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| NEWS of the Week |
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The following group of articles is but a small percentage of the info available to the community policing and neighborhood activist. It is by no means meant to cover every possible issue of interest, nor is it meant to convey any particular point of view.
We present this simply as a convenience to our readership.
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MJ Goyings
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Many thanks to our very own "MJ" Goyings, a resident of Ohio,
for her daily research that provides us with the news related material that appears on the LACP & NAASCA web sites. |
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Law Enforcement News
A Plague of Deadly Hesitation, De-Motivation, and De-Policing in America
Prosecutors — elected officials who want to win re-election — are under increasing pressure to bring charges against officers who are doing their jobs within agency policy and established legal precedent. This does a lot to de-motivate officers from going out and looking for trouble. Unfortunately, in today's anti-police climate, there may be no way out of this downward spiral until crime gets so bad that city streets look like the studio set of a Mad Max movie. Perhaps when anarchy truly sets in, the people, the press, and the politicians who have handcuffed their police will change their tune.
Police Magazine |
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Gun Used To Fatally Shoot Sacramento County Deputy Was Bought Illegally In Nevada, Prosecutors Say
A federal grand jury has indicted a Nevada man as an unlicensed firearms dealer after he allegedly sold guns to out-of-state residents, including one that was used in the fatal shooting of a Sacramento County sheriff's deputy. Charles Martin Ellis, 64, was charged Wednesday in a Nevada federal court with one count of engaging in firearms dealing without a license and one count of transfer or sale of a firearm to a nonresident, according to the indictment. Prosecutors say Ellis sold the Zastava 7.62-millimeter caliber pistol that was used in a dramatic shootout on Aug. 30, 2017, that ended with two California Highway Patrol officers wounded and Deputy Robert French, a 21-year veteran of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, dead.
Los Angeles Times |
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New York Officer Dies Of 9/11-Related Illness
A 20-year veteran officer of the New Rochelle Police Department died Aug. 16 from cancer developed from assisting search and rescue efforts after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Officer Katheleen O'Connor-Funigiello is survived by her husband, three step-children and five siblings, ODMP reports. Seventy-two officers from eight local, state and federal agencies were killed on Sept. 11, 2001 when al Qaeda terrorists crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
PoliceOne |
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Florida Sheriff's Deputy Dies From Crash Injuries
A 12-year veteran Clay County sheriff's deputy died late Tuesday from injuries he suffered Sunday in a traffic crash while on duty in Orange Park. Ben Zirbel, 40, of Middleburg passed away at Orange Park Medical Center where he'd been hospitalized since the crash, Sheriff Darryl Daniels said at a Wednesday news conference. "Ben was a good man. ...His memory will not be forgotten. And him falling in the line of duty will not be in vain," Daniels said, noting the Sheriff's Office is grieving along with Zirbel's family, whom it is embracing as its own. Zirbel leaves behind a wife, Anna, and their 8-year-old son.
The Florida Times-Union |
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Man Shot While Driving In Hyde Park
Police are investigating the shooting of a man while he was driving his car in Hyde Park. The shooting happened around noon at West and Hyde Park boulevards. The man was hit by gunfire while driving and then smashed into several parked cars, police said. The victim was transported to a local hospital. An update on his condition was not immediately available. No suspect description was immediately available.
ABC 7 |
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Associated Press Reports Newsroom Threat To LAPD
An Associated Press reporter based in the news organization's Los Angeles bureau tweeted that a threat was made to their newsroom on Wednesday. “Call into our newsroom just now. ‘At some point we're just gonna start shooting you f---ing a--holes," wrote breaking news reporter Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter. Myers followed up more than three hours later to share that the everyone there was OK, along with an official statement from the AP. "This afternoon AP received an anonymous call to our Los Angeles bureau. It was nonspecific but threatened possible violence. Each threat AP receives is taken very seriously. The safety of our employees is paramount. The threat was reported to local authorities. All AP's employees are safe. The Los Angeles Police Department said the threat has been reported "to the appropriate investigative entities.”
The Hill |
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College Student Pleads Not Guilty To Stabbing Adoptive Fathers In Sherman Oaks
A 21-year-old man charged with repeatedly stabbing his two adoptive fathers at their home in Sherman Oaks pleaded not guilty Thursday. Matthew Boulet is charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated mayhem stemming from the attack early July 24 on the 4600 block of Burnet Avenue. The charges include allegations that Boulet used a knife in the commission of the attack and inflicted great bodily injury on the two victims. Boulet allegedly stabbed one of his adoptive fathers multiple times in the neck, body, face, arms and ears, and stabbed his other adoptive father multiple times in the face, arms and body when that man tried to intervene, according to prosecutors.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Former Northridge Priest Charged In Teen Sex Case
A Banning school administrator who pleaded not guilty to charges that he tried to lure a minor to have sex is on “inactive leave” as a Roman Catholic priest, the Los Angeles Archdiocese said Thursday. Charles Patrick Mayer, 55, of Menifee, is “not in ministry and living privately, since September of 2000 due to a failure to adhere to Archdiocesan policies concerning interaction with youth and young adults. The Archdiocese has no record of allegations of sexual misconduct by Charles Mayer,” the statement read.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Long Beach Police Gang Operation Nets 6 Arrests, 7 Guns, Drugs, Cash
A police task force arrested six suspects and seized a small arsenal of guns, along with methamphetamine and cash, while serving search warrants Wednesday at six locations in the southwest portion of the city, authorities said. The operation was a response to a spate of gang-related violence earlier in the summer, the Long Beach Police Department said in a written statement. It resulted in five felony arrests and one misdemeanor arrest, as well as seven guns, “a quantity of methamphetamine” and $6,000 in cash, police said. The suspects range in age from 17 to 40, police said.
KTLA 5 |
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7 Connecticut Officers Exposed To Fentanyl In Drug Raid
Seven drug detectives serving a search warrant at a Garden Street apartment Thursday were exposed to what authorities believe was a potent opioid that went airborne when the suspects attempted to hide evidence, police said. The building was evacuated and later declared uninhabitable, police said. Officers seized a gun, $4,000 in cash and half a kilogram — more than a pound — of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. Three people were arrested. Two of the law enforcement officials — a Hartford detective and a state trooper — were the first through the door of the third-floor apartment, police said.
The Hartford Courant |
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Public Safety News
Authorities Arrest Man In Deadly Klamathon Fire In Siskiyou County
Authorities have arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of starting the deadly Klamathon fire in Siskiyou County last month, officials said. The blaze claimed a life, injured three firefighters and destroyed dozens of homes. John Colin Eagle Skoda was booked into jail Thursday after investigators concluded that he caused the 38,000-acre blaze by recklessly burning debris, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze began July 5 and burned down 35 homes and 48 other structures near the Oregon border.
Los Angeles Times |
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California State Assembly Plans Hearing On Verizon Throttling Of Santa Clara County Firefighters' Data
A California State Assembly committee is meeting Friday morning to gather information and hear testimony on why Verizon slowed down data speeds for Santa Clara County firefighters who were helping to battle the Mendocino Complex fires. The Select Committee on Natural Disaster, Response, Recovery and Rebuilding will be convening in the California State Capitol building to hold the informational hearing on the matter and invited Santa Clara County Fire Department staff, the department's Chief Anthony Bowden and representatives from Verizon and other telecommunications companies to speak.
Mercury News |
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California Ranks Fourth In Nation With Most 'Neuroinvasive' West Nile Cases
Louisiana and Mississippi are leading the nation in the number of people who have become the most seriously ill from West Nile virus this year, with California coming in fourth. State health departments are warning residents to take precautions against mosquitoes, which spread the virus. "Not in my house, not on my skin, not in my yard," said Dr. Raoult Ratard, Louisiana's state epidemiologist, as he repeated the state slogan for fighting the disease Wednesday. Precautions include making sure door and window screens don't have holes; wearing long clothes and using mosquito repellent; and making sure the yard doesn't hold any standing water where mosquitoes might breed — even a bottle cap.
NBC 4 |
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Local Government News
Los Angeles Seeks Injunction Against Justice Department Over Anti-Gang Program Funding
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration Wednesday over federal funding for anti-gang programs. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop the Justice Department from imposing immigration enforcement rules on the city in order for it to receive money for the programs. Each year, the U.S. Department of Justice allows cities and states to apply for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, which provide funding to support law enforcement efforts that reduce gang activity. Since 1997 - with the exception of 2017 - Los Angeles received more than $1 million in funding each year.
ABC 7 |
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Construction On Target Shopping Center In Hollywood — Stalled Since 2014 — Can Proceed, Appeal Court Rules
A California appeals court on Thursday sided with the city of Los Angeles in a long-running legal fight over a half-finished Target shopping center in Hollywood, reversing a lower court's ruling that halted construction of the project. The 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled that the city complied with state environmental law and did not abuse its discretion by changing local zoning laws to allow the project. Thursday's ruling allows Target to resume work on the project, which has sat empty since 2014, said Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer's office.
KTLA 5 |
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Law Enforcement News
All 3 Suspects Wanted In New Jersey Ambush Arrested
The remaining two men sought in connection with the ambush shooting of two New Jersey police detectives earlier this month have been arrested. Camden County Police Chief J. Scott Thomson said in a statement Tuesday that 19-year-old Alexander DeJesus and 26-year-old Ammar Hall had been arrested in Philadelphia. Twenty-year-old Juan Figueroa was arrested Saturday in Gloucester City, New Jersey. All three men face charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapon offenses. The plainclothes detectives were wounded as they sat in their unmarked SUV at a red light on Aug. 7.
Associated Press |
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New Details Emerge In Killing Of Colorado Deputy
Charges won't be filed in the Feb. 5 shootout in which El Paso County sheriff's Deputy Micah Flick and suspected car thief Manuel Zetina were killed and bystander Thomas Villanueva was partially paralyzed, the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday. The DA's Office said the officers “acted reasonably” when they shot Zetina after he unleashed a hail of bullets, wounding four officers and Villanueva, all “before any member of law enforcement fired their weapons.” The report recounts for the first time the harrowing last moments of Flick's life and what District Attorney Dan May called the “horrible tragedy that struck our community.”
The Gazette |
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2 Sought In Robbery Of South L.A. Subway Restaurant
Two people are being sought in the Wednesday night robbery of a South Los Angeles Subway restaurant, which could be tied to a series of recent robberies involving the fast-food chain. Ellina Abovian reports for the KTLA 5 Morning News on Aug. 23, 2018.
KTLA 5 Video |
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After Months Of Looting, Suspect Captured In Spree Of Apartment Burglaries In Koreatown
Authorities have arrested a suspect in a spree of apartment burglaries in Koreatown that spanned the past 18 months. The Los Angeles Police Department reported Wednesday that a man had been caught in connection with at least 21 apartment burglaries dating from February 24 to Aug. 3. The suspect was identified as 54-year-old Marcelino Lopez. Police estimated that in all the burglaries, Lopez stole about $200,000 worth of cash, jewelry and property. Officials said in one burglary he stole about $48,000 — from a family saving their money to buy a home. None of the property or cash has been recovered, police said. Police said Lopez mostly struck on Fridays (nine times) and between 2-5 p.m. Back in April, LAPD released surveillance video of the wanted man.
CBS 2 |
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Man Pleads ‘No Contest' In Fatal Hollywood Stabbing
A homeless man pleaded ‘no contest' to a voluntary manslaughter charge Wednesday for stabbing another homeless man to death during an argument in Hollywood last year. Alex Conn Vasquez, 24, is expected to receive 28 years to life in state prison at sentencing next month, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a written statement. In addition to the manslaughter charge, he also admitted personally using a knife and having prior criminal convictions. The killing took place on June 12, 2017. “The defendant got into an altercation with victim Jimmy Bradford, 47, who was also homeless, near the 101 Freeway and Hollywood Boulevard,” the D.A.'s office statement said. “Vasquez stabbed Bradford twice in the back.”
KTLA 5 |
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Police Test Out New Nonlethal Weapon In Westminster
Police gathered in Westminster Wednesday to try out a new nonlethal weapon designed to help officers avoid having to resort to their guns when subduing suspects. Las Vegas-based Wrap Technologies demonstrated its "BolaWrap," designed to tangle up suspects in a long cord, without causing serious injuries. The handheld plastic device resembled the Tasers already carried on the duty belts of many law enforcement officers. But rather than electrified wires to shock a suspect into submission, the BolaWrap is based on an ancient weapon made up of a rope or cord attached by two weights, used to wrap around and immobilize adversaries.
KTLA 5 |
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With Gun Killings Down In Oakland, Police Credit Ceasefire Program
Oakland police officials say they believe the driving factor in a roughly 50 percent drop in gun-related killings and injuries in the past seven years has been a partnership with community organizations in an effort called Ceasefire that focuses on people considered most at-risk of becoming a shooter or victim. The Oakland Ceasefire program, which was launched in early 2013 and mirrors similar initiatives across the country, provides certain individuals the opportunity to receive help and mentoring in what are known as “call-ins,” a bid to guide them away from future harm. These people are also warned that continued violence could lead to the death or targeted prosecution of them or their associates.
San Francisco Chronicle |
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Alleged Golden State Killer To Face 26 Charges In One Sacramento Trial
District attorneys from six counties announced in a Tuesday press conference that their separate cases against Joseph DeAngelo will be consolidated into a single case.
KPCC Audio |
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Survey: Fewer California Teens Use Marijuana Even
As Legalization Kicks In Marijuana use among California students dropped in recent years, even as laws legalizing the drug for adults 21 and older started to kick in, according to the latest state-commissioned California Healthy Kids Survey. One possible reason is that students told surveyors marijuana is harder to get now than it was a few years ago. Legalization advocates are calling the results early evidence that regulating marijuana protects kids better than banning it — a pattern that has so far played out in other states. “These initial reports confirm that legalizing and regulating cannabis doesn't increase youth marijuana use, but rather it has the opposite effect,” said Ellen Komp, deputy director of the California chapter of the advocacy group NORML.
Orange County Register |
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California Lawmakers Move To Help Expunge Pot-Related Convictions
With marijuana legalized by the state's voters, Californians with past convictions for cannabis-related offenses would get state help in expunging their records under a bill sent by lawmakers to the governor on Wednesday. Proposition 64, which state voters approved in 2016, legalized the sale and use of marijuana for recreational use and permitted those with past convictions for the activity to petition the courts to clear their records. But state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) told his colleagues Wednesday that the process is complicated, and many with pot convictions do not know about the opportunity. AB 1793, which was approved by the state Senate on Wednesday, “creates a simpler pathway for Californians to turn the page,” Wiener said during the floor debate.
Los Angeles Times |
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Public Safety News
LA County Health Officials Warn Of Botulism Tied To Black Tar Heroin
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that it has identified three suspected cases of botulism associated with the use of black tar heroin, in addition to three cases potentially identified in June. The department issued a public warning that black tar heroin in Los Angeles may be contaminated with bacteria that can cause wound botulism, a serious illness which can lead to death. Intravenous drug users are at greatest risk, especially if injecting contaminated heroin under their skin or into their muscle. “We normally see two to three cases of botulism among heroin users per year, so this is a significant increase,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County's health officer.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Meet The New Aedes Mosquito Spreading Misery Around
A Wide Swath Of Southern California Desperate and miserable, Luz Flores of San Pedro took to social media for advice on the evening of Monday, August 20. “Is anyone else getting these bites in their legs and arms? These are extremely itchy, swollen, hot and hurting … any help is much appreciated. Tried cooling, alcohol, warm spoon, peroxide and nothing helps the itching!” Flores, 46, soon found out she wasn't alone, after 200-plus responses quickly piled onto the Facebook thread. “Me too, I have mosquitos all over!!!!!” one commenter wrote. “Horrible! Those mosquitos are vicious!” posted another. Meet your new neighbors: tiny but aggressive mosquitoes in the Aedes genus.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Local Government News
L.A. Scooter Companies To Receive Cease-and-Desist Letters From City
The immediate future of dockless electric scooters in Los Angeles landed in a gray area today when a Department of Transportation official said any company operating scooters outside of established pilot programs in the city will be receiving a cease-and-desist letter by next week. The problem is -- the DOT says there are no established pilot programs for scooters in the city, only for dockless bicycles. That means technically every company that has electric scooters operating anywhere in the city will be receiving such a letter.
NBC 4 |
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The Icon At Panorama Project Moves Forward After City Officials Reject Appeal
A Los Angeles City Council committee has rejected an appeal that challenged a mixed-use project in Panorama City that seeks to transform a long-vacant department store with hundreds of apartments, shops and restaurants. The Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved the $150-million Icon at Panorama development that is poised to redevelop an old, languishing Montgomery Ward, once a key destination in the San Fernando Valley's retail scene and bring more than 600 residential units to the area.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Law Enforcement News
LAPD Investigating Possible Road-Rage Shooting Of Lyft Driver In Glassell Park
Police are investigating a car-to-car shooting that left a Lyft driver shot in the head while two passengers were in his vehicle. The gunman is still on the loose as investigators try to piece together what happened. While police do not have a description of the suspect, they believe the shooter was possibly in a dark colored Toyota Prius, that may have had an Uber plaque in the window. The shooting happened around 4:30 a.m. Sunday near Eagle Rock Boulevard and Avenue 40 in the Glassell Park area just north of downtown LA. The two passengers miraculously were not hurt. But the driver was hit several times.
ABC 7 |
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SWAT Surround Fumigated Home In South LA After Possible Break-In
A South Los Angeles neighborhood was awakened early Wednesday morning after police responded to a report that a fumigated home was being burglarized. According to Los Angeles police, just before 3:30 a.m., SWAT and hazmat teams were called to a home in the 300 block of East 107th Street on a report that a tented home which was being fumigated had been broken into and the suspect may still be inside. The home was surrounded and officers donning masks eventually made entry, but found no one inside, police said. It was still unclear if anyone had burglarized the home or why police were called initially.
CBS 2 |
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LAPD Releases Body-Cam Video Of Officers Who Exchanged Gunfire With Former UCLA And NBA Player Who Took Own Life
Police released body-camera video Tuesday of a Van Nuys standoff in July with Tyler Honeycutt that ended with the former UCLA and NBA player's death by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The video, published Tuesday morning to the Los Angeles Police Department's YouTube channel, shows a brief exchange of gunfire between Honeycutt, 27, and an officer in tactical gear. The officer was peeking from behind a wall, pointing a rifle in the direction of the home, when a single shot was fired from a window. The officer immediately fired a round back in the direction of the window. The shots came after several minutes of dialogue between an LAPD negotiator and Honeycutt, who refused to leave the home after police arrived.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Bystander Records Man Allegedly Posing As Uber Driver, Attempting To Lure 17-Year-Old Girl Into Car In Northridge
A Northridge man said he intervened when he saw a man attempting to lure a teenage girl into his car by pretending to be an Uber driver near the CSU Northridge campus. The 17-year-old victim said the driver was persistent, but drove off after being pressed for his credentials. Kimberly Cheng reports for the KTLA 5 News at 10 on Aug. 21, 2018.
KTLA 5 Video |
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Hearing Set For Suspect In Police Pursuit Over Five Freeways
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4 for a Los Angeles man charged with driving a stolen vehicle and leading police on a high-speed pursuit that stretched over five area freeways and ended with a crash. Loren Lee Nava, 36, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to one felony count each of fleeing a pursuing peace officer's motor vehicle while driving recklessly and driving a vehicle without consent, along with one misdemeanor count of hit-and-run driving resulting in property damage. Los Angeles police officers spotted the stolen Honda Civic Saturday, according to prosecutors.
MyNewsLA.com |
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Golden State Killer Suspect Is Facing New Charges, Will Be Tried In Sacramento County
A serial rapist terrorized a swath of Northern California in the 1970s, breaking into dozens of women's homes in attacks that spanned three years and sparked fear throughout the suburbs of Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. More than 40 years later, prosecutors in Santa Ana announced Tuesday they had charged a man in those horrific crimes. Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., who already faces 13 counts of murder as the suspected Golden State Killer, is now accused of 13 counts of kidnapping to commit a robbery as well. He will stand trial in Sacramento County.
Los Angeles Times |
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California Senate Sends Landmark Bill To Reform Cash-Bail System To Gov. Brown's Desk
California lawmakers on Tuesday passed a landmark bill that would overhaul the state's cash-bail system, replacing it with one that grants judges greater power to decide who should remain incarcerated ahead of trial. The proposal moved out of the chamber with a 26-12 vote and now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown, who last year pledged to work with lawmakers and the state's top Supreme Court justice to pass the legislation. “Today, the legislature took an important step forward in reducing the inequities that have long plagued California's bail system,” Brown said in a statement Tuesday.
KTLA 5 |
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California Law To Ban Male Guard Pat-Downs Of Women Inmates
Male prison guards in California will be prohibited from pat-down searching of incarcerated women and viewing them while they are not fully dressed under a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown announced he signed the bill Monday. It will take effect in 2019. The measure, AB2550, bans male guards from entering areas such as bathrooms where women are undressed. The bill authored by San Diego Democratic Assemblywoman Shirley Weber contains exceptions for emergencies when female guards aren't available. It also permits male guards to pat down search female inmates at risk of escaping or harming themselves or others when a female officer is not available.
NBC 4 |
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1,600 Attend Funeral For Detroit LEO Hit By Speeding SUV
More than 1,600 people attended the funeral for a newlywed police officer who was struck and killed by a speeding SUV outside a Detroit nightclub. A requiem Mass was held Monday for 30-year-old Fadi Shukur at St. George Chaldean Catholic Church in Utica. He died Aug. 15 from injuries he suffered 11 days earlier while helping with crowd control near the club on the city's west side. Shukur got married June 29. The Detroit News reports that Detroit Police Chief James Craig described Shukur as a "true American hero."
Associated Press |
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Public Safety News
Firefighters Respond To Massive Blaze At Commercial Structure In Downtown Los Angeles
Nearly 100 firefighters on Wednesday morning were battling a raging inferno that erupted through the roof of a commercial building in downtown Los Angeles. The stubborn blaze began about 5 a.m. at a single-store structure in the 1300 block of Margo Street, where crews initially attacked the flames from atop the structure. About thirty minutes later, firefighters abandoned the rooftop and went into a defensive mode, dousing the fire with water cannons mounted on aerial ladders. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and the fire was prevented from spreading to adjacent buildings.
ABC 7 |
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Firefighters On Mendocino Complex Endangered By Verizon Move To Limit Data Service, Fire Chief Says
Santa Clara County firefighters were dangerously hobbled by poor internet service while they were helping battle the monstrous Mendocino Complex fire in July because Verizon drastically slowed down the speed of its wireless data during the fire fight, the county's fire chief contends in a federal court filing. Despite having paid for what it thought was an unlimited data plan, the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District saw its data flow “throttled” down to 1/200th of its usual speed as it fought the complex — now the biggest wildfire in state history — because Verizon officials said it had exceeded its plan limit, district Fire Chief Anthony Bowden wrote.
San Francisco Chronicle |
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Local Government News
L.A. Officials Take New Aim At Allenco Drill Site Near USC
Under a new plan being floated at City Hall, officials could try to block the reopening of a South Los Angeles oil site where neighbors once complained of nausea, nosebleeds and other ailments. The idea germinated last year, when Councilman Gil Cedillo said he wanted the city to use a rarely exercised power under its Municipal Code to cancel “oil drilling districts” that were no longer active. Such districts cover areas where oil and gas drilling has been authorized by the city. Cedillo was specifically eyeing the Allenco Energy Inc. site, which halted operations nearly five years ago amid a public outcry.
Los Angeles Times |
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Law Enforcement News
Florida SWAT Team Arrests 2 Fugitives Who Shot At North Carolina Cop
Police say two fugitives who fired on a deputy in North Carolina are in custody after a standoff with a SWAT team in Florida. The Tampa Bay Times reports 50-year-old Donald "Alfred" Billings and 26-year-old Alton Smoot had an AR-15, a machete and a pipe bomb inside an apartment near St. Petersburg. Authorities say a deputy in Alleghany County, North Carolina, let them go after they opened fire during a traffic stop this month. Pinellas sheriff's investigators learned that Billings had an ex-girlfriend in Treasure Island, so they began watching her home. They found Smoot first and arrested him Saturday. Billings was hiding out in the apartment. Officers eventually used tear gas and then set off flash bangs.
Associated Press |
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Police Union President says proposed use of force reform endangers cops' lives
Police say a police reform bill in Sacramento is bound to endanger the lives of police officers. Assembly Bill 931 would replace the reasonable force standard with allowing cops to use lethal force only when necessary. Craig Lally President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, says the proposed legislation was crafted by the ACLU. “The ultimate goal of the ACLU on this bill is to incarcerate police officers. This bill will either cost police officers their lives or their jobs. It's the ultimate in Monday morning quarterbacking.”
KABC Radio |
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Sheriff: Mississippi Deputy Run Over By 12-Year-Old Driving Stolen Car
A Lauderdale County Deputy Sheriff was injured Wednesday night while attempting to stop a stolen vehicle driven by a 12-year-old girl. According to Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie the incident happened shortly before 8 p.m. in a trailer court off Valley Road just outside the Meridian city limits, where the juvenile had stolen her mother's car after a conflict between the two. Sollie said when deputies arrived on the scene and spotted the vehicle they then attempted to stop the vehicle to no avail. “This particular trailer court is a circle drive,” Sollie said.
The Meridian Star, Miss. |
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Man Shot At By Officer In Westlake Neighborhood Was Armed With Handgun, Police Say
Police opened fire on a man they say was armed with a handgun in the Westlake neighborhood of Central Los Angeles Monday night. The incident occurred about 11:30 p.m. when officers conducting crime suppression stopped a black man on a bike near the intersection of South Lake Street and Ocean View Avenue, Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Chris Ramirez said. During the stop, the man produced a handgun and an officer-involved shooting occurred, Ramirez said. The man, who was not struck by the gunfire, fled the scene on foot and was caught on 3rd Street not far from the initial incident. Authorities recovered a handgun and took the man to a local hospital after he complained of pain, Ramirez said.
KTLA 5 |
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LAPD Dedicates Task Force To Crack Down On Illegal Street Racing ‘Sideshows'
With crowds shutting down busy intersections to watch cars burn rubber on Los Angeles streets with what seems to be increasing frequency, the Los Angeles Police Dept. has decided to dedicate a team officers to crack down on these so-called “sideshows.” CBS2 News was in Pacoima Friday when officers stopped a vehicle they suspected of being suped up for racing. After inspecting the Acura, they cited the driver for the modification. “We have a lot of intel that we use within some of the clubs,” said Sgt. Gregory Fuqua with the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division. He said they also use undercover and unmarked vehicles to track the offenders.
CBS 2 |
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Pacoima Hit-and-Run Kills Pedestrian
Authorities were investigating the hit-and-run death Monday of a man in the Pacoima area. Paramedics sent to 9800 block of San Fernando Road about 6 a.m. pronounced the man dead at the scene, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. Information was not immediately available on the identity of the man, who was about 50 years of age, according to the LAFD. No description was available of the hit-and-run vehicle or suspect. Anyone with information on the case was urged to call (877) LAPD-247.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Officials Release Surveillance Video Of Westlake Hit-and-Run Crash That Killed Pedestrian; $50K Reward Offered
LAPD officials on Monday released surveillance video of a hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian in Westlake earlier this month and city officials are offering a $50,000 reward for information in the case. The crash occurred about 5 a.m. on Aug. 10. Byung Yu, 78, was crossing south on Union Avenue inside a crosswalk when he was struck by a vehicle heading west on 3rd Street. Video released Monday shows that the driver stopped momentarily before fleeing. Yu died at the scene. Los Angeles Police Detective Moses Castillo said the victim might have entered the crosswalk “a few seconds too soon.” “Unfortunately it cost him his life,” Castillo said during a news conference Monday.
KTLA 5 |
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Eight People Arrested In Residential Burglaries Across Ventura, LA Counties
Six different law enforcement agencies worked together to arrest eight suspects allegedly part of a Pasadena/Los Angeles County based criminal street gang committing burglaries across Ventura and Los Angeles counties, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office announced Monday. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Major Crimes Bureau/Robbery Task Force, Pasadena Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Simi Valley Police Department/VENCATT and San Bernardino Sheriff's Department Specialized Enforcement Division all played roles in arrested a burglary crew alleged to have committed more than 20 burglaries throughout Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
NBC 4 |
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FBI Agents Trying To Get Orange County Man, Who They Say Was Kidnapped In The San Gabriel Valley, Back Home
FBI agents are trying to return a Santa Ana man to his family after he was kidnapped from a San Gabriel shopping center last month and held for $2 million ransom, they announced at a Los Angeles press conference on Monday. Investigators said Ruochen “Tony” Liao, a 28-year-old Chinese national who co-owned a Costa Mesa luxury-car dealership, was kidnapped by three men from San Gabriel Square on July 16. At around 7:30 p.m. that day, a witness saw Liao at the shopping center entering a black minivan, most likely a Toyota Sienna, with one of the men. The two other men got into a black SUV believed to be a Range Rover.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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California Lawmakers Move To Cap Prison Time For Felons, Including Robbers, Murderers
California's approach to crime and punishment is complicated enough that a state watchdog agency once referred to it as a “chaotic labyrinth of laws with no cohesive philosophy or strategy.” The penal code covers thousands of different offenses, each carrying three terms of varying lengths that may be applied depending on mitigating or aggravating circumstances. Convictions for multiple charges can be served concurrently or consecutively, while hundreds of possible enhancements sometimes add more time to an inmate's sentence than the underlying crime. Lawmakers are moving to change that this month with Senate Bill 1279, which would largely limit the maximum term of imprisonment for felony convictions to twice the length of the base term.
Sacramento Bee |
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California Assembly Advances Bill To Replace Bail System
The California Assembly on Monday narrowly advanced a bill to make California the first state to completely eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial and replace it with a risk-assessment system. The bill passed with no votes to spare, revealing the difficult balance of writing a bill that would draw support from both criminal justice reform advocates and lawmakers more aligned with law enforcement. Some reform groups that once supported the bill backed away in recent days, arguing the latest version gives judges too much power to keep people in jail. The legislation now moves to the state Senate, where lobbying from both sides is likely to continue. Supporters of the bill argue the current system discriminates against low-income people.
US News |
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Minneapolis Must Pay $190,000 To Spurned Police Recruit Over Psychological Screen
The city of Minneapolis must pay $190,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former police recruit who said the city rescinded its job offer after learning of his post-traumatic stress disorder, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday. Federal officials also charged that the Police Department ran afoul of the 2008 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) by “routinely requesting and obtaining genetic information from officer applicants during the pre-employment process,” according to a news release. The department said the unnamed plaintiff, an Army and Minnesota National Guard veteran who applied for an officer's job in September 2012, will receive $189,339 in back pay and compensatory damages as part of the settlement.
StarTribune |
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Public Safety News
5 LAFD Firefighters Injured While Battling Mendocino Complex As Largest Fire In State History Forces New Evacuations
Five firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department were injured while battling the massive Mendocino Complex Fire in Northern California, which has scorched more than 400,000 acres and destroyed at least 157 homes, fire officials said Monday. The five members of the department's strike team 1880C suffered minor injuries before being treated and released from hospitals in the area, authorities said. The Mendocino Complex Fire, the largest in recorded state history, is made up of the roughly 350,000-acre Ranch Fire and nearly 50,000-acre River Fire. While the giant blaze has been described by fire officials as one event, the two wildfires within it never merged.
KTLA 5 |
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‘It was bound to happen': Mendocino Complex Firefighter May Have Died From Airplane Fire Retardant Drop, Report Says
A 42-year-old Utah firefighter who died battling the Mendocino Complex Fire last week may have been killed after a massive retardant drop from an air tanker broke apart trees and he was struck by the debris, according to a preliminary Cal Fire report. At about 5:35 p.m. on Aug. 13, a Very Large Air Tanker, one of Cal Fire's converted DC-10s or Boeing 747s, dropped a retardant load along Division C of the Mendocino Complex Fire in Mendocino County. Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett was killed by tree debris and three other firefighters received minor injuries, according to the report. The incident was serious enough that Cal Fire issued recommendations for “immediate corrective actions.”
Mercury News |
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Local Government News
Nearly 7,500 LA County Homeless People Permanently Housed Thanks To Measure H, County Officials Say
A recently approved Los Angeles County sales tax increase played a key role in getting nearly 7,500 people who were homeless permanently housed over the last year, county officials said Friday. The last fiscal year that began July 1, 2017, was the first year that Measure H revenue was used to pay for programs serving people who are homeless. Those funds went toward permanently housing 7,448 people and temporarily housing roughly 13,500 people, according to the county Homeless Initiative's latest quarterly report.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Law Enforcement News
1 Of 3 Sought In New Jersey Ambush Police Officer Shooting Arrested
Police say one of three men sought in connection with an ambush shooting of two New Jersey police detectives earlier this month has been arrested. Camden police said in a Twitter post Saturday that 20-year-old Juan Figueroa had been captured. He and the others are charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses. The unnamed plainclothes detectives were wounded Aug. 7 as they sat in their SUV at a red light in Camden. One had a wound to the bicep and forearm and the other was struck in the hand. Both were treated and released.
Associated Press |
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Louisiana K-9 Fatally Shot During Suspect Pursuit
A K-9 with the Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Office was fatally shot early Friday morning as he attempted to apprehend a suspect. ODMP.org reported that deputies arrived to arrest a suspect Friday evening in Lincoln Parish. The man was believed to have shot his girlfriend in the head earlier in the day. As they arrived on scene, the man ran into a wooded area behind the house. K-9 Boco was released and shortly thereafter deputies heard five to seven gunshots, KNOE reported. Boco, who had been with the Sheriff's department for three years, was like family, deputies told KNOE.
PoliceOne |
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Veteran Colorado Deputy Shot, In Stable Condition Following Surgery
The deputy wounded Wednesday night during a shootout with a suspect on NW C Street in Greeley is Brandon Stupka, a 10-year veteran of the Weld County Sheriff's Office assigned to the patrol division. Stupka underwent more than two hours of surgery at North Colorado Medical Center following the shooting for wounds to his thigh and abdomen, Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said Thursday morning. Stupka is in stable condition at the hospital, but has additional surgeries scheduled for today. The additional surgeries are "less significant" than what Stupka endured last night, Reams said. "My deputy is going to be OK, and that's what's most important," Reams said.
Greeley Tribune, Colorado |
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LAPD Investing In New Non-Lethal Tool To Subdue Belligerent Suspects: ‘Foam Batons' Fired From Launchers
After seeing cases in which bean-bag shotguns and stun-guns failed to end confrontations with belligerent suspects, Los Angeles police leaders have begun to invest in a new non-lethal tool that has more firepower and which they believe will be more effective. Last year, the Los Angeles Police Department bought hundreds of launchers that shoot small “foam batons” after a trial period during which patrol officers tested them. In July, Chief Michel Moore publicly touted the launchers, which shoot foam batons with enough force to make a suspect fall over in pain. “The effectiveness of our less-lethal tools allowing officers to avoid the use of deadly force appears to have declined,” Moore told reporters that day.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Lyft Driver Shot In Head In ‘Road Rage' Incident In Glassell Park
A Lyft driver was recovering from surgery Sunday after he was shot in the head during what police say was a road rage incident that may have involved an Uber driver in Glassell Park. The victim had just picked up two passengers near Eagle Rock Boulevard and Avenue 40 before 5 a.m. on Aug. 19 when he got into an argument with another driver, Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Roberto Alaniz said. Witnesses told police the gunman fired multiple times from a dark colored vehicle with an Uber sticker displayed. The Lyft driver then lost control of his car and sheared a nearby fire hydrant.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Suspect Crashes Stolen Rolls-Royce Following Pursuit In Hollywood: LAPD
A suspect was in custody after a Rolls-Royce was stolen and crashed while fleeing authorities in Hollywood, officials said. Two pickup drivers at the scene told KTLA they had been involved in the crash, one of them an on-duty employee for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The collision occurred around 5:30 p.m. in the 6700 block of Franklin Avenue, L.A. Police Officer Tony Im said. Despite the impact, the Rolls was able to continue, but eventually stopped near the intersection of Franklin and Las Palmas avenues. Footage from the scene showed the car had dealership plates.
KTLA 5 |
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Death Of 2-Year-Old Boy Prompts LAPD Investigation
Damien Ventura, a healthy, smiling boy who loved dinosaurs, cars and sharks, made a trip to Disneyland and celebrated his upcoming third birthday with a dinosaur piñata early last month, relatives and friends said. Within days, he had died. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on the night of July 3. Damien, suspected of being a victim of physical abuse, had been pronounced dead just before 7 p.m., according to his case file with the county Department of Children and Family Services. No arrests have been made, police said.
Los Angeles Times |
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Body Of Missing L.A. County Fire Captain Found In Santa Barbara County
The body of a Los Angeles County Fire Department captain who went missing earlier this week was found Saturday in Santa Barbara County, authorities said. According to Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Jason Robertson, family members identified the man as Wayne Stuart Habell, 43, who was last seen leaving his home in Newhall on Monday morning. He was allegedly on his way to the gym. Four days later, Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked near the Hot Springs Canyon Trail in Montecito and discovered that the car was registered to Habell.
Los Angeles Times |
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Woman Allegedly Steals At Least $35K Worth Of Merchandise From L.A. County Malls
A woman was arrested for allegedly stealing merchandise worth thousands of dollars from various shopping centers in Los Angeles County, officials announced Friday. Tiffany Mathis, a 35-year-old Inglewood resident, was taken into custody on suspicion of possession of stolen property. Detectives investigating a petty theft incident on July 9 at the Macy's store in Glendale Galleria identified Mathis as a suspect, according to the Glendale Police Department. They learned that the woman had been advertising stolen merchandise on her Facebook and Instagram accounts and selling them from her van in L.A., the agency said.
KTLA 5 |
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Minnesota PD Outfits Officers With Gun-Mounted Cameras
A west-suburban law enforcement agency is permanently outfitting its officers with lightweight cameras mounted on their handguns, marking them among the first in the state to adopt the homegrown technology amid calls for transparency in police shootings. Gary Kroells, the police chief for the West Hennepin County Safety Department, which serves Independence and Maple Plain, said that each of his 10 officers will carry the weapon-mounted cameras at a cost of $7,200 — significantly less expensive than body cameras. The department tried out the cameras for the past year as part of a pilot project. A few months ago, the Farmington Police Department began carrying the devices.
Star Tribune (Minneapolis) |
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Public Safety News
Fitness Competition Held In Honor Of Fallen Long Beach Fire Capt. Dave Rosa
A special event is being held at the Battleship USS Iowa in San Pedro on Saturday in honor of fallen Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Dave Rosa. The gathering is being billed as a fitness competition that will showcase what it takes to stay in shape in order to handle some of the toughest and most dangerous work that service members and first responders accomplish, according to organizers. California Warrior Fit is hosting the event, which is taking place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Battleship USS Iowa is located at 250 S. Harbor Blvd. Proceeds from the tribute event will benefit military, firefighter and other first-responder organizations.
KTLA 5 |
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Woman Found Dead In Silver Lake Apartment Fire
Firefighters found an elderly woman dead Friday night in a fire in a cluttered Silver Lake apartment. The blaze in the 2800 block of West Riverside Drive was reported at about 7:30 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Crews arrived on scene to find flames coming from inside the third-floor unit. While extinguishing the fire, crews discovered the victim's body inside. Her name was not released. The blaze, which was quickly knocked down within 15 minutes, did not spread to any other apartments in the four-story complex, which has 160 units. LAFD said.
CBS 2 |
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PG&E's Bid To Change Wildfire Liability Rules Appears Dead For Now
As fires burned across Northern California last fall, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. launched a lobbying campaign whose outcome could mean billion of dollars for the utility. PG&E, joined by California's other big utility companies, pushed Sacramento to change a system that holds them financially liable for any wildfires sparked by their equipment, whether or not they followed the state's safety rules. They found a powerful ally in Gov. Jerry Brown, who argued that as wildfires increase in size and intensity, the current system risks destabilizing the companies that supply the state's electricity. The utilities' 10-month lobbying push, however, appears to have failed. At least for now.
San Francisco Chronicle |
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Local Government News
With An Epidemic Of Mental Illness On The Streets, Counties Struggle To Spend Huge Cash Reserves
When California voters passed a tax on high-income residents in 2004, backers said it would make good on the state's “failed promise” to help counties pay for the treatment of the mentally ill. After nearly 15 years, Proposition 63 — the Mental Health Services Act — has steered billions of dollars to the counties across the state. But huge sums remain unspent at a time when mental illness has become an epidemic among the homeless population. As of June 2017, $1.6 billion was being held in reserve in nearly three-quarters of the counties in the state. In Los Angeles County, the Department of Mental Health had accumulated nearly $900 million. The unspent funds are believed to have increased in the fiscal year that ended June 30, but figures were not yet available.
Los Angeles Times |
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NoHo West Developers Say 642 Apartments Will Be Built At Former Site Of Laurel Plaza
In North Hollywood The future of the former site of Laurel Plaza in North Hollywood took on some clarity this week after developers announced specific plans for how many apartments will be built at the site. Since it closed in 2016, the former Macy's building at Laurel Plaza has been the focus of a steady rise in construction work, spurred by plans long on the table to repurpose the 25-acre site near the 170 Freeway into NoHoWest, a mixed-used Valley hub, complete with apartments, retail and creative work space. But the scope of the residential component and some of its details were unclear.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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