerton Police Department officers accused of criminally killing a homeless man last July, the biggest news came from a paramedic who first treated exceptionally minor scratches and bruises on cops than rush to the brutalized, dying vict ... More >>

[W/VIDEO] Footage of Fullerton Police Beating Kelly Thomas to Death Finally Released

**CLICK HERE FOR THE OC WEEKLY'S COMPLETE KELLY THOMAS ARCHIVES**Today, the world finally got to see security footage of Fullerton police officers beating Kelly Thomas to death, a case that has sparked worldwide outrage.The video--complete with Thomas pleading for his life--is after the jump. WARNIN ... More >>

Lit to Release New Album ... And Tour With Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms and Marcy Playground

​You knew this wasn't going to slip by our radar undetected.  You also read the headline correctly--'90s alt-band Lit will be releasing a new album--the first since their self-titled 2004 LP.  According to a press release, their latest effort, The View from the Bottom, will be out J ... More >>

Report: No Fullerton Cop Cover Up in Wake of Kelly Thomas Killing

​The attorney charged with independently reviewing the police response to the Kelly Thomas killing presented his first report tonight to a special session meeting of the Fullerton city council and cleared the police of a cover up. Flanked by rows of buzzing television cameras in front of a pa ... More >>

John D. Barnett Is the Attorney for the Damned

[Moxley Confidential] The veteran criminal-defense lawyer insists his cop client didn't murder Kelly Thomas

Kelly Thomas Related City Council Recall in Fullerton Advances

​The Friends For Fullerton's Future blog is reporting overwhelming success in massive community efforts to recall three city councilmen who arrogantly downplayed the gruesome police killing of Kelly Thomas, a homeless man, last July.According to the popular blog, more than 50,000 Fullerton residen ... More >>

Dillinger Escape Plan Playing Free Concert at Slidebar; Watch it Without Compromising Your Integrity

​So mathcore/hardcore band Dillinger Escape Plan is playing a free show at Slidebar on Thursday, Jan. 19. It's being called the band's "last U.S. [show] for a while" And if you're still boycotting Slidebar because of the Kelly Thomas hooha, know that you could maintain your integrity by watching ... More >>

11 Ucked Fup OC Murder Incidents from 2011

​The body count is piling up in Orange County this last month of 2011, with some slayings so awful they made the following compilation of the 11 most ucked fup murder scenes of the year.Please note that this will also be my last list of 2011 that includes the Salon Meritage massacre. As much as I ... More >>

Slidebar Bans Weekly Writer Brandon Ferguson From Premises!

​For most drunks, there's nothing remarkable about getting banned from a downtown Fullerton bar. Shit, stroll along Harbor on Friday between the hours of midnight and 2 a.m., and you'll see sidewalks teeming with wayward boozers, some spilling urine and other bodily fluids along the planters. But ... More >>

Slidebar Cafe Helps Homeless After Owner Previously Slammed Kelly Thomas

​The Slidebar Rock N Roll Cafe is in the middle of a month-long food collection initiative aimed at aiding the Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Services. Founded in 1975, FIES is a charitable collective providing emergency food and transitional housing to homeless in the Fullerton area. Slideba ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

The Fullerton Police Department Are the Bullies In Blue

Long before officers beat Kelly Thomas to death, the city's cops ran roughshod over anyone and everyone

Fullerton College Student Says Cops Wrongfully Arrested Him And Beat Him Up in 2008

​At a council meeting in Fullerton last week, a man said he thought the "flood gates" of complaints against the police department had only just started. Well, it looks like he might be right.A 23-year-old Fullerton College student was allegedly arrested on false charges of public drunkenness ... More >>

Manuel Ramos, Cop Accused of Killing Kelly Thomas, Has Continued Arraignment This Morning

​The arraignment of Fullerton Police Officer Manuel Ramos, who has been charged with murdering homeless man Kelly Thomas, was scheduled to be continuing this morning in Santa Ana.Ramos' defense attorney, John Barnett, is expected to ask Orange County Superior Court Judge Erick Larsh to reduce the ... More >>

At Packed Fullerton City Council Meeting, People Want Answers In Kelly Thomas Case, Several Support Recall

Marisa Gerber/ OCWeeklyBankhead, left, Jones and McKinley​​On the eve of the district attorney's announcement of its findings in the Kelly Thomas case, peopled packed Fullerton City Hall to let the council know, once again, their thoughts on Thomas' death, the police department and the city, in ... More >>

Kelly Thomas Memorial Concert and Food Drive Last Saturday

Brandon FergusonJulian Porte performing at Kelly Thomas Memorial Concert​Saturday's concert in memory of brutalized Fullerton homeless man Kelly Thomas saw a modest crowd of protesters, local residents and music fans gather in the Fullerton Downtown Plaza to listen to an eclectic mix of local band ... More >>

Kelly Thomas Memorial Concert and Canned Food Drive

Fullerton Downtown Plaza

Kelly Thomas Died Of Blunt Force Trauma To The Head, Says Attorney Garo Mardirossian, At Press Conference; Medical Records Released

Ed Carrasco Medical records list Kelly Thomas' immediate cause of death as "brain death," caused by "head trauma."Kelly Thomas died of brain injuries, which resulted from blunt force trauma to the head, according to medical records released by Garo Mardirossian, Ron Thomas' lawyer. At a press ... More >>

[UPDATED with Photos:] Fullerton Hires Independent Probe Into Kelly Thomas Beating, Dozens Speak At City Council Meeting

Michael Gennaco​At last night's meeting, the city council voted to hire Michael Gennaco to conduct an independent review of the Kelly Thomas beating and the police department's practices. Earlier in the meeting, more than 50 Fullertonians spoke during the public comment section, many&nb ... More >>

Ron Thomas Meets With Fullerton Mayor Dick Jones to Discuss His Son's Death-by-Fullerton- Cops

Ed Carrasco/OC WeeklyRon Thomas​Fullerton Mayor F. Richard Jones is "about ready to quit," Ron Thomas, father of police beating death victim Kelly Thomas, said after his two-hour one-on-one meeting.Speaking at Fullerton City Hall this morning, Ron Thomas said that after last night's raucous city c ... More >>

LISTEN: Protest Songs For Kelly Thomas by Julian Porte and BNF

R. Scott Moxley / OC Weekly​As more information from the July beating death of Fullerton homeless man Kelly Thomas by six police officers surfaces, two new songs by local singer-songwriter Julian Porte and rapper BNF give their perspective on the subject of police brutality.Singer-songwriter Porte ... More >>

Anti-Police Brutality Protest Set For Today in Fullerton

(c) R. Scott Moxley / OC WeeklyProtesters oppose police brutality last Saturday​Residents are planning the biggest protest yet against the Fullerton Police Department today following the early July, gruesome cop killing of Kelly Thomas, an unarmed homeless man. Last Saturday, a spirited crowd of m ... More >>

Matt Southgate, Santa Ana Artist, Spearheads Artistic Altar To Honor Kelly Thomas

​As Santa Ana painter Matt Southgate scoured Internet coverage of Kelly Thomas' death late last night, he had somewhat of an epiphany and decided to take action. "The Orange Juice blog had the video of the passengers that got on the bus and they seemed to be pretty honest about what they witn ... More >>

Fullerton Stands Up for Kelly Thomas

[Moxley Confidential] Businessman/blogger Tony Bushala isn't letting anyone forget Kelly Thomas' brutal death at the hands of Fullerton police

Sharon Quirk-Silva, Fullerton Councilwoman, Blasts Fullerton Police Chief Anew, Asks for Better Treatment of County's Homeless in Wake of Kelly Thomas' Death-by-Cop

​Fullerton councilwoman Sharon Quirk-Silva shocked political observers yesterday when she asked for the resignation of the city's police chief, Michael Sellers, in the wake of the Kelly Thomas death-by-cop scandal. And in a letter today to constituents, she offers further reasoning."I feel that th ... More >>

Calls for Resignation, Recall in Fullerton over Kelly Thomas Beating

Ed Carrasco​Hundreds of people showed up at the Fullerton City Council meeting last night--as did mobile television vans from every major local station. The overwhelming majority of people present were there to physically and demonstrate their outrage over the July 5 beating of Kelly T ... More >>

Fullerton Cops Involved In Death Of Kelly Thomas Back on Duty

Kelly Thomas RIP​All but one of the Fullerton police officers who were involved in the death of Kelly Thomas, the schizophrenic transient who died of multiple injuries to his face and neck after being arrested July 5, are back to work. According to an Orange County Register story today, Fullerton' ... More >>

Fullerton Cops Involved In Death Of Kelly Thomas Back on Duty

Kelly Thomas RIP​Kelly Thomas RIP​All but one of the Fullerton police officers who were involved in the death of Kelly Thomas, the schizophrenic transient who died of multiple injuries to his face and neck after being arrested July 5, are back to work. According to an Orange County Register stor ... More >>

[UPDATED W/FIRST VIDEO OF POLICE ARRESTING VICTIM:] Kelly Thomas' Officer-Involved Death Was Videotaped; Councilman Calls For Release to Public

UPDATED, JULY 25, 8:42 A.M.: Now comes the first video of police arresting Kelly Thomas, posted on Youtube and available through Fullertonsfuture.org. You can't see much besides onlookers milling around on the sidewalk, mostly blocking the view of a few police officers who appear to be crouching dow ... More >>

[UPDATED with PD Protest PHOTOS:] Kelly Thomas' Retired Deputy Father Blasts Fullerton Police for 'Killing My Son'

​UPDATE, JULY 18, 7:12 P.M.: The Fullertonian's Alex Stouffer was at this afternoon's Fullerton Police Department protest with camera in hand, and some of the resulting shots have been graciously shared with the Weekly.Among those who turn up in Stouffer's lens is Ron Thomas, the father of 37-year ... More >>