Barely a week after McKinley vacates his council seat due to recall, and one year since the fatal beating of Kelly Thomas, Ron Thomas sues him and ex-police chief Mike Sellers.
Barely a week after McKinley vacated his council seat due to recall and one year since the fatal beating of Kelly Thomas, Ron Thomas has sued him and ex-police chief Mike Sellers.
Both police chiefs have been accused by critics, especially from those seeking justice for Kelly Thomas, of a lack of leadership and instituting a police culture that led to the man’s beating one year ago today that subsequently led to his death.
McKinley, who until Monday served as Mayor Pro Tem of the City Council, served as police chief from 1993 until 2009. During an interview on CNN in September, he mostly praised the six officers involved in the beating death and claimed to have “probably hired” them all when he was the top cop.
His successor, Sellers, was also a target of demonstrations by supporters of Kelly Thomas for his lack of leadership and lack of communication. He took a leave of absence soon after the protests made their way to the City Council in early August 2011 and resigned as chief in February.
The lawsuit also named the city of Fullerton and the six officers involved in the beating.
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