Justice and Peace, That’s All We Want!

Teresa Smith (middle), Marlena Carrillo (left), Shelly Kearney (right with hat)

On Sunday I had the opportunity to witness an amazing display of principle and courage. As many of you know, our neighbors to the south in Anaheim had the misfortune of yet another police killing of 25-year-old Manuel Diaz who was unarmed. Diaz is the 7th person killed by Anaheim cops this year. The killing sparked neighborhood protests, one of which I attended outside the Anaheim police station.

A group of anarchist protesters armed with short sticks approached police on horses in front of the police station where Anaheim Crusader Teresa Smith was standing and protesting. Teressa’s son, Cesar Cruz, was another victim who died at the hands of the APD in 2009. She’s been protesting and advocating for peace and justice every Sunday outside the Anaheim police station for the past two years.

The anarchists were carrying short broom sticks and had their faces covered with bandannas. As they approached, Teressa told the angry group of anarchist to put down the sticks and protest peacefully. Marlena Carrillo and Shelly Kearney with Kelly’s Army showed up to support Teressa and also encouraged the angry protesters to stand down.

The angry group calmed down and the rest of the protest went peacefully from that point on. No broken windows, no rocks or bottles, although the police did arrest several people for no apparent reason.

Sunday’s protest ended peacefully despite the ARMY of cops there prepared to maim and kill. That’s a direct result of the courage of a group of principled women who were driven by peace to advocate for peace.

Did the FPD Hand Out a Phony “Life Saving” Medal?

The image is a little fuzzy.

FFFF just received a comment from a Friend unhappy at the notion that the FPD falsely awarded  the heroism of one of its own, when the true heroes were a couple of civilians.

Here’s the comment:

#4 by Anonymous on July 27, 2012

Who gave the (2) policemen Medals of Honor ????

Read the following from a Fullerton resident.

“As a lifelong resident of Fullerton, I continue to be astounded at the Fullerton Police Department’s utter lack of ability to tell the truth about anything.

Recently, Corporal Mike Bova received the department’s Lifesaving Medal for supposedly rescuing a woman passenger from a burning car (see Fullerton Observer story below). That would be great if he had actually saved anyone from a burning car. The fact is, (2) citizens Dominic and Ruben Carnesi saved that woman from the burning car. Officer Bova did not show up to the scene until well after both the elderly driver and passenger of the car had been rescued.

The mother of the (2) heroes was outraged and contacted the Fullerton Observer to let them know the actual story. The Observer subsequently printed the actual version of the story (also attached below). While the Fullerton Police Department will now be honoring the (2) heroes, I notice in the updated Fullerton Observer story that there is no mention of taking back the medal that Officer Bova disingenuously accepted. I am left to shake my head and wonder how in the world a man with any honor stands and accepts a medal that he knows he did not earn. Does Officer Bova have no integrity? Is there anyone in the Fullerton Police Department worthy of the trust and respect traditionally bestowed upon police officers? Sadly, it appears that the answer is no.”

Fullerton resident

From the Mid-June 2012 Fullerton Observer – Page 8 (http://www.fullertonobserver.com/artman/uploads/fomidjune.pdf)
Four Exceptional Police Officers Honored
MIKE BOVA
On the evening of February 5, 2012,
Corporal Mike Bova was dispatched to a
call of a traffic collision in the area of State
College and Bastanchury Road. While
enroute to the call, he was advised that a
passenger in one of the involved vehicles
was possibly trapped in the windshield of
the car. Upon his arrival, he discovered
that due to her extensive injuries which
included a broken hip, leg and arm a
female passenger was still trapped inside
one of the cars and the engine compartment
was engulfed in flames. Without
regard to his own safety, Mike, along with
his brother Patrick, who was on a ridealong,
and two other unknown civilians,
managed to remove the victim from the
wreckage of the vehicle and move her to a
safe location. According to Fire personnel
on scene that night, Corporal Bova’s quick
actions resulted in the passenger’s life
being saved. For his actions, Corporal
Mike Bova is being awarded the
Department’s Lifesaving Medal.

From the Mid-June 2012 Fullerton Observer – Page 3 (http://www.fullertonobserver.com/artman/uploads/fojuly_001.pdf)
HEROES: Carnesi Brothers
Save Couple from Burning Car
The Mid-June Observer (page 8) carried
a story about Officer Mike Bova
and his brother Patrick who were honored
for saving the life of a woman
caught in the wreckage of a vehicle
involved in an accident. Two
“unknown civilians” were also credited
for helping to remove the woman from
the vehicle, which was engulfed in
flames, and moving her to a safe
place. The proud mother of those two
individuals contacted the paper and
offered the photos above of her sons,
the other set of brothers who were the
unidentified heroes in the story.
“It was Super Bowl Night and my
husband and two sons, Ruben and
Dominic, witnessed an accident at St.
College Blvd. and Bastanchury. They
were the first ones at the scene. They
got the woman, who was trapped in
the car, free and safe of the burning car.
When they got home they had red eyes
and soot all over them.”
Dominic described the scene. “The
accident happened right in front of us.
The engine compartment of the car
was on fire and smoke was filling the
car. My brother and I could see immediate
action was necessary. We first
helped the elderly man driving the car
to a safe place. He was in shock but he
could walk.
The woman, however, was trapped
by the dashboard and the passenger
side door would not open. My brother
Ruben tore out the dashboard freeing
the woman, who was already disabled
with a broken leg, so that we could pull
her out of the driver’s side of the vehicle.
My brother told her, “this is going to
hurt.” She said, “I don’t care please get
me out.” The car was filling with
smoke. We got her out and were
helped by other bystanders to carry her
to a safe location away from the burning
vehicle. Meanwhile, other
bystanders were trying to put the
engine fire out. It was a group effort,”
said Dominic.
Then the police arrived with fire
dept. paramedics following. The officers
asked us what happened. We told
them and pointed out that the driver
and two passengers of the vehicle that
had hit the couple’s car had taken off
running. Police later caught two men
and a woman at the Summit and
arrested them after we identified them.”

Okay. It sure looks like somebody is not telling the truth. The FPD storys claims that Corporal Mike Bova pulled the woman out. The brothers’ tales makes no mention of cops showing up until after the rescue was effected by them. 

The council should demand an inquiry into this, pronto, so as to clear the good name of Mike Bova and the FPD!

A New Era of Responsibility and Accountability

What was that noise?

As it streamed into my one-room cabin out on Screech Owl Road, last night’s Fullerton City Council meeting was a joy to watch. After three or four decades of watching nattering imbeciles following the direction of staff like stringed mannequins, we finally got to see a rare treat: a Fullerton council that is decisive, in charge and most importantly – accountable.

Let’s take the meeting itself – a special meeting called by Travis Kiger to address critical issues including the nagging problem of city spokesholes peddling self-serving disinformation; the thirty million dollar housing bond that was being used by the Three Dim Bulbs to hand out millions in patronage to their pals; and the issue of releasing the much-discussed phone call that claimed Kelly Thomas was trying to break into cars, and that led, ultimately to his murder. Doug Chaffee agendized his request that the Council take direct responsibility for the hiring and subsequent activities of the new chief of police – a clear indictment of how your City Manager Joe Felz has mismanaged oversight of the police department during its final descent into the Quagmire of Corruption. The very fact that a council member called this meeting, and not city staff, is revelatory. Former councils simply received their instructions and voted aye every couple of weeks – like clockwork. Not any more.

The Council approved an ordinance to take responsibility for the police department. They did it decisively and courageously. Only Sharon Quirk shied away from taking that authority from the ineffectual Felz.

On the subject of releasing the call from the downtown bar, the council voted unanimously to make redacted versions of the audio and transcript public, demonstrating that to this council, unlike its predecessor, pointless and stupid obfuscation is no longer going to be tolerated by the public’s elected representatives.

For years I’ve been shouting at my computer screen as the puppet-like figureheads of the entrenched, sclerotic regime wasted, stole, diverted, covered up, and insulted. Last night I was audibly cheering in support as the council ushered in a new era of accountability, competence, and intelligent government. No one heard me out on Screech Owl Road except a passing coyote and a sleepy iguana. But I was satisfied.

Well done Fullerton!

 

 

 

Troy ASB Election Rigged: Whistleblower Takes Fall

A recent Register feature story “ASB Election Rigged” raises a lot of troubling questions.

Bottom Line: The advisor who rigged this year’s ASB election (and possibly those of earlier years—no way to know) remains on staff. The student who proved the wrongdoing—Jacob Bigham–was suspended, stripped of the Vice Presidency he legitimately won and banned from future ASB participation.

High school hero

Huh?

Since accessing the advisor’s database was the only way to prove fraud, why is he punished? Without his vigilance, how many future ASB elections would be rigged without anyone knowing?

If the whole purpose of student elections is to inculcate democratic values, what message does this send to students?

If an ASB advisor does not trust the electoral judgment of Troy High School students —ranked consistently among the nation’s highest performing—at what other schools are such elections routinely overruled without anyone knowing?

Is the sanctity of student elections protected by law? While the State Education Code is vague, the Elections Code is very specific in defining “election fraud” as applying it to “all elections.” No distinction is made. Just last spring, an arrest was made in a case of election in a student election at Cal State San Marcos.

The unilateral, secretive, intentional nullification of an election is as fundamental abuse of power as can be committed against democratic values. And exposing such an abuse is as high a service as a citizen can perform. Thank you, Jacob Bigham. You are one true Troy Warrior.

Release The Phone Call!

At last Tuesday’s council meeting, freshly minted councilman Travis Kiger let it be known that he had received a request from the public to hear the phone call made from the Slidebar that summoned the cops that eventually beat Kelly Thomas to death.

The nature of the call has been the topic of much speculation about what was said by the caller, whether the caller knowingly made a false report to the police, and even more sinister, whether the call was orchestrated by Slidebar personnel and members of the FPD to get rid of Kelly Thomas – allegedly an nuisance to Slidebar’s upscale clientele.

At this point there appears to be no reason not to let the public hear the audio of the call, if it exists. Since the DA obviously has no interest in pursuing the matter from a criminal perspective there can be no reason for officaldom not to let the public hear it. Not even the hollow pretext that “it is evidence” exists.

Coming Soon: The Kelly Thomas Memorial Art Show and Concert

Friday July 6th @ PÄS Gallery 6:00-11:00 PM  Art With An Agenda. Commemorate the first anniversary of Kelly Thomas’ deadly encounter with six members of the Fullerton PD. Double Click here to download the Press Release.

And then the very next day, Saturday July 7th at the Fullerton Museum Plaza, is the 2nd Annual Kelly Thomas Memorial Concert, Clothing and Food Drive featuring one of  the best bands to ever come from the OC, The Adolescents.

Two great opportunities to show your support for reform in Fullerton without glossing over what happened last July 5th  – the murder of an innocent man.

Do The Right Thing

Here’s a great video of  the courageous Marlena Carrillo questioning Patdown McPension for hiring a one-eyed cop retired on disability from the LAPD; and Sharon Quirk, who wants to move up the political ladder leaving lots of unfinished business behind; and the Acting Police Chief  Dan Hughes for leaving a gang of killer cops on the streets of Fullerton after having watched and listened to the video and audio recordings of the Kelly Thomas murder.

The theme? Have you done the right thing? As Marlena points out, quite correctly, doing the right thing is not always easy, but it is what we expect from our leaders. The deafening silence from the dais in instructive.

Today, June 5th, 2012 you can join us in doing the right thing: sweeping out City Hall of the incompetent, sclerotic, unaccountable gang that has failed to lead.

Shawn Nelson Stops By

OC 4th District Supervisor Shawn Nelson visited our humble blog yesterday to refresh our memories about his calling in the Feds in the Kelly Thomas killing. Here’s what he had to say:

 

  • #22 by Shawn Nelson on May 24, 2012

    So the historical record is clear, I contacted the Department of Justice on Thursday July 21 or 28 (not sure which Thursday off the top of my head). My purpose was to open a case file in the Civil Rights division because I felt an obligation to ensure the citizens of Fullerton everything I could do had been done. While on the telephone with a lawyer at the DOJ, she contacted the FBI and before our call concluded she was able to confirm that the FBI would be taking the lead on the case and that the FBI had, in fact, opened a file as of that monement.

    Confirmation of the FBI’s involvement made the airwaves later that same day and by 8:00 the next day I heard word the officers involved had been taken off the streets.

 

A good reminder that the cops weren’t pulled until after the FBI was notified on July 28th, 2011. A coincidence? I think not.

FFFF originally posted about Nelson’s intervention, here. I also believe it was this action that spurred the DA to do a real investigation, and not one of the usual whitewashes.

 

How Dumb Can They Get? The Answer is Very.

When the esteemed council woke up from their nap, the tongue bath resumed.

Holy Smokes those anti-recall guys are dumb. How dumb? On their lame website some idiot just posted the hilariously funny and self-deprecating video made by Tony Bushala to mock his own critics. Apparently who ever uploaded the video never watched it; or they believe their audience is even dumber than they are. Well maybe they are!

Seriously, can anybody now believe that these people are qualified to run anything more complicated than an ant farm, let alone a city of 150,000 people?

Anyway here’s the video again. And thanks to chucklehead Larry Bennett and his dim bulb crew for giving it free air time.