By The Fullerton Harpoon
At the OC Weekly Nick Schou has uncovered an old article about the militarization of the Fullerton Police Department under Pat McKinley. The seminal event of the story takes place in 1997 and describes a military-style invasion of the Latino Maple neighborhood in response to a drive-by shooting along Harbor Boulevard.
*”There’s a Whacko ….down in Waco……” sang David Koresh. The Jack Booted Thugs invaded a family of 250 folks. They could have just arrested David Koresh
in downtown Waco when he went in to get his monthly haircut at his hair stylist. Or, one of the ATF heroes could have walked up to the door of his house with a warrant in his hand and said: “Mr. Koresh, this is a warrant for us to take a peek at your firearms, to make sure you don’t have any fully automatic conversions.
Yeah, but then that might have taken a single Agent of great courage that by sworn oath was willing to put his life in harm’s way….to defend the Constitution and State and Local laws. (That’s what they pay you for….remember?)
Meanwhile, the military is constantly castigated because someone goes over the edge after being exposed to combat stress or the loss of good friends in fiedish ways. Families are torn apart, nightmares of unspeakable report – the list and PTS changes folks forever.
Our simple question however: How many of the Officers involved in the Kelly Thomas affair were prior military and served in combat? When did they serve and for how long? We are betting that those answers will be very revealing. All the excuses in the world; will have to be verified – Thank you very much!
You really want to know how many of the officers were previously involved in military combat — and you think that those answers would be “revealing”?
Matt Rowe, could you step in and take this one?
(Update, 11:36 a.m.: Matt says that he will comment after work.)
It’s pretty f-ng hard to imagine that slob Manny Ramos ever served … but I could be wrong.
*Dr. Diamond, this is not a issue that requires y our typical jump to conclusions answer. We are betting that out of the six officers involved….possibly NONE have military service in their backgrounds. Just a guess. But then, let’s just get the truth and find out – so there is NO doubt at all.
Oh I see! Actually the Winnies might be making sense today. I also doubt those six served but of course I could be wrong. I think the Winnies are saying it’s unlikely military guys would comport themselves that way.
I think what the author meant by the “militarization of the police” under McKinley was something different from whether or not the police having been in the service. For one thing it implies seeing the citizenry as the enemy, and being ready to use lethal force.
It refers to unlocking the Hell of Gates.
If the Winnies are saying that members of the military don’t comport themselves in unseamly, or even criminal ways, do we REALLY need to recount the long list of abuses and crimes by military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan?
“We love the smell of napalm in the morning! Smells like victory!” Something like
that Dr. D.?
“Iv’e chased that bone….and now I want a good reason….to do that again…eh? It’s right there behind me on the very clean carpet….by the media center……” Fido knows best! Fido knows best!
Question: How many people gave a shit outside of that community back then when it was militarized?
Perhaps folks should listen to what people of color have to say after all…what a novel concept!
*All it takes is one complete bad guy……which will be followed by a herd of know nothings and you Houston…you have a problem.