L.A. County sheriff's sergeant is killed in Lancaster shooting; suspected gunman is in custody
A Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant was shot and killed in Lancaster on Wednesday while responding to a residential burglary call, setting off a manhunt for a gunman who tried to flee in the slain lawman's cruiser and held two teenagers hostage before he was captured, authorities said. Sheriff's officials identified the victim as Steve Owen, a 29-year department veteran who had previously won the agency's highest honor for courage. He was the first sheriff's deputy fatally shot while on duty in more than a decade.
Los Angeles Times

Slain Sheriff's Sergeant Known For Work With Youth, Community
Sgt. Steve Owen, 53, a Meritorious Conduct Medal recipient, was described as a prolific member of the sheriff's department. Antelope Valley community members and sheriff's deputies mourned Owen with a candlelight vigil in Lancaster Wednesday night. He was also honored in a law enforcement procession along the freeways as his body was transported from Lancaster to the coroner's office in Boyle Heights. The sheriff's department said Owen helped rescue a hostage being held at gunpoint on Nov. 26, 2013. Owen was instrumental in devising a plan to safely rescue the hostage, keep deputies out of harm's way and take the suspect into custody alive, according to the sheriff's department.
ABC 7

Mayor Expresses Confidence in LAPD Chief, Asks for 'Dial Down' of Emotions
Responding to questions raised in the wake of a fatal police shooting Saturday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called for "dialing down" emotions, and pledged his confidence in LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. "Chief Beck has my support, my strong support," Garcetti said Thursday. Earlier this week, the union that represents officers, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, had criticized activists who spread "false narratives" about police shootings, and cited a statistic that, nationwide this year, gun violence against police officers has increased 42 percent.
NBC 4

NYPD: Attacks on officers up 23 percent
Attacks on police officers are up 23 percent year-over-year despite a decline in major crimes around the city, officials said. There have been 995 assaults on officers so far this year compared to only 804 during the same period in 2015, NYPD Deputy of Operations Dermot Shea announced Monday. Shea said the increase could be attributed to gun arrests, which are up 11.6 percent this year.
Staten Island Advance 

Armed Man Wanted in Carjacking and Kidnapping on UCLA Campus
A gunman who kidnapped a person and carjacked a vehicle on the UCLA campus had still not been found Wednesday. The victim, who was not affiliated with the school, was abducted about 5:30 a.m. Monday near the Center for Health Sciences building, the campus police department reported.
City News Service

LAPD patrols confront gangs along Skid Row
LAPD Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph has been walking the streets of Skid Row for the last 18 years. It's a police beat most people would never want, but Officer Joseph wouldn't have it any other way.  He has a passion for helping the people of Skid Row and keeping them safe from criminals. 
Fox 11

Civil Rape Trial of NBA Star Derrick Rose Underway in L.A.
The civil rape trial of NBA star Derrick Rose opened Wednesday with jurors hearing two starkly different versions of events during an encounter in which the New York Knicks player and two friends are accused of sexually assaulting a woman. Waukeen McCoy, an attorney for the 30-year-old accuser, presented her to the jury as the victim of a brutal sexual assault at the hands of Rose and two of his friends.
KTLA 5

Marine killed in South LA remembered as ‘wonderful son,' champion of the needy
The morning funeral drew hundreds of city officials, family members and friends, homeless advocates and helpers, as well as scores of U.S. Marines, veterans and San Fernando Valley military school kids, to pay tribute to the young serviceman. Segovia Lopez would help the homeless. He helped kids finish high school. And he rescued dogs and fed pets owned by the down and out, those closest to him said.
Los Angeles Daily News

California Sex Offender Parolees Settle Lawsuit, Not Required to Post ‘Do Not Disturb' Signs on Halloween
Last year, a Chula Vista sex offender parolee was instructed to post a “do not disturb” sign in front of his residence on Halloween night to ward off trick-or-treaters. What followed was a lawsuit filed by the California Reform Sex Offender Laws organization, as well as the parolee in San Diego County and another in Los Angeles. The policy, they argued, violated their civil rights and put their safety at risk.
KTLA 5

L.A. sheriff's deputies bust suspected pot growing operation near Compton
Authorities today seized about 27,000 marijuana plants illegally being grown in a warehouse near Compton and arrested two people. Investigators served a warrant at the building in the 200 block of West 134th Street about 7:30 a.m., according to the sheriff's department. The plants had an estimated street sale value of $6.1 million, sheriff's officials said.
Fox 11

Federal judge dismisses Ferguson protesters' $41.5M lawsuit
A federal judge has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit that alleged police used excessive force against Ferguson protesters and violated their civil rights. U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey on Friday ruled in favor of summary judgment motions filed by police, police officials, St. Louis County and the city of Ferguson. The order appeared publicly in electronic court files Monday, the same day that lawyers for protesters filed a notice that they would appeal.
St. Louis Dispatch

Over 9,000 DEA Informants Earned $237 Million Over 5 Years: Audit
The DEA touts its confidential informant program as its "bread and butter" for cracking down on narcotics traffickers. But it also costs a lot of dough. Some 9,540 informants earned about $237 million from the Drug Enforcement Administration over a five-year period, according to a recent audit by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General. That averages out to nearly $25,000 per source, though not all informants received the same amount.
NBC 4