RON THOMAS URGES DOWNEY CITY COUNCIL, POLICE TO MEET WITH NIDA FAMILY
By Ben Baeder
DOWNEY – The father of Kelly Thomas on Tuesday called for Downey’s mayor and police chief to have a sit-down meeting with the family of Michael Nida.
Ron Thomas, whose schizophrenic son was beaten to death July 10, 2011 by Fullerton Police officers, said Downey’s officials owed Nida’s family a face-to-face talk.
He said he understood that Nida’s killing was still under investigation and that the council and the police couldn’t give many specifics about what happened the night of the shooting.
“As a City Council, as the mayor, I really believe you have the responsibility to at least meet with them and hear what they have to say,” he told Mayor Roger Brossmer and the rest of the City Council at Tuesday’s meeting at City Hall.
He also asked Downey Police Chief Rick Esteves to sit down with the family.
“It would get rid of the divide, us and them,” Thomas said. “They are your people.”
1 Comment
I absolutely agree that there should be no reason that highly placed elected and appointed officials (like the Downey City Council and Police Chief) should not meet with the family of a person law enforcement officials have killed (like Nida.)
I get that while investigations and litigations are in progress, such officials are necessarily constrained, by law and by lawyers, regarding what sorts of things they can say, but there is no harm in hearing directly from such families or in offering sincere condolences for their loss or in assuring these families that the investigations will be thorough and the results acted upon in a timely manner.
I think it is more than possible to offer such official comments without admitting any wrong-doing or accepting any criminal and/or civil liability related to the death.
Regardless of the circumstances, these families have lost a loved one and deserve to be both heard and assured.