Fullerton police have voided three citations given to motorists who extensively honked their horns in support of the protest last Saturday over Kelly Thomas’ death following a violent altercation with police officers.
As the Orange County district attorney and federal authorities continue to investigate the homeless man's beating on July 5 after he was wrestled to the ground by six Fullerton police officers, protesters have packed downtown on a weekly basis to express their anger at authorities and encouraged motorists to support their cause.
Fullerton Police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said the department received numerous complaints from residents and businesses in recent weeks and last weekend sought to curtail the excessive honking and began issuing citations.
Goodrich said police spoke to protest organizers on Friday and Saturday about the complaints and asked them to stop encouraging the honking. When they failed to comply, officers cited three drivers.
Those drivers were initially cited for violating a California vehicle code section which state horns can be used "when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation" of a vehicle. In those citations, he said, the drivers leaned on the horns continuously for several blocks. "We are not talking a few seconds of noise here," he said.
Goodrich, however, said the police captain opted to void the first ticket given to a motorist because the individual told the department he did not understand what was acceptable.
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