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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

October 20, 2021
Law Enforcement News

Seattle first responders fired for vaccine noncompliance march on city hall to turn in their boots
Seattle Police Department officers and firefighters who were fired for not complying with the city's COVID-19 vaccine mandate marched up the steps of city hall to turn in their boots. Footage taken from Seattle City Hall and posted to social media shows dozens of people walking up the steps with boots in their hands, preparing to turn them in after they were let go for not complying with the city's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Fox News

Mayor De Blasio Announces Vaccine Mandate For All New York City Municipal Workers, Including First Responders
The city is offering a $500 bonus to each city employee who receives their first shot at a city-run vaccination site by 5 p.m. on Oct. 29. All city employees will be required to have proof of at least dose after that, or they will be placed on unpaid leave until they can show proof of vaccination. It's a bombshell announcement that could shake up the city's workforce, de Blasio is requiring all municipal employees to get the COVID vaccine, including firefighters and police officers. CBS 2 New York

40 SFPD Officers Not Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Placed on Leave
Forty San Francisco Police Department officers who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus have been placed on leave, the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit confirms. There are 59 other unvaccinated officers who are already on leave for other reasons. Sources tell the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit if the officers return to work unvaccinated against COVID-19, they will be placed on administrative leave for termination. That would mean a total of 99 officers who ultimately could be fired for not getting vaccinated. NBC Bay Area

Peggy York, LAPD's First Woman Deputy Chief, Dies At 80
Law enforcement in Los Angeles is remembering a pioneering figure for women on the job. Margaret A. "Peggy" York died at the age of 80 over the weekend. In 2000, she became the LAPD's first woman deputy chief. Just this year she was part of a panel on women officers. York said, "if you give it a chance it'll be the best job you ever have." In a statement released by LAPD Chief Michel Moore, he said, "Deputy Chief York joined policing at a time when women were faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. As a pioneer, she demonstrated true grit and utilized her talents to ascend to the highest ranks within the department. This trailblazing woman will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her, as well as those who have reaped the benefit of the seeds she sowed for the advancement and equitable treatment of women on this department." In March, the LAPD announced an academy class that was 50% women. Commander Ruby Flores says York served as an inspiration. She says York had read her bio and when they met encouraged her to excel on the job. York joined the department in 1968. She is married to Judge Lance Ito, best known for presiding over the OJ Simpson murder trial. After the LAPD stint, York would go on to become the Chief of the LA County Police.  FOX 11

LAPD Says Shooting Of Detective Led To Bust Of Gang Making ‘Ghost Guns'
An investigation into the shooting of a Los Angeles police detective last week led investigators to a local gang producing “ghost guns” out of a tattoo parlor, LAPD Chief Michel Moore alleged Tuesday. Moore said investigators busted the operation Monday night after a 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of shooting the detective with one of the homemade weapons early Thursday morning. After determining the boy had ties to the gang, police were monitoring the area where the gang operates when they observed domestic violence at the tattoo parlor and interceded, Moore told the department's civilian oversight board. Inside the parlor, the officers discovered several ghost guns — which lack serial numbers and can't be traced — as well as other items used to manufacture them, Moore said. Moore touted the bust as a significant blow to the proliferation of such weapons and their use in violent crimes across the city. “We believe that it was a center, or one of the centers, of the sourcing of these firearms,” Moore said. According to the department, members of the Newton Division's gang enforcement detail were in the area of Maple Avenue and Adams Boulevard about 6:35 p.m. when they witnessed a “domestic violence incident” occurring in the open business and intervened, taking the suspect into custody. While they were arresting the man, the officers saw a 3D printer, a drill press and a gun receiver — which are used to make ghost guns — and drafted a warrant to search the business, the department said. Los Angeles Times

2 LAPD Officers, 4 Others Hospitalized After Downtown LA Crash
Six people, including two police officers, were hospitalized Tuesday after a crash involving an LAPD cruiser in downtown Los Angeles. The crash happened at about 10:50 a.m. at Fifth and Los Angeles streets, according to the LAPD. Sky 9 was over the scene where a cruiser with front end and driver's side damage was left in the middle of a crosswalk with its airbags deployed in the front seat. The LAPD says two officers were taken to a hospital to be treated for unspecified injuries. Meanwhile, one bystander was seriously injured and three others suffered minor injuries, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The cause of the crash is under investigation. CBS 2

Gang Member Arrested In Shooting Of 4 At Playa del Rey Homeless Camp
Police Tuesday announced the arrest of a man who allegedly shot four homeless men in the Playa del Rey area. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded at about 5:40 a.m. on Aug. 18 to a homeless encampment in the Ballona Wetlands area, on Jefferson Boulevard between Culver Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard, on reports of the shooting, according to a department statement. Arriving officers learned that four men had been taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds prior to their arrival, though they were reported to be stable. LAPD units located and arrested the suspected shooter in Venice on Oct. 7, according to the department. The man was reported to be a parolee and “a known gang member with an extensive criminal history,” though no further details regarding his identity were immediately released. A motive for the shooting was not immediately known. A female suspect who allegedly was involved in the shooting is outstanding, though no suspect description was provided. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to contact LAPD Pacific Area Detective Jurado at 310-482-6369. Los Angeles Daily News

Street Racing Surged During The Pandemic. L.A. Now Wants To Crack Down
Underground street racing has long been an illicit part of Los Angeles' car culture, with boulevards transformed into wide-open stretches of tarmac, ready made for smooth tires, supercharged engine blocks and tuners. Officials noticed an uptick during the first months of the pandemic, when stay-at-home orders made L.A.'s empty streets even more inviting for large gatherings known as sideshows or takeovers. Fueled by social media, illegal street racing activity — and its attendant dangers — continued to grow even as pandemic restrictions eased and L.A. commuting patterns returned. Los Angeles officials are now considering new measures to crack down on street racing, joining a growing number of cities taking the fight from the streets to social media and targeting those who organize and promote the races. As of July, the number of races and street takeovers across Los Angeles had jumped 27% in 2021, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD investigators say at least three deaths can be attributed to the inherently dangerous gatherings. As activity continues to surge, cities across the state and nation have scrambled for new tools to curtail illegal racing and sideshows. Los Angeles Times

Authorities Searching For A Missing Woman Last Seen in West Hollywood
Police are searching for information about 35-year-old Angelica Lemme who has been missing since Sept. 13. She was last seen in the 900 block of N. Gardener Street of West Hollywood. She was wearing a burgundy sweater, blue jeans and gray tennis shoes. Lemme, who is Black, is 5-feet-5 inches tall, weighs 155 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. The Los Angeles Police Department asked if anyone with information on Lemme to contact the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800 during business hours and 877-527-3247 during non-business hours or weekends. CBS 2

Olympic Boxing Champ Who Coached In East LA Gets Three-Plus Years In Prison For Lewd Acts With Teen Girls
A 1984 Olympic boxing champion was sentenced Tuesday to three years and eight months in state prison after pleading no contest to lewd acts with two teenage girls. Paul Gonzales, 57, was ordered to register as a sex offender for life immediately after his no contest plea to one count each of lewd act on a child under 14 and lewd act on a child age 14 or 15, according to Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson. Gonzales was charged in January 2018 with lewd acts with a 13-year-old girl. Authorities said he met the girl while he was working for the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department as the head coach at the Eddie Heredia Boxing Club on East Olympic Boulevard in East Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department launched an investigation after being contacted by one of the girl's family members, sheriff's Lt. Todd Deeds said shortly after the case was filed against Gonzales. A second case was filed earlier this year involving a 14-year-old girl, whom Gonzales didn't meet through his work as a coach, according to the prosecutor. Los Angeles Daily News

Man Shot In Beverly Hills Was Victim Of Apparent Robbery
Detectives are continuing their investigation Wednesday of a man who was shot in the leg outside a restaurant in what police say was an attempted robbery in Beverly Hills. The shooting was reported about 8:45 p.m. in the 300 block of North Canon Drive, near Rodeo Drive, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department. The victim was taken to a hospital via ambulance and was in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries, according to police. Early reports from the scene stated that the shooter drove away before officers arrived and police were searching for a silver four-door Infiniti sedan that went south on Canon Drive. However, police also appeared to be examining a Lamborghini in their investigation, according to KCAL9. Anyone with information about this crime is urged to call the Beverly Hills Police Department at 310-285-2125. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org . MyNewsLA.com

Public's Help Sought In Culver City Armed Robbery Caught On Surveillance Video
Police in Culver City are asking for the public's help to identify a person who committed an armed robbery at a local business. The robbery took place around 10:25 p.m. on Sunday at a business located at 10800 Washington Blvd., the Culver City Police Department said in a social media post Tuesday. In the surveillance video, the robber is seen wearing black pants, a black and white hooded sweatshirt with a purple hood, and a dark-colored face mask. The robber appears to be waiting for the store's clerk to fill a bag and then walks away after grabbing it. Police said the robber was in possession of a black handgun in the crime and fled in a white Chrysler 300. Anyone with information about the armed robbery, or who may recognize the suspect in the video, is asked to contact the CulverCity Police Department at 310-253-6391, or email tips@culvercity.org . KTLA 5

Trial Continues For Homeless Man Accused Of Raping Santa Monica Woman
The trial of Dylan James Jensen's, the homeless man charged with the rape of a Santa Monica woman continued on Tuesday. The trial picked up after a nearly two month pause because of COVID. Jensen, 42, who was homeless when he was arrested, is accused of Rape, Sodomy, Sexual Battery, Burglary and Assault with a Deadly Weapon. The alleged rape took place on June 4, 2018, at about 5:55 a.m., near 4th Street and Ashland, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Police say that Jensen entered the victim's apartment through an unlocked sliding door of an elevated patio, took a knife from the kitchen, and went into the victim's bedroom while she was sleeping. On Tuesday, a police officer who witnessed the booking of Jensen and the victim of the alleged assault testified. In August, the victim told the prosecuting attorney she wanted to survive the rape--and do what she could do to "not die." In a tearful testimony on Tuesday, during follow up questioning about the knife used in the alleged rape, the victim again told prosecutor she was fearful and wanted to survive.  WestSide Current

2 Men Arrested For Burglarizing Glendale Home: Police
Two men were arrested for allegedly burglarizing a Glendale home earlier this month, police announced Tuesday. Around 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, officers responded to the 800 block of Ridge Drive regarding a residential burglary, the Glendale Police Department said in a news release. Upon arrival, police discovered that the residence had been ransacked and the victim's vehicle and vehicle keys were missing. The next day, the officers returned to the home for their investigation, and just after 5 a.m., they noticed a vehicle occupied by two people parked right outside. Officers spoke to the occupants, 28-year-old Cesar Medina-Sanchez of Vallejo in the driver's seat and 62-year-old Craig Murphy of Vallejo in the passenger seat. While speaking with Medina-Sanchez and Murphy, officers observed a large amount of marijuana near the center console, the department said. A subsequent search of the vehicle produced several items belonging to the victim of the residential burglary, several debit and credit cards issued to other individuals, and a glass pipe with a bulbous end, police said. Medina-Sanchez and Murphy were arrested on suspicion of burglary, receiving known stolen property, and identity theft.  KTLA 5

'A Dangerous Time': Portland, Oregon, Sees Record Homicides
It was nearly last call on a Friday when Jacob Eli Knight Vasquez went to get a drink across the street from the tavern where he worked in northwest Portland — an area with a thriving dining scene, where citygoers enjoy laid-back eateries, international cuisines and cozy cafés. The 34-year-old had been at the pizza bar only a short time when shots rang out. Vasquez was struck by a stray bullet and died at the scene. His killing in late September was one of the 67 homicides this year in Portland, which has surpassed its previous full-year record of 66 in 1987. And with more than two months remaining in the year, Portland will likely shatter its previous high mark. In a metropolis wracked by gang violence, fear and frustration have settled over Portland as stories like Vasquez's make some wary to go out at night. Unlike previous years, more bystanders are being caught in the crossfire — from people mourning at vigils and sitting in cars to children playing in a park. “People should be leery because this is a dangerous time,” said Lionel Irving Jr., a lifelong Portland resident and a gang outreach worker. PoliceOne

Watch: Florida Deputy Saves Frightened Toddler From House Fire
A terrified 3-year-old was saved from a burning home this week after a deputy saw movement under blankets in the back bedroom, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office in Florida. Video shows “thick black smoke” filling the home as K-9 deputy Marcus Dawson began knocking on doors, looking in windows and calling out to anyone in need of help. The fire happened Sunday in the Palm Coast community, about 60 miles south of Jacksonville. “Dawson observed movement in the bed of the master bedroom and as he got close, he observed a toddler under the blankets hiding from the smoke,” officials said in a Facebook post. “He immediately entered the residence to rescue the child and carried him out of the home.” Dawson is heard calmly greeting the child and asking: “Hi, buddy, where's your mommy? Come with me.” He then carried the child to safety. Emergency responders were waiting outside and determined the 3-year-old was uninjured, officials said. The Charlotte Observer

Public Safety News

Human Remains Found After Fire At Apparent Cannabis Business In Canoga Park; 2 Deaths Confirmed
Human remains were found Tuesday morning after a large fire at a suspected cannabis business in Canoga Park that has now resulted in two deaths, officials said. When firefighters responded to the burning structure in the 8400 block of North Canoga Avenue just before 12:20 p.m. Monday, they were met with three badly burned people who were running out, calling a fourth person's name, LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said. The next morning, after the fire was put out, crews found a man dead at the scene. Of the three burn victims, one person who suffered burns to 90% of his body later succumbed to his injuries. Officials have not identified those who died in the blaze. The other two people remain hospitalized, one in critical condition and the other in serious condition. The firefight was a challenging one for arriving firefighters Monday afternoon. KTLA 5

LA City Workers May Get Two Extra Months To Comply With Vaccine Mandate
Wednesday marks the deadline for all Los Angeles city employees to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations, based on a mandate from the city. However, a new proposal submitted on Tuesday by the city administrative officer would give those employees an additional two months to comply with the mandate – with an end goal of December 18 in mind. If the proposal is accepted, those unvaccinated workers would have to take two COVID-19 tests a week, at a rate of $65 per test taken from their paychecks. Those tests would have to be taken during the employee's free time and not during working hours. No third-party COVID-19 tests would be allowed, and would have to be administered by the city or a vendor of the city's choosing. Employees would be allowed to apply for an exemption from this, but would still have to adhere to these guidelines until the city was able to review the request. If the exemption was accepted, that person would be refunded for all tests taken during that time, and would only have to submit to one COVID-19 test a week, at the city's expense. CBS 2

Newsom Declares Drought Emergency Across California
Gov. Gavin Newsom today declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California, as conservation efforts continue to fall far short of state targets. Newsom also authorized California's water regulators to ban wasteful water use, such as spraying down public sidewalks, and directed his Office of Emergency Services to fund drinking water as needed. But he stopped short of issuing any statewide conservation mandates. “As the western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it's critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible,” Newsom said in a statement. Today's announcement extends drought emergencies, already declared in 50 counties, to the eight remaining counties where conditions had thus far not been deemed severe enough: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Imperial, San Francisco and Ventura. The emergency declarations are aimed at easing responses to the deepening drought — such as emergency bottled water purchases or construction to bolster water supplies — by reducing environmental and other regulations. CalMatters

Local Government News


L.A. City Council President Seeks To Suspend Ridley-Thomas Following Indictment
Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez introduced a motion Tuesday to suspend Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas days after federal authorities indicted him on federal bribery charges. The motion, seconded by Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, calls for the council to “immediately suspend [Ridley-Thomas] from the office of Councilmember of the 10th district of the Los Angeles City Council.” Council members will hold a special session on Wednesday to consider the suspension. If it's approved by the council, Ridley-Thomas would be barred from attending council and committee meetings, executing contracts, using discretionary funds and engaging in constituent services. The motion comes a day after Ridley-Thomas sent a letter to the council announcing that he would “step back” from participation in City Council meetings and committees. Los Angeles Times

LA City Council Approves Motion to Expand Skid Row Clean Team Citywide
Los Angeles City Council has passed a motion introduced by council-members Kevin de Leon (District 14) and Mitch O'Farrell (District 13) that introduced a plan to expand the Skid Row Clean Team citywide. The team works to prevent the buildup of debris and trash in Skid Row, a neighborhood in L.A. known for having one the largest homeless populations in America. Councilman de Leon's district includes Skid Row within its limits. Now, with the passing of this motion, that team will expand its duties to include other parts of the city. The team, which is operated by a homeless outreach program called Urban Alchemy, is made mostly of people who used to be or are currently homeless. The motion was presented with requests from both the Board of Public Works, to show the effectiveness of the program has and the practicality of expanding the team citywide, and the City Administrative Officer and Chief Legislative Analyst – for information on potential funding of the team's expansion. CBS 2
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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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