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Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch
LA Police Protective League

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Los Angeles
Police Protective League
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the union that represents the
rank and file LAPD officers

  Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch

Daily News Digest
from LA Police Protective League

November 25, 2020
Law Enforcement News

Concerns Raised Over Demands to Increase LAPD Budget Cuts
LAPPL Director Robert Harris discusses the recent rise in violent crime and the potential for LAPD's budget to be cut beyond the initial $150 million cut the department suffered.

LAPD Request For $100-Million Budget Increase Draws Criticism Amid City’s Fiscal Crisis
Despite growing concern over a ballooning budget shortfall that could usher in sweeping cuts to city services in coming weeks, the Los Angeles Police Department put forward a proposal Tuesday that would increase its operating budget next year by more than $100 million. Police officials claimed the proposal represented a “bare bones” budget that would preserve public safety as much as possible while absorbing cuts to personnel and previously negotiated salary increases for remaining officers — all while meeting Mayor Eric Garcetti’s calls to rein in spending. “I do believe that this is measured and fiscally conservative, and represents the type of austerity that we need to exercise during this time of such tremendous demands on the city’s coffers,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the Police Commission, which unanimously approved the proposal. Craig Lally, president of the union that represents rank-and-file LAPD officers — and who just won reelection this week to another three-year union term — said the cuts this summer endangered Angelenos and should be undone as homicides and shootings continue to rise. Additional cuts would be catastrophic, he said. “It’s going to be very difficult for us to police this city the way it should be because of all the budget cuts and fiscal constraints,” he said.

LAPD Seeking Gunman In Fatal Shooting Of 37-Year-Old Man In San Pedro
The Los Angeles Police Department is searching for the gunman in the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man in San Pedro that also left two other people wounded, officials said Tuesday. Miguel Ruiz was sitting in a courtyard at an apartment complex in the 100 block of South Mesa Street around 9:10 p.m. Monday when the shooting occurred, according to police. While he was with a group of friends, a man approached them and fired a handgun at them, police said. Ruiz was shot multiple times, while a woman and man were also wounded, according to police. Ruiz was pronounced dead at the scene. One of the other victims was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition, police said, while the other victim declined medical care. Investigators believe the shooter ran to an awaiting vehicle, but police said the witnesses did not see the man get into a vehicle afterward. Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Harbor area Detective Killingsworth, or Detective Cortez, at 310-726-7879 or 310-726-7889.

Driver Shot To Death In South LA, Gunman At Large
A man was shot and killed while backing out of a driveway in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Florence early Tuesday morning. At about 1 a.m., the victim was backing out of a driveway in the area of West 74th Street and South Broadway when a suspect opened fire on him, a Los Angeles police spokesperson told CBSLA. The victim, described as a 37-year-old man, died at the scene. His name was not released. There was no immediate description of the gunman. It’s unclear if the suspect was in a vehicle or on foot. Investigators are also unsure if the killing was gang-related.

Two Shot in South L.A. Area; Suspects Sought
Two people were shot Tuesday in the south Los Angeles area, and two suspects were being sought. The shooting was reported about 11:40 a.m. near 84th and Figueroa streets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The wounded people were taken to a hospital with injuries of unknown severity. The suspects, described only as two men, fled in a white car, possibly a Nissan Altima. Anyone with information on the case was urged to call 877-LAPD-247.

Investigators Seek Tips To Find Three Fatal Hit-And-Run Suspects
Authorities Tuesday sought the public help’s to identify two drivers and a motorcyclist who struck and killed a 50-year-old man then fled the scene in South Los Angeles. Jose Fuentes was crossing 78th Street, at Central Avenue, about 7:40 p.m. Sunday, when he was struck by a motorcycle, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Shortly after, while Fuentes was on the ground, he was struck again by a white Toyota Corolla and black Chevrolet Tahoe. The drivers left the scene without rendering aid or identifying themselves, police said. “We’re going to find you, we’re going to be looking for these guys actively in these next few days, next few weeks, so better that you turn yourself in,” Detective Ryan Moreno said Tuesday at a news conference. Authorities urged anyone with information about the suspects to call the Los Angeles Police Department’s South Traffic Division at 323-421-2500.

Accused SoCal Serial Rapist To Stand Trial For Sexual Assaults Over 11 Years
A convicted felon who allegedly perpetrated at least six sexual assaults in Corona and Riverside over an 11-year span, gaining control over victims with a knife or gun, must stand trial on multiple forcible rape and other charges, a judge ruled Tuesday. Darin Edward Cooke, 51, of Prescott, Arizona, was arrested in May following a 13-year investigation by the Corona and Riverside police departments. Riverside County Superior Court Judge O.G. Magno found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial on six counts of forcible rape, four counts of forced oral copulation, two counts each of assault with intent to commit rape and kidnapping to commit rape and one count of unlawful bodily injury by means of sexual penetration, with assorted sentence-enhancing allegations, including targeting multiple victims in sex crimes. One assault count was dismissed.

Two Arrested In String Of 13 Robberies In Southern California
Two men have been arrested in connection with a spree of 13 robberies in Southern California. Kigmani Nejema Burris, 45, of Corona, and William Warren, 36, of Los Angeles, were arrested Nov. 19 after they robbed a business in Laguna Hills, the Fontana Police Department said. Fontana police began investigating the pair on Nov. 18 when a business in that city was held up. The investigation led them to look for and then watch a white Dodge Challenger, a news release said. On Nov. 19, police followed the Challenger as it was driven to Laguna Hills. Two men stopped at a business and before police could intervene, they robbed the store. Fontana police and Orange County sheriff’s deputies attempted to pull over the car as the robbers drove away. They eventually stopped it in San Clemente, where Burris and Warren were arrested, the release said. Officers found two firearms, masks and stolen cash inside the Challenger, the release said.

2 NYPD Officers Shot, Suspected Shooter Killed
Two New York City police officers shot and killed an off-duty college security officer on Tuesday after he opened fire and wounded them as they responded to a domestic violence call at his home, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said. Rondell Goppy, 41, walked into his Queens home and started shooting around 12:45 p.m., just minutes after the officers arrived there with a woman who had gone to their police station to report an assault, Shea said. “Whether he was laying in wait or just happened to arrive at that time will be part of the investigation,” Shea told reporters at a news conference outside the hospital where the officers were being treated. Officer Christopher Wells, 36, was shot in the leg and needed surgery to repair a fractured femur. Officer Joseph Murphy, 33, was wounded in the hand and also required surgery for his injuries. Both officers were awake and stable, Shea said.

Video: New Jersey Cop Pulls Man From Burning Car
A township police officer rescued a driver trapped in a burning car on Manassa Road Saturday night, according to a Howell Police Department Facebook post. Howell police did not immediately return a message seeking additional details. The officer was Nicholas Volpe and the fire broke out after the car crashed into a tree, according to News12 NJ. Volpe was uninjured and the driver suffered only a minor injury, according to the report.

Public Safety News

Firefighter Nearly Engulfed In Flames While Battling Blaze In Sherman Oaks
A firefighter was nearly engulfed in flames while battling a blaze in Sherman Oaks late Monday night. The fire began in a one-story commercial building shortly before midnight in the 13400 block of West Ventura Boulevard, the Los Angeles Fire Department stated in a news alert. About 35 firefighters arrived at the scene to find flames and smoke coming from the structure. Video from the scene showed a firefighter with a circular saw attempting to cut into the burning building when flames caught the uniform. The firefighter was nearly engulfed before colleagues managed to douse the flames with water from their hoses. The firefighter did not appear to be injured in the incident. The Fire Department did not report any injuries in its news alert. Firefighters managed to extinguish the burning building in about 24 minutes.

Firefighter Severely Injured While Fighting Downtown LA Blaze Talks About His Miraculous Recovery
On May 16, 2020, eleven firefighters were seriously injured during one of the most intense and dangerous fires in the history of the Los Angeles Fire Department. One of those firefighters was Fire Capt. Víctor Aguirre, who suffered serious burns. He spoke with our sister station Telemundo 52 about his miraculous recovery and the voracious fire that almost took his life away. Aguirre recalls giving the order to leave the roof and calling out "Mayday," the emergency signal, during the May 16 fire in downtown LA. "I will never forget that day, I have it engraved in my mind and in my body," said Capt. Aguirre. When Aguirre and his team tried to enter the building through the roof to attack the fire, he said he had a strange feeling. “In my heart, in my mind, I felt uneasy,” said the Los Angeles Fire Department captain. Minutes later when the fire was too intense to bear, Aguirre gave the order to retreat, and I heard multiple explosions and the roar of the fire.

Travelers Into L.A. Must Sign Form Acknowledging COVID-19 Quarantine — Or Face Possible $500 Fine
As coronavirus cases continue to surge throughout Los Angeles, out-of-state travelers arriving in the city by air and train must now sign a form acknowledging the county’s 14-day quarantine requirement, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Monday. The new form will be required beginning Wednesday, in time for the last waves of Thanksgiving travelers coming through Los Angeles International Airport and Van Nuys airport, and on trains arriving at Union Station. Signs will remind travelers of the requirement, and airlines will notify their passengers as well, Garcetti said. Failure to fill out the form could result in a fine of up to $500. “If there’s any way you can avoid travel, cancel those plans,” Garcetti said. “Emergencies and essential work travel should be the only excuse that we get on a plane anywhere right now.” The form, available at travel.lacity.org, acknowledges that anyone traveling to California from other states or countries should self-quarantine for 14 days and limit interactions to their immediate household.

LA County Supervisors Uphold Controversial Outdoor Dining Ban Despite Some Opposition
By a 3-2 vote, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday upheld the impending and controversial ban on outdoor dining which will take effect Wednesday night. Beginning at 10 p.m. Wednesday, all eateries in L.A. County will only be able to offer take-out, drive-thru and delivery services. The outdoor dining ban will last for a period of at least three weeks. On Tuesday, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn introduced a motion seeking to maintain the status quo of allowing outdoor dining, arguing the ban will be too onerous on restaurants that are already struggling during the pandemic. But Supervisors Sheila Kuehl, Mark Ridley- Thomas and Hilda Solis stood behind the ban. “Outdoor dining is probably more dangerous in terms of contagion than any other kind of business,” Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said. Barger and Hahn argued the ban is too punitive to restaurants in response to a surge that has been largely blamed on private gatherings rather than outdoor dining.

New L.A. County ‘Safer At Home’ Restrictions Revealed As COVID-19 Surge Worsens
With coronavirus cases and COVID-19 deaths surging at an alarming rate, Los Angeles County officials Tuesday began to outline a new limited Safer at Home order aimed at slowing the virus spread while sticking with an outdoor dining ban amid a growing outcry. The new restrictions are looking increasingly likely as daily coronavirus infections spike to unprecedented levels, increasing stress on hospitals amid concern more people will be infected during the Thanksgiving holiday. But it also appears that a new stay-at-home order that had been suggested as a possibility last week would fall far short of the one imposed during the first months of the pandemic in the spring. The March order closed all but essential businesses and left many people at home except for trips to such places as supermarkets and medical offices. But officials suggested Tuesday the new rules would allow many businesses to remain open but with limited customer capacity. “We are not completely shutting down everything,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis.

California Shatters State’s Single-Day COVID-19 Record With Over 20,500 New Cases
The fall coronavirus surge in California entered a critical moment on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, with the state shattering a daily record for new cases. The state recorded 20,654 cases Monday, significantly surpassing a previous record of 13,400. Hard-hit Los Angeles County recorded more than 6,000 new cases, which was also a daily record. Officials are hoping restrictions imposed over the last week will slow the unprecedented spread of the virus and that residents will avoid big Thanksgiving gatherings that experts fear could spread the virus further. Last week, state officials announced a new order prohibiting most nonessential activity outside the home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in counties that are in the strictest “purple” tier of the state’s color-coded reopening road map. Roughly 94% of Californians — including all those in the southern third of the state — are subject to that order, which lasts until Dec. 21, though it could be extended.

Local Government News

L.A. City Council Sends Homeless Sleeping Ordinance Back To Committee
The Los Angeles City Council discussed a proposed ordinance Tuesday that would enforce where homeless people can sleep on public property, but members took no action on the matter and it was sent back to committee for more deliberation. “The proposed ordinance, I want to just outright say, it was never meant to be a solution to homelessness, and it certainly was not meant to make homelessness unlawful,” Council President Nury Martinez said. “I know that many of the most vociferous critics continue to repeat that the ordinance is the wrong solution to homelessness. The ironic thing is I totally agree with them, in that creating buffer zones around freeways and shelters is not an answer to homelessness.” Martinez moved the proposed ordinance back to the Homelessness and Poverty Committee for further review, but she said wants the details of it ironed out and “soon” so the council can take actual action on it.
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About the LAPPL Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at:

www.LAPD.com


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