LACP.org
..
Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch
LA Police Protective League

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
 

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

  Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch

Daily News Digest
from LA Police Protective League

May 2, 2022
Law Enforcement News

Man Found Shot Dead Inside Vehicle In Melrose District
Police found a man shot dead Saturday inside his vehicle in the Melrose District of Los Angeles. Officers responding at about 6:20 a.m. to a radio call of a possible murder in the area of North Orange Grove and Melrose avenues found the victim down inside his vehicle with a possible gunshot wound, the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Division reported. Arriving paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Police said residents in the area reported hearing two gunshots at about 10 p.m. Friday, but no one called police. LAPD West Bureau homicide detectives urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to call them at 213-382-9470 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. FOX 11

Man Shot And Killed At Dispensary Near A Synagogue In Tarzana; LAPD Detectives Investigating
Police are investigating after a man was shot and killed at a dispensary near a synagogue in Tarzana. Officers responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, and a possible active shooter, at 12:29 p.m. Saturday in the 18300 block of Ventura Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A man in his mid-30s was found dead at the dispensary, suffering from gunshot wounds, the agency said. His identity has not been released. Witnesses described hearing several gunshots and finding out there was some type of confrontation at the dispensary. Detectives say they don't believe the incident was a robbery. Police are looking for two male suspects who were seen running away on foot following the deadly shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact LAPD. No further details were available. ABC 7


Man Shot To Death In Chesterfield Square Community Of LA
A man, about 40 years old, was fatally wounded in the Chesterfield Square community of Los Angeles, authorities said Saturday. A suspect in a vehicle fired shots at the victim at about 11 p.m. Friday in the area of 66th Street and Normandie Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Division reported. The victim was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A motive for the shooting has not been established and there was no other immediate information. CBS 2

Gunman Shoots At Car With 3 Kids Inside On 110 Freeway In Downtown L.A.
An investigation is underway after a gunman opened fire on a family's vehicle as they were traveling on the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles Friday morning. The incident began around 4:45 a.m. when a family in a Toyota Camry became involved in a “highway violence altercation” as they were traveling northbound on the 110 Freeway near Manchester Boulevard, the California Highway Patrol stated in a news release. A few moments later, the driver of the Camry said he heard a gun shot that struck the left rear window of his car. The driver exited the freeway and called 911 after stopping near the intersection of 6th and South Figueroa Streets, the CHP stated. Video from the scene showed the family's rear passenger-side window had been shattered. The Camry was occupied by five people, including three children under the age of six, at the time of the shooting, according to the CHP. No injuries were reported. The suspect vehicle was described as a black Nissan Rogue believed to be occupied by a male driver and a female passenger. The Rogue was last seen heading northbound on the 110 Freeway. Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP at 213-744-2331 or 323-259-3200. KTLA 5

Violent Crime And Verbal Abuse At Union Station Have Become Unbearable, Some Workers Say
Janitor Gerardo Mixcoatl heard the cry as he was preparing to sweep and refill the toilet paper in a men's room stall at Union Station. “Gerardo, Gerardo, help me,” screamed Maria. The two often worked in pairs for safety, and she had just entered the women's bathroom when she felt a blow on the back of her neck. As she turned, a homeless woman pushed her to the floor and hit her repeatedly with a mallet, according to court records. Mixcoatl dashed into the bathroom and yelled “Stop!” The woman struck him and ran off. The attack last April, just days after Hollywood celebrated the Academy Awards at the historic station, was one of 235 assault and battery cases the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has documented between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and February. In the first two months of this year, violent crime at the station has shot up 94% over the same period last year, and property crime has doubled. But Mixcoatl and half a dozen others who work at Union Station say the danger is even worse than the official statistics reflect. Open nearly 24 hours a day, the Art Deco rail station has become a haven for homeless people, some of whom exhibit erratic or violent behavior that workers say keeps them constantly on guard for their safety. Los Angeles Times

Man Shot While Standing In Street In Vermont Knolls
A man was shot to death Saturday evening in the Vermont Knolls area of Los Angeles. The shooting was reported at 8:15 p.m. at 85th and Figueroa streets, according to Lt. Angela McGee of the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Station. The man in his mid- to late 30s was standing in the street talking to females in a car when the suspect walked up to him and shot him, McGee said. Paramedics rushed the victim to California Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, she said. The suspect fled the scene. MyNewsLA.com

Highland Park Hit-and-Run Crash Caught On Video, LAPD Asking For Help Identifying Driver
Los Angeles Police Department detectives are searching for the driver who plowed into a building in Highland Park and took off. They're asking for the public's help identifying the driver. Surveillance video captured the violent crash that occurred early in the morning. An individual is seen driving a dark-colored car the wrong way on Avenue 55. The driver flew through the Figueroa street intersection, and straight into a building. No one inside was injured, but the car sped away and hasn't been seen since, LAPD said. The crash happened on March 30 just before 5 a.m. LAPD said the driver was able to reverse his car and fled southbound on Figueroa Street. Anyone with information on the driver or the car is urged to call LAPD at (213) 833-3713 or email 31958@LAPD.Online . During non-business hours, people may dial (877) 527-3247, or call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered to anyone that can provide information leading to the driver's identification, apprehension, and conviction. ABC 7

Guns Found At ASAP Rocky's L.A. Home But Not Seized By Police During Investigation Of Shooting
Los Angeles police found multiple firearms at the home of rapper ASAP Rocky while serving a search warrant following his arrest last week in connection with a November shooting in Hollywood, authorities said. Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was arrested April 20 after stepping off a private jet at Los Angeles International Airport on his way back from Barbados, authorities said. He was vacationing on the Caribbean island with singer Rihanna, his girlfriend, who is pregnant with the couple's first child. Mayers was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a Nov. 6 incident in which police say he shot at a person following an argument. The victim sustained a minor injury. Within hours of Mayers' arrest, police used a pry bar and battering ram to enter the musician's Los Angeles home with a search warrant seeking evidence in the November shooting, sources familiar with the investigation said. According to two sources, the detectives examined a number of firearms at the home to see if they were connected to the incident. One source told The Times the guns were legally registered weapons and after being examined were not removed for ballistic examination. Los Angeles Times

Police Searching For Bulldog Stolen In Wilmington, Sold To Unsuspecting Buyer
Police are asking for the public's assistance to locate a French bulldog that was stolen from a woman's Wilmington residence and later sold to an unsuspecting buyer. The woman let the dog -- named King -- out into the yard of her residence located in the 700 Block of C Street on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. She noticed the dog was missing when she checked the yard a few minutes later. The woman reviewed her security camera video and saw that a male suspect reached over the fence in front of her residence, grabbed the dog and fled with it on his skateboard. LAPD officers found the suspect and arrested him within 24 hours of the crime, but he had already sold the dog to ``an unknowing citizen for $20,” according to police. “The suspect had approached the citizen at a hardware store parking lot and told the citizen that he had found the dog but was unable to provide the dog a good home,'' according to the LAPD. “The citizen did not commit a crime, but the owner is devastated and would appreciate any help in getting her dog returned to her.” The suspect's name was not released. NBC 4

Cops Called To Amanda Bynes' Van Nuys Home Over Argument With Her Fiancé
Police officers were called to Amanda Bynes' home early Thursday morning after an argument allegedly broke out between her and fiancé Paul Michael. Law enforcement officials were called to the Van Nuys home at 2:30 a.m. for a verbal dispute, according to Los Angeles Police Dept. Officer Alba Mendez. Officers met with both parties and one person gathered their belongings and left the location, but no report was taken, she said. The “She's the Man” star, whose nearly nine-year conservatorship ended last month, took to social media to make further allegations about what sparked the dispute. In since-deleted Instagram footage obtained by TMZ, Bynes alleged that Michael, whom she met at her former sober-living home in late 2019, had stopped taking his medication. “His behavior's alarming, and I'm afraid of what he'll do,” Bynes, 36, added, alleging that she found a “stash of crack cocaine” and accused Michael of using drugs for the past six months. TMZ reported Michael called police and reportedly told them that Bynes had taken his Adderall and kicked him out of the house, though he stayed until officers arrived. Los Angeles Times

2 Killed In South L.A. Crash Involving Group Of Street Racers
Two people were killed early Saturday morning after their vehicle crashed into a pole on a South Los Angeles freeway, California Highway Patrol investigators said. The vehicle is believed to have been traveling in a group of illegal street racers when the crash happened, CHP said. The crash was reported around 12:40 a.m. on the 91 Freeway west of Acacia Avenue. Two vehicles that were traveling in the same group were headed east on the freeway. One of the vehicles clipped the rear of the other, sending it off the roadway and onto a dirt shoulder where it crashed into a pole. Both the driver of the vehicle and his passenger were killed in the crash. The suspect vehicle believed to have caused the crash drove off from the scene, CHP said. The 91 Freeway was closed around 2:45 a.m. while investigators were on the scene. It reopened about an hour later. The crash is under investigation and anyone with information is urged to contact CHP South L.A. Officer Phillipson at 424-551-4000. KTLA 5

LASD: Son Stabbed Mother In Lancaster
A 17-year-old boy is wanted by law enforcement after allegedly stabbing his mother inside their Lancaster home Saturday morning. Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies responded to the 400 block of Gadsden Avenue around 5:40 a.m. after receiving a call about the unidentified teen. The teen's mother told law enforcement that the 17-year-old made lewd gestures and exposed himself to her. The teen followed his mother into her room, poured bleach on her face and then stabbed her in the neck, sheriff's officials said. The teen then fled the area and remains outstanding. Anyone with information about the crime or the suspect's location should contact the LASD Lancaster station at 661-948-8466. KTLA 5

Black Lives Matter Faces Lawsuit Over ‘Concerning' Donation Use: 'We Need The Facts'
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is on Black Lives Matter's case, going so far as filing a lawsuit to dig deeper into the organization's murky donation use - which he says is part of a "concerning pattern of behavior." Rokita told "Fox & Friends Weekend" host Will Cain Sunday that his lawsuit stems from accusations that organizational leaders misused donation funds by secretly purchasing a lavish $6 million mansion and allegedly funding co-founder Patrisse Cullors' suspiciously extravagant lifestyle. "In February when we heard this news about allegations of mansion-buying and everything else, a lot of people said ‘hey, we're going to look into it' – well, we are, we did and we will continue until we get the cooperation and we get the facts," Rokita said. Rokita added that he believes numerous "woke" corporations who donated to Black Lives Matter wish he would write off the ordeal. "For the woke corporation that gave millions of dollars and others on the left, they should know that I'm not going to give up," he said. "I think they'd rather just us forget about this episode, forget about the mansions, forget about everything else - and we're not because we can't be this gullible again." Rokita's lawsuit is the "most aggressive legal action" filed against Black Lives Matter yet. FOX News

Man Strikes And Kills Illinois Deputy During Pursuit
A sheriff's deputy in western Illinois setting up spike strips on a roadway was killed Friday morning when he was struck by a car driven by man who was fleeing authorities after allegedly being spotted at a store with a gun, officials said. In a news release, the Illinois State Police said the Knox County deputy was struck shortly after 8 a.m. as he was setting up spike strips to try to flatten the tires of the fleeing vehicle that was being pursued in nearby Henry County by Galesburg Police officers. The officers, responding to a 911 call about a suspect with a gun at Circle K convenience store in Galesburg, were chasing the vehicle after the driver fled during an attempted traffic stop. Illinois State Police said the man continued to drive on U.S. Highway 150 before the car crashed into a field. They said the man was captured after a brief foot pursuit. The 22-year-old Granite City man was charged Friday with murder, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated fleeing and eluding, state police said. He was being held at the Henry County Jail without bond. The name of the deputy was not released pending the notification of relatives. Associated Press

Bodycam Shows Moment Phoenix Cop Is Shot, Wounded At Gas Station
Shocking new video from the Phoenix Police Department shows the moment an officer is shot at a gas station on Thursday. Police were called to the gas station for a report about a man who was acting “crazy” and hitting himself with a bat, according to  AZFamily.com . When cops arrived, officers spoke with the 911 caller, who identified herself as the subject's ex-girlfriend. The suspect, Nicholas Cowan, is nowhere to be found. In the video, Officer Denise Bruce-Jones is speaking with the 911 caller outside the gas station when a Prius pulls up. “Oh my god, that's him, in the Prius,” the woman said. Bruce-Jones starts to approach the car when Cowan shoots her. Bruce-Jones falls to the ground and a second officer takes cover, then opens fire at Cowan's fleeing car. Cowan was on the run for three days before he was taken into custody on April 17, FOX 10 reported. Bruce-Jones was shot in the stomach, police said. The 24-year veteran and was moved to a rehab facility on Friday, according to WABI. Her spouse is also a Phoenix police officer. Cowan's sister says her brother is schizophrenic and bipolar, and said he admitted he was off his medication, according to AZFamily. Cowan is facing two counts of attempted first-degree murder, among other charges.  PoliceOne

Chicago Police Launching Their Own Video Series On Cold Cases
A woman was left dead in a West Side alley with her two youngest children huddled next to her on Dec. 30, 1976. Another mother and her 7-year-old child died on July 2, 1981, after being strangled in their West Side apartment. They are two of the Chicago Police Department's hundreds of cold cases, and the first to be featured in a new series the department is launching in an attempt to find answers and closure. Starting Monday, CPD will begin releasing an in-house produced series on its social media channel. The first two episodes — featuring the homicide of Elizabeth Dunlap and the double homicide of Lizzie and Lucretia Lee — are around 8 minutes long and include emotional interviews with the then-children who were left behind. Police superintendent David Brown said the first goal of the videos is to try to solve the cases, and the second is to change the perception that the police department doesn't treat all investigations the same based on who the victim is or where they lived. Brown said the idea for the video series came after he and Mayor Lori Lightfoot were discussing clearance rates. Chicago Tribune

Public Safety News

Bicyclist Killed In Crash With Car In Tujunga Canyons
A bicyclist is dead after a collision with a vehicle in Tujunga Canyons Saturday afternoon, officials said. The crash was reported around 12:45 p.m., according to Supervisor Peters of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and it took place in the 21500 block of Sand Canyon Road, said Officer Brandt of the California Highway Patrol. The bicyclist's injuries were fatal, Brandt added. No information was provided as to what led up to the collision, and the identities of those involved has not been released. KTLA 5

LAFD Battling Fire At 2-Story Building In Fashion District
Firefighters are working to put out a large fire at a building in the Fashion District in downtown Los Angeles. More than 100 firefighters are on the scene at at 1325 S. Los Angeles St. where the fire is burning at a two-story building. It's believed to be a shop in the area. ABC7 cameras captured smoke coming out of the building for at least two hours Sunday morning. It's unclear what prompted the fire and no injuries have been reported. ABC 7

LA County's COVID Hospitalizations Drop Slightly
The number of coronavirus patients in Los Angeles County hospitals has decreased by 18 people to 235, reversing the trend of the last few days, according to the latest state data out Saturday. The number of those patients being treated in intensive care was 26, up from 25 a day earlier. Those numbers come one day after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 2,550 new infections, prompting another plea for residents to exercise caution and wear masks in public, although masking remains voluntary in most places. The county's daily case numbers have been rising in April, driven by the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant. The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 1.8% this week, roughly the same as the previous week. On Thursday, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted steady increases in many metrics being used to track the spread of the virus in the county, including daily case rates, hospitalization numbers, outbreaks at workplaces, infections at schools and skilled nursing facilities and concentrations of COVID detected in various wastewater systems. NBC 4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~