A dramatic combination of video and voice recordings captured during the beating by Fullerton Police officers of mentally ill transient Kelly Thomas was introduced as evidence Monday in the preliminary hearing for two officers charged with felonies in Thomas’ death.

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has said the footage, as well as audio from the officers’ audio recorders, proved crucial to his filing of criminal charges against two of the involved officers.

Officer Manuel Ramos is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cpl. Jay Cicinelli faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force.

The beating begins around 15 minutes, 20 seconds into the attached YouTube video.

— NICK GERDA

Since you've made it this far,

You are obviously connected to your community and value good journalism. As an independent and local nonprofit, our news is accessible to all, regardless of what they can afford. Our newsroom centers on Orange County’s civic and cultural life, not ad-driven clickbait. Our reporters hold powerful interests accountable to protect your quality of life. But it’s not free to produce. It depends on donors like you.

Join the conversation: In lieu of comments, we encourage readers to engage with us across a variety of mediums. Join our Facebook discussion. Message us via our website or staff page. Send us a secure tip. Share your thoughts in a community opinion piece.