2 Officers Killed In Shootout In South Texas Border Town

Two police officers were shot and killed Saturday by a suspect who later fatally shot himself in a South Texas border town after responding to a domestic disturbance call. McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez identified the slain officers as Edelmiro Garza, 45, and Ismael Chavez, 39. Garza was an officer with the police department for more than eight years while Chavez had over two years of experience. “We have lost two brave public servants who sought only to keep peace in our City," Rodriguez, visibly distraught, told The (McAllen) Monitor. The officers first met with two people who reported assaults that took place inside a nearby home on the south side of McAllen around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Rodriguez said. But the alleged shooter, whom police identified as 23-year-old Audon Ignacio Camarillo, opened fire when officers attempted to enter the home.

Amid A National Movement To Defund The Police, LAPD Officers And Their Supporters Rally Outside Headquarters

In a moment of national reckoning prompted by the killing of George Floyd and street protests against police brutality, Los Angeles police officers and their supporters rallied outside downtown headquarters on Saturday. Officers say they are demoralized by the cuts, which will deliver a huge hit to overtime pay and hiring in the 10,000-member department, when they have worked hard to build ties with community members and are willing to risk their lives to keep people safe. Saturday’s rally was organized by community members and drew a mix of LAPD officers, their families and Angelenos who feel that law enforcement is being unfairly maligned.

Blue Lives Matter Rallies In Parts Of The Country See Peaceful Counterprotests And Clashes

As demonstrations against systemic violence and racism by law enforcement give rise to an opposing movement to defend police, Black Lives Matter supporters held counterdemonstrations during "Back the Blue" rallies across the U.S. on Saturday. In Los Angeles, a group of Black Lives Matter protesters held a counterprotest near the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters, where a group called By the Community for the Community gathered with signs to support the city's law enforcement.

Police Search For Preteen Boy Accused Of Killing 15-Year-Old Girl In Harbor Gateway

Police are searching for a preteen boy accused of shooting a 15-year-old girl to death in Harbor Gateway neighborhood on Saturday, police say. The shooting was reported around 12:15 p.m. in the 14000 block of Vermont Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Witnesses say the shooter, who is believed to be the ages of 10 and 12, intervened in a fight between two girls and fired one shot, striking the victim. Police are looking for the boy and the other girl in the fight. Anyone with information was urged to call Los Angeles Police Department.

Girl, 10, Found After Disappearance In Long Beach

Police today helped find a 10-year-old girl who went missing in Long Beach. The girl, who suffers from some medical conditions and may lose focus easily, was found safe in the 500 block of West 77th Street in Los Angeles, according to the Long Beach Police Department. The Los Angeles Police Department helped locate the girl about 12:40 p.m., the LBPD said. She had last been seen about 5:30 p.m. Friday in the 5400 block of Paramount Boulevard. "[She] ran away in the past and was located riding the Metro train, as she is familiar with the bus and Metro train transportation system," police said.

Investigation Underway After Fatal Shooting In East L.A.

Homicide detectives were investigating a fatal shooting in the unincorporated area of East Los Angeles Friday night, officials said. Deputies responded to the 1200 block of South Augusta Avenue just before 9:30 p.m. to investigate the circumstances surrounding a shooting, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said. The investigation is ongoing and no further details were available. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

$40K Reward Offered In Unsolved Triple Murder Case In Long Beach

Police are hoping to generate new leads in an unsolved triple murder in Long Beach. Three people were shot and killed, and nine others wounded when gunmen opened fire at a house party just before Halloween last year. On Friday, police released video evidence of three cars that may be involved. They are looking for multiple suspects, and believe they are gang members but say none of the victims had any gang affiliation. A $40,000 reward is being offered.

Man With Dementia Still Missing From Watts

Authorities continued their search Sunday to find a 70-year-old man with dementia who went missing in Watts. Rodney Dwayne Bates was last seen June 30 at about 1 p.m. near his home in the 1400 block of West 103rd Street, near Ted Watkins Memorial Park in Watts, according to Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Bates has dementia and has difficulty seeing, according to Navarro-Suarez. He was last seen wearing a blue hat, blue shirt, blue pants, blue sweater and black Nike sandals. Bates is Black, stands 5-feet-7 inches tall, and weighs about 200 pounds. He has brown eyes, a beard, and is bald, Navarro-Suarez said. He has scars on his head and his left leg is thinner than his right leg.

FBI Offering $10,000 Reward In Arson Case Of Police Car Set Ablaze During Unrest In Santa Monica

The FBI is offering an award of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of a man accused of setting a police car on fire in Santa Monica while people were protesting over the death of George Floyd. According to the FBI's Los Angeles office, on Sunday, May 31, around 5 p.m. someone lit an unmarked Santa Monica Police Department vehicle on fire. The Ford Crown Victoria had been parked at the loading dock of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The vehicle was completely engulfed and destroyed by fire, FBI officials said. The unknown suspect was described by the FBI as a White male in his mid-20s with a thin build and blond or red hair. He has an unknown tattoo on his upper left arm. Anyone with information regarding the suspect was asked to call the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office at 310-477-6565, or the SAFE LA Task Force at (213) 486-6840.

2 Arrested In Connection With Brutal Beating, Robbery Of 82-Year-Old Grandfather In Lancaster

Two people have been arrested in connection with the brutal beating and robbery of an 82-year-old grandfather and husband of 42 years. Damaris Wade, 22, and Tamika White, 33, turned themselves into authorities and are currently in custody. The pair are accused of attacking Roberto Flores Lopez inside the bathroom at Superior Grocers on East Avenue J in Lancaster last Wednesday. “It was a big thing off my shoulders that he is off the streets, that he can’t do that to someone else that is elderly,” said Lopez’s son Francisco Ordorico. The Sheriff’s department said Lopez’s family and the family of one of the suspects met on Saturday night. The July 8th attack left Lopez with a broken jaw, a broken nose, and several fractures that got him sent to the intensive care unit.

51 People Arrested, $4M Seized During Drug Trafficking Operations In Inland Empire: California AG

A recent series of drug trafficking operations in the Inland Empire resulted in 51 arrests and the seizure of $4 million in cash, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Friday. Seventeen undercover operations were conducted in the region in the last two months by the California Department of Justice’s Inland Crackdown Allied Task Force, according to a news release from Becerra’s office. Fifty-one people were arrested on suspicion of money laundering associated with drug trafficking, the release stated. Officials did not release the name of any of the individuals in custody. About $4 million in U.S. currency that was meant to buy drugs in the state was also seized during the operations. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, California has seen a “significant increase” in drug traffickers traveling to the state to obtain narcotics, authorities said. In the Inland Empire, there’s also been an uptick in activity linked to out-of-state drug trafficking operations over the past couple of months.

Are California Police Departments Quietly Backing Away From Predictive Policing?

Nearly a decade ago, Santa Cruz was one of the first cities in the U.S. to adopt what's called "predictive policing." Now it's one of the first to enact a ban. That may be because police departments are beginning to quietly back away from the practice. In truth, the Santa Cruz Police Department dropped predictive policing in 2017, when Andy Mills started as police chief. From the beginning, he spoke of a more community focused approach to the job. Interviewed for a story about his first day on the job, he told local TV news station KSBW he wanted to focus on "tactical deescalation." He was one of a number of California police chiefs to take a knee with Black Lives Matter protestors this past spring. When the Santa Cruz city council took up a new ordinance banning predictive policing and facial recognition software on June 23, 2020, Chief Mills expressed unreserved support. "Predictive policing has been shown over time to put officers in conflict with communities rather than working with the communities," he said.

Public Safety News

LA County Reports Another 3,322 Cases Of COVID-19, 18 More Deaths

Los Angeles County health officials reported 3,322 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 more deaths on Sunday, bringing the county totals to 133,549 cases and 3,809 fatalities. Hospitalizations continue to rise, with 2,093 people currently hospitalized, 26% of them in intensive care units and 19% on ventilators. Those numbers remain substantially higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. "For many L.A. County residents this is a very difficult time as you mourn the loss of a loved one and we wish you healing and peace," said Barbara Ferrer, the county's director of public health. "We have been battling this virus for several months and I know that `COVID fatigue' is a very real thing. I want to encourage everyone to remain vigilant and continue to use all the tools we have to prevent further transmission of the virus.

California Coronavirus-Related Deaths Top 7,000 As Infection Spread Worsens

The death toll from the coronavirus in California soared above 7,000 this weekend as the infection rate continued to worsen. The rate at which coronavirus test results are coming back positive in California over the previous seven days has hit 7.97%. That’s the highest number since April — a continuing sign that the coronavirus is spreading throughout the state, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis conducted Saturday. A week ago, on July 4, the so-called positivity rate over the previous seven days was 7%; and the Saturday before that, on June 27, it was 5.9%. The positivity rate in Los Angeles County is even worse than the statewide figure. On Friday, the seven-day positivity rate was 10% in L.A. County; in late May, that rate fell to a low of 4.6%.

Local Government News

L.A. To Start Taking Applications Monday For $103 Million Renters Relief Program

A five-day application period opens Monday for a city relief program aimed at helping Los Angeles residential tenants struggling with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The application process for the Emergency Renters Relief Program will be open for five days, starting at 8 a.m. Monday and closing at 11:59 p.m. Friday, said Ann Sewill, general manager of the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department, which is administering the program. Interested renters can apply online at hcidla.lacity.org. People with limited online access can call the application hotline at 844-944-1868, between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. People with hearing or speech impairments can call 844-325-1398 during the same hours.