LA Council Committee To Review, Vote On McDonnell's Nomination As LAPD Chief

A City Council committee will meet Tuesday to consider Mayor Karen Bass' nomination of former Los Angeles County Sheriff James McDonnell as the next LAPD Chief. The five-member Public Safety Committee will convene in a special meeting Tuesday in Council Chambers at City Hall. The City Council members will have an opportunity to question McDonnell and assess his plans for leading the nation's third-largest police department. On Oct. 4, Bass announced McDonnell as her pick to lead the Los Angeles Police Department, replacing former chief Michel Moore, who retired in February. Dominic Choi has been serving as interim chief. McDonnell was one of three finalists for the position, alongside LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides and former Assistant Chief Robert "Bobby" Arcos, who has been working with District Attorney George Gascón's office as head of investigations. Bass described McDonnell as "one of America's finest police professionals" and a "nationally recognized thought leader on public safety." She had expressed confidence in McDonnell to keep L.A. safe as the region will host major sporting events in the coming years.

ABC 7

Bus Hijacking, Murder Suspect To Enter Plea In Tuesday's Court Hearing

Lamont Campbell, the 51-year-old man who has been charged with hijacking a Metro bus from South Los Angeles to downtown LA and fatally shooting an innocent passenger, was due in court Tuesday. Campbell was expected to enter a plea during Tuesday's court hearing. He is accused of shooting Anthony Rivera after attempting to rob him. Then, prosecutors said he took the bus over and led police on a chase where he was eventually arrested by a SWAT team. Investigators said it all began around 1 a.m. on Sept. 25 on S. Figueroa Street and Imperial Highway in South LA’s Vermont Vista neighborhood when the Los Angeles Police Department received reports of a shooting. A short time later, officers became notified of a bus that was hijacked going southbound on Figueroa Street. Video from the scene shows the moments when LAPD officers were on a slow-speed pursuit of the bus while the bus driver was being held hostage by a man armed with a gun. The pursuit lasted about an hour. Investigators said some passengers were able to exit the bus during the pursuit.

FOX 11

Teen Riding Minibike Killed In Koreatown Hit-and-Run Crash

A 15-year-old minibike rider was killed early Monday morning in a hit-and-run crash in Los Angeles' Koreatown. Family members said they found out about a minibike crash on the Citizen app and went to the scene at Olympic Boulevard and Arapahoe Street. That's where they recognized some of Joseph Rangel's belongings scattered in the street. "His body was covered with a white sheet, but we saw his belongings and recognized his stuff," said sister Stacey Rangel. The crash was reported at about 1:30 a.m. The minibike was northbound on Arapahoe Street when the rider lost control and slid into the intersection, where it was struck by a vehicle traveling east on Olympic Boulevard, the LAPD said. The rider died at the scene. A detailed description of the vehicle was not immediately available.

NBC 4

40-Year-Old Woman Missing In Echo Park

Authorities Monday sought the public’s help to find a woman who went missing from the Echo Park area a week ago. Rosemary Caratao, 40, was last seen about 9 a.m. on Oct. 21 walking away from her home in the 600 block of North Bonnie Brae Street, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. Caratao was described as Asian, 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing about 190 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a multi-colored shirt, blue pants and blue shoes. Anyone knowing her whereabouts was urged to call the sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800, or 877-LAPD-247. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS, or use the website www.lacrimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

Suspect In Violent Beating Of Barney's Beanery Valet Charged With Attempted Murder

The suspect linked to the brutal beating of a longtime valet in West Hollywood's popular Barney's Beanery was charged with attempted murder on Monday, according to the district attorney. Dorian Michael Gray, 28, is charged with one count of attempted murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of battery, and several other charges. If convicted, Gray faces life in prison. "This senseless and brutal attack has shaken the West Hollywood community, and our hearts go out to Mr. Zarazua and the other victims," LA County District Attorney George Gascón said. "We will fully pursue justice and work diligently to hold the perpetrator accountable." Surveillance video of the Sept. 14 attack showed a shirtless man approaching Zarazua and hitting him in the face. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, he fell and lost consciousness when his head hit the pavement. Then, the man in the video kicked Zarazua in the head and torso at least seven times before running off. Zarazua is back home but needs rehab and 24/7 constant care, according to an update his family posted on GoFundMe. 

FOX 11

Fresno Police Sergeant Shot Multiple Times Pursues Gunman Despite Injuries

A Fresno police sergeant was ambushed Saturday evening and struck by multiple rounds of gunfire while on the scene of a homicide investigation but still pursued his assailant despite his injuries, city officials said Monday morning. On Saturday, the sergeant responded to a call in south Fresno where officers were investigating a homicide, Fresno Police Interim Chief Mindy Casto said Monday. The sergeant was sitting in his patrol car working on his laptop, when a gunman, identified later as 40-year-old Andy Morales, rolled up to the sergeant’s car and fired .223 rounds from an AR pistol at the sergeant before driving off. Despite being shot at, she said, the sergeant pursued the suspect by car for another block while radioing for help. A 49-second gun battle between the sergeant and Morales erupted, the chief said, before two other officers arrived and fired at the suspect, who was killed in the shootout. The responding officers provided first aid to the sergeant and applied a tourniquet before he was taken to a hospital, where he is recovering. “The sergeant had the presence of mind before succumbing to his injuries and going into shock to call for an ambulance for both himself and the suspect,” Casto said. “So that’s very remarkable to me.”

Los Angeles Times

2 Convicted In Armed Robbery Of U.S. Secret Service Agent In Southern California

Two men have been found guilty and a third pleaded guilty in connection with an armed robbery of an off-duty United States Secret Service agent in Orange County earlier this year, officials announced Monday. The June 15 robbery unfolded near the intersection of Straus Lane and Westwind Drive in the Tustin Fields residential community. Prosecutors with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office say that the unidentified federal agent was returning from a fundraiser in Los Angeles where President Joe Biden was in attendance when he was confronted by a suspect, later identified as 32-year-old Fontana resident Jamonte Fitzgerald Johnson, who exited a gray SUV and grabbed the agent’s laptop bag while holding him at gunpoint. During the robbery, the agent fired several shots, at least one of which struck a second suspect, later identified as 38-year-old L.A. resident Bertran Claude Bell, who was in the SUV, according to a news release from the OCDA’s office.  

KTLA 5

BWC: Man Opens Fire, Wounds 2 Iowa Officers Before Fatal OIS

Des Moines police have released body camera footage of a man opening fire and shooting officers, leading to a fatal officer-involved shooting, the Des Moines Register reported. The incident began on Sept. 16 when officers pulled over a man due to a taillight issue, according to the report. As officers approached, the man sped away, leading to a brief pursuit that ended when he crashed into a semi-truck. The video, which was made public on Oct. 28, shows two officers exiting their vehicle and repeatedly ordering the man to turn off his car and step out. One officer aimed a TASER at the man, who had moved his leg outside the car and was rocking the vehicle back and forth. Despite multiple commands to exit the vehicle, the man did not comply, leading officers to deploy their TASERs. As officers attempted to remove the man from the car, he resisted and produced a handgun, firing seven shots, video shows. He struck both officers, one in the head and the other in the arm, according to the report. As one officer collapsed, other officers responded with 51 shots, fatally wounding the suspect. The man briefly attempted to stand before succumbing to his injuries.

PoliceOne

Video: Suspect Calls 911, Attacks And Chokes Responding Florida Officer

A man in Orlando faces multiple charges following a domestic violence incident and an attack on a police officer during his arrest, WESH reported. The Oct. 23 incident began when Sanford Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting a possible stabbing, according to the report. The suspect had contacted police claiming his wife was attempting to stab and hit him. He informed dispatchers that he had left the scene. When officers arrived at the residence, they spoke with a woman who appeared to have suffered injuries to her face. While they spoke with her, the suspect returned to the home. Video shows the suspect ignoring officers’ instructions, attacking an officer and attempting to choke him. Another officer deployed a TASER, which subdued the suspect. The man was then taken into custody without further incident. The suspect has been charged with attempted murder, domestic violence battery and resisting an officer with violence, according to the report. 

PoliceOne

LAFD Responds To Medical Emergency At Nobel Charter Middle School In Northridge

Authorities responded to a medical emergency in which at least one person was being treated at a middle school in Northridge Monday. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call around 12:22 p.m. reporting the emergency at Nobel Charter Middle School at 9950 N. Tampa Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. It is unclear if the person was hospitalized. Firefighters responded to this same school on Oct. 14 for a similar call. At least five students became sick after possibly eating cannabis-derived edibles, according to the LAFD. Three of them were hospitalized while the two others were treated at the scene and released to their parents after being evaluated. No other information was immediately available. 

FOX 11

Several Inmates Hospitalized After Possible Overdose Incident At Men's Central Jail Near Downtown LA

Several inmates were hospitalized Tuesday morning after a possible overdose incident at the Men's Central Jail near downtown Los Angeles, officials said. Shortly before 7 a.m., Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter-paramedics were summoned by L.A. County Sheriff's Department staff to "assist seven persons (all believed to be inmates), who may have inhaled or been exposed to a yet to be formally identified substance within a jail facility," the LAFD said in a statement. All seven patients were transported to hospitals for further evaluation or required care, officials said. Their conditions were not immediately known. "No escalating or off-site hazard has been identified," the news release said.

ABC 7

Furniture, Textile Building Catches Fire In DTLA

A fire heavily damaged four units of a commercial building containing furniture and rolls of textiles in downtown Los Angeles Monday, but no one was hurt. The fire was reported at 4:16 a.m. in the 500 block of East Ninth Street, said Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. “Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy smoke emanating from a one-story row of commercial units,” Stewart said in a statement. “In an aggressive effort to control the blaze, crews executed forcible entry by cutting through multiple rolling steel doors to gain access to the interior,” Stewart’s statement said. “Simultaneously, the truck company ascended aerial ladders to the roof to cut ventilation holes, allowing for the release of thick, black smoke that filled the units from ceiling to floor. As the fire intensified and began burning through the roof, firefighters transitioned to a defensive operation due to the hazardous conditions,” Stewart said.

MyNewsLA

LA City Council Looks To Expand Eviction Protection Related To Unit Remodeling

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday will consider a motion aimed at preventing evictions as a result of a substantial remodel effort to the housing unit. Six council members introduced the motion on Oct. 8, which if approved, would instruct the Housing Department and City Attorney's Office to update the Just Cause Ordinance -- in particular, evictions caused by a "substantial remodel," which is defined as major structural, electrical, plumbing or mechanical system work lasting more than 30 days and requires permits. Currently, the city qualifies a substantial remodel as a "no-fault" eviction, where a tenant in good standing can be evicted if their unit requires work and the property owner self-certifies it will take 30 days or more to complete. Property owners of rent-stabilized units, however, must provide a plan to temporarily relocate tenants if the unit requires a substantial remodel. The plan must be submitted to the Housing Department, and the tenant has to agree before it can be executed. Council members -- Bob Blumenfield, Katy Yaroslavsky, Nithya Raman, Heather Hutt, Eunisses Hernandez, and Hugo Soto-Martinez -- intend to expand eviction protections for tenants not covered by the rent stabilization ordinance.

Westside Current

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,900 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.