Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates   Law Enforcement News South LA gang leader and self-proclaimed community activist arrested for ‘mafia-like' crimes A long-time leader of a notorious South Los Angeles-based street gang identified by authorities as an entertainment entrepreneur and a self-proclaimed community activist was charged in a federal complaint that alleges he ran a vast criminal enterprise, authorities announced Tuesday. Eugene "Big U" Henley Jr., 58, of the South LA community of Hyde Park, was arrested after he surrendered to law enforcement agents for being part of a "mafia-like" criminal operation identified in court documents as Big U Enterprise, which benefited from Henley's association with the Rollin' 60s street gang, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Henley, an executive producer on the six-part FX series "Hip Hop Uncovered," is accused in the federal complaint of running a criminal enterprise that committed a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud, and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician, the Justice Department said. Henley, who has nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram, portrayed himself as an anti-gang activist associated with a charity that was a front for the criminal operation, authorities said. Henley received grants from government agencies for the charity, which were then diverted to the criminal enterprise, according to authorities. NBC 4 LA City Council Advances Proposal for New Oversight Bureau on Homelessness Amid growing concerns over transparency and homelessness spending, the Los Angeles City Council Wednesday authorized the formation of a new bureau to ensure taxpayer funds are resulting in the appropriate outcomes. Council members voted 13-0 to instruct departments to report within 30 days on the resources needed to establish the bureau and identify potential funding sources. Council members John Lee and Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote. Councilwoman Nithya Raman, chair of the council's Housing and Homelessness Committee, introduced the motion on Feb. 26 alongside her colleagues Bob Blumenfield and Katy Yaroslavsky. "We spend a lot of money on our homelessness response primarily on outreach, shelter beds and long-term housing that includes permanent supportive housing that we're building, as well as rental subsidies," Raman said. "Homelessness response is complicated." The city works with several agencies on the crisis -- the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), LA Sanitation and Environment, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and multiple L.A. County departments. Westside Current His car was set on fire while he slept inside. Authorities offer $50,000 reward to identify his killers Authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for information that helps identify the people who deliberately set fire to 50-year-old Clay Buchanan’s vehicle while he was sleeping inside. Buchanan, known as tio to friends, had been living in a blue Ford SUV for about four months before he was killed during the early morning hours of Aug. 8, 2023. The killing remains unsolved. Buchanan was inside his car, parked in the 400 block of East 102nd Street in South Los Angeles, when a vehicle pulled up behind him, according to police. The suspects exited the vehicle and threw an unknown accelerant onto Buchanan and his SUV, according to authorities. The suspects lighted Buchanan on fire before retreating to their vehicle and fleeing, police said. It is unclear from police statements whether Buchanan remained inside the vehicle during the attack, if the car doors were unlocked, or the windows were rolled down. Police have not released the number of suspects involved. Buchanan suffered third-degree burns and was pronounced dead hours after being transported to a hospital, police said. Los Angeles Times Ex-Con Sentenced for Murdering Woman, Injuring Dog A parolee who was convicted of murdering a woman and wounding her dog in Koreatown was sentenced Wednesday to just over 100 years to life in state prison. In imposing Lamont Deshon Dorsey’s sentence, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Gustavo Sztraicher cited the “complete viciousness and senselessness” in what “appears to be an unprovoked murder” involving the Jan. 9, 2021, shooting death of Katherine McNally. The judge rejected the defense’s motion to strike Dorsey’s April 2019 conviction for robbery, which resulted in more than three decades being added to his sentence. The judge noted that the now 32-year-old defendant had just been released from state prison a few months before the killing and was on parole at the time, saying he found that Dorsey “falls squarely within the spirit of the three-strikes law.” Dorsey was convicted Feb. 3 of first-degree murder for McNally’s killing, along with a count of animal cruelty involving the woman’s dog, Grizzly, who needed emergency veterinary care after being struck in the ear and is now being cared for by the victim’s boyfriend, according to Deputy District Attorney Justin Ford. MyNewsLA Man accused of biting, hitting passengers on LAX-bound flight Police and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating an incident aboard a Los Angeles-bound Delta Airlines flight where a man allegedly attacked other passengers. The incident occurred late Monday morning on Delta Flight 501 from Atlanta to LAX. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that the adult male passenger had to be restrained after biting one passenger and hitting others. The flight landed safely, and the unruly passenger was detained. “Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior and worked with law enforcement authorities on the investigation,” a Delta Air Lines spokesperson said in a statement. KTLA 5 ‘47 Ronin’ director arrested on suspicion of bilking Netflix to the tune of $11 million Carl Erik Rinsch, a director best known for helming the 2013 movie “47 Ronin,” was arrested Tuesday in West Hollywood on suspicion of defrauding Netflix to the tune of $11 million. The money, which was supposed to go toward finishing a TV show in which $44 million had already been invested, instead went into Rinsch’s personal accounts, his personal spending and his personal gains and losses, according to a federal court indictment filed earlier this month in the Southern District of New York. Rinsch “quickly transferred” the $11 million from the Rinsch Co. account, where it had been deposited March 6, 2020, by Netflix, through a number of additional accounts until about $10.5 million wound up weeks later in a personal brokerage account, according to the indictment. The director proceeded to lose more than half of that money in less than two months via risky investments in the stock market, the indictment says. All the while, the indictment alleges, Rinsch was telling Netflix that the show “White Horse” was “awesome and moving forward really well.” Los Angeles Times Convicted murderer kills wife during conjugal visit in Northern California prison, officials say A convicted killer serving life in prison for four Los Angeles County slayings killed his wife during a conjugal visit, Northern California sheriff’s officials announced. Stephanie Brinson, 62, was killed in November by her husband, David Brinson, 54, at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office said this week. In 1994, Brinson was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for killing four men during a robbery at a Los Angeles apartment, The Times reported. He is currently incarcerated at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton. Around 2 a.m. on Nov. 13, Brinson contacted officers and told them his wife had passed out, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Officers attempted lifesaving efforts, but Stephanie Brinson was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m. Amador County Dist. Atty. Todd Riebe confirmed that Stephanie Brinson was killed during a conjugal visit. He said he hadn’t received the reports from Mule Creek to make a charging decision. Los Angeles Times 2 Texas sheriff’s office members die by suicide within days The Harris County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that two deputies, Christina Kohler and retired deputy Maria Vasquez, died by suicide in separate incidents, Click2Houston reported. Kohler died on March 13, with the Harris County Office of the Medical Examiner confirming her death as a suicide. Vasquez died March 16 in Montgomery, according to the report. The deaths highlight the ongoing need for mental health support for first responders, according to the report. Dr. Ron Acierno, director of the Trauma and Resilience Center at UTHealth Houston, emphasized the importance of breaking the stigma around seeking help. “Much like the veteran community and the active-duty community, the idea is to tough it out. Or whether it’s due to the fact that they just didn’t know the help was available, or didn’t think it could help,” Acierno told Click2Houston. The center offers a free, statewide program providing evidence-based mental health treatment for first responders, according to the report. The remote program lasts 12 to 15 weeks and can be accessed by calling 713-486-2630 and leaving a message. PoliceOne BWC: Man with chainsaw runs into senior living home, strikes Illinois officer before fatal OIS Newly released body camera footage shows the moment a man attempted to start a chainsaw while running through a senior living facility, leading to an officer-involved shooting, ABC7 Chicago reported. The incident began on Dec. 1, 2024, when a 911 caller reported seeing a man entering River Glen of St. Charles, a senior living facility, wielding a chainsaw, according to the report. Body camera footage released on March 18 shows an officer confronting the man near residents and ordering him to drop the weapon. Instead, the man entered the cafeteria and started the chainsaw. The officer deployed a TASER, briefly knocking the man down, but he got up, grabbed the chainsaw, and ran toward the officer. After a pursuit through the facility, the man charged at an officer in the lobby, who fired two shots but missed. Video shows the man was able to strike the officer with the chainsaw before a third shot hit his arm. In a hallway, the man stopped near a resident in a wheelchair and made a gesture resembling holding a gun. An officer then fired a fourth shot, striking him in the chest. Officers provided medical aid before paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. PoliceOne Public Safety News Savage collision in Southern California involving box truck kills motorist One person was killed in a violent crash in the San Fernando Valley involving a box truck and vehicle that appeared to be traveling at high speed, surveillance video shows. The deadly, multi-vehicle collision occurred just before 7 p.m. March 18 in the 8700 block of Lankershim Boulevard, near the 5 Freeway in Sun Valley. Surveillance footage from a nearby business captured a silver two-door coupe traveling northbound on Lankershim Boulevard when the driver suddenly appears to lose control, swerving into southbound lanes of traffic where a large box truck smashes into it. The collision created an immediate cloud of smoke, sending debris flying as the coupe went spinning in the opposite direction, at least one of the driver’s side tires falling off the vehicle, as it careened into a pickup truck parked at the curb. Moments after impact, the box truck was forced into several other vehicles parked along the busy street. KTLA 5 LAFD Extinguish Mid-Wilshire Apartment Fire A fire in the patio of a two-story apartment in the Mid-Wilshire area was knocked down Wednesday, authorities said. Reports of a patio sauna on fire were received around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, in the 1300 block of South Mansfield Avenue, by San Vicente Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters located smoke showing from the second floor of the garden-style residence. Close to three dozen firefighters knocked down the fire in an exterior closet in 16 minutes, the department said. No injuries were reported. MyNewsLA Marine center in ‘crisis mode' after sea lions and dolphins left stranded on LA beaches Sea lions can be heard barking off the San Pedro coast as the number of the sick mammals stranded on LA beaches continues to rise due to a toxic algal bloom. Sea Lions are not the only animals being affected by the bloom. Beginning last week, dolphins have also washed ashore from Long Beach to Malibu coasts, according to the Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC). “This is the fourth year in a row of a bloom of algae that produces a neurotoxin. It builds up in the food chain," said Dave Bader, MMCC’s chief operating officer. “It can cause seizures, lethargy, aggressive behavior, it really just makes them very sick.” The MMCC is operating in “crisis mode” and a triage space is being set up in the Center’s parking lot to increase space for additional patient admits as the volume of animals coming into MMCC’s hospital each day remains high. “We have over 60 patients right now, including some of our pups that were received earlier this year, but the majority of our patients are recovering from domoic acid toxicosis,” said Bader. NBC 4 Local Government News ‘Leave no stone unturned.' LA Mayor Bass calls for sweeping reform in city budget Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass portrayed a dire financial situation for the city of Los Angeles in a budget preview released Wednesday that called for "leaving no stone unturned." Bass said her 2025-2026 budget proposal will "deliver fundamental change to the way the City operates. In a letter to Los Angeles City Administrative Office Matthew Szabo, Bass directed his office to come up with a plan to save between $500 million and $900 million in structural budgetary expenses in the 2025-26 Fiscal Year. "For too long, the City’s budget and operations have simply been based on the way the City operated in the previous year," Bass said in a statement. "This year, we must deliver fundamental change in the way the City operates and base our budget on how the City can best serve the people of Los Angeles and to best use their scarce budget dollars. “Since taking office two-and-a-half years ago, I have confronted some of our city’s toughest challenges by working to change the broken status quo at City Hall. The need for structural sweeping reform of the City’s budget and operations has only intensified, and changing the status quo is at the heart of my office’s work as we continue to draft my proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year." NBC 4 LA Council Looks to Create Air Complaint Program The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday instructed staff to explore a program that could address local air quality challenges and empower residents to take an active role in reducing pollution. In a 13-0 vote, the City Council approved a motion introduced on Feb. 7 by members Tim McOsker and Katy Yaroslavsky. Council members requested the Department of Transportation, Port of Los Angeles and the Wilmington Neighborhood Council to report on the feasibility of enacting such a program. Council members John Lee and Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote. According to the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2024 report, L.A. ranked as the sixth most polluted metropolitan area in the United States when measured by annual particle pollution. A large source of these harmful pollutants come from idle emissions from motor vehicles powered by gas or diesel. MyNewsLA 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. Listen To Our Podcast Los Angeles Police Protective League | 1308 W 8th St | Los Angeles, CA 90017 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Our Privacy Policy | Constant Contact Data Notice