It was two years ago Friday (July 5) that a mentally ill homeless man was involved in a violent confrontation with Fullerton police officers. Kelly Thomas died five days later.

Ex-Fullerton police officers Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli since have been charged in connection with Thomas' death and are set to go to trial on October 18.

Ramos previously pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Thomas. Cicinelli also pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and excessive force. Both remain free on bail.

A third former Fullerton police officer charged in the case, Joe Wolfe, faces involuntary manslaughter charges in connection Thomas' death.

Orange County District Attorney Rackauckas has said he’d like to combine Wolfe's case with the other two officers' charged for one trial.

Ron Thomas, the father of Kelly Thomas, said he wants that to happen too.

"But he [Wolfe] isn't going away, he's going to go to trial too," Thomas previously told KPCC.

Kelly Thomas, 37, died five days after the July 5, 2011 confrontation with six officers who were responding to reports of car burglaries at the Fullerton Transportation Center.

The trial date for Ramos and Cicinelli was set by an Orange County Superior Court judge in January. It would be the first murder trial in Orange County history involving an on-duty officer in uniform.