Good Morning. Officer Al Martinez needs our help. Following a bout with COVID, Al’s wife has been receiving very expensive cancer treatment. Officer Martinez was recently in an on-duty traffic accident which has left Officer Martinez in need of our help. A taco plate fundraiser is being conducted at VTD on 6/16 and 77th on 6/17 to raise money for his family. Click here for more information.
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Two People Dead Following Triple Shooting In Mid-City
Two men were dead Monday morning and a woman recovering with what police are saying are non-life-threatening injuries following a shooting in Mid-City. The shooting happened in a strip mall near the intersection of Washington Blvd. and Crenshaw Blvd. LAPD says two men died at the scene and a third victim was taken to the hospital and she is expected to survive. It was not immediately clear if all three victims were related or part of the same group, and whether the shooting was random or targeted. Police did not release the identity of the victims. LAPD says they're looking into the circumstances that led up to the shooting, and they don't have a description of the shooter at this time.
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Police Recover 18 Shell Casings At Scene Of Nickerson Gardens Homicide
An 18-year-old man was shot dead Saturday morning at the Nickerson Gardens public housing apartment complex, where police recovered 18 shell casings, authorities said. The victim was identified as Christopher Castellan Roque, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Officials had no place of residence for Roque. The shooting occurred at 12:40 a.m. in the area of 112th Street and Parmalee Avenue. Police recovered 18 shell casings at the scene of the shooting, according to a watch commander at the LAPD’s Southeast station. There was no other immediate information.
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2 Gunmen Wound 3 People At Sports Bar In Sherman Oaks
A shouting match led to a shooting that left three people wounded at a popular sports bar in Sherman Oaks early Sunday morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The shooting occurred at The Woodman sports bar at 13615 Ventura Boulevard at around 1:30 a.m., police said. Officer Rosario Cervantes said shots were fired after “a verbal confrontation.” Police didn’t know whether that fight and the shooting that followed occurred inside or outside the bar. But three people — two men and one women — were hit as the chaos unfolded. A watch commander at the Van Nuys station, who would not give his name, said when two gunmen fired at each other, one person was hit in the leg. Another was shot in the foot. And the third victim was taken to a hospital by a friend. Their wounds were not known. Police haven’t been able to say what the fight was about. T
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Most states have a system for ousting bad cops. In California, legislation is struggling
Across the nation, 46 states have rules preventing abusive officers from jumping jobs, furthering their careers by switching agencies even after they’ve committed serious misconduct or been fired. California is not one of them — but a proposed law to change that is facing unexpectedly fierce opposition at the Capitol. For seven tense hours Tuesday — one week after a former Minneapolis police officer was convicted of murdering Floyd — legislation to ban peace officers found to have acted with significant malfeasance in California seemed on the verge of dying in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill's author, a Black man representing Gardena, had to promise to compromise on key provisions to keep it alive, even as he vented about the pushback he met on one of the proposal's first steps through the legislative process. Law enforcement is especially unhappy with a proposed state board that would advise on misconduct decisions and have investigative power. They argue it's unclear what conduct could lead to a ban and take issue with the board being comprised mostly of advocates and those affected by police violence. "The current makeup of the board is akin to appointing anti-vaxxers to a committee that would approve vaccines," said Tom Saggau, a spokesman for police unions in Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco.
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$50K Reward Offered In Search For Hit-and-Run Driver That Left 78-Year-Old Man Injured
A 78-year-old man was severely injured when he was hit by a car as he crossed a street in East Hollywood Friday and the driver fled the scene. The man was struck at about 7:35 a.m. as he crossed Lexington Avenue at Vermont Avenue by a possibly 2010-2015 dark-colored Mazda CX-7 that drove through a red light, police said. The driver of the Mazda fled the scene without identifying themselves. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics took the man to a hospital. He was listed in stable condition. A reward of up to $50,000 is being offered for any kind of information about the crash. If you saw anything you can contact LAPD Central Traffic Detective Juan Mendoza at 213-833 3713 or. Calls during non-business hours and weekends should be made to 877-527-3247.
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'It's Been A Wild Ride': Capt. Morrison Bids Farewell After 2 ½-Year Assignment
If there is one thing certain about Captain Brian Morrison's time in Venice, he's a better cop—and Venice is a better community—because of his leadership. Morrison recently finished a two-and-a-half-year run as patrol captain for the Pacific Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. He received a promotion that has him moving on and up through the ranks. Morrison has been assigned to the LAPD Emergency Service Division. His duties will include overseeing the Hazardous Devices and Materials Section (Bomb Squad and Haz Mat), LAX Bomb Detection K9 Unit and Emergency Management. Morrison, a third-generation police officer, initially set out to become a prosecuting attorney, but adrenaline would put him on the same path as his father and grandfather, who both wore the LAPD uniform before he did. "My grandfather was a career Navy veteran who served in World War II–and later became a deputy court warden for the Port of Los Angeles," says Morrison. His father served in the LAPD between 1956 and 1995, retiring one year after his Morrison joined the force. Morrison recalls the conversation he had with his father after taking the written police exam to get onto the force: "I asked my dad what I needed for the oral [police exam]. He asked, ‘What did you do?’ I took the [written] test and passed it," Morrison recalls. Morrison has worked various assignments prior to being assigned to Pacific Division including “earning his stripes” in Patrol and CRASH. Morrison was also an Academy Firearms Instructor, a Field Training Officer and Senior Lead Officer.
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New Study Reveals Increase In Hate Crimes Targeting Asian Americans In LA
A new study reveals that hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander community have gotten worse. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino found across 16 of America’s largest cities and counties that there has been a 164 percent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police in the first quarter of 2021, as compared to the same time period last year. New York saw the greatest increase at 223 percent. San Francisco saw an increase of 140 percent. And Los Angeles experienced an increase of 80 percent. “For Los Angeles, we saw more anti-Asian hate crimes in the first quarter than we had for the whole year pre-pandemic 2019,” said Prof. Brian Levin, the study’s author. “The pandemic was weaponized and Asian Americans were centered as vilified if you will, scapegoated,” said LAPD Chief Michel Moore. The LAPD this week is expected to release resource cards with information on where victims can get help if they become a victim of a hate crime.
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Driver Suspected Of Assault With A Deadly Weapon Taken Into Custody After Pursuit Through South L.A.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s were in pursuit of a white vehicle in the Los Angeles area Friday afternoon. L.A. County Sheriff’s confirmed that the driver was sought for assault with a deadly weapon. The pursuit began around 6:15 p.m., when the suspect was driving at about just 3 miles per hour and then reached 60 to 70 miles per hour. The suspect was seen weaving through traffic at high rates of speed and driving erratically. The vehicle appeared to have sustained some damage, with the trunk open and its bumper dragging in the street. The driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot into an alley, with sheriff’s deputies chasing after him and finally taking him into custody. No further details were immediately available.
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Gustavo Reulas Jr. Charged With Murder In Inglewood Crash That Killed 2
A 42-year-old man Friday was charged with murder in connection with a Wednesday night crash in Inglewood during a pursuit that left two dead. According to prosecutors, Gustavo Ruelas Jr. is set to be arraigned Monday on two counts each of murder and fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle causing death and one count each of hit-and-run driving resulting in death or serious injury to another person, possession for sale of heroin and possession for sale of methamphetamine. Police said Ruelas was allegedly speeding in a blue Dodge pickup truck and ran a red light on Century Boulevard at about 10:35 p.m. before getting on the northbound 405 Freeway where officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop. According to California Highway Patrol, Ruelas fled from the officers, exited the freeway at Manchester Avenue and led police on a pursuit through the streets of Inglewood before turning north on Glasgow Avenue and crashing into the sedan on Olive Street. Security video from a nearby business showed Ruelas attempting to run from the scene, but CHP said officers were able to take him into custody a short time later.
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Probe Underway After Man Is Fatally Shot In Compton
Authorities on Sunday were investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of a man in Compton. The incident unfolded just before 10:45 a.m. in the 2100 block of East 123rd Street. It was there that authorities responded and located a shooting victim. He was taken to a hospital where he died. Anyone with information was asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
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Authorities Seek Public’s Assistance To Locate Missing 30-Year-Old Woman
Authorities Friday sought the public’s help to locate a missing 30-year-old woman who suffers from bipolar disorder and was last seen 10 months ago in downtown Los Angeles. Whitley Jalise Myles, also known as “Tanisha,” was last seen July 1 in the area of Spring Street and Caesar Chavez Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Myles is Black, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with brown eyes and was last known to have a buzz cut hair style. She is also believed to frequent the Downey, Carson and Beverly Hills areas. Anyone with information on Myles’ whereabouts can contact the Sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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Arizona Officer Killed, Another Hurt By Suspect In Stolen Car
A suspect in a stolen car struck and killed one officer and critically injured another during a wild chase involving multiple law enforcement agencies in the suburbs of Phoenix, authorities said Thursday. Chandler Police Officer Christopher Farrar was an 18-year department veteran, his chief said. “Chris was struck and killed by a violent felon in a stolen vehicle following a multi-agency shooting and pursuit,” Chandler Police Chief Sean Duggan said. Multiple law enforcement agencies became involved in tracking the suspect. The incident began in Pinal County and ended at the SanTan Motorplex in Gilbert, according to ABC15 news. A Gilbert Police officer was hospitalized in critical condition, the station reported. The station also reported that police said the suspect busted through the gates at the Chandler airport, causing a closure of the airport, and then continued onto a highway into Gilbert before trying to flee in another vehicle at the auto dealership.
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Los Angeles County Reports No New COVID-19 Deaths
Los Angeles County public health authorities on Sunday reported no new deaths related to COVID-19. Although officials cautioned that the figure was probably an undercount because of reporting delays on weekends, it still marked a bright spot, capping several months of progress in the fight against the coronavirus. The county also reported 313 new cases of the virus. There were 390 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals as of Saturday, a drop of about 16% from two weeks before. L.A. County has recorded more than 1.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases, and 23,915 residents have died of COVID-19-related causes, according to The Times’ independent tally. Meanwhile, 46.8% of L.A. County residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 31.5% are fully vaccinated. Experts have credited a relative lack of vaccine hesitancy in California with helping to hold off another surge of infections, as has been seen in some other states. Public health officials said Saturday that infections in L.A. County remained at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic. The average daily rate of positive cases among those tested was 0.7% over the last week, according to county data, and just 0.6% of the tests performed Saturday came back positive.
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LA County Turns To Mobile Vaccination Clinics To Help With Vaccination Decline
Los Angeles County health officials announced plans to move more vaccination efforts towards mobile vaccination clinics in the community as the county experiences its first major decline in vaccination demand. Some vaccination sites are reporting a 50% decline in appointments at their sites. Dodger Stadium, one of the largest mass vaccination sites in the nation, will close by the end of May due to the decline. "It might be better to do a lot more popups, to set up vaccination booths in shopping centers, near grocery stores, near post offices," said Ferrer. Ferrer said another concern is what appears to be the lack of people signing up for second-dose appointments. Some of the cases are attributed to computing errors when people go to different sites for their second doses than their first dose. "A good percentage of those cases really were not missed appointments. When we got in touch with people, they actually verified that they got both doses," said Ferrer.
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$2B Development Planned For 7.6-acre Site In Skid Row
A development company announced Friday it hopes to build a $2 billion mixed-use project on a 7.6-acre site in the Skid Row area. Denver-based Continuum Partners submitted an application for the project, called Fourth & Central for its intersection, to city planners on Thursday, a spokesman said. The project would be different from FLOR 401 Lofts, a supportive housing community that opened in the heart of Los Angeles’ Skid Row. The development would include 1,521 residential units, 401,000 square feet of office space, 93,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and a 68-room hotel. The plan includes 10 distinct buildings ranging from two to 42 stories tall. While the developer has advertised the location of the development as the Arts District, the project sits within the borders of Skid Row, which has an unhoused population in the thousands and is typically described as the area within Third Street to the north, Seventh Street to the south, Alameda Street to the east and Main Street to the west. The project would be developed in partnership with L.A. Cold Storage, which has been in business since 1895 and has owned and operated its industrial facility at the site for almost 50 years.
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