News Coverage Affecting Police Officers’ Moral

The death of the homeless man fatally injured throughout a fight with Fullerton police has captured the interest of the community and affected morale within the department.

Kelly Thomas, thirty seven, who was schizophrenic, passed away July 10, five days following the confrontation with six cops at the Fullerton Transport Center.

Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said the actual department has received countless phone calls and e-mails through across California and hundreds ended up to protest Saturday morning in the Fullerton police station.

"It's not pleasant to see people while watching police station calling the actual officers 'murderers, '" Goodrich stated.

"We understand the neighborhood is outraged and worried and what we've said all along may be the incident happened, but the main called for an outside agency to complete a transparent investigation associated with what happened that evening, " Goodrich said.

Officers confronted Thomas about the evening of July 5 while investigating reports of the man burglarizing cars close to a bus deport. Police say Thomas grew to become violent as two officers tried to find him, setting off a fight by which six officers were included. Thomas suffered severe mind and neck injuries.

Thomas' members of the family have accused officers associated with using excessive force during what they referred to as a "brutal beating. inch Ron Thomas, Kelly Thomas' dad, has said police defeat his son to death and it has circulated a picture associated with his son's bruised as well as bloody face.

The image photo, as well since the online posting of the cell-phone video that seems to show the fight, has taken widespread attention to the actual incident.

In the movie, the sound of a Taser could be heard, along with Kelly Thomas screaming after which yelling, "Dad!... Dad!... Father! "

Witnesses can also be heard about the video saying, 'Oh, my personal God, " "They're freaking ruthless" as well as "What is that... five cops and something guy. "

When asked the way the controversy surrounding the event has affected officers’ well-being, Goodrich said that they're feeling the pressure and outrage how the community is feeling.

"Officers 're going on calls and are now being shouted at, they are now being challenged and called titles, " Goodrich said. "These officers were not active in the incident so it offers affected morale. "

Of the six officers active in the incident, one is on administrative leave and also the other five officers happen to be assigned to non-front collection patrol duties, Goodrich stated.

"In other words, they're from the street, " Goodrich stated. "They are not in police cars answering calls for service.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office and also the FBI are looking in to what happened that evening and police are conducting an interior investigation.

"We have to keep serving the public. We must keep doing our work, " Goodrich said. "We realize the community's concerns, but we keep these things remain patient and await the investigation to end up being completed. "

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