Manhunt Continues For Suspect Who Shot California Deputy In Face

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting in Paso Robles as multiple law enforcement agencies continued their search throughout the night. According to a news release Wednesday night, the suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Mason James Lira, a homeless man from the Monterey area. San Luis Obispo Superior County Court records do not show any local criminal cases filed against Lira. Despite a widespread search around downtown Paso Robles for much of Wednesday, Lira is still at large and is considered armed and dangerous according to the news release.

Beleaguered And Besieged, Police Try To Come To Grips With A Nation’s Anger

The crowds have thinned and the smoke has cleared, with more than a week of nationwide protests leaving in their wake a nation increasingly resolved to change a broken law enforcement system. But they also have left police officers badly shaken, and in some cases physically bruised. Nationwide, police leaders say the rank and file are struggling to come to grips with the level of animus they encountered on the streets, as epithets, bricks and bottles all came hurtling their way. Police have been targets of protest many times before, of course. But never quite like this. “I’ve had members say they feel like a Vietnam veteran returning home to a country that hates them,” said Robert Harris, a Los Angeles police officer and director of the force’s police union. “It’s not that our members expect thank-yous. It’s the difficulty in knowing that the protesters want to be treated with equality and fairness and respect, and what they’re protesting for isn’t afforded to the officers themselves.”

Coronavirus: California Justices Rescind Emergency Zero-Bail Order

A controversial statewide court order that provided bail relief to low-level arrestees — and keep them out of jails trying to tamp down COVID-19 spread — is set to expire after California’s judicial rule-makers voted to rescind the policy. In a vote announced late Wednesday afternoon, the Judicial Council, led by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, chose 17-2 in favor of ending the $0 emergency bail schedule that has been in place since April 13. The order expires June 20, though individual county Superior Courts will have the discretion to institute their own local orders to preserve the policy. Since its enactment, law-enforcement agencies across the state have been critical of the $0 bail order, arguing that it has prevented police from keeping repeat offenders off the street.

Garcetti Won’t Support Black Lives Matter Push To Defund The LAPD

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday said he does not support a proposal backed by Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and other groups that would defund the police department by far more than the $100 million to $150 million reduction now backed by some city leaders. Hundreds of people have flooded City Council meetings in recent weeks calling for the city leaders to take up a proposal, billed the “People’s Budget LA,” that calls for reducing spending on the Los Angeles Police Department to 5.7% of the mayor’s proposed budget for the upcoming year.

Suspects Sought In Six Apparently Unrelated Killings In LAPD Central Bureau

Authorities on Wednesday continued their efforts to find the killers of six men gunned down in apparently unrelated crimes over a six-day period ending Tuesday in the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Bureau jurisdiction. The latest killing occurred about 5:20 a.m. Tuesday, when a man about 40 years old, was shot in the 800 block of North Vermont Avenue and died at the scene, according to the LAPD. His name was withheld, pending notification of his relatives. No suspect information was available. Tuesday's killing came on the day the LAPD announced that homicides in the city during the week of May 31-June 6 had increased 250% over the previous week, and the number of people who were shot increased by 56% during the same period.

Resolving Tension Between LAPD And Black Youth

LAPD officers met with African American young adults inside a South LA church Wednesday to resolve the tension between the two. On the floor of The Experience Christian Ministries, 25 LAPD officers met one-on-one with 25 black community members as a way to understand each other’s perspectives and bring unity. “The uniform itself brings a lot of stigmas from the past and that’s what we’re trying to break,” replied Officer Ponce. “Ultimately, it’s just that trust.” All of the officers were involved in the protests, many who work in the South LA community, and are going on 15 straight days of work. “We are as police officers automatically judged on what happened in the past but it’s my job to show you different and that we are all different,” Officer Robert Johnson told South Central LA resident Sieara Delone. “What happened in the past, we’re here to mend that gap and work to make everything better than it was before.”

Man Fatally Shot In Boyle Heights; Suspect Remains At Large

A man was fatally shot in Boyle Heights Wednesday evening. The shooting occurred about 7:40 p.m. in the 1200 block of Los Palos Street, near Olympic Boulevard, according to Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and there was no known suspect description, Lopez said. 

Authorities Arrest Driver Who Allegedly Threw Weapon Out Of Vehicle During L.A. Area Police Pursuit

Authorities were in pursuit of a blue Volkswagen Jetta in the Los Angeles area Tuesday night. The pursuit started just before 11 p.m. in the South L.A. area. At least one weapon was allegedly thrown out of the vehicle as police chased the sedan. Around 11:20 p.m., the vehicle made its way toward Manhattan Beach. Sky5 footage showed the driver entering a large, empty shopping center parking lot on Kingsdale Avenue and Grant Avenue in Redondo Beach around 11:27 p.m. Minutes later, the driver stopped the car and got out with his hands up at 11:30 p.m. near 182nd Street and Felton Avenue as at least 9 police cars lined up behind him. He was taken into custody. No further details were available.

Two Men In Stolen Car Arrested On Suspicion Of Burglarizing Long Beach Beauty Store

Two men riding in a stolen vehicle were arrested Wednesday after allegedly burglarizing a beauty supply store. About 3:30 a.m., officers went to the beauty supply store in the 5500 block of Stearns Street regarding a burglary call from the business’ private security company, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Evidence led investigators to Hawaiian Gardens, and they coordinated with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to find the suspects. Deputies located a car, which was reported stolen, which they believed to be involved in the burglary. Long Beach officers responded to the scene and recovered the stolen car and $5,000 of beauty supply merchandise, police said. 

Driver Surrenders In Long Beach Parking Lot After Leading Deputies On High-Speed Pursuit

The driver of a stolen pickup truck has surrendered to authorities after leading them on a high-speed pursuit late Wednesday night. Just before 11:30 p.m. the driver pulled into a parking lot near Cherry Avenue and Candlewood Street in Long Beach. Aerials above from SkyFOX showed the driver with his hands up exiting the vehicle. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies followed the stolen white pickup truck on the eastbound Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway, from the northbound Harbor (110) Freeway, in Hawthorne. The driver then got onto surface streets driving at high speeds before getting on the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway heading to Long Beach.

Gunfire At Toddler’s Birthday Party In California Kills 2 And Injures 3 Others

Two people were killed and three others, including a child, were wounded in a shooting at a toddler’s birthday party in the Bay Area late Tuesday. Officers responded to reports of a shooting in a residential neighborhood in the 100 block of Cynthia Avenue in Vallejo around 9:49 p.m., said Brittany Jackson, a public information officer with the Vallejo Police Department. When they arrived, officers found four adults and one child, ranging in age from 10 to 63 years old, suffering from gunshot wounds. Two women, a 63-year-old and a 37-year-old, were pronounced dead at a hospital. A man, a woman and a 10-year-old child suffered injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening and were expected to survive, Jackson said. The group was at a toddler’s birthday party when several shooters exited a vehicle and opened fire, Jackson said.

LAFD Contains 2-Acre Brush Fire Near Beverly Crest, No Structures Damaged Or Injuries Reported

Fire crews quickly contained a brush fire near Beverly Crest Wednesday as temperatures rose throughout Southern California. As of 1:50 p.m. the fire near west Mulholland Drive grew to approximately two acres in light to medium brush. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire is a topography driven fire with light winds. As of 2:30 p.m., 76 firefighters had extinguished the fire in 56 mins. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported, LAFD said. Both Mulholland Drive and Coldwater Canyon were closed to all traffic on both sides of the incident.

L.A. County COVID-19 Cases Surge Past 67,000 As Gyms, Some Recreation Gain Approval To Reopen Friday In Phase 3

Los Angeles County health officials announced that gyms, day camps, museums, zoos, campgrounds and various other outdoor recreation facilities will be permitted to reopen Friday, joining other parts of the state in Phase 3. The earliest such facilities can open is June 12, as long as health and safety protocols are followed, county public health director Barbara Ferrer said. Employees and visitors must wear face coverings and practice social distancing. Also allowed to reopen are fitness facilities, pro-league arenas and professional sports without live audiences, galleries, aquariums, RV parks and swimming pools, along with music, film and television production. Hotels, lodging and short-term rentals can also resume operations.

Local Government News

L.A. Looks To Ban `Wet Markets,’ Sale Of Live Animals For Food Amid COVID-19

Los Angeles is getting closer to banning the sale of live animals at food markets, as the City Council voted Wednesday to have a report compiled on the feasibility of prohibiting such sales for human consumption. Introduced by City Councilman Paul Koretz, the motion cites the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which has been widely deemed by researchers to have jumped from animals, possibly a pangolin, to humans at a “wet” market in China, where live animals are sold to people alongside butchered meat. “Zoonotic viruses, animal viruses capable of being transmitted to humans, have also been found in birds, turtles, frogs, pigs, cattle and others,” the motion by Koretz stated. “The frequency of significant human-acquired zoonoses in the last century has escalated due to deforestation, wildlife trafficking, industrial animal agriculture and human establishments encroaching on wildlife habitat.”