Fullerton Police Department
Encyclopedia
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
, was established in 1904 when the city incorporated. The Fullerton Police Department currently employs 153 sworn officers and 78 civilian employees. The acting chief is Kevin Hamilton.
Chiefs of the Fullerton Police Department
| Date | Chief of Department |
|---|---|
| 1904 July | Marshall Charles E. Ruddock |
| 1910 April | Marshall Roderick D. Stone |
| 1912 November | Marshall William French |
| 1918 August | Chief Vernon Myers |
| 1921 August | Chief Arthur L. Eeles |
| 1925 April | Chief O. W. Wilson |
| 1925 December | Chief Thomas K. Winter |
| 1927 December | Chief James M. Pearson |
| 1940 April | Chief John C. Gregory |
| 1951 February | Chief Ernest E. Garner |
| 1957 November | Chief Wayne H. Bornhoft |
| 1977 September | Chief Martin Hairabedian |
| 1987 March | Chief Philip Goehring |
| 1993 March | Chief Patrick McKinley |
| 2009 April | Chief Michael Sellers* |
- Sellers began paid medical leave August 2011. Kevin Hamilton was named acting chief in his place.
Organization
The department has a Uniform Division, a Service Division and a Detective Division all commanded by officers in the rank of captain.Controversy
(Main article; Death of Kelly ThomasDeath of Kelly Thomas
Kelly Thomas was a 37-year-old homeless man suffering from schizophrenia, and living on the streets of Fullerton, California. He was fatally beaten by members of the Fullerton Police Department on July 5, 2011. Thomas was initially taken to St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton but transferred to...
)
On the night of July 5th, 2011, Fullerton police responded to reports of a man trying to break into cars. They encountered Kelly Thomas, 37,a local mentally-ill transient. Thomas was an unarmed local homeless man who was beaten severely by six officers and stunned six times with a taser
Taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
. Thomas was taken to a hospital, and put on life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
. Later, the life support was removed; Thomas died five days later.
After video of the incident and photos of Thomas in the hospital were released, five of the officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave. One other officer was already on administrative leave. The Fullerton Police Department refused to release their names at the time. The F.B.I.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
began an investigation.
In early August, the city offered the Thomas family $900,000 to settle the matter. The family refused.
In mid-August, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas
Tony Rackauckas
Anthony Joseph "Tony" Rackauckas, Jr. is the current District Attorney of Orange County, California and a former Superior Court judge. He was elected on June 2, 1998 and is serving his fourth term in office....
said he saw nothing in the video that pointed to an attempt by the officers to kill Thomas. At about the same time, the Thomas family launched a lawsuit that could potentially cost Fullerton millions of dollars. Local activists began a campaign to recall the mayor and city council. On 9 August, the police chief stepped down, citing health concerns.
Taking over from the suddenly-ill police chief, acting chief Kevin Hamilton told the press that the surveillance tape from the scene (which has yet to be released by the authorities) showed "there was certainly a significant amount of struggle between Mr. Thomas and the officers."
On 6 September, in order to pressure the district attorney to bring charges, the family's lawyer went on local newscasts with graphic images showing the damage done Thomas by the beating.
On 22 September, 2011, press reports indicated District Attorney Rackauckas changed his mind and charged Officer Manuel Ramos and Corporal Jay Cicinelli with the killing. Ramos, 37 years old, who has served with the department for ten years, was jailed in lieu of a million dollar bond. Cicinelli, aged 39 and with a dozen years of service was released on $25,000 bail. Cicinelli was placed on unpaid administrative leave by the Fullerton Police Department, but continued to receive his disability payments from the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
for a 1996 shooting that cost him his left eye.
The Orange County Register reported that Thomas was ordered to sit on a curb and did so, but he failed to keep his hands on his knees as ordered. The police then reached for their batons.
The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported Officer Ramos began the confrontation, putting on latex gloves and screaming, "See my fists? They are getting ready to f--- you up."
The other four officers at the scene, Officer Joseph Wolfe, Officer Kenton Hampton, Sergeant Kevin Craig and Corporal James Blatney were not charged due to lack of evidence according to a statement by the District Attorney's office.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Fullerton Police Department, two officers have died in the line of duty.| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Police Officer Jerry Scott Hatch | |
Vehicular assault |
| Officer Tommy De La Rosa | |
Gunfire |