Fullerton Police Chief on Medical Leave After Homeless Man's Fatal Beating
Police Chief Michael Sellers of Fullerton, Calif., was placed on medical leave Wednesday. This decision follows the controversy involving six of his officers who allegedly beat a homeless man to death one month ago.
Capt. Kevin Hamilton, commander of the detective division, has been named acting police chief in Sellers’ absence.
City Manager Joe Felz released a statement Wednesday indicating that Sellers’ leave of absence is by request of his doctors. In 30 days, his leave of absence will come under review and an assessment will be made on whether the chief can return to work. He insisted that this was not a permanent leave. Felz also said he did not have the details of Sellers’ health issues.
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According to The Orange County Register, dozens from the community have called for Sellers to step down in light of the homeless death controversy. They claim he failed to talk publicly about the issue and did not assume the role as the face of the Police Department.
Hamilton, 53, has been an officer since 1979. In a statement released earlier, he said that Fullerton has "very important issues we have to deal with in light of the Kelly Thomas incident, and we will work with investigators from the District Attorney's Office and the FBI, who are looking into the incident."
The homeless man who was beaten last month was Kelly Thomas. He was also mentally disabled. Kelly was approached by police officers on July 5th in response to reports of car burglaries. Onlookers say he began to run but after being subdued, the police officers pounded the 37-year-old in the face and tased him at least six times.
One of the bystanders was heard saying, “They beat him up, and then all the cops came and they hog tied him, and he was like, ‘Please God, please dad!’”
Thomas, who suffered severe head and neck injuries, died in a hospital five days later.
Thomas’ father, Ron, has called the beating a brutal murder and a hate crime against the homeless and mentally ill. He was joined by more than 300 protesters over the weekend in front of the Fullerton Police Department headquarters
An investigation is currently underway and the six officers have been placed on administrative leave.
