Community Outrage After Death of Man in Police Custody

Police Chief Urges Calm in the Wake of the Death
Lawyer Expects to File Complaint on Behalf of Family of Reginald Thomas

Story by Gus Herrera and Terry Miller
Photos by Terry Miller

Sheriff’s homicide detectives and Pasadena police are still investigating the death of a man at a home on Orange Grove last Friday morning. The ongoing investigation will likely take months, official say

Pasadena firefighters were called by police to the location for a person who was not breathing.

Pasadena Police received a call in the 200 Block of East Orange Grove Blvd., at about 2:20 A.M., regarding a domestic disturbance with a suspect at the location armed with a knife. Officers responded to the scene and encountered an African American male adult armed with a knife. The suspect did not comply with Officers orders as the suspect attempted to re-enter an occupied apartment at the location. Pasadena Officers deployed a Taser in an effort to disarm the suspect and a fight ensued. The suspect was ultimately subdued by Police.

At the scene of sheriff’s homicide investigation, a woman cried as she described seeing the father of her children die.  Shainie Lindsay identified the victim as Reginald Thomas, 36, saying they have eight children together and that she is pregnant with a ninth

“He called the police on himself. He wanted help,” Lindsay told reporters.

Thomas was “dysfunctional” and bipolar, and had had run-ins with police before, she said.

Shainie Lindsay identified the victim as Reginald Thomas, 36, the father of her children.

Pasadena police said officers were called to the home in the 200 block of Orange Grove Boulevard at 2:20 a.m. for a “domestic disturbance with a suspect at the location armed with a knife.” There were also reports he was holding a fire extinguisher at the time officers arrived.

Upon restraining the suspect, the Officers observed him not breathing at which time CPR and life saving measures were implemented. The Officers continued CPR until the arrival of Pasadena Fire Paramedics who continued to render aid. Despite the efforts of Officers and Paramedics the suspect died at the scene.

As is the Pasadena Police Department’s protocol, the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Homicide Bureau was asked to respond along with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Investigators and conduct the investigation.

Despite earlier reports, this was not an Officer Involved Shooting, a firearm was not involved.

Black Lives Matters organizer Jasmine Abdulla Richards was on scene Friday morning asking for people to come out in force to protest.  Approximately one hundred people gathered outside the apt. building where Reginal Thomas died.

Shainie Lindsay, who together with Thomas had four children and is pregnant with a fifth, said she was in the residence with two teenagers at the time of the incident.

“They was wrestling with him, was kicking him in the head and beating him with the baton stick,” Lindsay told KTLA in a videotaped interview Friday morning. “Then, after that, they was doing CPR and then he was dead.”

Thomas, who was reportedly the father of eight children, was well-known in the Orange Grove Garden apartments where he lived. Many residents and friends called him “Daddy Daycare.” His Facebook account shows multiple references to the Christian faith and is filled with pictures of Thomas surrounded by his smiling children.

No official complaints have been filed yet that allege Pasadena police officers acted out of procedure. Much of the physical struggle between Thomas and the police occurred inside the apartment, out of view of the apartment complex’s security cameras.

VIEW SECURITY FOOTAGE: Authorities Release Video As Detectives Probe Death of Man Who Struggled With Pasadena Police Officers

However, on Monday attorney Carrie Harper held a press conference in front of Pasadena Police HQ with scores of family members including the 84 year old mother of the victim wearing T shirts that said “ Justice for Reginald Thomas along with silk-screened photos of the victim and some of his children.

Harper has been the attorney for many high-profile cases in Pasadena including the Kendrec McDade shooting and Leroy Barnes.

Harper said she intends to file papers,  probably this week to get answers on why the police allegedly used batons and kicked Thomas while he was handcuffed.

Shainie Lindsey, mother to four of Thomas’ children and pregnant with a fifth, was at the scene on Friday night, along with two other teenage boys.

According to Lindsey, Thomas did not seem to be himself and he was unresponsive to the officers’ commands, “They said, ‘Mr. Thomas drop the knife and the fire extinguisher.’ He was not responding … he was just out of it.”

Lindsey also told KTLA that officers were “wrestling with [Thomas] … beating him in the head and beating him with the baton stick.”

According to police, two officers were injured in the scuffle. At first, only two officers responded to the call, but, once all was set and done, there were at least six officers on the scene.

Thomas’ cousin said the following in an interview with KCAL9, “I was raised with him my whole life and he’s had, you know, issues most of his life. But the police are very aware, especially the Pasadena police, are very aware of the type of person that they’re dealing with.”

Thomas’ death elicited immediate response from the Pasadena community – two protests and a memorial have since taken place throughout the city.

In an attempt to quell community outrage, authorities released the 911 call from Friday night, in addition to grainy security camera footage taken from the apartment complex.

In the footage, officers can be heard ordering Thomas to “hold still!” Another man, likely Thomas, can be heard yelling, “get off of me!”

In the 911 call, a man who is reportedly Thomas’ brother can be heard responding to the dispatcher’s questions.

When asked if Thomas was on any drugs, the man calmly answered, “Yes.” Although unable to say what kind of drugs, the man told 911 dispatch, “he’s high though, I can tell that.”

When asked if Thomas was in possession of a knife, the man responded, “Yes … He has it under his armpit.”

LISTEN TO FULL CALL: Pasadena 911 Call

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