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Indybay Feature

The ASSASSINATION OF MATTHEW CICELSKI

by anonymous
The Oakland Police Assassination of Matthew Cicelski
The Oakland Police Shooting of Matthew Cicelski

On January 29, 2011 Oakland Police shot and killed a suicidal veteran and father with a head injury, and then lied to the media as to the true nature of their killing of Matthew Cicelski. Police claim "Two residents of the home called police to report that he was armed with a knife and gun while walking up and down Taft Avenue as if he were "patrolling" the street, said Assistant Police Chief Howard Jordan." The truth that has never been told is far more complicated than the cover up used in an attempt to hide this Oakland Police Homicide.
While it is true that Matthew Cicelski entered the house at 5552 Taft Ave. without permission from the residents there was no malice in his approach. He did not break in to hurt any of the residents. There was no intended robbery or assault and none in fact ever occurred. This is not to say that Matthew was OK at the time. Matthew was in severe mental crisis when he arrived that morning at the house. He was in crisis and went to his ex-girlfriend who was alarmed at his extremely erratic behavior. He was speaking irrationally and was clearly suicidal. The clarity of this presented itself in the bottles of pills that he had lined up on the front porch and begun consuming. This was what instigated the 9-11 call that would eventually result in Matthew’s death. The call was for a 51-50. Matthew’s ex-girlfriend clearly perceived his suicidal plans and did not feel capable of addressing his situation without assistance. This was no 2 minute 9-11 call. Cicelski’s ex-girlfriend was on the telephone with the 9-11 dispatcher for roughly 45 minutes. During this call a few very important messages about Matthews medical condition were relayed. For one it was made incredibly clear to the dispatcher that Mathew needed mental health assistance. The dispatches clearly describes the process of a medical hold. That he had been hit by a car and had a resulting brain injury with titanium plates surgically placed in his skull. It was also clearly established that the gun he was carrying was a toy, and not to shoot him, but to provide medical care. This was reiterated multiple times! At one point during the call, Matthew was described as in the backyard playing with the dog. It was established that he was present at the house despite a statement relayed to the caller approximately half an hour into the conversation that police were in the neighborhood looking for Matthew!

Without making a sound nor identifying themselves as police, knocking on the door, or ringing the doorbell, or notifying residents of their presence, they took kill positions on the small front porch, all officers had weapons drawn pointed at the house.

Roughly a dozen officers, guns drawn outside the front of the residence. Around 9:30 in the morning one of the residents of the house went outside and immediately had a 9millimeter pointed at her head by the police, and was taken to the side of the house. Cicelski’s ex girlfriend was the next to attempt to go through the front door. She attempted to exit but was greeted by an ocean of guns. Matthew was behind her. She opened the door saw the police and immediately attempted to retreat back into the residence to ask the 911 operator to get the kill team off her porch, but instead she physically ran into Matthew. She tried to keep Mathew from going outside screaming "no Matthew", and then began screaming to police “Don’t Shoot the gun is not real!”, repeating this at least two times before officers opened fire on both Matthew and the ex-girlfriend. Despite the fact that the police claim that he was approaching in a threatening manner, Matthew calmly walked outside with his toy gun and was immediately shot by two or three officers and we are to hear an explanation of the three bullets in his back. Upon discerning that they had just shot and killed an unarmed man, police proceeded into the home injuring Cicelski’s ex-girlfriend in the process and searched the place top to bottom, including going through laundry baskets, under beds, and in drawers, claiming to be looking for officer bullet fragments. Obviously they were looking for anything that could provide them an excuse for the shooting, their search was fruitless. That day when confronted with the fact that they had previously been informed that the gun was a toy they claimed they did not believe this account. Later their story changed to say that dispatch had not informed officers on the scene of critical eye witness statements informing them about the toy gun. Only cut and altered versions of the 9-11 tapes have been made available for review thus complicating the process of exposing this police cover-up.



As the one year anniversary of this police assassination approaches we must resist the heavily media fortified urge to write Matthew Cicelski’s death off as just another Officer-Involved-Shooting. We must call this what it is…a crime against humanity perpetrated by a state sanctioned murderous group known as the OPD. Above all we must demand justice for the victims deceased and living. Justice for Matthew Cicelski! End Police Terror Now!
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Comments (Hide Comments)
by Me
Still in shock and disbelief... I pray for your family... I wish there was something I could say or do to take this all away... Matt, rest in peace... Sigh... Forever '95... Buffalo, NY. God Bless.
by His Brother Ben
Hi. I just read this article and wanted to say thanks. I can't say much else for obvious reasons, but its good to know there are people out there who believe in Matthew. This kind of tragedy is so clearly not an isolated incident and we must put a stop to the abuse of power by OPD and other police. Thank you.
by Not the real story
This is not truly what happened...the truth will be told soon. Until then, bask in the glory of misinformation, it sounds like you were not truly at fault? God will straighten this out soon enough.
by Scho
I worked with Matthew for a few years and we got along well. I was angered to learn of his horrific slaying, though it seems so long ago. As I marched yesterday in Seattle in support of BLM and against police brutality, Matthew was much on my mind. We need counselors, not cops.
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