Kelly Thomas

Art With An Agenda: Sex. Love. Unity. Respect.

Magoski Arts Colony

Adolescents - The Observatory - December 7, 2012

AdolescentsThe ObservatoryDecember 7, 2012 It isn't common to find a solid lineup that features two of the greatest pioneering West Coast punk bands playing on the same stage in one night. The Observatory featured T.S.O.L. and OC legends Adolescents Friday night, which probably would've resulted in ... More >>

Fullerton Police Officer Accuses Acting Chief of Cover Up in Kelly Thomas Killing

Fullerton Police officer Ben Lear appeared on KFI this afternoon and accused Acting Chief Dan Hughes of a cover up in the immediate aftermath of the Kelly Thomas killing. Lear, a 17-year veteran of the city's embattled force, has been on paid leave since circulating an email critical of Ca ... More >>

[UPDATED with Correction Regarding Roland Chi:] OC Weekly 2012 Election Guide: Fullerton!

See the end of this post for a correction regarding a County of Orange Health Care Agency  investigation into a Garden Grove supermarket owned not by Roland Chi, but rather his family.ORIGINAL POST OCT. 11, 2012 3:34 P.M.: It's tempting to qualify the Fullerton political scene as a live- action ... More >>

[UPDATED With Wolfe Pleading Not Guilty:] KFI Says Charges Against Officer Joe Wolfe 'Imminent'

See Update No. 2 at the end of this post on ex-Officer Joe Wolfe being arraigned today on manslaughter and excessive-force charges.See Update No. 1 on a media report that the Grand Jury will convene to decide whether or not to indict a third officer involved in the Kelly Thomas beating.We don't know ... More >>

Julian Porte Memorializes Kelly Thomas in Song

While others held protest signs outside the Fullerton Police Department last summer, Julian Porte came with a guitar, a harmonica and a song. Small crowds assembled around the Santa Fe Springs-based musician as he sang "The Ballad of Kelly Thomas," about the homeless, schizophrenic man fatally beate ... More >>

Kelly Thomas Remembered at Candlelight Vigil

About 100 people gathered for a candlelight vigil at Kelly's Corner on Thursday night near the downtown Fullerton Bus Depot. The vigil marked the one year anniversary since Thomas, a 37-year-old mentally ill homeless man, was brutally beaten by six Fullerton Police officers at the exact spot.Ke ... More >>

Julian Porte Memorializes Kelly Thomas in Song

[Locals Only] The fiery singer/songwriter finds power in protest

Kelly Thomas 1-Year Beating Death Anniversary Rung in with Lawsuit by His Father Ron Thomas

Proving yet again that what happens in the Kelly Thomas family does not necessarily stay in the Kelly Thomas family, the father of the slain homeless man is suing the city of Fullerton.The wrongful death lawsuit, filed by Ron Thomas on the one-year anniversary of his frail, 37-year-old schizophrenic ... More >>

Punk Legends the Adolescents Set to Headline Kelly Thomas Memorial Concert

With the one-year anniversary of the fatal beating of Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011 at the hands of Fullerton police approaching, the Adolescents will headline a free outdoor concert in his memory. The legendary local band that got its start more than three decades ago in the city will be joined by o ... More >>

Jeremy Popoff FINALLY Admits Slidebar's Role in Call to Police That Led to Kelly Thomas Killing

After months of denials and ridiculing the OC Weekly and others, Slidebar owner Jeremy Popoff finally admitted on KFI's John and Ken Show that one of his employees did, in fact, call police the night Kelly Thomas was brutally beaten by six Fullerton Police officers to death.Good job, Jeremy!

Lawsuit: Fullerton Bar Manager Enticed Police with a Lie Before Officers Beat Kelly Thomas to Death

A fired security guard at the Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen in Fullerton has filed a lawsuit accusing Lit guitarist Jeremy Popoff, an owner of the establishment, with enticing police to harass Kelly Thomas on the day officers savagely beat the homeless, schizophrenic man to death in July 2011, and th ... More >>

[UPDATE: Mox Skeptical of Case] Did Officer Manuel Ramos Warm Up on a Disabled Man Before The Kelly Thomas Killing?

UPDATE, 2:37 P.M.: I can't vouch in any way for this lawsuit. For 19 hours, Russell R. Arens--the 1988 University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law graduate who is the plaintiff's lawyer--has knowingly ignored five calls to answer simple questions. That type of conduct makes me leery of the m ... More >>

[UPDATE: Media Outlets Report More Officers to be Terminated] Ron Thomas Confirms Firing of Cops Who Beat His Son on KPCC's AirTalk With Larry Mantle

UPDATE, May 23, 5:34 P.M.: Citing unspecified media outlets, radio station 89.3 KPCC is reporting that all six officers involved in the Kelly Thomas beating have been given letters of intent to terminate. Be sure to read the original post below for our coverage of Ron Thomas's appearance this mornin ... More >>

Have Two of Kelly Thomas's Attackers Been Fired?

Local blog Friends for Fullerton's Future is reporting officers Joe Wolfe and Manuel Ramos have been handed termination papers. The information was leaked to the blog by an anonymous source inside the Fullerton Police Department who said the firing stems from the officers' refusal to talk to in ... More >>

The Orange County Register Urges the Public to Not Believe Its Own Eyes

[Moxley Confidential] Bootlicking 101, using the now-infamous Kelly Thomas video

Is Tony Bushala OC's Newest Kingmaker?

The founder of Friends for Fullerton's Future blog says his war on bad government didn't start with the Kelly Thomas beating, and it's not over yet

Tom Leykis Adds "Fullerton Police Department-Style" to His List of "Take Me Out..." Audio Clips

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of talking about the Kelly Thomas murder on The Tom Leykis Show. I had Facebooked Tom the horrific beating that the Fullerton police inflicted on Kelly; Tom was so disturbed that we talked about the incident for two hours, taking phone calls from apologists and non-apo ... More >>

Top Five Cases of OC Killer Cops NOT Caught on Film

**READ OUR 2003 COVER STORY ON OC'S 31 SCARIEST COPS!**The shocking video footage of six Fullerton cops cursing, threatening, and then beating the living crap out of mentally ill homeless person Kelly Thomas was finally released yesterday, some ten months after Thomas died from his July 5, 2011 inju ... More >>

Ron Thomas at CSUF Social Justice Summit: Defend the Homeless

"Here's that beautiful picture of Kelly on the right," said Ron Thomas, as he pointed to a portrait of his smiling son toward the end of his PowerPoint presentation on homelessness at Cal State University Fullerton's eighth-annual social justice summit on Saturday, April 14. "Right here, [Kelly ... More >>

Brandon Ferguson Not Welcome at Slidebar!

[Mental Notes] What does this have to do with the Kelly Thomas case?

Kelly Thomas Killing Prelude Didn't Involve Slidebar, Bar Owner Claims

Popoff​The claim that a Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen employee may have inadvertently helped ignite the brutal, July 5 killing of a homeless man by Fullerton cops is not true, according to Slidebar co-owner Jeremy Popoff.In a Dec. 29 phone message to the Weekly in response to months of seeking an i ... More >>

What We Learned

The Year on Navel Gazing and Beyond!

Kelly Thomas Killing Befuddles The Orange County Register Newsroom

Register: You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be spoon-fed the official police version!​There's no doubt that Fullerton police officers killed Kelly Thomas last July in an outrageous incident that provoked international focus on police brutality in Orange County.I'm focusing on the word "killed" beca ... More >>

David Whiting: Cops Can Kill Innocent Man; Just Don't Screw with Nixon Library Floor Mats

Whiting and The Art of Bootlicking​Six Fullerton cops savagely beat a defenseless homeless man to death in July, but that didn't piss off Orange County Register columnist David Whiting.In fact, officers literally tore off Kelly Thomas' face before he took his last breath. Thomas' crime? He took un ... More >>

Jay Cicinelli, Fullerton Police Officer Charged in Kelly Thomas' Death, Won't Have His LAPD Pension Reviewed

Jay Cicinelli​Even though Fullerton stopped paying Cpl. Jay Cicinelli on Oct. 8 -- three months after he and other Fullerton cops beat Kelly Thomas to death -- he's still getting a fatty pension paycheck.And, today's vote by the board that oversees cop pensions in LA, ensured that that's not gonna ... More >>

Following in Fullerton's Footsteps? Downey Police Mistakenly Stop, Kill Unarmed Man; Public Protests At City Council Meetings

​A community is crying foul and following in Fullerton's footsteps.On Oct. 22, a Downey police officer gunned down Michael Nida, a father of four who had spent the day celebrating his birthday, according to a Los Angeles Wave story.Police stopped Nida for his alleged connection to an armed robbery ... More >>

David Whiting: The Register's New Bootlicker

[Moxley Confidential] Gordon Dillow may have left the building, but his cop-loving spirit lives on

Anti-Recall Group Hosts Event In Fullerton To Raise Money, Show Support For Mayor, Two Councilmen Being Recalled

​About 100 Fullertonians -- a rather homogenous crew of sexagenarians and older -- gathered at a pricey fundraiser tonight to support three beleaguered city leaders.Mayor F. Richard Jones, Mayor Pro Tem Don Bankhead and Councilman Pat McKinley have faced sharp criticism recently, following what ma ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

More Than 14K People Have Signed A Petition To Fire Or Reprimand All Six Officers Involved In Kelly Thomas Beating

​After learning that four of the six officers involved in the Kelly Thomas beating hadn't been charged, Fullerton resident Paul Orloff decided to take things into his own hands.Earlier this month, Orloff started a petition on Change.org, which boasts more than 14,000 signatures and demands th ... More >>

'John and Ken Show' Broadcasts Live From Fullerton In Support Of Efforts To Recall The Mayor And Two Councilmen

Ed Carrasco John Kobylt, left, and Ken Chiampou ​As they stood a few hundred yards from Fullerton City Hall this afternoon, outspoken radio hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou weren't shy about their disdain for three local politicians -- Mayor F. Richard Jones, Mayor Pro Tem Don Bankhead and Counc ... More >>

OC Sheriff's Officials Undergoing 40-Hour Training on How to Interact With the Mentally Ill

​After Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic man who lived on the streets of Fullerton, died at the hands of Fullerton policemen in July, there was one thing just about everyone--the victim's family, protesters, the city council and law enforcement officials--agreed on: Law enforcement could use more trai ... More >>

Fullerton Police Raid Wrong House, Acting Police Chief Apologizes to Family a Year Later

​​At last night's city council meeting, almost a year after four Fullerton police officers wrongfully raided her home, Robyn Nordell got the apology and policy change she's been waiting for.Last October, while working at her computer, Nordell noticed a man at her back door. She says she feared a ... More >>

Kelly's Army Strong

The eclectic mix of protesters demanding justice for Kelly Thomas still has battles to fight, even after two officers were charged in his death

Lalo Alcaraz at Fullerton Public Library TOMORROW

​As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, my "Gustavo's Awesome Lecture Series!" returns tomorrow at the Fullerton Public Library with legendary cartoonista Lalo Alcaraz. Lalo, ever the quick drawer, has even modified one of his famous anti-police brutality editorial cartoons to reflect Kelly Thomas' mur ... More >>

Judge Denies Officer Manuel Ramos' Request For Lower Bail; John Barnett, Ramos' Attorney, Calls Kelly Thomas 'Violent Felon'

Officer Manuel Ramos​At the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana this morning, Fullerton policeman Manuel Ramos wore a yellow jumpsuit and sat behind a metal mesh wall separating him from everyone else in the courtroom -- including Kelly Thomas' relatives and several members of his own family.  ... More >>

Where Things Stand A Day After The D.A. Charged Two Fullerton Policemen In The Beating Death of Kelly Thomas

R. Scott MoxleyDistrict Attorney Tony Rackauckas​It's been about 28 hours since the D.A. charged two Fullerton cops in the brutal beating death of Kelly Thomas.In some ways what happened yesterday changed things, and in others it didn't. Marcellus McRae, a former federal prosecutor who now wo ... More >>

[UPDATED with Arraignment:] Murder Charge, Counts Against 2 Cops in Kelly Thomas Beating Case

Courtesy of Orange County District Attorney's OfficeOfficer Manuel Ramos​UPDATE, SEPT 21, 4:03 P.M.: At his arraignment this afternoon, which the Weekly's Marisa Gerber attended, a handcuffed Fullerton Police Officer Manuel Ramos pleaded not guilty to felony second-degree murder and involuntary ma ... More >>

Kelly Thomas Killing Prompts DA Tony Rackauckas' Finest Moment

R. Scott MoxleyDistrict Attorney Tony Rackauckas​At 11:04 a.m. today, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas entered a heavily guarded press conference, walked to the podium without fanfare and, in front of 13 television news cameras and dozens of reporters, made history.Rackauckas announ ... More >>

Fullerton Police Chief Reacts to Charges in Kelly Thomas Case

Ed CarrascoFullerton Acting Police Chief Kevin Hamilton​In response to Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas' announcement of a second-degree murder charge against Fullerton Police Officer Manuel Ramos and an involuntary manslaughter charge against Corporal Jay Cicinelli in the death of ... More >>

[BREAKING:] DA to Announce Charges (If Any) in Kelly Thomas Killing

​Moments after receiving the county coroner's report regarding Kelly Thomas' cause of death, the Orange County District Attorney's office announced DA Tony Rackauckas is holding a press conference Wednesday morning "to discuss his filing decision following the OCDA's investigation of six Fullert ... More >>

[UPDATED with Fullerton Police Cite People For Honking At Protest:] Kelly Thomas' Story Goes National

​UPDATE, SEPT. 10, 6:27 P.M.: Fullerton police officers have had little to no presence at the Kelly Thomas protests outside their building for the past several weeks. Today, however, they stepped up enforcement and issued citations to three motorists who honked as they drove past the protest. ... More >>

OC All Over the VMAs

[Mental Notes] Plus, a concert and food drive in honor of Kelly Thomas

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

[UPDATE: Maybe Not]: Fullerton Mayor Dick Jones to Resign: KFI Reports

Mayor F. Richard Jones M.D.​UPDATE, 2:08 p.m.: An official with the city of Fullerton tells us that the KFI reports of Fullerton Mayor Dick Jones stepping down are false. "The Mayor is not resigning," says Public Information Officer for the city of Fullerton Sylvia Palmer. "When he left city hall ... More >>

The Face of Kelly Thomas v. The Face of John Chamberlain

Chamberlain before he met his executioners​Prosecutors in the John Derek Chamberlain murder trial yesterday displayed numerous morgue photographs of the pre-trial criminal defendant who was beaten to death by other inmates inside Orange County's Theo Lacy Jail in October 2006. The pictures of Cham ... More >>

[UPDATED with Protest's Emotional Conclusion:] Hundreds Protest Kelly Thomas' Death, Demand Answers From Fullerton PD

Ed CarrascoA protester goes right up to the door of the Fullerton Police Department.​​UPDATE, AUGUST 8, 1:07 P.M.: After most of the crowd had left for the day, the remaining 100 or so protesters congregated directly outside the Fullerton Police Department and the tone of the protest intens ... More >>

[UPDATED with First-Hand Insight From Villagara:] OC District Attorney "Incapable" of Impartial Probe into Kelly Thomas's Police-Beating Death: ACLU

Villagara​UPDATE, AUG. 5, 4:26 P.M.: Update written by Marisa Gerber.Hector Villagara is no stranger to Orange County. Before he took on his current role as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California, he worked in the ACLU's Orange County office.It was h ... More >>

Ex-Cop's Sad Saga Points to Problems with Pill Popping Police . . . and Fullerton PD?

​The Orange County Register has a detailed story on a pill-popping Fullerton police officer whose career ended when internal affairs investigators showed up at his Seal Beach apartment and found empty pill bottles and a cop so high he could not speak without slurring.The Reg tells the Todd Alan ... More >>