Attorney claims Pasadena PD caused ‘positional asphyxiation,’ ‘murder’ of JT Thomas
By Terry Miller
City Manager Steve Mermell announced Monday evening that the city will be hiring an independent investigator to conduct a review of the recent death of Reginald “JR” Thomas, a 35-year old African-American Pasadena resident who died in police custody after he was Tasered and struggled with officers early on the morning of Sept. 30.
The death is also being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office as well as the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office that has put a “security hold” on the results of an autopsy.
The death of another African American divided the city with protests at the scene of the Orange Grove Boulevard incident and in both the Civic Center and Old Pasadena in the days immediately following Thomas’ death.
“A third party investigator is warranted,” said Caree Harper who is representing the Thomas family.
“Our investigation has led us to believe that Mr. Thomas was the victim of positional asphyxiation and murdered by responding officers. Witnesses state that an officer intentionally and deliberately put a knee into Mr. Thomas neck until he stopped breathing and moving. Mr. Thomas’ head and face sustained lumps and other injuries consistent with accounts that he was beaten.
We will be calling for the Justice Department to investigate because local law enforcement seems unable or unwilling to properly investigate, discipline and prosecute its own. After the killing of Kendrec McDade and the failure to have administrative accountability at Pasadena Police department everyone was put notice, now lightening has struck again in the form of not only a preventable death but what seems to be a case of murder. DA Lacey should also be on notice that rubber stamping the words of Pasadena PD officers will not be tolerated. As Ms. Lacey is clearly unable or unwilling to prosecute officers who kill unarmed citizens, she needs to appoint independent counsel immediatel,” said Harper.
