Dan Hughes Has A Problem. So Do We.
During public comments at last night’s council meeting, at least two members of the public remarked that during the protests of the Kelly Thomas killing last fall, then captain, now Acting Chief Dan Hughes told them to wait until the video came out, and then they would see things differently.
Well, now that these people have seen the video, their reaction is not exactly what Mr. Hughes seemed to be waiting for. And this begs a very important question that goes to the heart of both Hughes’ character and the FPD Culture of Corruption.
First let us suppose and dispose the notion that Hughes’ admonition to the protesters was nothing more than a ploy to stall for time. Coming from a department in turmoil that hadn’t got a clue what to do or how to do it, temporizing may be seen as an understandable, if pathetic strategy.
But now let’s give the situation a little more thought. By his own remarkable admission, Hughes had seen the video 400 times. That’s ridiculous of course, but he obviously watched his boys kill an innocent man lots of times. Dozens? A hundred? Enough times perhaps, that he became inured to the unnecessary and inexcusable brutality. In a mental effort to defend the indefensible and picking apart the video like a defense lawyer in order to come up with plausible explanations that would get the killers off the hook, Hughes may well have lost sight of the murder of a human being played and replayed in front of his very eyes. And that’s bad.
But it might be even worse. It may very well be that in watching the video our Acting Chief saw nothing wrong going on, nothing outside of the policy and training that he espouses. After all, there is a reason that the cops went to work the very next day as if nothing untoward had happened. There is a reason that four of the aiders and abettors still remain on paid leave, a weird limbo in which they continue to be remunerated until the Gennaco report can be used to justify some action or other. It’s as if there is no procedural mechanism in place at all to deal with the sort of cops who stand around as the object of their brutality is dying, untended, a few away.
For those who mistakenly believe that Sharon Quirk and Hughes have ushered in some new period of reform in the FPD I suggest you think again. Apart from some alleged sensitivity training I assert that nothing has changed in the FPD’s culture at all, a culture that recently rewarded a loyal purveyor of disinformation with a promotion.
Hughes is the mild-mannered apologist for the FPD Culture of Corruption. As long as he’s in charge of anything, there will be no reform.
Hughes must be a sociopath, only a sociopath could act like him. Is evryone working at the city a sociolpath?
He is a Wolfe in sheeps clothing…
As I wrote months ago, Police Commission. Won’t fix everything, but at least we can get access to some information. The FPD shouldn’t be trusted to operate without citizen supervision.
Yeah, everyone just loved Dan over the summer, because he seemed to be on Kelly’s side, but I was wary. It seemed way too much like good PR, him coming out to the protests, chit-chatting with everyone. He’s a nice guy, friendly, approachable, and seemed genuine. But I just KNEW it was too good to be true.
I feel the same way. And the same for sharon silva the quirk or whatever her name is.
if Danny fires Wolfe, et al, he will have some of my support.
but but but when I talked to him, he made eye contact with me, nodded his head in affirmation and gave me a pat on the back afterwards.
…Corrupt people don’t do that.
That cracked me up Chris…rotflmao…nice.
That’s it. Manufactured empathy.
. . . . but but but after he gave you a pat on the back, Chris, be careful to not turn your back because Hughes would kick your ass next. That seems to be his character, he talks to protesters, gives them assurances, “nice guy” attitude, but does the opposite when you turn your back. He promoted his mouthpiece misinformation officer and two others who are his buddies. He fired or placed on indifinite paid leave the “honest officer” who was about to be featured on this blog. These things speak volume of his character. Never trust him, because he will always do what is best for himself.
He learned those activities from Lyndon Johnson. Read a couple of his biographies by Robert Caro.
Thinking about this today;
http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/
We hold these truths to be self evident………
Clearly what is needed by Fullerton is a full-time independent citizens commission/commisioner which would “co-sign” if you will on on whatever “sign-offs” are given by Police Supervisor’s in regards to officer misconduct.
I say that the best solution is disband the police department and start from scratch. The problems at the police department are beyond what an independent commission can do. After the recall, there will no longer be anybody at the council who will block any action to dissolve the PD. Contracting the police services to the Sherriff saves us Fullerton citizens a whole lot of money and headache.
I guess my point is, that no matter whom we contract to perform law enforcement in Fullerton, we’d better damn sure have an independent citizens oversight committee, maybe one appointee for each council member, firstly to keep police abuses of our citizens in check, and secondly to act as sort of “Quality Assurance Inspection Team” to insure that public safety operations are being managed efficiently, and more important, humanely.
Otherwise, all I see in the future is more of the same bullshit, different day/uniform.
After watching just the 8 minute version, I am also not sure what Dan thought we’d see when it was released. Was it that the last arriving officers didnt participate at the level of Ramos & Cinci ? I’m not sure. I personally hold Ramos to blame for the entire incident. Not that the others didn’t do wrong also, but it was him that set this whole thing in motion, and it should never have ever gone disown like this. Based on his statement to Kelly about “having to talk to him everyday” he clearly knew who and what mentality he was dealing with. Not one attempt to befriend, establish a rapport to gain cooperation, or acknowledge they knew each other. All the things officers are taught to do in the police academy, and for the old guard, in the Community Oriented Policing Courses that are put on. I do not believe COP (Community Oriented Policing) was something McKinley believed in or implemented in his department. It seems he had the old LAPD attitude to the very end, and sadly this is what Sellers inherited.
I agree and so will the federal judge that steps in.
Having an indepentant comission will never mean anything as long as the union is as strong as it is. The police union in Fullerton is stronger than those in some of the larger cities like Long Beach. McKinnley, Bankhead, and Jones sold out to them, and that is what they are all laughing at. Nothing can be done until contract negations come up again, which means that disbanding may very well be the best option. At least with the Sheriff you will be negotiating for a new contract.
Its not feasible or economically smart to attempt to patch a shredded tire. Fullerton PD is that shredded tire.
Of course you can waste time and a great deal of money picking up every piece of that tire from the roadway then try to glue it back together or completely melt it down and mold a new one but it will ending up costing you a hell of a lot more than just tossing it and buying a new one.
In fact you can probably buy 4 tires for the same amount it takes to piece or mold that old tire back together.
FPD is rotten to it’s core and completely shredded. Unfortunately you cannot fire problem officers at will without them turning around and suing the hell out of the city.
You have to do what bellflower and compton did and disband the department completely then perhaps consider reactivating it in a decade.
I’ll give you a recent example: If it comes out that the guy shot by FPD last week was either unarmed, was shot in the back, etc and the family sues, Fullerton tax payers stand to lose even more money.
Every second the Fullerton Police Department is allowed to exist increases the risk of more settlements and more litigation. The statements given by the acting Chief, the settlements in the Kelly Thomas beating, the settlements in the Rincon assaults, etc all increases liability to tax payers.
There is no way around this. You have to disband the department if you want to avoid deeper debt, higher taxes and blight.
According to Gennaco the police is not corrupt at all. So is Gennaco corrupt?
For a mere $150,000 Gennaco might be a whore.
Whore’s don’t generally bite their best customers.
Give me a $150k John, I’ll write a good report about you too.
It looks like he is a lot of departments whore. Nice job!
Yep he sure could be, it is a nice job for the money involved.
Gennaco is not independent at all despite calling his business the “Office of Independent Review”. The City hired him to conduct a report based on his prior work with Los Angeles County, if he was known to write scathing reports that put the city at risk for suits they wouldn’t have hired him.
This is the problem with Gennaco, there are no laws, incentives or requirements that says he must conduct an independent investigation. He is a private law firm, nothing more.
It would be like Ron Thomas hiring Garo Mardirossian to conduct an “independent” review into Kelly’s death then presenting the finding of the review as “independent”.
I looked at Mardirossian’s website awhile back.
Pretty impressive if true he won a $20 some million dollar judgement against LASO on a civil right suit.
In the process he connected the dots and identified 28 LASD deputies who conspired against his client.
Quite an accomplishment if accurate.
YES I want to see Hughes go head to head with Mardirossian.
ACU How much money did the family receive after you killed their unarmed kid on his bicycle?
The County of San Bernardino gave the family who all resided in Mexico $10k for funeral expenses, so I was told.
Sorry to tell you NO LAWSUIT was filed, NO CLAIM. The Mexican Consulate General had no issue with the incident.
If your trying to get my goat on all this, it won’t work.
YOU FPD slugs can’t dot your I’s or cross your T’s, NO WORRIES!!!!
ONE LAST time dumbshit, the guy I dealt with had shot and stabbed a man just a week earlier, he was no kid, he was no ANGEL.
Second he did commit a petty theft which created the contact.
Did Gennaco see the video before he made his report???
That’s funny John Doe because the poster never said anything about corruption.
shut up cicinelli
jane donut as currupt as your face
Maybe, maybe, not corrupt, but for sure in bed with the cops and city. Independent investigation? What a joke. At best he got only what the pd wanted him to have, at worst he’s in it with them.
One in my own family was instrumental in the appointment of Gennaco to the Fullerton investigation. Two months ago I wrote him, cc’d to many and indicated that his first report was an embarrassment to my family.
Gennaco seems like a hollow shell to me.
who in your “family” would that be?
Rusty and Sharon. My opinion, not theirs.
I totally agree! But first, remove the roadblocks at the City council: McKinnley, Jones, and Bankhead.
Just FYI a few of the remaining 4 four officers will be back at work full time in the next week or so you silly little FFF’ers
I’m sure they’ll be a warm welcome for them.
Yeah, especially with folks in the community.
I can’t wait for that to happen. I look forward to constantly following Wolfe and Hampton around with my camera and oh yeah the videos are going to be automatically uploaded to qik so good luck trying to grab my camera and destroying it.
If you want to get ugly Fullerton PD we can get ugly!
OHHH YEAAAHHHH!!!!!!
How does that upload work? Will it work with a camera or only a cellphone?
Wanna bet? Those four are out. Not even Gennaco can save their scabrous hides.
10 month paid vacation wouldnt suck
No but the stigma attached to it might.
IAWTP
One view of the video was enough for me. For Mr Hughes 300 times needed. In my opinion through his jaded eyes he sees nothing wrong. Through his looking glass he sees the use of force continuum combined with the military rules of engagement. That is where Fullerton has gone off of the cliff. To my great horror and even greater perplexity I heard last night at the city council from a resident that publicly spoke that while the local churches’ congregants were detailing police cars for grace works day last Saturday, officers in the FPD parking lot drew shotguns during a scuffle with a suspect in custody while women and children in the parking lot were washing police cars. Enter Rod Serling with a lit Chesterfield. We are now leaving Twilight Zone and heading for the Outer Limits folks.
I also saw that lady speak last night and I would not describe what she said as officers “drawing shotguns during a scuffle with a suspect”. I heard her say there was a scuffle with the suspect (not good) and that after he was placed in the backseat, an officer removed 2 shotguns from the trunk of the vehicle.
It’s SOP to remove weapons from the vehicle before taking it to County jail, but removing the shotguns in front of civilians who don’t know they are not loaded, which they are not, is probably not a good idea. Officers, along with civilians who have worked in that environment for a period of time, do forget its not your “typical” work environment and that some find it frightening and some are even frightened by it.
I think this incident was a case of poor decision making on the part of whoever made it. I don’t believe it was intentional, just dumb.
Oh my god police have guns? This from the big tit babe who said she was in the Navy. I bet she had her fill of seaman.
My point was two fold. First the local churches whose pastors are total bought and paid for cowards are having their congregants detail police cars when half of the city budget already goes into that department and the horrific video was just was released a few days prior. The use of Christian charity in this fashion is perplexing. And second of all it appears that there was another way to enter the facility without having to parade the suspect past the women and children thus eliminating any perceived danger to the public that was “serving God” that day.
Emmulating washing the feet of the sinners, maybe?
If someone enters the compound to do service, I don’t expect the police to alter what they do. Let the visitors see what really goes on inside. Its got to be better than the made for press tours by Hughes.
Good Lord. Please provide more details. Where, who and when?
“its SOP to remove weapons from the vehicle before taking it to County jail, but removing the shotguns in front of civilians who don’t know they are not loaded, which they are not”!
So if you need a backup shotgun during a jewelry store or liquor store robbery you have to waste precious time to load the shotgun before going into the fray? Whose bright idea is that? The trunk is locked. Loaded shotguns would seem more ideal. Maybe you can swing the shotgun at the crooks and hit them sorta like a baseball bat!
Are they insane? Or don’t a few women and children as collateral damage matter? Somebody needs to explain to them they’re police, NOT the army or marines.
Are you people serious about them being put back to work? Even Hampton, who has another law suit against him, and is a Brady Cop? If this is true, these people have Fullerton by the short hairs and there is no one on the council to help, at least not until the recall election. Which by then may be too late.
We won’t let him get away with this whitewash job. This saterday is a protest in front of the police department. Lets let hughes know that we’re not going to let him get away with pulling a Sellers.We have a right to know whats going on in the department. We paid the bill and a pricey one at that for a review of the department. If there is wrongdoing it should be brought to the public in an expediant manner. Sitting and hearing nothing after the 2nd Genaco report can make one sick to the stomach
What is being whitewashed? And what do you mean by “pulling a Sellers”?
I don’t understand your point.
CUZ U IS A BITCH AZZ MOTHER FUCKED UP BASTARED
Hi Fullerton. We’re looking pretty good right about now. And we can save you millions. Imagine that; a balanced budget and a shiny new police force.
No wonder those officers are so overweight. They have too much time off to just sit around and eat donuts.
WE DEMAND HUGHES STEP DOWN!!!!!!!!
DITTO!
WE DEMAND ALL FPD STANDS DOWN!!!!!!
I thought with all the information on POBAR that “Reality Is” has provided to you all on this blog you would better understand what is happening now.
Mr. Gennaco gave Huges his completed internal affairs report which he then needed to review. I’m sure it was a lengthy report considering the number of players involved. After he reviews it, he determines what violation(s) each officer committed. He then has notify each in writing of his findings.
Then they schedule a Skelly Hearing where their present their side of the story, at this level it’s safe to assume all will have legal representation. It’s not a quick process.
I think Dan is doing a fine job considering the situation along with the City Manager & Council he’s got to work with.
There is no reason for him to step down.
That is rich! You keep speaking of “Mr. Gennaco” as if he works in an official capacity. “Huges” doesn’t have to wait for Gennaco’s report.
Show me one law in the california state code that says any department has to wait for a review from Gennaco’s law firm before attempting to fire officers?
I apologize for the typo. There is no state law that requires they wait for Gennaco’s report.
THERE IS HOWEVER, state law that requires they do an investigation WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL retained Gennaco to do, after it had already been started by the PD staff. The law also requires the rest of the steps I already noted, and many more, including the appeal of any imposed disciine to the designate hearing body, which in Fullerton is the City Council.
They are the final step in the discipline process. Like the judge and jury, they are supposed to be remaining unbiased until the case is presented to them.
Not sure where they take appeal now since judgement by Council has been public already, but that will undoubtly extend this whole mess.
The process time is not the fault of Dan Hughes any more than it was of Sellers or Hamilton. it is set out in POBAR, and it seems only certain Council members don’t care about the consequences of violating it.
And why has it taken nine months to do the investigation? I did mine in the 33 minutes it took to watch the Kelly Thomas murder. Of course I’m not billing for $150,000, either.
Because it takes a long time to suspend the laws of physics, and the laws of God and get people to believe that they have indeed been suspended. That is one tough sell.
A LE agency has ONE YEAR to date of the incident to bring charges against an employee suspected of misconduct, if that is what your refering too.
I can see something of this magnitude with that many people involved taking 9 months.
I can too. Especially when you don’t start until month 8.
hey joe EAT A DICK
Such an intelligent response.
O FO SHOW
“I’m sure it was a lengthy report”
And I’m equally sure it is paper thin. The painful fact of the matter is that Goodrich LIED last July when he said the FPD was conducting an “internal report.” They never did. Gennaco is doing it for them. Get the picture? The process of getting rid of the other four killers should have started in July, and would have, if anybody had been in charge besides McSicko.
Instead they are still on the payroll waiting for Danny Boy to figure out what to do.
Hey Joe, agree
When I heard those two people say that Hughes told them that once they saw the video they would change their minds, I was floored. I thought the same thing that this post points out.
Hughes really believes that those officers did nothing wrong!
That right there is a huge problem and a reason for Hughes to be removed from his position.
It IS NOT OK for officers who are sworn to protect and serve to treat people in that manner. No Way!
Is the Skelly Hearing for them to refute the adverse actions being charged aganist them and for example if it is termination, can they fight it during this hearing and have the termination overturned or is the Skelly Hearing just protacol? I am just courious.
Skelly hearing is like due process of civil service.
Attention Dan Hughes
You are cordially invited to post your narrated version of the video to YouTube. I’m curious to your position on the “incident” Please provide subtitles so we are all on the same page and don’t misinterpret anything.
Great idea Fullerton Citizen.
How about it Hughes?
Disband the police department. I agree
This is one of the best blogs I’ve seen at this site. You people need to call for Chief Hughes’ resignation. Say hi to the new boss….same as the old boss. Hughes is there to protect the interests of his fellow cops. He doesn’t give a damn about doing what is right for the citizens who pay them. Shame on him. All of you need to make a HUGE stink here.
Resign For what exactly?
Because we don’t understand the meaning of his statement about the video? He can’t comment until the entire process is complete!
If he is, and I’m sure he is, still having Skelly Hearings with the remaining officers, he won’t be saying anything!
It’s not difficult to understand the process really, so I’m not sure why this is AGAIN an issue here.
I’ve met him a couple times, and it was enough to know he does NOT have that “old school” approach of McKinley’s.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/2-rialto-police-officers-resign-4-disciplined-amid-sex-scandal-investigation.html
The average citizen is not privy to all of the procedures that make these officers “super citizens” if you will. Through legislative enactment by those whom the public have blindly sent North to serve us, our elected reprhensatives have erected massive protections for all of law enforcement and in doing so have allowed us to become second class citizens and our Nation to become a police state where the bill of rights has been preempted by ignorance and fear. That is something that most simple, honest, hardworking ethical people like many on this blog cannot believe has happened. That is a shame that they have to find out after such a gruesome act became National news.
Yes. Its the laws and how they are interpreted. We’ve ceded way too many rights to every kind of law enforcement. But we had to do it of course, “or the terrorists win.”
Why would someone who is supposedly so kindhearted and community oreinted, possibly think after viewing a tape of someone innocent obviously being beaten and murdered would think that anything but a beating and a murder of an innocent person took place?
I, too, would like to know what Hughes sees that I don’t.
It is what he doesn’t see that you do that is the problem.
What people aren’t researching is that our police forces are being trained by foreign nationals (guess who…) and “anti defamation” leagues- with military might and military minds. We need to be EDUCATING our police, not hating them and enforcing the division that already exists. Our neighborhoods, or communities need to get involved! TALK to your local officers, get your neighbors together, create a public-police discourse. The enemy HATES information. They will do all they can (and they have the funding and power) to discourage any type of communication with those who promote the truth. I, for one (but I am not an activist, I am just one person, a non-important one at that) have been systematically attacked ad hominem- I have been followed- just from a few online comments on blogs such as this. Don’t separate yourselves from the police, communicate with them! Expose lies, expose the conspiracy (yes, conspiracy) to divide us. Cheers, and good luck- and if the father of this poor man is reading this- I pray for you, and I am so sorry this happened to your lovely son… God bless.
Talk is cheap. I challenge you to walk into Police HQ at 237 W. Commonwealth and “educate” officers.
Shouldn’t you be giving the police this advice? Seriously, do you have any clue of how police brutality happens?
I hate to say it but you are so far in fantasy land, its not funny and your whole flawed premise is that its the citizens fault for not “communicating” with the police while constantly ignoring the abuse dished out by them on innocent people.
We need to re-focus our attention to the main issue. These fine men and women of the FPD put their lives on the line day in and day out that we might enjoy the freedom they give us.
Their jobs are hard and thankless; they are brave and resolute. They fight and die for our safety and our property.
There is nothing that is too much to give them in return!
There most certainly is. I’ll back the badge when the badge backs Kelly Thomas.
I concur.
“There is nothing that is too much to give them in return!”
Stop the abuse and murder first.
yes, I agree, guys please don’t subscribe to the new “police are our enemy” brigade, so deftly promoted by so called “truther” sites. They are only adding fuel to the fire, and I personally believe, are actually PART of the whole police vs public campaign. I have good reason to know this- and you can too- if you like to read and research. Police are human beings, subject to the same needs/wants/hurts as all of us, they aren’t robots. Make friends with your local cops! Ask them questions, TALK to them.
Yes talk to them. But whatever you do don’t say “Dad, dad.”
That’s bound to make things even worse.
No sh*t!
How exactly does this hold bad cops accountable for abuse?
Make sure to bring a camera, don’t reach for anything, do it in a public space with lots of witnesses and please for the love of everything that is holy, do it in the daytime. …See anything wrong with this “Chris”?
Kelly was bold enough to follow this advance and got his mom a cool million dollars as a result. Everything went peachy. Everyone is happy. The end. Yaay!
You’re Nuts!
haha, nice try. You don’t fool me, what was so “nuts” about my statement? nothing- just another ad hominem insult. I have thick skin, and you’ve been found out.
Is the web site that your moniker links to yours?
Chris, my comment was directed at Back the Badge. Not you.
Chris is pretty delusional or willfully ignorant of what has happened in Fullerton.
Ha, you were fooled before you even posted anything.
Cops don’t “give” us freedom, they enforce laws. And it seems like FPD only selectively enforces them to make matters even worse. Please go peddle your crap somewhere else.
Back at Fullerton High in 1974, my best buddy Brad and I got into a conversation about who of our classmates we did and did not want to see as cops.
Yes, we did recognize that police work was a vital function of society. Besides being a math/science geek I was also a political journalism geek. I did cover the State Capitol while at UC Davis and I did write for the Daily News Tribune and the two failed precursors of the Fullerton Observer before I determined to follow a more sane career path. Brad became a lawyer.
As high school boys, we knew that there were boys and girls that would become fine police officers. We also knew that there were baoys and girls who wanted to be officers who would not be fine men and women of the FPD. We hoped that they would be rooted out by authority before we had to meet them on the street.
How about in return they get a paycheck. Oh right, we’re already doing that. I’m fine with free psychiatric care too if that will help. Really.
Um, our lives?
Directed at Back the Badge.
We have all seen enough evidence that FPD is corrupt regardless of what that Gennaco bullshit says. What do you think the chances are that Captain Hughes rose to the top of such a corrupt PD by being a good honest cop?
I love Fullerton.
It is clear this is not a discussion or exchange of views and opinions on the situation. To bad since there is so much material available here to discuss. This has again turned into a juvenile name calling situation so Im done.
One last question, have you ever heard Dan Hughes say he WANTED THE CHIEF’S JOB?
Yeah, I didn’t think so.
Have a good time kids.
Bye. No, wait. You’ll be back using a different name!
Come to think of it, there are a lot of things I did not hear Dan Hughes say.
I guess we could call that an arguement from silence.
Hey Fred, How much are you willing to wager that at least 2 of the 4 come back in the next 10 days?
I spoke to him after a meeting back in August or September, and he very patronizingly cut me off a few times when I was trying to have a very calm discussion about my disappointment in the way things had been handled. I was more commiserating with him because I had been under the impression he might be one of the good ones who didn’t have a voice. However, after being fed a line about (understandably) not knowing what I was talking about since I hadn’t seen the video, and now seeing bits and pieces of it that I can barely tolerate watching, I have lost faith in his integrity. I don’t think he’s a bad person necessarily, but I don’t think he can step back far enough from the situation to see it clearly.
My aunt was a police officer for 10 years, and she said that nothing about the way that Wolfe and Ramos talked to Kelly or used their batons was at all within protocol and would never have been tolerated in the department where she worked. Any good police officer would recognize that and be extremely upset with the officer who had acted out of line, shamed the badge and department, and given the rest of them a bad name.
What Ramos and Wolfe did and said in the video according to the non police population is not acceptable, but is not illegal and there was no wrong doing in their police work.
Too bad the DA disagrees. And he is an integral part of the “police population.”
According to whom? I’m speaking on behalf of a former police officer as well as two family members who served in the military. Please let me know where you learned that so that I stay far away from that city or county.
P.S. Being a police officer does not give you the right to use foul language and threaten people who are being non-threatening. In fact, only those who can keep their cool in difficult situations should be made police officers in the first place. Or else they are just as bad as, and, quite honestly, more terrifying than the people from whom they are supposed to be protecting the community.
I’d be willing to hear him out some more and perhaps have my view shifted a bit, but I would first need to hear him explain his honest opinion of the video. I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt and think he just can’t say what he really thinks right now, but I personally could not stay in a job where it was required that I not speak out against such brutality. I understand the politics of it all and the fact that they have to wait for the trial to play out, but it’s really too bad that’s the way it is.
Geez, Erin and willie out of a booze bottle..thats rare.
After the recall is settled, the next order on the agenda will be to outsource the FPD to the OCSD. Then all of the FPD can re-apply for their positions with the OCSD. That will be a day of justice.
As we are experiencing, the FPD is too expensive, on many levels, for the City of Fullerton to maintain.
Yea just look at all the OCSD issues lately. Just what we need in Fullerton now. Call in the Tokers. They will handle it.
What happened here was in the FPD parking lot. I have spoken to an officer, and he explained it this way.
The shot guns were in the trunk because the officers gathered them out of the various cruiser. There were a group of people washing the cop cars. Little children were around so to minimize a potential problem they removed the guns.
As to why the officer transporting the perp. did not take the cruiser into the garage to put him into the car there I could not tell you. Poor police work I believe.
It doesn’t matter what the cops do at anytime in front of people like her. They will question it because they don’t know why things are done and they don’t care. Anti police. Standard.
and you get insulted if questioned right pork chop?
Watch the Thomas murder video.
I saw six fat vicious thugs; or six fat, incompetent clowns who didn’t have a clue what they were doing and looked exactly like six fat vicious thugs.
I think you are wrong about that. I was happy the day they whisked off a guy with a gun at bar where I was working many years ago. I was also happy the day the police came and removed a man from behind the bar where he jumped to attack me. Each and every time. I thanked the officers. Am I alone? No.
What makes people anti-police is your casual attitude about the officers who taunted and beat to death, a man who was committing no crime, sitting at a public transportation center.
Oh and Patrick, get a life.
Cut my minutes! I got that bitch good (Silva) when I yelled out not to vote for her for state assembly. She has done nothing but limit the amount of time we can talk for the last 3 meetings. She wants to shut us up, just like the dinosaurs! Tough shit bitch, it’s what you’re paid to do!
It wasnt Silva who suggested cutting down the time. It was bonehead Whitaker. Yell at the person responsible. You weenie head.
It was Silva for the last 3 meetings pig lover.
No RD. She’s the spokeshole mayor. She relayed the discussion, there was a first and second and the vote was unanimous. I was shocked old Brucy vote yes. I thought he would want to hear all that yelling from the 40 people longer than two minutes. Standard.
I also heard Bruce make the call out for 2 minutes per speaker. I can tell you that I was also shocked to hear him say this.
Bruce Whitaker is not our friend. I don’t get why everyone thinks he is all hugs and kisses and pro-change. EVERYONE needs to go….including Bruce. He and SSSSIlva are doing the Tango together.
By Juan A. Lozano
Associated Press
HOUSTON — A jury’s acquittal Wednesday of a former Houston police officer in the alleged beating of a 15-year-old burglary suspect during a videotaped arrest upset black community leaders who criticized the verdict as unjust and racist.
Andrew Blomberg, 29, was the first of four fired police officers to stand trial for their roles in the alleged beating of Chad Holley during a daylight arrest on March 2010. The incident involving the black teen, now 18, prompted fierce public criticism of the Police Department by community activists who called it another example of police brutality against minorities.
Former Houston police officer Andrew Blomberg, center, embraces his parents after he was found not guilty of official oppression in the videotaped beating of a 15-year-old burglary suspect in Houston. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Brett Coomer)
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Blomberg fought back tears after the verdict was read, then hugged his attorneys and started to cry as he embraced his parents. He could have faced up to a year in jail if convicted of official oppression, a misdemeanor that alleged Blomberg as a public servant intentionally mistreated Holley by kicking him.
“This is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do in my entire life,” Blomberg said, referring to being a police officer. “And I’m just glad this part is finally over.”
He said he will “take a deep breath” before deciding whether to pursue another job in law enforcement.
During his trial, Blomberg, who is white, testified that he didn’t mistreat Holley and denied kicking or stomping on the teen’s head or neck. He said he only used his foot to move Holley’s arm after he refused to comply with an order to put his hands behind his back.
Jurors declined to comment after the verdict.
Community activists who were gathered in the hallway outside the courtroom yelled “Racism!” and “Injustice!” after hearing the outcome.
“It is pathetic. It is unacceptable,” the Rev. James Dixon of the Community of Faith Church said of the jury’s decision. “This kind of expression says to me, to my children and to every black child in the city, `Your life is not worth manure.'”
Quanell X, the community activist who had released the video of the alleged beating to the media, called the verdict “wrong” and criticized the lack of blacks or other minorities on the six-person jury.
“They knew what they were doing with an all-white jury,” he said.
Blomberg denied that his actions during the arrest were racially motivated. To those who insist Holley was treated a certain way because of his race, Blomberg said, “They weren’t out there that day.”
His attorney, Dick DeGuerin, also said “it is not and was not a racial thing.”
“It’s been made into that by others for their own reasons,” he said.
Asked why there weren’t any blacks or minorities on the jury, DeGuerin said most of the African-Americans in the jury pool had already made up their minds that Blomberg was guilty.
Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos said while she respectfully disagreed with the jury’s decision, she also accepted it.
“Our prosecutors conducted themselves with professionalism and dedication to the pursuit of justice. We are prepared to go to trial on the remaining three cases,” she said in a statement.
The other officers also are charged with official oppression. Two of them face another misdemeanor as well: violating the civil rights of a prisoner. Their trial dates have not been set.
“They will never again be Houston police officers whatever the verdict is in the criminal trial,” said Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who disagreed with the verdict.
Holley testified that he didn’t resist arrest and that he briefly lost consciousness during the incident with the officers.
At trial, Blomberg’s attorneys told jurors he was next to Holley for less than four seconds before running off to help another officer. The defense also pointed out that Blomberg was accused of kicking Holley on the left side of his head but that photos presented at trial showed the teen’s injuries were on the right side of his head.
In the video footage from a security camera, which jurors were shown in court, Holley is seen falling to the ground after trying to hurdle a police squad car. He’s then surrounded by at least five officers, some who appear to kick and hit his head, abdomen and legs.
Prosecutors told jurors Blomberg kicked Holley several times and Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland Jr. testified that he believed Blomberg kicked and stomped on the teen.
Defense attorneys countered he was only trying to secure a potentially armed suspect. Several officers testified supporting Blomberg’s claim that Holley was resisting arrest.
Blomberg and the officers told jurors that before arresting Holley, they had been told the teen and several other suspects were potentially armed and dangerous participants in a series of bold daytime burglaries.
The defense tried to portray Holley as a gang member and Blomberg told jurors he thought at the time of the arrest the teen might have been in a gang. Holley denied being a gang member.
Holley was convicted of burglary in juvenile court in October 2010 and placed on probation.
A federal lawsuit Holley filed against Blomberg, the other fired officers and the city of Houston is pending.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press
6 person jury? What kind of jury trial is that? Where is the outrage from Obama who said Trayvon Martin could be his son. (I guess so since the autopsy shows traces of marijuana in his system – just like Obama said he was doin while in college. – But I am certain he never inhaled!)
Will someone explain to me how in Texas you get tried with a 6 person jury?
It’s better then storing growing equipment in a trailer next to the FPD and smoking bowls of weed all day long. The unemployment run out yet?
Hey erin are you that fat cow thats @ the counsel meetings?
FIRE council first..
Sherriff second..
Police third..
It is amazing that the mayor and the chief of the fullerton pd have not fired the six cops that beat a homeless man named Kelly Thomas to death!
What have they been waiting for? Why has the county attorney charged only one cop with murder? why has the state attorney remained
silent about this case, when it is national news?
this is how the govt. operates everywhere. there are people in every corner of this country being abused and ill treated by the police; by the county attorneys; by the state attorneys; by the corrupt judicial branch of state govt.; and the state legislators, made up of liars and no good
basterds, who pass the laws that inhibit our rights. those six cops murdered that man, and it is all on video for everyone to see. but yet they haven’t been fired because of their murderous conduct! all six of those cops need to be taken to jail and given their trials, so the people of fullerton, and the nation, can see that this country’s rulers’ are despicable and perverted.
they need to be exposed so the ignorant can be enlightened, however hard that can be.