Tulsa Cop Shot During Traffic Stop Dies, 2nd Officer Remains Critical

One of two police officers who were shot and critically wounded during a traffic stop Monday morning has passed away. Sgt. Craig Johnson died of his injuries Tuesday, according to the department. The second officer, Officer Aurash Zarkeshan, remains in critical condition, police told FOX 23. Both officers were shot multiple times by the suspect, 32-year-old David Ware. Tulsa police said the officers were shot in the head and underwent surgery. Ware allegedly shot them during an early morning traffic stop before fleeing the scene. He led police on a seven-hour manhunt before he was taken into custody just before 11 a.m.

LAPD Officers Trapped In Sylmar Crash

A Los Angeles Police Department SUV was involved in a crash Monday with a pickup truck in Sylmar, trapping two officers until firefighters could extricate them from the vehicle. Los Angeles firefighters responded about 5 p.m. to the crash scene at Polk Street and Dronfield Avenue, where they were able to extricate the officers, who suffered unknown injuries. Paramedics transported at least one other person to the hospital, said a photographer at the scene. LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division was investigating the crash.

Protests over police brutality and criminal justice reform intensify race for L.A. district attorney

Less than a week after video surfaced of a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd, the man challenging Jackie Lacey for the office of Los Angeles County district attorney attempted to connect the tragic case to her record of failing to prosecute killings by police. Dustin DeRollo, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said he believes any incumbent would naturally face an uphill battle in November during a time when calls for reform are popular. But he noted that a successful district attorney has to balance public safety with accountability, and argued Lacey is far more qualified to accomplish both. “There’s really only one candidate on the ballot that’s going to be able to keep neighborhoods safe while also continuing good work on reform at the local level like dealing with mental health reforms, as Lacey has done,” he said.

Woman Admits To Killing Man And Setting Home On Fire In West Hills, Police Say

A woman admitted to killing a man and setting a home on fire in West Hills after firefighters found the dead man untouched by the flames, the Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday. Firefighters responded to the small fire in a home in the 23200 block of West Victory Boulevard on Monday and called police and arson investigators after they discovered the body. The man appeared to be in his late 50s, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. When police arrived, they saw the man had a severe throat injury. According to a police statement, “A woman approached them and stated she had set the residence ablaze and had also murdered the victim.” Police found a knife at the scene.

L.A. Calls Restraining Order On LAPD Use Of Batons And Projectiles ‘Unwarranted’

Attorneys for Los Angeles on Tuesday argued against a temporary restraining order to block city police officers from using batons and tactical bullets to control crowds, saying the request was “unwarranted and overbroad” and that police “must be able to respond” to unlawful crowds. The Los Angeles Police Department used such weapons on protesters at the end of May and in early June, injuring many, and are now being sued for it in federal court by Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and the Los Angeles Community Action Network. The groups requested the restraining order last week, arguing that a court injunction against the use of such weapons was necessary for their clients and other protesters to feel safe exercising their 1st Amendment rights in the city while their lawsuit is pending.

Man Plummets To His Death From 12th Floor Of Mid-Wilshire Apartment

Police are investigating the death of a man who fell from the 12th floor of an upscale apartment building in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood of Los Angeles Sunday night. The fall occurred at the Park La Brea Apartments, located at 6200 West 3rd Street. According to Los Angeles police, officers were called to the building at around 9:40 p.m., where they found the man dead at the scene. He was believed to be between 20 and 30 years of age. His identity was not immediately released. There was no word on a cause of death, whether the man was a resident of the building, or the circumstances which lead up to the fall.

Home-Invasion Robbers Hit Airbnb Home In Fairfax District

Home invasion robbers were on the loose Tuesday morning after they broke into a home in the Fairfax District where a party was being held and made off with personal items, police said. The robbery was reported around midnight on the 800 block of North Orange Grove Avenue, east of Fairfax Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victims were throwing a party at the home and posting pictures on social media when at least five armed men entered the home and took personal property, police said. The suspects took cash, jewelry and purses from people inside the home, which was often rented out on Airbnb for parties, NBC4 reported.

Suspect Sought In Deadly Shooting Of Man Near South L.A.

A man in his 30s was shot and killed in the unincorporated Westmont area near South Los Angeles, and detectives Tuesday had little to go on. Deputies dispatched to the 1400 block of West 106th Street about 10:50 p.m. Monday found the wounded man, who died at a hospital, said Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The man, who has not been identified, was shot while driving his vehicle, which kept going until it crashed into several parked cars on 106th Street, Navarro-Suarez said. No suspect description or motive was known. Anyone with information about the case was urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

2 Sought After Long Beach Food Vendor Robbed, Pistol-Whipped In Caught-On-Video Attack

Two men are being sought after being seen on video robbing and beating a food vendor in Long Beach on Monday, police said. The incident occurred about 4:20 p.m. in the 1400 block of Locust Avenue. Long Beach police officers found the victim on the ground with a small laceration, and he was complaining of pain. He was treated at the scene. The victim said one of the men pistol-whipped and punched him and the men took his cash and property, Officer Ivan Garcia told KTLA. Additional officers responded to the scene to look for witnesses and evidence. Ring surveillance video from a nearby home shows the men repeatedly hitting the victim, who falls to the ground twice. A woman can be heard screaming in the video, and other people are heard trying to deter the men. At one point, one of the men points a gun at a woman trying to stop them.

LASD Seeking Additional Alleged Victims Of Adult Film Star Ron Jeremy

 Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Tuesday were looking for additional alleged victims of adult film star Ron Jeremy. The 67-year-old, whose real name is Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, pled not guilty Friday to charges that he raped three women and sexually assaulted another in separate incidents in 2014. The sheriff’s department asked anyone who believed they had been victimized by Hyatt, or anyone with information about possible victims, to contact the Special Victims Bureau at 562-946-8232. Hyatt was charged June 22 with three counts each of forcible rape and forcible penetration by a foreign object and one count each of forcible oral copulation and sexual battery. As of Tuesday evening, Hyatt remained in custody in lieu of a $6.6 million bail.

Santa Monica Police Searching For Man Accused Of Setting Fire To Unmarked Patrol Vehicle

Authorities asked the public’s help Tuesday identifying a man they accused of setting fire to an unmarked Santa Monica police vehicle in May. The man allegedly vandalized and set fire to the car, a Ford Crown Victoria, while it was parked at the loading dock of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium just after 5 p.m. on May 31, according to police. The FBI has offered a reward up to $10,000 for information that leads to his identification and arrest. Santa Monica police released photos of the suspect and described him as a white man in his 20s with red or blond hair and a reddish beard. Police asked anyone with information to contact Detective Peter Zamfirov at 310-458-8398. People can also submit tips by emailing crimetips@smgov.net or calling 310-458-8491.

Two Arrested In LA Probe Of Alleged Family-Run Drug Ring

Federal authorities Tuesday arrested two Los Angeles residents named in a grand jury indictment alleging their involvement in a family-run drug ring that trafficked in pound quantities of cocaine, as well as fentanyl pills. With one of the named defendants already in federal custody, authorities are continuing to search for the three remaining defendants, including the mother who allegedly oversaw the operation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The eight-count indictment lists a series of drug deals, attempted narcotics transactions and money laundering activity starting in September 2018 and running through last July 3.

7 Hospitalized, Including 2 Critically Injured Children, In ‘Horrific’ South L.A. Crash: LAFD

Seven people were hospitalized, including five children, when two cars collided in the Florence neighborhood of South Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The crash occurred just after 1 p.m. on Avalon Boulevard, near the intersection with 77th Street and Fremont High School, according to the L.A. Fire Department. Footage from the scene shows a compact Mazda hatchback with its front end smashed perpendicularly into the rear of a Chevrolet TrailBlazer. LAFD Assistant Chief Jaime Moore said crews had to rescue people trapped inside, which was a challenge because the SUV overturned on its side and “crushed up” against a box truck parked along Avalon Boulevard. The Chevy’s occupants included an adult driver and five children “of all ages, as young as an infant,” Moore said. A child’s car seat sat on the road amid the wreckage.

L.A. County Hopes To Increase Number Of Contact Tracers In Battle Against Coronavirus Spread

While the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health currently has 1,500 contact tracers tracking people who have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus, officials hope to increase their cadre by 1,000. Chris Wolfe spoke to one contact tracer about her experiences during the pandemic for the KTLA 5 News at 1 on June 30, 2020.

California Enters A Perilous Phase As Coronavirus Spread Intensifies

California plummeted deeper into a new coronavirus crisis Monday as new cases spiked to record levels, some hospitals filled up, and officials expressed growing alarm and frustration with people refusing to follow safety rules despite the increasingly perilous conditions. The state broke its record Monday for the greatest number of new coronavirus cases reported in a single day, tallying more than 8,000. That’s the third time in eight days the state has broken a record of new daily cases, according to the Los Angeles Times’ California coronavirus tracker. A Times analysis found that California is on track to roughly double the number of coronavirus cases in June over those it recorded in May. In May, there were 61,666 cases reported statewide; by Monday night, there were 114,196 cases reported for the first 28 days of June.