Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Kelly Thomas Beating Video © Megan Snider


This is a QUICK BLOG I have written in response to the release of the Kelly Thomas murder video which was released today. I do not have time to write a full blog now, yet I will leave a link to the video and leave you with some of my first thoughts upon seeing this for the first time.

 I WILL write more as time allows and as my emotions have time to congeal.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS HIGHLY ADVISED! THIS IS REAL! THIS RESULTED IN A MAN'S DEATH! PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION!

Here is the link to the Youtube site. It is an age-restricted video for a reason!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0Imk2Bstg&feature=share

Here's the official security camera tape of the brutal murder of Kelly Thomas, a Schizophrenic transient, beaten to death by six police officers. There are actually a lot of things I would like to point out about this video. It you'll notice, it is over thirty minutes long. I have read he was beaten continuously for ten minutes. He was brain dead BEFORE he reached the hospital. I advise no one watch this but it is reality. It's not a television program. I'd just like to comment on a few things.

Here are my observations: 

1.) The heavy police officer, whom I believe is Officer Manny Ramos, was combative from the beginning. 

2.) It is clear they had no protocol in place for dealing with the mentally ill. 

3.) One of the cops remarked over three times that Kelly Thomas was "on something". He wasn't-- his autopsy proved that. 

4.) Listen carefully to what the cops say. You can hear one remark, “I smashed his face to Hell!” 

5.) Again, listen carefully to what the cops say. BEFORE the altercation, the heavy officer says to Thomas, "These are my fists and they are going to f**k you up!" 

6.) After the beating, one of the responding cops is asked about Thomas, "[Did] He got violent?” The cop responds, “I don’t know”   

7.) After the beating, notice one of the cops laughing. 

8.) Notice the large amount of blood on the ground after the beating-- does this seem EXCESSIVE? Remember, this all came from head trauma. 

9.) How many times did Thomas say, "I can't breathe?" 

10) How many times did Thomas say, "I'm sorry!" 

11.) How many times did Thomas say, "Please!/No!/Stop!"? 

12.) After the beating, two of the cops are addressing one another. One of them says, "Hey, Jay, your (???)…It’s covered in blood!" 

13.) Why did the officers apply their knees to his chest and why did they do this for so long? 

14.) Most of the blunt force trauma applied to the head is obscured by the trees in the foreground. If need be, I can post you some pictures from the hospital to further prove my point about MURDER and EXCESSIVE use of force. 

15.) I see no direct correlation to Kelly Thomas' actions that led to the altercation NOR HIS DEATH. 

16.) I can’t help but notice the eerie “routine” silence that is met after the cops had finished beating a man to death. How ROUTINE is this sort of violent and unrestrained sadism? 

My final verdict: Cops need to be trained on how to correctly deal with the mentally ill community. On a side note, being a cop doesn’t mean you’re a sadist, yet, as this video proves, it sure as Hell can make you into one.


© Megan Snider

1 comment:

  1. I can't watch the video, I know what my mind can handle and it would be too much for me! I've already broken down reading your observations about the video! But a piece of me is interested & curious to see for myself! I guess it's that natural draw to media, that people get addicted to! I'm always getting myself too deep into the details of crimes that involve children, mentally ill & animal abuse! It may come from what's most important to me & they all have something in common-their defenseless when faced w/abuse & cruelty!! And it really breaks my heart and emotionally attacks me that humans are capable of such dark, agonizing sin!

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