Anonymous Targets Fullerton Police Over Homeless Man’s Death

[meegbear]

In response to the death of Kelly Thomas—the homeless, schizophrenic man from Fullerton, California who died after being Tased and brutally beaten by police officers last month—the hacktivist collective Anonymous has announced plans to attack the Fullerton Police Department's "Interwebz" if its demands aren't met.

A brief recap: On July 5, six Fullerton officers apprehended Thomas, 37, after someone reported that a burglar was breaking into cars parked near a Fullerton bus station. Officers claimed that Thomas—described by community members as "gentle" and "polite"—resisted arrest, but witnesses dispute that. The officers beat Thomas so badly that he fell into a coma; after several days on life support, he was taken off the machines and died. Two officers initially claimed that they suffered broken bones during the altercation, but this turned out not to be true.

Despite calls for investigation and public protests, five out of the six officers involved in the incident were soon released back on the streets. In late July, the FBI announced plans to launch an investigation of the incident; the local district attorney's office also said it was conducting an investigation.

In launching "Operation Fullerton," Anonymous sent a letter to the Fullerton Police Department—also posted at Pastebin—criticizing the local city government for having a "broken moral compass," and making the following demands:

1) We demand the prosecution of Officers Jay Cicinelli, Kenton Hampton, Manny Ramos, Joe Wolfe, James Blatney, and anyone else involved in the gruesome beating, torture, and murder of Kelly Thomas.

2) We demand the immediate resignation of the Chief of Police in Fullerton, California.

3) We demand that the City of Fullerton immediately pay a lump sum settlement of no less than 5 million dollars to the legal survivors of Kelly Thomas.

If the demands aren't met, the letter states, "We will begin to treat the web assets of the police, city government - and any other targets we deem in support or a cause of this incident with as much mercy as was shown to Kelly Thomas. He may have been silenced, but his screams will live on forever, and we will join him as Operation Fullerton."

<snip>

http://gawker.com/5830717/anonymous-targets-fullerton-police-over-homeless-mans-death

[digitaln3rd]

1. I think it's pretty safe to say.

That Anonymous have pretty much become terrorists. It's like they're taking after their Wikileak buddies.

[frylock]

3. how many people have died as a result of anonymous' activism?

[shanti]

4. robin hood is more like it

n/t

[_ed_]

5. Don't terrorists kill people, by definition?

Can you let me know how many people wikileaks and anonymous have killed?

Why do you side with corrupt authority?

[digitaln3rd]

10. Don't necessarily have to kill people to be terrorists.

I'd say extortion is enough.. and threats.

And, if you want to get picky, what about those soldiers that were put in danger due to Wikileaks stealing and publishing classified information?

[_ed_]

14. The State Department, DoD, and FBI would disagree

with your definition of terrorism.

If you want to get picky, can you name any soldier that has been put at risk by wikileaks? Any group of soldiers? Anything specific at all?

Pure speculation.

[sabrina 1]

7. Lol, so now an Award Winning, multiple awards actually, News

Organization is a 'terrorist' organization?? You forgot the snark tag!

I hope!

[tkmorris]

9. Yeah...no. Not so much

Say what you will about their methods, but their intent here is worthy.

[krabigirl]

13. lmao

[ZombieHorde]

15. Messing with people's websites versus mass murder?

What Anonymous does is annoy people, while terrorists kill and terrorize.

[pipoman]

2. Anarchy is unacceptable..

[_ed_]

6. But the cops torturing and killing this guy is ok?

The fact that you're more concerned about anonymous fucking with their internet data more than these "cops" beating a guy to death is very telling...

[pipoman]

11. Did you miss this in the OP?

In late July, the FBI announced plans to launch an investigation of the incident; the local district attorney's office also said it was conducting an investigation.

The fact you are willing to break out the torches and pitchforks while there is at least one ongoing investigation, is very telling..

Edit..Oh and you do understand that this is criminal in the US no? Which laws are ok to break and which are ok to only break the law to defend?

[Initech]

12. This is a complete and total misuse of Anonymous.

I live in Fullerton and this has been all over the news here. What they don't know is that yes there is a federal probe being launched into this, the Sheriff has resigned, and the entire town is pissed off. The police here are completely out of control, and it sucks that it had to end with the death of an innocent homeless man. But Anonymous should not get involved with this - especially with the Feds already on it, it will not end well.

[ljm2002]

8. It's a conundrum...

...none of us want our own records to be broken into, nor our own servers or those we like to visit to be disabled due to denial of service attacks. It's hacking and it's bad.

On the other hand, we all like to see justice served. Most of us, I'll wager, have had our own Robin Hood or Superman fantasies where we save the day with our daring acts against the Bad Guys.

In this case I'm content to view the actions of Anonymous as civil disobedience. What those policemen did was horrendous, and the fact that some of them are back on the beat should cause all of us to be outraged. They are a menace and every one of them who participated should serve time in prison.

It boils down to wilding by the cops. We don't tolerate it from gangs and we sure as hell shouldn't tolerate it from cops.

His father will hear his son's screams -- Dad! Dad! -- for the rest of his life.