Following in Fullerton's Footsteps? Downey Police Mistakenly Stop, Kill Unarmed Man; Public Protests At City Council Meetings
Categories: Crime-iny, Kelly Thomas Killing
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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 that had happened earlier in the day and they justified the shooting by saying that Nida tried to run from them twice. The only problem was that they later admitted that they had mistakenly stopped him, the LA Wave story says. Similarly, in the Fullerton case, officers allegedly approached Kelly Thomas, who they later beat to death, for breaking into to cars or stealing things. Both claims turned out to be false.
So, just like members of Kelly's Army did after Fullerton police beat Thomas to death, the community in Downey has vowed to voice their opinions at every council meeting until they see some semblance of justice. But, like some of the councilmembers in Fullerton, the city council cited ongoing investigations and remained rather tight-lipped. And, just like in Fullerton, the quietness from the council only compounded the community's frustration.
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| Marisa Gerber/ OCWeekly |
| Fullertonians line up during the public comment of a city council meeting to voice their concerns over the Kelly Thomas killing. |
Fullertontian Paul Orloff, who started the online petition to reprimand all six officers involved in Thomas' death, is quoted in the LA Wave story comparing the two cities. "Everybody hates Fullerton because of that. Downey will be like Fullerton."
While two officers in the Thomas case currently face criminal charges, the other four who were involved are still on unpaid, administrative leave as officials wait for the findings of an outside investigation.
And, earlier this week the Los Angeles Times broke news that Jay Cicinelli, one of the officers facing criminal charges in the case, is still getting a larger-than-usual pension from his last job in LA. Cicinelli, who was shot in the eye while on duty in 1996, was granted 70 percent of his salary since it was assumed he wouldn't work again. He was eventually hired by the Fullerton Police Department, however, but still raked in the plush pension from LA.
According to a statement from Downey Police Chief Rick Esteves, the officer who shot Nida is currently on paid administrative leave. Esteves added that the LA Sheriff's Department is investigating and that "we must let justice take its course and allow this case to be investigated by a non-involved, independent organization."
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