VIDEO: LAPD motorcycle officer injured in DTLA freeway crash

A Los Angeles Police Department officer was injured after crashing into a stalled car on a downtown Los Angeles freeway early Sunday morning, and the crash was captured on dashcam footage. The crash happened just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, on the 110 Freeway near 3rd Street downtown. According to the California Highway Patrol, the officer hit a van that had stalled on the side of the freeway. A dashcam in another nearby car captured the immediate aftermath of the dramatic crash. In the video, the officer is seen skidding for several feet before coming to a stop, while the motorcycle continues, tumbling across multiple lanes. LAFD paramedics took the officer to the hospital, who had only minor injuries, CHP said. Officers detained the driver of the van that had stalled, but later let him go and towed his car. It wasn't clear what led to the crash, or why the other vehicle had stalled on the freeway. 

FOX 11

Driver allegedly responsible for deadly hit-and-run in South Los Angeles neighborhood returns to scene

A driver who is allegedly responsible for killing a woman during a hit-and-run in South Los Angeles Friday morning returned to the scene, police say. The Los Angeles Police Department said they received a call around 12:35 a.m. about a deadly hit-and-run near Florence and Towne Avenue. The suspect vehicle, a black Dodge Charger or Challenger, was traveling westbound on Florence Avenue when it hit a woman. Police said the woman was launched westward and landed on the roadway. The driver fled the scene going westbound on Florence Avenue. The LAPD said the driver returned to the scene a while after the incident and was taken into custody for a felony hit-and-run. 

CBS 2

Pickup truck strikes, kills woman in South Los Angeles

A motorist struck and killed a female pedestrian in South Los Angeles on Saturday night, officials confirmed to KTLA. It happened around 9:20 p.m. in the Vermont Vista neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Details are limited, but police said that the woman was hit by a gray pickup truck at 15th and South Figueroa streets. It remains unclear if this was a hit-and-run, and no details on the person behind the wheel were immediately provided. Paramedics declared the woman dead at the scene and officers requested a canopy for investigation. The victim’s age and description were unknown as of 11 p.m.

KTLA 5

Man and woman dead after domestic violence stabbing sparked police shooting in NoHo, LAPD says

A man accused of stabbing a woman to death was shot and killed by police officers outside of North Hollywood home on Friday afternoon -- just feet away from an elementary school playground. Los Angeles police responded to a report of domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon just before 1 p.m. at a home on Beck Avenue near Arminta Street. When officers arrived, a domestic violence incident was in progress, according to LAPD. Officers found a female victim with multiple stab wounds. Officers opened fire on a man who was near the female victim, LAPD said. The man -- who they describe as the domestic violence suspect -- and the woman were taken to the hospital, where they were both pronounced dead. AIR7 video from above the scene shows a pool of blood and a knife on the ground. The shooting happened while students at nearby Arminta Street Elementary School were outside on the playground. The students said they ran inside when they heard the shots, and the school went into lockdown.

ABC 7

Man found shot inside car in Lincoln Heights; suspects flee on electric scooter 

Two suspects who fled on an electric scooter remain at large after a man was found shot inside his car in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood Saturday morning. Los Angeles police responded to reports of the shooting near Humboldt Street and Avenue 23 at 1:15 a.m. The victim, a 48-year-old man, was sitting inside his Dodge Charger when two male suspects approached his car. Witnesses told police they began arguing and that’s when a suspect opened fire and shot the victim. The suspects then fled the scene while riding an electric scooter. Arriving officers found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he remained in stable condition. Photos from the scene showed that at least one bullet had pierced the man’s windshield on the driver’s side. Nearby roads were cordoned off as police investigated the scene.

KTLA 5

Smash-and-grab burglars ram stolen car into high-end shop in L.A., police say

Authorities are searching for burglars who hit a high-end sneaker shop hours before its doors opened, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers sent to the 400 block of North Fairfax Avenue around 5 a.m. Friday found that a blue Toyota Camry had rammed into Solestage, a shop known for streetwear, accessories and sneakers. LAPD Officer Drake Madison said the vehicle had been reported stolen. It is unclear what items were taken from the store. Solestage did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Authorities say the suspects ran away, but had no other information about them as of Friday afternoon. Anyone with information is asked to contact the LAPD’s Wilshire Division at (213) 473-0476. During non-business hours, or on weekends, calls should be directed to (877) 527-3247. Tips can also be made anonymously via lacrimestoppers.org or (800) 222-8477.

Los Angeles Times

Police seek vandal who spray-painted graffiti at Islamic Center of Southern California

Police are looking for a vandal who defaced a wall, columns and tree in what authorities called a hate crime at the Islamic Center of Southern California. The vandalism happened sometime between 5:45 a.m. and noon on Sunday at the religious center northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Graffiti depicting religious and other symbols was spray-painted on the wall, column and trees, officials with the Islamic Center said. "We have an act of vandalism against a house of worship, and that takes us into 594.3, subdivision A," said Paul Kim, of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, referring to California penal code for vandalism against a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, building owned and occupied by a religious educational institution, or other places primarily used as a place of worship. The LAPD issued a Crime Alert with security camera photos of a man sought in connection with the vandalism. The man, 20 to 25 years old, has tattoos on his right arm and was wearing a red hair band, black t-shirt, blue jeans and white shoes, police said. Security camera video showed someone spray-painting the wall, at least two columns and a tree in front of the center.

NBC 4

Billboards spotlight unsolved murders in LA County

The group Justice for Murdered Children unveiled its latest billboard campaign Friday in South Los Angeles in hopes of raising awareness and generating tips in four unsolved homicide cases. The new billboard -- at 104th Street and Vermont Avenue -- displays the faces of four young murder victims, two men and two women, whose cases remain unsolved. Each billboard asks the chilling question: "Do You Know Who Murdered Me?" and reminds residents they can anonymously report tips to Los Angeles Crime Stoppers. Seven such billboards have been installed across the city as part of a broader campaign to encourage witnesses and community members to overcome the cultural cliché that says "Snitches get stitches." The group urges witnesses and those in the know to come forward with information. "We're saying stand up and tell if you know something," LaWanda Hawkins, founder of San Pedro-based Justice for Murdered Children, told City News Service. "How do we break the code of silence when we have a community that's saying 'Don't say anything?' We say it's OK, and we'll support you when you say something."

NBC 4

‘I got you, brother’: Video shows New Jersey officers pull man from burning vehicle

Three Clark police officers are being recognized for their actions after rescuing a man trapped inside a burning vehicle, Patch reported. According to the Clark Police Department, Sergeant Pedro Oliveria, Officer Teriq Ricks and Officer Giovannina Prisco responded on May 12 to a single-vehicle crash. Upon arrival, they found the car engulfed in flames with the driver unable to escape. Body-camera video released by police shows the officers attempting to communicate with the trapped man as smoke and fire intensified. Despite suffering from smoke inhalation, the officers repeatedly encouraged the driver to crawl toward them while attempting to break the windows. “Grab my hand. Grab my hand. Grab me,” one officer can be heard shouting. After several efforts, one officer crawled partially into the car to reach the victim. “I got you brother. I got you,” an officer says, as they finally make contact with the driver. Working together, the officers pulled the man free just moments before the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames. The rescue took under four minutes.

PoliceOne

Hospital needs help identifying man found injured in downtown Los Angeles

A Los Angeles hospital needs help identifying a man who has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks. The male patient is 63 years old, according to the Los Angeles General Medical Center. He was found injured near 7th and Flower Streets in downtown L.A. on May 3. He stands 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 172 pounds, has brown eyes and gray and black hair. He does not have any personal belongings to help staff identify him or contact loved ones. Workers did not disclose the nature of his injuries. Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call clinical social workers Brian Dillon at 323-409-3134 or Cristol Perez at 323-409-4317. The public can also call the L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253 or after hours, call 323-409-6883.

KTLA 5

L.A. council panel votes to save 1,000 city jobs, reducing layoffs to 650

A key committee of the Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to cut the number of employees targeted for layoff by Mayor Karen Bass by more than half, bringing the total down to an estimated 650. The council’s budget committee took steps to save more than 1,000 jobs by pursuing an array of cost-cutting measures, such as hiring fewer police officers and scaling back funding for Bass’ Inside Safe program, which moves homeless people into temporary or permanent housing. Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who chairs the committee, said those and many other moves would help the city protect core services, including tree trimming, street resurfacing, street light repair and sanitation teams that address illegal dumping. “We looked for ways to save positions — not for the sake of job counts only, but to make sure the departments can still do the work our constituents need them to do for their quality of life,” said Yaroslavsky, who represents part of the Westside. The committee’s recommendations for the proposed 2025-26 budget now head to the full council, which is scheduled to take them up on Thursday. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who sits on the committee, expressed some optimism after the vote. “We were in very rough waters, and a very different landscape, when we started this process,” said Hernandez, who represents part of the Eastside. “And now there seems to be some light between the clouds.”

Los Angeles Times

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.