(Reuters) - Three city councilmen accused of a failure of leadership after the
fatal beating of a mentally ill homeless man by police in the southern
California city of Fullerton were ousted in a recall election on Tuesday, final
returns showed.
Recall organizers said Fullerton councilmen Dick Jones, Don
Bankhead and Pat McKinley put the interests of police over the community,
allowing a culture of lax oversight that ultimately contributed to the death of
37-year-old transient Kelly Thomas.
Critics said the three men also did little in response to a
furor that erupted after video surfaced of the confrontation last July between
six Fullerton police officers and Thomas, touching off protests and making
national headlines.
One clip of the incident showed Thomas, who had been
diagnosed as schizophrenic, lying on the ground screaming "They're killing
me" as several police officers swarmed over him, delivering multiple blows
and Taser shocks.
With all 87 precincts reporting, the ouster of Jones,
Bankhead and McKinley drew support from about two-thirds of the voters who cast
ballots in the recall race, said Larry Bennett, chairman of the campaign
committee formed on behalf of the three councilmen. "We took a
thumping," he told Reuters.
The ballot tally showed planning commissioner Travis Kiger
leading a race to replace Jones, businessman Greg Sebourn heading a field of
contenders to succeed Bankhead and business attorney Doug Chaffee as the
front-runner to fill out the remainder of McKinley's term.
"The citizens of Fullerton have spoken loud and
clear," said Tony Bushala, vice president of a historical restoration company
who spent $20,000 of his own money to spearhead the recall campaign. He said
the outcome demonstrated the desire of voters for greater accountability by
municipal leaders.
Opponents of the recall effort insisted it represented a
power grab by a wealthy real estate developer who they accused of exploiting
controversy over Thomas' death.
All three council members alluded to Bushala without
referring to him by name in their ballot statements.
"Our city is under attack by a local developer who
wants to control Fullerton by getting his people on council," McKinley
wrote. "He has spent almost a quarter-million dollars to recall me. Why?
Because I represent the entire city and not just his radical causes."
Bushala denied that his campaign contributions and support
of political causes had anything to do with his business.
"I've never asked the City Council to do anything
special for me," he said.
Two Fullerton police officers have been ordered to stand
trial on homicide charges stemming from the beating of Thomas.
Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree
murder and involuntary manslaughter and faces 15 years to life in prison if
convicted.
Corporal Jay Cicinelli, 40, is charged with involuntary
manslaughter and the use of excessive force and faces up to four years behind
bars if found guilty.
Both Ramos and Cicinelli are on unpaid leave and free on
bond. An Orange County Superior Court judge has ordered them back to court on
May 22 for a formal arraignment.
Prosecutors declined to file charges against four other
Fullerton police officers involved in the altercation, citing a lack of
evidence.
In May, Thomas' mother reached a $1 million settlement with
the city in exchange for dropping her legal claims.
The settlement does not affect a wrongful death lawsuit
filed against the city by Ron Thomas, the deceased man's father and a vocal
critic of the city and police officials.