Video: Man Stabs Florida Deputy In Neck During Pursuit

A 21-year-old man stabbed a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy in the neck on Sunday, according to police. Deputy Charles Williams was hospitalized with a cut on his neck and released Monday morning, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The man accused of stabbing him, Nicholas Furgason, faces charges of attempted felony murder of a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence and resisting an officer without violence Deputies responded about 12:40 p.m. Sunday to a home in Fishhawk Ranch in Lithia, according to the news release. They were called there to help workers at Gracepoint, a Tampa behavioral healthcare provider, with an involuntary mental health evaluation on Furgason.

Over 600 LAPD Employees Have Tested Positive For COVID-19 Since Pandemic Began

A total of 602 Los Angeles Police Department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. According to Jessica Kellogg of the Emergency Operations Center, 82 employees are at home recovering or self-isolating due to exposure, and 546 have returned to work. In July, 45-year-old Valentin Martinez, a sworn-officer, and Erica McAdoo, a 39-year-old non-sworn senior detention officer died from coronavirus complications. As of Monday, 203 Los Angeles Fire Department employees have tested positive for the virus. Kellogg said 15 are recovering at home in isolation, 179 have returned to work, and six are no longer quarantining but remain at home.

Man, 45, In Critical Condition After Harbor Gateway Shooting

A 45-year-old man is in critical condition Sunday after being shot in the Harbor Gateway area of L.A., police said. The victim, who is not cooperating with investigators, was shot several times at 10:20 p.m. Saturday along the 1600 block of West 226 Street, according A. Bilal of Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center. Police have no suspect info, but believe the incident to be gang-related. The victim was taken to an area hospital.

Woman Wounded In Vermont Square Area Of LA

A gunman shot through a car Saturday, wounding the 38-year-old woman inside. It happened at 12:10 p.m. in front of 4036 Brighton Ave., according to a dispatcher at the LAPD's Operations Center. The woman suffered a leg wound, he said. No suspect description was available but the shooting was believed gang-related, he said.

$50,000 Reward Offered In Fatal Los Angeles Hit-And-Run

Los Angeles police investigators are offering a $50,000 reward for information about a deadly hit-and-run. A dark-colored sedan traveling southbound on Topanga Canyon Boulevard from the 118 Freeway struck a man around 5:30 a.m. Monday. The driver fled the scene, leaving the man to die at the scene from his injuries, and now police are looking for the suspect. Police have not yet publicly identified the victim but said he is in his early 60s. In a press conference scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15 at 11 a.m, officials will provide an overview of the investigation along with any additional information. The L.A. City Council in 2015 amended the Los Angeles Administrative Code and created a Hit-and-Run Reward Program Trust Fund that offers up to $50,000 to community members for information leading to the suspect’s conviction. Anyone with information about the vehicle, driver, or collision is asked to contact Officer Curtis at (818) 644-8032.

More Victims ID’d Months After Man Was Arrested On Suspicion Of Sexually Assaulting Juveniles In L.A. Area

More victims of a sexual assault suspect have been identified months after his arrest, and police are again asking for additional victims to come forward, LAPD officials said Tuesday. So far, seven victims have been tied to Princeton Bloome, 22, who was arrested in June. Bloome allegedly posed as a 17-year-old and met teens between 12 and 17 years old online. He eventually met the teens in person and allegedly started a dating relationship with them, police said. “The short relationship ultimately lead Bloome to sexually assault the teenagers,” police said. He allegedly used false identities and made up stories about his lifestyle to lure teen girls. He was also known to frequent the Topanga mall and other shopping centers in the San Fernando Valley. Last month, LAPD officials detailed three incidents involving Bloome.

LA City Council Votes To Create Reward Fund For Info On South LA Missing Man, 21

The L.A. City Council voted on an emergency motion on Tuesday to try to raise $50,000 in reward money for credible information that leads to the whereabouts of Juan Carlos Hernandez, 21, who has been missing for weeks. Hernandez was last seen around 3 p.m. on Sept. 22 in the 8100 block of South Western Avenue, according to an updated report from the LAPD. Family members, however, said he may have been last seen at work around 10 p.m. that night at VIP Collective LA, a cannabis dispensary in South Los Angeles. His vehicle was located around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 24 in the area of 6400 South Figueroa St., the LAPD stated. Hernandez is Hispanic, 6-feet-2 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds, the LAPD said. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, light-colored shorts, long black socks and dark Vans shoes.

Man Charged With Setting Santa Monica Police Car On Fire At Protest

A 27-year-old Irvine man was taken into federal custody Tuesday, Oct. 13, after being charged with setting an unmarked Santa Monica police car on fire during a protest, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Nathan Wilson is facing a federal charge of malicious damage to property owned by an institution or organization receiving federal financial assistance. An investigation by a multi-agency task force has looked into alleged crimes that occurred during region-wide protests this year against police brutality and social injustice. Federal prosecutors allege that Wilson on May 31 traveled to Santa Monica and set a fire that destroyed the police vehicle. A public defender listed as representing Wilson in court records could not be reached for comment. According to a sworn statement by an FBI agent, video footage of the incident shows an arsonist with a “distinctive American Flag bandanna” around his face.

Search Continues For Woodland Hills Mother Missing In Zion National Park

Family and friends are desperately seeking answers after a Woodland Hills mother last seen heading into Utah's Zion National Park went missing. The search continues for Holly Courtier, 38. She was last seen last Tuesday. Officials say she was dropped off by a private shuttle bus at the Grotto park area within Zion National Park, and that she was scheduled to be picked up via shuttle bus the same day but never returned. "Ms. Courtier's intended travel plan from the Grotto parking area is unknown and her current whereabouts are unknown," a news release from the National Park Service said. Daughter Kailey Chambers, 19, has joined the search for her mother. "My mom is one of the most selfless and loving people I know, and I just want her to come home," Chambers said.

Fire Damages Boyle Heights Commercial Building, Marijuana Grow Discovered

A marijuana grow operation was discovered Wednesday morning inside a commercial building in Boyle Heights where a fire burned for 54 minutes before being extinguished by firefighters. Crews arrived in the 3500 block of East Olympic Boulevard at 2:40 a.m. and found fire burning through the roof of the 50-foot-by-50-foot building. Firefighters made their way inside and encountered heavy smoke with very little visibility, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters discovered a marijuana grow operation in the building and a large air conditioning unit had fallen through the roof, Stewart said. A department Hazmat team was sent to the scene due to the discovery of bottles of unknown chemicals and gases inside the building, she said. A total of 93 firefighters extinguished the flames in 54 minutes and a knockdown was called at 3:34 a.m., Stewart said.

Meet L.A.'s Firefighting Robot. RS3 Can Battle Flames Too Dangerous For Humans

With its bright-yellow armored body, grippy tank-like treads, plow nose and water cannon, the Los Angeles Fire Department’s latest piece of equipment looks more like a Star Wars sidekick than a firefighting assistant. But this mini robot tanker is an inferno buster that packs a powerful punch of water or foam and can go where firefighters otherwise can’t. The LAFD on Tuesday became the first fire department in the nation to acquire the Robotics Systems 3, a droid on steroids. LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said firefighters put their lives on the line when battling blazes. This year, 11 LAFD crew members were severely injured when a fireball engulfed four downtown buildings after a massive explosion that was ignited by hazardous materials. Now, firefighters can use RS3 as a safer alternative in battling potentially explosive blazes and it allows the department to get inside a burning building when humans could not dare enter safely.

LA County Firefighters To Receive Comfort Dogs To Launch Peer Support K9 Program

Los Angeles County firefighters will receive two fully trained peer support/comfort dogs Tuesday to launch a new Peer Support K9 Program. The dogs, Milo and Echo, were specially selected and completed hundreds of hours of intense specialized training to support firefighters with PTSD or high levels of anxiety in a variety of situations and settings. Echo, a three-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever, was recently deployed to the Bobcat Fire where she provided support for over 500 firefighters who had been deployed for weeks. Milo, a three-year-old chocolate Labrador Retriever, will help firefighters unwind and distress from their job demands as first responders. The dogs will assist in identifying individuals experiencing increased levels of stress and are trained to then comfort those individuals.

L.A. County Reports 971 New Coronavirus Cases, 3 Deaths

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 971 new coronavirus cases and three related deaths. The number of new cases and deaths is usually lower on Sundays and Mondays because of laboratory reporting delays. The county now has logged a total of 282,135 cases of the virus, and 6,771 people have died. Officials continued to report encouraging signs of progress in the county’s fight against the virus.