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California Deputy Recovering After Being Shot While Serving Eviction Notice

Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Grant, 40, is recovering after being shot while serving an eviction notice in Salinas on Wednesday. “Everyone’s optimistic with regard to the condition and the recovery of the deputy,” said the county’s chief communications officer, Nick Pasculli. “It could have been tragic but the trauma team at Natividad Medical Center did an amazing job of providing excellent care and very rapid surgery to take care of the injuries that the deputy received in the line of duty.” The suspected shooter, Erin Howard Fischer, a 67-year-old male resident of Salinas, was fatally shot Wednesday by authorities, ending the 9-hour standoff. At 7:49 a.m. Wednesday, Deputy Grant responded to a routine service call at 29 Sun St. According to a press release from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, at 7:56 a.m. Grant asked for additional units to respond to the location after Fischer did not answer the door to his upstairs apartment. Two more deputies arrived and Fischer, according to the DA, began firing at them starting at 8:46 a.m.

Monterey Daily Herald

LAPD Chief Praises How Police Dealt With Protest At Saticoy Elementary Pride Event

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore praised police on Saturday, June 3, for their handling of a clash a day earlier between protesters and LGBTQ advocates over a Pride Month assembly at a North Hollywood elementary school. “Our people worked effectively alongside our LAUSD PD partners in providing for the safety of all involved,” Moore tweeted Saturday. “I’m proud of their professionalism in the face of abusive insults & challenging circumstances.” Friday morning’s demonstration at Saticoy Elementary School featured more than 100 people, and turned confrontational as the two sides engaged in a tense standoff that led to some shoving and angry shouting before police formed a skirmish line to separate the sides. “It’s a sad morning,” Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told Fox11 outside the campus Friday as dozens of parents, protesters and others amassed outside the school on Ethel Avenue, some shouting into bullhorns or waving signs and flags. A large police presence was at the school in anticipation of the protest by parents. 

Los Angeles Daily News

Downtown Los Angeles Shooting: Man Dies Outside Grand Park Metro Station

Los Angeles police are investigating a homicide outside a Metro train station in downtown L.A. after a man was shot to death Sunday night. Officers responded to the intersection of Hill and West 1st streets downtown at about 10:40 p.m. Sunday, near the Civic Center/Grand Park Metro station, according to the Los Angeles Police Dept. The incident was initially reported as a stabbing. A man in his 30s was found with at least one gunshot wound, police said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. It was unclear if the victim was attacked on the sidewalk or inside the station, police said. A Foothill Transit bus was parked outside the station at the time of the incident. Police said the driver got out of the bus to assist and called 911. "Shots had been heard prior to the officers getting the radio call," said LAPD Lt. Ryan Rabbett. "We don't know if those shots being heard were related to this incident. We believe they were. We don't really have a lot of information on what led up to this."

CBS 2

1 Dead After Shootout With Security Guards In South L.A., Police Say

One person was killed and a security guard was wounded Sunday morning following a shootout in South L.A., according to police. An armed security guard was trying to remove a man from a location near Washington Boulevard and Los Angeles Street about 7 a.m. when an argument broke out, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The man pulled out a shotgun and fired at the security guard. A second security guard returned fire, a spokesperson for LAPD said. The gunman died at the scene, police said. The wounded security guard was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. KTLA reported the security guard was hit in the leg. The TV station also reported that the incident was said to have occurred outside an “illegal ‘casita.’” The Times recently reported on the casitas — Spanish for “little houses.” The illegal gambling dens — hidden in homes, warehouses and storefronts — have been targeted by law enforcement authorities, who say the sites are magnets for violence. Los Angeles police say they are looking for two gunmen who shot and killed a security guard at a gambling den in North Hollywood on May 31.

Los Angeles Times

Mom Suspected Of DUI After Child Killed In Pico-Union Crash

A mother is suspected of DUI after her child was killed in a crash in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles Saturday. The crash happened near the intersection of W. Washington Boulevard and Toberman Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. According to officials, the young child was a passenger in the car when the mother was driving erratically underneath the 10 Freeway and crashed into a container that was on the side of the road. The mother was also injured and sent to the hospital, but her condition is unknown. No further information was immediately available. 

FOX 11

Shooting At Taco Truck In South LA Leaves Two People Injured

Two people were shot at a taco truck in South LA Monday morning. The shooting place closer to 12:20 a.m. on Manchester Avenue and St. Andrews Place in the Manchester Square neighborhood of South LA. When police arrived at the scene they found two men who had suffered gunshot wounds just outside of the taco truck. At this time, police do not know the cause of the shooting or have a description of anyone who was involved. The two men were transported to the hospital for their injuries and are listed in stable condition. This incident comes after a string of robberies at taco trucks throughout the South LA over the past week. "Put up a big sign so that customers will actually see before they approach the stand that 'oh hey this is a cashless stand,'" said Jader Chaves, with the LAPD. "It's better in my opinion to lose a couple of customers than to get robbed and get your hard owned money taken from you." Authorities urge anyone who knows anything about the robberies from last week or the recent shooting to please come forward and call the LAPD. 

NBC 4

LAPD Searching Man, 88, From Harvard Heights Area

Los Angeles police continued searching and asking for the public’s help to find an 88-year-old man who went missing from the Harvard Heights area. Israel Villaescusa was last seen on Thursday about 4:30 p.m. near Pico Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, according to the LAPD. Villaescusa is Hispanic. He is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 155 pounds. He has gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and black shoes. “Israel uses a walker, and his mental condition is poor,” police said in a statement. Anyone knowing his whereabouts was urged to call the LAPD’s Olympic Station at 213-382-9110, or the LAPD’S tipline 877-LAPD-247. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

MyNewsLA

Police Targeting Drivers And Alcohol Sales To Reduce DUIs

With Memorial Day kick-starting the summer season in Santa Monica, law enforcement agencies are warning residents about the dangers of drunk driving. The Santa Monica Police Department recently arrested a suspected DUI driver on the 1100 block of 26th Street. In that incident, the driver of a Jeep Patriot hit two parked cars and flipped the vehicle on its roof. According to SMPD he had minor injuries and officers determined the driver was intoxicated and almost twice the legal limit for alcohol. The incident was one example of the accidents that local officers are seeing on a regular basis. DUI, like many crimes, has steadily increased from a pandemic era lull. There were 182 DUI arrests reported in 2019 and that number fell to 126 in 2020. It grew slightly to 131 in 2021 and then to 167 last year. In the first quarter of this year, SMPD reported 35 DUI arrests. During last week’s Memorial Day weekend the CHP arrested 314 people in the first 24 hours of their Maximum Enforcement Weekend, an increase over the 241 arrested in the same time last year.

Westside Current

Authorities Search For Missing Los Angeles County Woman

Authorities are searching for a woman who disappeared in Lancaster on May 28. The missing woman, Sherisah Amanda “Mandy” Bennett, 37, was last seen on the 44800 block of Cedar Avenue around 11 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Bennett is described as a Black female standing 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 135 pounds. She has brown eyes, black hair that is styled in braids and shaved on the sides and a nose ring in her right nostril. She has a tattoo of three flowers and “JONATHAN” written on her left shoulder, along with a tattoo of stars on the back of her neck. She was last seen wearing a brown tank top, green pants, and light brown sandals. She requires medication and her family is concerned for her well-being, authorities said. The woman’s family is hoping the public can help find her. Anyone who may have seen Boyd or knows of her whereabouts is asked to call the LASD’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500.

KTLA 5

West Virginia Officer Killed, Suspect Arrested After Hours-Long Manhunt

A suspect was taken into custody for fatally shooting a police officer and wounding another following an hours-long manhunt in West Virginia, authorities said. State police Sgt. Cory Maynard was killed in the shooting, Gov. Jim Justice confirmed in a statement, adding that he was “absolutely heartbroken” over the loss. He and first lady Cathy Justice extended their sympathies to Maynard’s family. “The brave men and women of law enforcement, and all first responders who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, are an inspiration to us all,” he added. Following his statement, the governor issued a proclamation ordering all United States and West Virginia flags to be displayed at half-staff in honor of Sgt. Maynard. The deadly violence unfolded Friday afternoon as officers responded to a complaint of a shooting in the Beech Creek area of Mingo County. When they arrived on the scene, the suspect, identified as Timothy Kennedy, opened fire, striking Maynard. The officer was then rushed to a nearby hospital in Logan where he died from his wounds a short time later.

New York Daily News

Louisiana Officer Dies Of Injuries From Shopping Center Shooting

A Denham Springs police officer who was critically injured in a shooting last month near I-12 died Friday afternoon in the hospital, the department said. Cpl. Shawn Kelly was shot multiple times shortly before 4:30 p.m. May 11 in the parking lot of Spring Park Plaza on South Range Avenue. "Cpl. Shawn Kelly was a great public servant, a great father, grandfather, husband and just a great human being," Denham Springs Police Chief Rodney Walker said in a statement. "He was was one of the finest men I've ever known. The Denham Springs and Livingston Parish communities have truly lost one of its finest." Police said Kelly died "surrounded by his family, friends, and members of the DSPD." His remains were escorted in a procession Friday evening from Our Lady of the Lake hospital to Seale Funeral Home in Denham Springs. Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized. Kelly and other officers had responded to a call about an argument between a man and a woman who did not know each other outside a Petco, officials said — once Kelly and another officer arrived, 30-year-old Justin Roberts of Denham Springs allegedly began firing at them from his car, striking Kelly multiple times.

The Advocate

Fire Erupts At Vacant Single-Family Home In Westlake District

Firefighters battled a raging fire in the Westlake District. The fire erupted at a vacant, single-family home in the 200 block of N. Dillon Street on Saturday night. It is unclear what started the fire. There were no reports of any injuries. 

CBS 2

Woman Rescued From Wilson Canyon Loop Trail After Suffering Ankle Injury

A 26-year-old woman was rescued Sunday from a remote section of the Wilson Canyon Loop Trail in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills by firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department. The woman suffered an ankle injury after a ground-level fall on the trail, according to firefighters. LAFD flight paramedics were lowered from a hovering helicopter to medically assess and stabilize the woman before hoisting her onto the aircraft. LAFD flight paramedics were preparing for in-flight care while they rushed her to a hospital.

MyNewsLA

After Wet Winter, LA County Health Officials Preparing For ‘Heavy' Mosquito Season

The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District on Saturday conducted an emergency-response training exercise in Whittier to encourage residents to "tip and toss" stagnant water to prevent invasive Aedes mosquitoes. The training was conducted in partnership with the Medical Reserve Corps and public health emergency volunteers. "They assist us in doing door-to-door surveillance as well as inspections of properties, removing of sources that might be breeding sources for mosquitos, as well as providing education for our residents, in terms of how to protect themselves from being bitten or preventing mosquito sources around their property," said Steve Vetrone, a director of scientific-technical services with the Vector Control District. Teams performed yard inspections in the neighborhood surrounding Amelia Mayberry Park. Whittier is one of many communities in L.A. County with Aedes mosquitoes, commonly known as "ankle biters," which have the potential to transmit dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever to people, officials said.

ABC 7

LA Council Committee Approves To Expand Use Of RepresentLA Funding

A Los Angeles City Council committee Friday voted 4-1 to approve a motion seeking to expand the use of funds to cover additional legal services through RepresentLA, an initiative aimed at providing free legal services for the city's immigrant community. The motion presented by council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Curren Price calls to expand the $4 million program for services addressing detained and non-detained merit-blind removal defense. "Deportation proceedings, which are things that are not covered under this current plan, are the most difficult , most arduous or the most stressful experiences and tear families apart,'' Soto-Martinez said, who is the chair of the Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability committee. "That's why I introduced the motion, because while I thought we did good work, let's try to improve it.'' City Council approved the move forward with the implementation of RepresentLA in April, but it did not specifically carve out funding for legal services for immigrants who might have criminal records.

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.