A friend of mine died under disturbing and suspicious circumstances last month. I'm determined to find out the truth and discover what led to her death. Here is what I know:
Pamela Kincaid was the lead named plaintiff in the lawsuit filed by the homeless against the City of Fresno, because the city was taking and immediately destroying their property. Pam was willing to put herself on the line to protect the rights of all homeless people in this community.
On the day the class action lawsuit was certified in Federal Court, the attorneys visited Pam in UMC, the long-term care facility she was in. A day and a half later at 1:30 AM on Wednesday, August 1, Pam fell from the fourth floor, under suspicious circumstances.
Pam was in this facility because she had been beaten, nearly to death, in mid July. Pam had been telling me for months that she felt she was being targeted by the police and others because of the lawsuit. She was very upset about being arrested and put in jail for several days without charges ever being filed. The arrest occurred when Pam was driving around with friends in downtown Fresno. "All of a sudden there was this swarm of cop cars," Pam said. "They got us all out of the car but they seemed mostly interested in me. One of the guys I was with had an open can of beer, which they just totally ignored. They arrested me on a probation hold. I'm not on probation and they knew that!" Pam thought she was put in jail because she was the high visibility plaintiff in a very controversial lawsuit that put the City of Fresno and the Fresno Police Department (FPD) in a bad light.
On August 1, Pam went through the doors to a balcony at the nursing facility and fell four floors to her death. The doors were supposed to have an alarm that would alert staff if they were opened and the staff knew that Pam was disoriented due to the attack. Several of Pam's friends saw her just before she died. Those that I talked to said she was doing better, she was not suicidal, and her nurse said her memory was starting to clear up. We are left with a lot of unanswered questions.
Maybe this is a tale of two cities - one where there is justice and fairness if you are well to do, but if you are poor (especially if you are a homeless woman) you can't even get the police to open an investigation after you have been beaten. At least the Coroner's office and the sheriff's department are looking into the suspicious nature of her death.
I demand justice for Pamela Kincaid. I want the Fresno Police Department to open an investigation and find out who savagely beat Pam leaving her disoriented and brain damaged. I applaud the Coroner who ordered an autopsy.
Pam was a hero. Being a part of the lawsuit was something Pam did, not for herself, but for all homeless people. It was, in part, that spirit of selflessness that made Pam such a wonderful person and a friend I will miss.
This article was excerpted from a longer version. For a list of articles and documents about the struggle for civil liberties for homeless people in Fresno, see:
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home/homelessness.htm
