Uniformed Thug Apparently not "Disabled" Enough to Prevent Him From Beating a Homeless Man to Death.

A Fullerton police officer accused in the death of a homeless man will continue to receive his nearly $40,000 annual disability pension from the city of Los Angeles after his father made an emotional appeal to a city pension board. . .

Cicinelli's case came to the attention of the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions staff over the summer when his name surfaced in news reports as one of six officers involved in a violent struggle with Kelly Thomas, 37, a homeless man with schizophrenia who died five days after the July 5 altercation at a bus depot in Fullerton.

Cicinelli faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force in the case, and has been placed on unpaid leave by the Fullerton department.

A second officer, Manuel Ramos, 37, was charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Four other officers involved in the case were not charged.

The L.A. pension department's staff has asked its governing board for permission to take the rare step of reviewing Cicinelli's pension case to determine if his award should be reduced because he appeared to be working on patrol duty while collecting a generous disability pension.

Pensioners are not forbidden to work, but officials said the fact that he was working as a patrol officer raised questions about his disability status.