Majority Of Americans Oppose Cuts To Police Department Funding, Poll Shows

As the Defund the Police movement grows, a poll found the majority of Americans oppose cutting funding for police departments. A YouGov/Yahoo! News poll released Tuesday asked 1,060 adults if they supported cutting funds for police departments in an effort to reduce deadly force encounters. Of the options available, cutting funding received the least amount of support with 16 percent of people responding that they favored the measure. Of the people YouGov polled, 64 percent self-identified as white, 12 percent as Black, 15 percent as Hispanic and 9 percent as "other." The poll comes after Black Lives Matter and other activists have called for defunding the police and diverting the funds to invest in Black communities and resources. A Change.org petition for the Atlanta City Council to defund the police received more than 26,000 signatures in four days.

Homicides This Week Have Increased 250% In L.A. Compared To Last Week, LAPD Says

The Los Angeles Police Department announced Tuesday that homicides in the city increased 250% over the previous week, and the number of people who were shot increased by 56% during the same period. The increased numbers were recorded during the week of May 31-June 6, but officials also reported continued violence this week. "The past 24 hours has seen four shootings, one of those resulting in a homicide," an LAPD statement said. The homicide occurred about 5:20 a.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of North Vermont Avenue in the east Hollywood area. The victim, a man in his 40s, died at the scene. No information was available on the man's identity, or on a suspect.

Teen Shot In South Los Angeles, Suspect At Large

Police were investigating a double shooting in South Los Angeles Tuesday that left an 18-year-old male injured. According to police, the shooting happened just after 4:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of East 41st Place. The teen victim was struck in the hip by a bullet and was taken to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition. It was initially reported by police that a second person had been shot, but the report turned out to be unfounded. Police later said the shooting appeared to be gang related and that the suspected shooter fled the scene in a white Ford Fusion.

Police Seek Gunman After Man Found Fatally Shot In East Hollywood Parking Lot

Police are searching for a gunman after a shooting victim was found in an East Hollywood parking lot Tuesday morning. Authorities received a call about 5:30 a.m. reporting shots fired on the corner of North Vermont and Normal avenues, Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Ryan Rabbet said. Responding officers located a Hispanic man, possibly in his 40s, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was found in the parking lot of a business near a burgundy Toyota Camry with a Pennsylvania license plate, Rabbet said. Investigators are not sure if the car is related to the shooting.

L.A. Police Union Spent Big In Local Elections. Some Politicians Now Shun The Money

The LAPPL, which represents rank-and-file officers, has been a significant force in local elections. In the past decade, the union has given more than $100,000 directly to city candidates. Its independent expenditure committees, which cannot legally be controlled by candidates and do not have the same limits on donations, have spent millions of dollars more. Now that money is under scrutiny by Angelenos supporting a national movement against police brutality — and some local politicians say they won’t accept it anymore. It is the latest sign of the push against longstanding practices at City Hall as Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles and other activist groups have pushed to defund and overhaul the Police Department. LAPPL spokesperson Dustin DeRollo said “there is no expectation or belief that there is a connection between a contribution and an official action,” pointing out that Wesson had signed on to the proposal to reduce LAPD funding. DeRollo argued that voters value the political voice of police officers.

Man With Knife Arrested By SWAT Team After Barricade In Venice

A SWAT team Tuesday arrested a man armed with a knife who was barricaded in Venice, authorities said. Offices went to the area of Lincoln Boulevard and Flower Avenue at about 9:20 a.m. to investigate a possible assault, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The officers tried to arrest the man, but he refused to comply and fled to a location where a standoff ensued, police said. A little later, a SWAT team was sent to handle the standoff, which ended early Tuesday afternoon when the man was taken into custody without further incident, police said. The man’s name was not immediately released.

L.A. City Attorney Drops Mandatory Meetings For Curfew Violators

Los Angeles protesters arrested for violating curfews while demonstrating against the police killing of George Floyd won’t be prosecuted and now won’t have to attend meetings planned by City Atty. Mike Feuer. After receiving pushback from activists and local Black Lives Matter leaders, Feuer dropped the strings attached to dismissing the cases. On Monday, he said protesters arrested for curfew violations would be required to attend “dialogues” or other events with law enforcement and community stakeholders designed to focus on police interactions, bias and other issues. Some 2,500 people were arrested in L.A. alone for curfew violations and failure to disperse while protesting last week.

Long Beach Man Charged With Killing, Sexually Assaulting 66-Year-Old Female Roommate

A Long Beach man accused of sexually assaulting and killing of his 66-year-old female roommate is facing capital murder charges. Kerry Johnson -- also known as Michael Fletcher -- pleaded not guilty Monday to one count each of murder and sexual penetration by use of force, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of sodomy. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole against the 69-year-old defendant. Officers went to the 1800 block of West 25th Street about 10:40 p.m. June 3 to assist the Long Beach Fire Department with a medical emergency call. The preliminary investigation revealed suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the woman, whose name has not been released pending notification of next of kin, police said.

ATF Offers $10,000 Reward After 29 Firearms Stolen During Looting In Santa Monica

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced a reward Monday for information leading to the arrest of the suspects responsible for stealing 29 firearms during a looting rampage in Santa Monica last week. The $10,000 reward is made up of $5,000 from ATF Los Angeles and $5,000 from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). Around 8 p.m. on May 31, a group of suspects burglarized the Big 5 Sporting Goods store, located at 3121 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica. According to ATF, the suspects used a crowbar and a sledgehammer to break the windows and utilized bolt cutters to cut the metal roll-down gate. They opened the emergency exit door of the business to gain entry to the business. Once inside, ATF says the suspects stole 29 firearms from the business.

L.A. County Backs Bill Expanding Tax Fraud Penalties

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to back a state bill designed to allow the state Attorney General to more aggressively pursue tax evaders. AB 2570, authored by Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Monterey Bay, and sponsored by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, is intended to strengthen the California False Claims Act, which doesn’t currently apply to tax fraud or evasion. “California loses billions in tax revenue each year due to fraud and underpayment. AB 2570 enhances our office’s ability to go after major tax cheats who leave hard working, honest, paying taxpayers carrying the burden,” Becerra said in a statement thanking the board for its support of the bill.

Public Safety News

Brush Fire In Bel-Air Area Scorches 50 Acres Near the Getty Center; 2 Firefighters Injured

Crews are working to contain a brush fire in the Bel-Air area that scorched dozens of acres near the 405 Freeway and left two firefighters injured early Wednesday morning. The fire, dubbed the Sepulveda Fire, started about 12:15 a.m. in the 1300 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard, the Los Angeles Fire Department stated in a news alert. The fire was burning grass and brush in an old burn scar area entirely on the east side of the 405 Freeway near Getty Center Drive, LAFD spokesperson Brian Humphrey stated in the alert. “For the most part, our goal is to stop the forward progress of the fire,” said LAFD Deputy Chief Armando Hogan. Hogan described the terrain firefighters are working on as very steep. Ground crews were working with four LAFD helicopters to attack the fire.