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Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch
LA Police Protective League

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Los Angeles
Police Protective League
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the union that represents the
rank and file LAPD officers

  Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch

Daily News Digest
from LA Police Protective League

March 16, 2020
Law Enforcement News

5 Dead, Including Officer And Gunman, In Missouri Shooting
Five people including a police officer and a gunman have died in a shooting at a Missouri gas station after the gunman went inside and opened fire, police said Monday. The dead also include three citizens, Springfield police Chief Paul Williams announced Monday, and an officer was injured along with another citizen. Williams said police received reports of “multiple shooting calls throughout the city” late Sunday. As officers were responding, witnesses reported a vehicle crashed into a Kum & Go. gas station and convenience store, and the gunman ran inside and began shooting customers and employees, Williams said. The first two officers who arrived were shot. Other officers pulled the injured officers from the store and then went inside, finding three citizens dead. The gunman also was found dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, Williams said.

LAPD Confirms Its First Coronavirus Case, A Supervisor In Pacific Division
The Los Angeles Police Department on Sunday confirmed its first coronavirus case. The supervisor in the Pacific Division felt ill and went home Monday, officials said. “The supervisor’s condition is already improving and he is expected to make a full recovery. Thorough cleaning and disinfecting of the involved employee’s work area at the Pacific Division should be completed by the end of the day,” the LAPD said in a statement. “At this point no other personnel from Pacific Division have experienced symptoms or been isolated.” The LAPD has been taking precautions to deal with the spread of the coronavirus. All patrol officers and officers likely to come into contact with infected people have been issued a kit consisting of multiple sets of gloves, a bacteria protection mask and goggles. Officers are directed to use all three items when responding to a call or having contact with a possible virus patient.

Man Wounded In Downtown L.A. Shooting
A man was hospitalized with stable vital signs Monday after he was wounded in a downtown shooting, authorities said. The shooting was reported at 11:10 p.m. Sunday at Fifth and San Pedro streets, said Officer A. Delatorre in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center. The 25-year-old man was standing on the street corner when a man in his 20s walked up and shot him, Delatorre said. The suspect fled on foot. No further information was available, he said.

Man With Screwdriver In Custody After Holding Gas Station Attendant Hostage In Koreatown
Police took a man into custody Sunday after he used a screwdriver to hold an employee hostage inside a Koreatown gas station, officials said. The incident began about 4:15 p.m. when the suspect tried to walk into a secured area of the Conserv gas station, 3625 Beverly Blvd., but was confronted by an employee, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Norma Eisenman. The suspect became agitated, grabbed the employee and threatened the worker with a screwdriver, she said. Police summoned crisis negotiators to the scene. The standoff continued late Sunday afternoon, but the hostage was ultimately freed, according to police radio traffic from the scene. A short time later, the suspect was taken into custody and brought to a hospital for evaluation prior to booking. No further details were available.

Mayor, LAPD Urge Angelenos To Stop Hoarding Food And Supplies
Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles Police Department urged Angelenos to not panic-shop for food and other supplies and said the city's water supply is clean and safe to drink. The LAPD tweeted: “During these times, we must work together and not against each other. Here are the facts: There is no food shortage & stores will restock, so please don't hoard, the water supply is clean & safe to drink, so there’s no need to buy water in bulk, we are in this together.'' Garcetti tweeted: “This is about preparation and prevention, not panic.” No need to hoard excess items. There is no food shortage and stores will restock. No need to purchase bottled water. @LADWP water is clean and safe.” Meanwhile, grocery stores ramped up efforts to resupply their stores with merchandise overnight, after a rash of stockpiling caused long lines and, eventually, empty shelves at many Southland supermarkets. Ralphs cut its store hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to give employees more time to restock shelves.

Jury Trials In L.A. County Canceled For Rest Of March
All criminal and civil trials in Los Angeles County will be suspended for the rest of the month effective Monday due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to an official police memo. “Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, there will be a suspension of all jury trials, both those currently in progress, as well as those pending commencement, through March 30th. This notification applies to jury trials only,” the memo reads, according to CNN, which cited Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Josh Rubenstein as confirming its contents. Officer Rosario Cervantes of the LAPD’s Media Relations Section confirmed to City News Service that a memo was issued, but she would not confirm its contents. The order follows a request Friday by Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile of the Los Angeles County Superior Court system, who called for a 30-day delay of all new civil jury trials.

How Many Body-Brokering Cases Have Been Prosecuted By The Feds Under New Law?
As California continues to grapple with the plague of body-brokering — the sometimes-deadly practice where addiction centers lure substance abusers into treatment, max out their insurance benefits, then give them drugs so they can test “dirty” and start the lucrative billing cycle again — officials here fear the federal government doesn’t have their backs. Since President Trump signed a sweeping measure to address the nation’s opioid crisis in October 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice hasn’t prosecuted a single case for body brokering, according to the DOJ. “It is extremely frustrating that the Department of Justice has not aggressively pursued cases where brokers treat patients as commodities, exploiting them for finders’ fees with no intention of providing legitimate care,” said Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, in a prepared statement. “There is no excuse for their failure to prosecute these cases, particularly when we desperately need an all-hands-on-deck approach to this crisis.”

As The Coronavirus Pandemic Grows, Gun Sales Are Surging In Many States
David Stone snagged a cardboard box of .223-caliber ammunition from the shelf and slid it across the glass countertop, offering his go-to sales pitch: “Welcome to the biggest selection of ammunition in all of Oklahoma.” “I’m not sure I can keep on saying that,” Stone said, explaining that the supply of goods at Dong’s Guns, Ammo and Reloading has been seriously depleted over the last few days. “When I say sales have been booming,” he said, “it’s an understatement.” Gun sales are surging in many U.S. states, especially in those hit hardest by the coronavirus — California, New York and Washington. But there’s also been an uptick in less-affected areas, with some first-time gun buyers fearing an unraveling of the social order and some gun owners worried that the government might use its emergency powers to restrict gun purchases.

Public Safety News

16 More Coronavirus Cases In L.A. County; Total Number At 69
Another 16 people in Los Angeles County have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, public health officials said Sunday. Department of Public Health officials said the new number brings the total cases in the county to 69. The recently discovered cases included health care workers who were exposed to the virus while treating patients. Other cases included those who were exposed to the virus after they traveled, and some who got it through community transmission. “We anticipate more cases and increased community spread as more testing occurs,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County’s Public Health director. “We are asking everyone to expect more social distancing requirements as more cases are identified.” DPH said out of the 69 cases, 10 were likely from community transmission. Officials said five cases confirmed Sunday required the patients to be hospitalized.

California Coronavirus Cases Hit 335, With Six Deaths: Here Is What You Need To Know
California had recorded 335 cases of coronavirus as of Sunday, a 14% increase from the day before, The state also reported six deaths, with the sixth one in San Mateo County, where 32 cases have been recorded. Los Angeles County reported 15 new cases Sunday. Five of the people are hospitalized; one of them has an unknown source of exposure to the virus, and three cases are under investigation. The new cases bring the total in L.A. County to 69, 10 of which are believed to be a result of community transmission. Here is what you need to know today: SPREAD: Coronavirus appeared to be spreading in communities, with regions including the Bay Area, L.A. and Sacramento reporting new cases. The Los Angeles Police Department reported its first case. There are now nine employees at airports who have tested positive and at least seven firefighters in San Jose and several healthcare workers. 

Local Government News

Mayor Garcetti Orders Bars, Restaurants, Venues To Close To Help Prevent Coronavirus Spread
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on Sunday that he is taking executive action to temporarily close bars, nightclubs, restaurants (except takeout/delivery), entertainment venues and other establishments in the city effective at midnight and will stay in place until March 31 unless extended. He says he will hold remote briefings each day until the closures are over. Garcetti says he is also working on rolling out this week a loan-assistance program for small business affected by the coronavirus closures -- beginning with 400 businesses immediately, which are the most hard-hit -- and that donated funds from the public will also support impacted businesses. In the meantime, Garcetti says the city is looking to stream all of its committee meetings and provide teleconferencing and remote methods of comment and will try to go beyond the minimum requirements under Governor Gavin Newsom's suspensions to some parts of the Brown Act, which mandates public participation in local legislative bodies.
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About the LAPPL Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at:

www.LAPD.com


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