In Depth: LAPD Release Of Officer Information

Hal Eisner is joined by Robert Rico, General Counsel for the LA Police Protective League to discuss the mistaken release of names and photographs of undercover officers in a FOIA request. Then, we take a look at Hal’s Lifetime Achievement Award honor by the Southern California Radio TV News Association.

FOX 11 Video

LA County’s Proposal To ‘Decarcerate' Jail Population Withdrawn After Pushback From Public, Law Enforcement

A controversial proposal by Los Angeles County Board members to "decarcerate" jails was withdrawn from Tuesday’s agenda after opposition from the public and law enforcement. The agenda item was titled "Los Angeles County to take Actionable Next Steps to Depopulate and Decarcerate the Los Angeles County Jails." Introduced by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Hilda Solis, the proposal outlined that it would "Declare the state of mental health services and overcrowding in the Los Angeles County jails a humanitarian crisis, requiring the County to move with all deliberate speed on meaningful solutions; and prioritize decreasing the number of individuals entering the Los Angeles County Jails." The board was set to discuss the proposal during Tuesday’s meeting. But Solis said she withdrew the proposal after hearing concerns raised by the public, law enforcement, and other board members. "[S]ince the motion was published, my office has received concerns from a variety of stakeholders – those who feel the motion is not doing enough and those who feel it is doing too much," Solis said in a statement, "To that end, I will be referring the motion back to my office so that I can continue to gather input from all stakeholders." 

FOX News

2nd Suspect In Deadly West Hills Shooting Identified As 33-Year-Old Amy Waters

Police have now identified the second person arrested in connection to the deadly shooting in a parking lot at a West Hills shopping center on Saturday. Detectives say 33-year-old Amy Waters of Simi Valley tried to help suspected shooter Mark Connole escape police. Officers say Waters picked up Connole shortly after he opened fire and helped him flee. After a short chase, officers eventually arrested the two without incident. Waters has been charged with felony evading. One person died in the shooting, and three others were hurt. Police say the shooting began after the victims met Connole at Fallbrook Mall for unknown reasons, where an argument took place, leading to the deadly shooting. The investigation is still ongoing.

ABC 7

Former Assistant U.S. AG Joins Challengers To L.A. County D.A. George Gascón

Nathan Hochman, a former assistant U.S. attorney, announced his bid for L.A. County District Attorney on Monday. The former candidate for California Attorney General joins Deputy D.A. Jonathan Hatami and several others in the race to unseat District Attorney George Gascón. Hochman is running as an independent and is endorsed by former D.A. Steve Cooley. During a news conference outside the Hall of Justice, Hochman said Gascón has taken a “sledgehammer to justice” and that the cry to get rid of him is loud and passionate. “What I have seen has disgusted me and disappointed me as to what George Gascón has done to have our County of Los Angeles, our county of the City of the Angels, start to evolve to a Gotham-esque dystopia where lawlessness reigns supreme,” Hochman said. “It’s time to stop playing politics with people’s lives.” There’s been quite a bit of controversy surrounding Gascón since he took office in 2020. His own prosecutors and law enforcement leaders have criticized him for his progressive policies, including barring prosecutors from trying juveniles as adults and restricting the filing of sentencing enhancements.

KTLA 5

LAPD Offers $50K for Information in Deadly Wilmington Hit-and-Run

The Los Angeles Police Department is offering a reward of up to $50,000 to anyone who is able to provide information regarding a fatal hit-and-run that killed a 52-year old Sunday. On Sunday morning, a compact car described as a Scion xB collided with a pedestrian walking in a marked crosswalk at a red light at the intersection of northbound Pacific Coast Highway and Wilmington Avenue. Immediately after the collision, the driver of the Scion xB stopped the vehicle and attempted to render aid before a second vehicle, described as a dark colored sedan, also hit the victim. The driver of the second vehicle fled the scene. The Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded to the and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call (323) 421-2500 or 1-877-LAPD-247 (5273).

NBC 4

Boyle Heights Hit-and-Run Crash Leaves 13-Year-Old Boy Without Leg

A hit-and-run crash left a 13-year-old boy severely injured with the loss of his right leg in Boyle Heights on Thursday afternoon. The victim was identified as Joshua Mora, an eighth grader at Hollenbeck Middle School. Mora was struck by a motorcyclist near the intersection of Whittier Boulevard and Orme Avenue around 3:27 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The impact had severed the boy’s leg, leaving him hospitalized with severe injuries. The suspect, described as a white male, was riding his motorcycle when he lost control and struck Mora who was using a crosswalk at the time, authorities said. The suspect “slid approximately 80 feet before stopping,” police said. He then got back on his bike and rode away, leaving the injured boy lying on the road. Locals in the area say the crash happened in an intersection that is known to be dangerous. The lone crosswalk boasts no signal lights or visible traffic signs.

KTLA 5

Feds Seize $66.4M In Cryptocurrency Linked To LA Investment Scams

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have seized virtual currency worth $66.4 million linked to cryptocurrency investment scams commonly called "pig butchering," the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday. According to court documents, the virtual currency accounts in Los Angeles and elsewhere were used to launder proceeds of various cryptocurrency confidence scams. In these schemes, fraudsters cultivated long-term, online relationships with victims, eventually enticing them to make investments in fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platforms. In reality, the funds sent by victims for the investments were instead funneled to cryptocurrency addresses and accounts controlled by scammers and their associates, according to the DOJ. A U.S. magistrate judge in Los Angeles authorized the seizure of an account containing $66.4 million in various cryptocurrencies after finding probable cause that the funds were derived from wire fraud schemes, according to the DOJ. "The victims in Pig Butchering schemes are referred to as `pigs' by the scammers because the scammers will use elaborate storylines to `fatten up' victims into believing they are in a romantic or otherwise close personal relationship," according to an affidavit in support of the Los Angeles seizure warrant. "Once the victim places enough trust in the scammer, the scammer brings the victim into a cryptocurrency investment scheme."

FOX 11

Jail Time, $1000 Fines Floated To Address Catalytic Converter Thefts In Los Angeles

The city of Los Angeles is exploring new penalties for anyone found to be in possession of a catalytic converter that they are unable to provide proof of ownership for. A new city ordinance proposed by L.A. Councilmember John Lee at last week’s city council meeting could lead to suspected catalytic converter thieves having to pay fines as much as $1000 and face as much as six months in jail. The new ordinance offers stiffer penalties and a new tool for law enforcement officers looking to combat the dramatic rise in catalytic converter thefts. “My office works very closely with law enforcement here in the city of Los Angeles, and they’ve become increasingly frustrated with the large amount of catalytic converters that have been stolen from vehicles,” Lee told KTLA. “This ordinance we introduced is to help our law enforcement officers better address this type of criminal activity that results in a profound financial implication for individuals and families that are affected.”

KTLA 5

Anti-Armenian Hate Flyers Discovered In Glendale; Investigation Underway

Officials in Glendale have condemned anti-Armenian Flyers found posted on light poles near St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church and in other areas of the city. Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian and other officials held a news conference Friday at Glendale City Hall to discuss the discovery of the flyers, which contained language denying the Armenian Genocide and minimizing the suffering of the Armenian people. "As mayor of Glendale, I'm very disturbed and upset that speech inciting violence against Armenians has visited our city by way of individuals vandalizing our city with hate-filled flyers," Kassakhian said in a statement. "Our police are taking this issue seriously and will be investigating this as a hate crime. I speak for our residents and our council when I say that Glendale is not a place for hate speech against Armenians or any other group." The Armenian National Committee of America Glendale Chapter also denounced the flyers.

Westside Current

Report: Connecticut Officer Justified In Trying To Run Down Suspect While Being Fired Upon

A Norwich police officer who was fired at by a man carrying an AR-15 style rifle in 2021 was justified in returning gunfire and trying to run the man over, the state Office of Inspector General concluded in a report released on Wednesday. The use of force report on the incident indicates that Norwich Police Officer Scott N. Dupointe "justifiably used deadly force," when he fired at 28-year-old Andrew O'Lone of Norwich on the evening of Oct. 26, 2021. Investigators concluded Dupointe was also justified in trying, but ultimately failing, to use his police vehicle to strike O'Lone. The Office of the Inspector General has, since 2021, been tasked with conducting investigations into use of force incidents by police officers. Robert J. Devlin Jr. is the current inspector general. According to the report, at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 26, Dupointe, who was at the time an 11-year veteran of the city police department, was working an overtime shift when he responded to calls reporting shots fired in the area of the Westwood Park apartment complex. A suspicious man had been seen in a nearby wooded area. Dupointe was driving west on Dunham Street when a man wearing a ski mask appeared in the roadway about 50 yards from Dupointe's Ford Explorer. It was dark and Dupointe turned on his vehicle's spotlight.

The Day

Arkansas’ Oldest Officer Retires At 93 After Nearly 65-Year Career

Arkansas’ oldest police officer signed his retirement papers this week, ending an almost 65-year career. When L.C. “Buckshot” Smith started working at the Camden Police Department, he said he worked for free at first, KARK reported. Eventually, Smith went to the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Office, where he retired at age 81. A few months later, the Camden police chief asked him to come back. “They said I had too much knowledge, history and understanding to let it die,” Smith said. Between patrols and escorting bus routes or funeral processions, Smith spent his last days in law enforcement mentoring younger officers. But after a fall several weeks ago, an old injury had caught up to Smith: “I woke up. I couldn’t walk. That’s when I made the decision to retire.” Smith will be turning 94 in May. He shared one secret on how to live a long, healthy life: “Eat a lot of vegetables and don’t eat too much fast food.” 

PoliceOne

FBI Documents Give New View Into Mindset Of Las Vegas Mass Shooter

The high-stakes gambler who carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern America, killing 60 and injuring hundreds more in Las Vegas, was apparently angry over how the casinos were treating him despite his high-roller status, according to a fellow gambler. An FBI interview with the gunman's fellow gambler is detailed in hundreds of pages of documents made public this week. The gambler, whose name is redacted in the documents, said he believed the stress could have easily caused gunman Stephen Paddock “to snap.” Paddock, 64, was a video poker player who relied on gambling as his main source of income. The revelation comes years after the FBI in Las Vegas and the local police department concluded their investigations without a definitive motive, although both agencies said Paddock burned through more than $1.5 million, became obsessed with guns, and distanced himself from his girlfriend and family in the months leading up to the massacre. In a statement Thursday, Las Vegas police defended their inconclusive findings and dismissed the importance of the documents released this week in response to an open-records request from the Wall Street Journal.

Associated Press

Man Rescued From San Pedro Cliff Trying To Save Dog

Firefighters rescued a 52-year-old man who became stranded on a San Pedro cliff while trying to save his dog. The rescue occurred near 2201 W. Warmoth St. around 7 p.m., according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The man was uninjured, Humphrey said. The dog was unhurt and rescued by firefighters, the LAFD reported.

CBS 2

Nury Martinez's Former LA Council Seat Up For Grabs In Special Election

The deadline for voters to cast ballots in the special election to determine who will represent the Los Angeles City Council's Sixth District is Tuesday, nearly six months after disgraced Council President Nury Martinez resigned for making racist comments in a meeting that was secretly recorded and leaked to the public. The seven candidates appearing on the ballot are Marisa Alcaraz, Rose Grigoryan, Issac Kim, Imelda Padilla, Marco Santana, Antoinette Scully and Douglas Sierra. Whoever is elected to the seat will represent a large portion of the San Fernando Valley, including Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hills, North Hollywood, Panorama City, Sun Valley and Van Nuys. If no one receives a majority of the vote, there will be a runoff between the top two vote getters, with the deadline to cast ballots June 27. Early voting began March 25, with registered voters receiving a vote-by-mail ballot and in-person voting made available as well. Voters can cast their ballots in several ways including at three vote centers within the district, at a ballot drop-off box, and by mail if postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days.

ABC 7

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 9,200 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.