LAPD Officer Partially Blinded In Laser Attack

An LAPD officer was partially blinded after someone deliberately pointed a green laser at him in downtown Los Angeles. "I consider myself a pretty strong person, but these migraines have been bringing me to tears," Officer Kyle Rice told the NBC4 I-Team. He said he's lost vision in his right eye, suffered from debilitating headaches, and has had trouble balancing ever since he was struck with the laser beam July 16. "I have to lay down all the time, and then I gotta figure out, you know, I can't stop being a dad to my two girls or being a husband to my wife," he said. The laser assault happened as Rice arrived at a radio call near Second and San Pedro streets in the Little Toyko area. He said he was dispatched to resolve a recurring dispute between a business owner and a homeless person who slept in the business doorway. Someone unrelated to the call aimed the laser at Rice from a balcony on the fourth floor of an apartment building nearby. "I just felt my, my right eye was on fire," Rice said. Rice can no longer drive and said he's been seeing medical specialists to learn the extent of the damage.

The 'David Dorn Back the Blue Act' Is Headed to Congress

Sen. Josh Hawley was planning to submit a bill to Congress on Wednesday to give the Justice Department the authority to raise the salaries of state and local police forces across the country except in places that have chosen to defund their law enforcement. The David Dorn Back the Blue Act would allocate $15 billion for the U.S. attorney general to raise police salaries and hire more officers, according to a news release from the Missouri Republican’s office. Hawley’s office cited decreasing morale among officers and a struggle to retain law enforcement officers among the reasons why the bill is necessary. “I’m hearing officers who are probably the most phenomenal officers in the country, they are by far the most professional I’ve ever worked around, and they’re beaten. And they’re bruised. And they’re down,” Robert Harris, director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, told KCBS-TV in June.

North Carolina Deputy Killed In Shootout

A North Carolina deputy was killed Thursday after responding to a breaking and entering call. According to ABC 11, 35-year-old Deputy Ryan Hendrix was shot in the face during a gunfire exchange that also left the suspect, Robert Ray Doss, Jr., dead. WYFF reports that Hendrix was declared “medically deceased” at a hospital in the afternoon following the early morning shooting, and was being temporarily kept on life support for organ donation. The 8-year veteran of the force was also a Marine veteran. He is survived by his fiancée and two children.

Ohio Cop Shot Multiple Times Praises Response Of K-9 Partner

Dennis “Denny” Jordan said he wasn’t surprised by the response of his K-9 partner or the Middletown community. Jordan, a 21-year veteran on the Middletown Division of Police force, was shot three times — in the right leg, arm and finger — Aug. 31 following a pursuit that started near 18th Avenue in Middletown and ended in Warren County. Jordan, 49, a K-9 officer since 2008, was with his partner, Koda, when Christopher J. Hubbard, a suspect in a Hamilton homicide, opened fire after the chase ended in the 2600 block of Mason-Montgomery Road in Turtlecreek Twp., according to police. After Jordan shot out the suspect’s window with bean bags, Koda jumped through the window, attacked the suspect, then returned to Jordan when he was called. Jordan was concerned Koda may attack others in the area, he said.

LAPD Seeks Help Locating Suspect In Brutal Assault Of Woman Found Unconscious Near Venice Pier

The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public's help locating the person who committed a brutal assault on a young woman who was found unconscious near the Venice Pier. The victim was found laying on the ground outside of the restroom located on Ocean Front Walk and Anchorage Street in Venice Tuesday morning around 6:45 a.m. LAPD said that the victim was suffering from severe head trauma and was naked from the waist down. The victim's wallet, purse, iPhone and vehicle have not been located. The missing vehicle is a gray 4-door 2011 Ford Escape with Arizona license plate CPL5138. No suspect description was available.

Man Dies After Being Found In Lake In Lincoln Park

A man found floating face-down in the lake in Lincoln Park in the Lincoln Heights area Thursday was pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters were sent to the 3500 block of East Valley Boulevard shortly after 9 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The circumstances of the unidentified man’s death were under investigation, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. 

FBI Continues Search For Missing LAFD Firefighter Who May Have Been Kidnapped In Mexico

The FBI on Thursday said it was continuing to work with Mexican authorities in the search for a missing Los Angeles city firefighter who may have been kidnapped in the resort town of Rosarito. According to the FBI's Los Angeles office, Frank Aguilar disappeared in mid-August after he went to the condominium he owns near the popular coastal destination in Mexico. In a statement, the bureau said it "is providing assistance in this case through its legal attache located at the United States Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico, as requested by Mexican law enforcement partners, who have jurisdiction over this situation." Federal authorities urged anyone with information about the case to contact their local FBI field office, or the nearest American embassy or consulate.

Prosecutors Investigating After Video Surfaces Showing Santa Monica Man Abusing Puppy

A Santa Monica man has been accused of animal cruelty after security video was obtained showing him abusing a puppy in his building last month. Santa Monica police reported Thursday that they have brought the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for possible charges of animal cruelty and malicious mischief against an animal. Police did not immediately name the suspect. However, the Daily Mail, which obtained video of the incident, identified him as Jeffrey Previte. The security footage was taken Aug. 22 in the hallway of the Seychelle Condominiums in the 1700 block of Ocean Avenue, according to the Daily Mail. It appears to show the man picking up the dog by the neck and violently shaking it while in a hallway. At one point he appears to strike the dog. 

Man Fatally Stabbed In Hawthorne; Killer Sought

A man was fatally stabbed Thursday in Hawthorne. The man died at the scene of the attack, which occurred about 2:20 a.m. in the 4700 block of West 118th Street, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Information on the man’s identity was not immediately available. No description was released of the suspect or suspects.

Nearly 6,000 Pounds Of Methamphetamine Seized By Los Angeles DEA Agents In Nationwide Operation To Disrupt Cartel ‘Transportation Hubs’

Dozens of people were arrested, and more than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly $16 million was seized in the Southern California area amid a nationwide operation to disrupt the Mexican cartels’ drug “transportation hubs.” The six-month-long “Operation Crystal Shield” launched on Feb. 20 after the DEA identified nine major methamphetamine trafficking hubs: Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Houston, El Paso, Dallas, St. Louis, New Orleans and Atlanta. The DEA says these nine cities together accounted for more than 75% of the methamphetamine seized in 2019. The Los Angeles Field Division – which includes includes all of Southern California from Orange to San Luis Obispo counties, as well as Las Vegas/Reno, Hawaii, Guam and Saipan – accounted for 16 investigations, 34 arrests, and the seizure of 5,752 pounds of methamphetamine, more than $15.9 million in drug proceeds and three firearms.

California Woman Charged With Trafficking Youth On Las Vegas Strip

A law enforcement task force that targets child sex trafficking has charged a California woman with trafficking a youth on the Las Vegas Strip after a man said he was pistol-whipped in his hotel room, police and court records show. Kristian Taufa, 34, of Highland was arrested Sept. 1 at the MGM Grand as police investigated an armed robbery with ties to a youth engaged in prostitution, an arrest report for Taufa states. The report says a man told police he was walking through the casino on the morning of Sept. 1 when he was approached by Taufa and a young woman. The young woman propositioned the man for sex in exchange for money, but he told the pair he doesn’t pay for sex. He continued to talk to the women. Eventually, the man and the young woman went to his room, where again he was propositioned for sex in exchange for money. 

More Cops Calling Helplines As Protests And Pandemic Add Stress

Facing the stress of a global pandemic and nationwide protests about police misconduct, more cops are reaching out to helplines in New Jersey for support. Both Cop2Cop, at Rutgers University, and Copline, based in Freehold, said they have recorded recent increases. Cop2Cop reported 2,718 more calls and other messages during the first eight months of the year, compared to the same period in 2019, while Copline logged a 74% increase in calls. The two organizations help cops process a variety of problems and each has expanded its reach in recent years, while officials have worked to reduce the stigma of asking for help. Sometimes an officer or family member will have multiple conversations with counselors, which are logged as separate contacts, and only a small fraction of the callers have mentioned the threat of suicide, helpline workers said. But they also noted that cops were undoubtedly under more pressure, especially as protests began earlier this summer. “We heard from officers about violence at protests, and feeling threatened, feeling isolated,” said Cherie Castellano, who runs Cop2Cop.

Public Safety News

10 Dead As California Fire Becomes Deadliest Of Year

A Northern California wildfire that destroyed a foothill hamlet has become the state’s deadliest blaze of the year with 10 people confirmed dead — and the toll could climb as searchers look for 16 missing people. The North Complex fire that exploded in wind-driven flames earlier in the week was advancing more slowly Friday after the winds eased and smoke from the blaze shaded the area and lowered the temperature, allowing firefighters to make progress, authorities said. However, the smoke made for poor visibility and fire helicopters couldn’t fly Thursday. In most parts of the state, red flag warnings of extreme fire danger because of hot, dry weather or gusty winds were lifted.

Bobcat Fire In Angeles National Forest Grows To 23,890 Acres, Continues To Threaten Foothill Communities

The Bobcat Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest has exploded in size to 23,890 acres as several San Gabriel Valley foothill communities remain under an evacuation warning. The blaze was considered 6% contained by Thursday evening, after breaking out Sunday afternoon near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area of the forest. The U.S. Forest Service estimates the fire will not be fully contained until Oct. 15. The blaze continued to roar through tinder-dry brush and doubled in size in 24 hours to nearly 24,000 acres, and it jumped Highway 39. Residents have been told to be ready to go if conditions take a turn, but officials say despite the dramatic flames seen burning above communities, the fire was moving in the opposite direction. The fuel filled the air with smoke and ash miles from the fire lines, creating some of the worst air quality in 30 years.

As Wildfire Smoke And Ash Blanket SoCal, L.A. County Health Officials Warn Of Unhealthy Air Quality

As wildfires continue to ravage the West Coast Thursday, Southern California residents are being urged to prepare for another day of smoky, unhealthy air quality. Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties will all experience poor air quality due to smoke and ash from two major wildfires blanketing the region, as well as major blazes burning in the central and northern parts of the state, according to a news release from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. While smoke will impact most of the region, the areas with the highest concentration of tiny, lung-damaging PM2.5 particles are closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires, which are burning respectively in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa and near Yucaipa, the release stated.

LA County Launches COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate Program, Reports 42 More Deaths

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Thursday reported 1,239 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 42 deaths, bringing countywide totals to 251,024 cases and 6,128 deaths. Of the 42 new deaths reported Thursday, 14 people were over the age of 80, 14 were between the ages of 65 and 79, 10 were between the ages of 50 and 64 and four were between the ages of 30 and 49. Of those who died, 31 had underlying health conditions. The county also announced a new program for Los Angeles County business owners that offers no-cost online training educating owners of the essentials of the county’s health orders and what is needed to ensure they are in compliance with infection control and physical distancing requirements.