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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2 California Police Officers Fatally Shot In Less Than 24 Hours, Third Wounded
A Stockton police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call was fatally shot Tuesday, the second California officer to be killed in the line of duty in 24 hours. Officer Jimmy Inn, 30, was gunned down almost immediately upon arriving at a Stockton home shortly after 10 a.m. A 911 caller had reported seeing a woman outside screaming and bleeding with a ripped shirt, Police Chief Eric Jones said. The chief characterized the attack on Inn as “violent, blatant and a very sudden assault.” A second officer arrived and was shot at by the gunman. The officer returned fire before the man briefly retreated into the home, grabbed an 8-year-old boy and tried to strangle the child, Jones said. The chief said the officer directed the man to release the child, but that he did not. A community member then tackled the gunman, and the second police officer, to preserve life, the chief said, shot the man. “Officer Jimmy Inn was responding to a domestic violence report, to assist a domestic violence victim and he died protecting those who cannot protect themselves,” Jones said. “He gave the ultimate sacrifice, knowing this was a dangerous job.” Paramedics took Inn and the gunman to a hospital, and both died of their wounds.
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Man Charged With Arson After Allegedly Firebombing LAPD Station In Canoga Park
A man who allegedly firebombed a Los Angeles Police Department community station in Canoga Park over the weekend has been charged with arson, officials announced Tuesday. Jonathon Rosin, 24, of Canoga Park, faces one felony count each of use of destructive device and explosive to injure/destroy and arson of an inhabited structure or property, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The incident occurred about 12:55 a.m. Sunday, when Rosin walked up to the front doors of the Topanga Community Police Station at 21500 block of Schoenborn Street. He allegedly lit a glass bottle that contained a flammable liquid and threw it at the front window of the station, according to the LAPD. “Upon contact with the window the bottle shattered and ignited the flammable liquid,” police said in a news release. The flames were eventually put out by a supervisor. Multiple LAPD personnel witnessed the incident on the station’s surveillance system, police said. In a statement, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing LAPD officers, appeared skeptical that L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón would charge Rosin with a serious crime. “Unfortunately, with a district attorney like George Gascon, there’s a good chance the firebomber’s crime will be pled down to starting an illegal campfire with a sentence recommendation of no s’mores at bedtime and a group therapy session to determine how society contributed to this crime,” union officials wrote.
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LAPD: Innocent Bystander In Critical Condition After Downtown L.A. Shooting
A man described by police as an innocent bystander was struck by gunfire and left in critical condition after shots broke out in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday evening, according to authorities. The shooting occurred at 7:07 p.m. in the 130 block of East 6th Street, just west of Maple Avenue, said Mike Lopez, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department. Three males were driving by in a vehicle when a person standing on a sidewalk fired shots at them, according to Lopez. The vehicle drove off and they returned fire, Lopez said. An innocent bystander believed to be about 35 years old was struck in the crossfire, he said. Lopez said the man was in critical condition as he was transported for medical treatment. No other details about his condition have been given. No further details have been released by LAPD.
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Driver Wanted In Fatal Hit-And-Run In East Hollywood
Investigators have released surveillance photos of a car which struck and killed a pedestrian in East Hollywood over the weekend and then sped away. The collision occurred Saturday at 5:20 a.m. on Melrose Avenue and Edgemont Street, according to Los Angeles police. The vehicle was traveling east on Melrose Avenue when it slammed into the pedestrian. The impact was so strong that the pedestrian was thrown into a parked car. The suspect driver then continued east on Melrose Avenue and made a right turn onto southbound Vermont Avenue. The victim died at the scene. The person was not identified. The vehicle was described as a black two-door or four-door sedan. Anyone with information should call LAPD detectives at 213-833-3713.
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Man Arrested After Gun Fired Near Elementary School, Prompting Lockdowns
A man was taken into custody Tuesday after he allegedly fired a gun across the street from an elementary school in Los Angeles, causing it and another school to be locked down. Police received a call of an assault with a deadly weapon in the 1500 block of East First Street at about 10:30 a.m., according to Officer William Cooper of the Los Angeles Police Department. The Los Angeles School Police Department received a similar report of a man who discharged two gunshots in the air directly across the street from Utah Elementary School, the department said on its Instagram account. The shooting prompted Utah Elementary School and Mendez Learning Center to be locked down as police called in a SWAT team and established a perimeter in the area to search for the man. The man was discovered to be “contained inside a local residence” and was taken into custody, the school police department later said. No injuries were reported, though police found a bullet hole on the exterior of the school.
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LAPD: Carjacking Suspect Arrested After ‘Being Holed Up' In Car They Tried To Steal As Victim Had Key
A carjacking suspect was taken into custody after they completely botched their mission in South Los Angeles Tuesday night. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call of a carjacking around 8:30 p.m. When LAPD arrived, officers found the carjacking suspect "holed up in the car" they tried to steal. The carjacking victim had the keys while the suspect did not, LAPD said. After a brief standoff, the suspect surrendered and was placed in handcuffs.
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Two People Killed, Two Others Hurt After Shooting In Compton
Deputies are investigating a quadruple shooting that took place in Compton over the weekend. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a call of a shooting in the 15100 block of South Lime Avenue a little before 5:30 p.m on Saturday. Upon arrival, deputies found two Hispanic males between the ages of 15 and 20 years old with gunshot wounds. Both of the young shooting victims were pronounced dead at the scene, LASD said. Deputies later found out that two other people were hurt from the same shooting. The third victim is fighting for his life at the hospital and in critical condition while a fourth victim, also a male, was taken to the hospital. As of Tuesday, no arrests have been announced in connection to the deadly shooting.
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One Killed, One Wounded In South Gate Shooting
One man was killed and another wounded in a shooting Tuesday in South Gate. Officers responded about 2:50 p.m. to the 8900 block of Elizabeth Avenue, near Firestone Boulevard, and found the two victims, both of whom were taken to a hospital where one died and the other was treated for his wounds, according to Deputy Tracy Koerner of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which was assisting South Gate police with the investigation. A motive for the shooting and description of any suspects were not immediately available. The name of the man killed was not disclosed. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
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Official: 2 Deputies Killed In Central Texas Town
National Police Week starts with tragedy for local area law enforcement. Two Concho County deputies were killed in a shootout overnight. The officers were involved in a pursuit that ended with the suspect fleeing and barricading himself in his home after a shootout. According to reports, the deputies pulled Jeffrey over and ordered him to roll down his window and put his hands up. Jeffrey refused to comply and fled in his vehicle. A short pursuit ensued which ended at Jeffrey's home. Witnesses are reporting that several gunshots were heard as Jeffrey fled into his home, where he barricaded himself. During the resulting shootout two deputies were killed and a civilian is reported to have been wounded in the stomach. The standoff lasted approximately 30 minutes. The suspect has been arrested, with no further details available. There are multiple agencies on the scene assisting with the investigation. The suspect has been identified as Nicholas Jeffrey. He was booked for Capital Murder of a Police Officer.
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2 Men Charged With Assaulting Police In Capitol Riot Ordered Jailed Pending Trial
A federal judge has ordered two men who are charged with conspiracy for allegedly assaulting police officers during the Capitol riot to be detained pending trial. Julian Khater and George Tanios have pleaded not guilty to the 10 counts against them, including assaulting an officer and conspiracy to injure an officer. The men are accused of using pepper spray on police who were defending the Capitol on Jan. 6, an assault that prosecutors say was timed to help rioters break through police lines and storm the building. On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan ordered Khater and Tanios to remain in custody pending trial after finding that they pose a danger to the community. "These two gentlemen are law-abiding, respected individuals in the community, and it makes it very difficult for the court to make this conclusion," Hogan said, noting their otherwise clean records, strong community ties and family support. "But they still committed this attack on uniformed police officers, and I don't find a way around that." Prosecutors say Tanios bought two canisters of bear spray and two canisters of pepper spray on Jan. 5 before traveling to Washington, D.C., for the Trump rally. Call records indicate he was on the phone with Khater while he was in the store purchasing the materials, according to the government.
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24 Fires A Day: Surge In Flames At L.A. Homeless Encampments A Growing Crisis
The fire began at 3 a.m., quickly destroying the clapboard bungalow two blocks from Venice Beach. The tenant was away for the night, but her dog, Togo, succumbed after his howls of panic and pain left helpless neighbors with a memory they can’t forget. While arson investigators have yet to determine a cause in the April 20 blaze, traumatized neighbors quickly linked it to a rash of fires in Venice’s growing homeless camps. “We may never know for sure what happened,” next-door neighbor Francesca Padilla wrote in an impassioned email to dozens of city officials. “What we know for sure is that around my home and the school across the street from it there are people cooking on sidewalks and RV kitchenettes, burning fires to keep warm, using generators for electricity, living out of their cars, smoking and using drugs in makeshift shacks and tents.” The angst in Venice is part of a widening tableau of fear, anger and tragedy that has become an everyday consequence of homelessness across Los Angeles. As the number of tents, makeshift shelters and campers on Los Angeles streets has surged, so has the scourge of fire.
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It’s ‘Crunch Time’ For California’s Firefighters As Threat Of Long Fire Season Looms
U.S. Air Force Major Matt Ringlein spent over eight hours hauling loads of Phos-Chek in a Hercules C-130 airtanker from San Bernardino International Airport and dumping the bright red fire retardant around the Mt. Wilson Obervatory, ahead of the path of the Bobcat fire, which devoured over 113,000 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains in September. By the end of the day, he and the entire plane reeked of the smoke that rose from 80-foot tall flames. But as exhausted as he was, he knew there were others trudging through heat, ash and flame-charred soil around the fire’s perimeter who were fighting as hard, if not harder, to keep a raging inferno from spreading through the Angeles National Forest. “Even though we might not have met those guys, there’s a camaraderie between us and them on the ground,” Ringlein said. “Because we know full well they are out there where it’s much hotter, with less rest and less sleep.” Crews spent weeks at a time away from their families battling flames up and down the West Coast. Wildfires scorched a record 4.2 million acres in California in 2020, testing disaster management agencies to their limits. The length of the active fire season has grown dramatically over the years, leaving firefighters with less time to recover and prepare.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments For Californians Ages 12 To 15 Could Be Available Starting Thursday
California is nearing approval of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for its 2.1 million children ages 12 to 15, state health officials said Tuesday, one day after the federal government expanded its use. Nationally and in California, the shots are set to begin Thursday after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory committee issues recommendations Wednesday for using the two-dose vaccine in children as young as 12. In California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup is independently reviewing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization. It also is expected to make its decision Wednesday, clearing the way to start vaccinations across the state. “California is ready to safely deliver vaccines to young people age 12 and older,” said Dr. Erica Pan, the state epidemiologist. “We all know how hard this has been for our youth,” Pan said. She said her own two children between 12 and 15 years old aren’t looking forward to the shots, but are “really excited to be protected, to be able to spend more quality time with their friends and more time indoors and resuming their social lives.”
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Councilman Price Seeks To Use Cannabis Tax Revenue To Help Harmed Communities
Los Angeles Councilman Curren Price Tuesday introduced a motion to explore allocating a portion of the city’s Cannabis Business Tax to fund programs in communities disproportionately hit by marijuana prohibition. “In an effort to decrease disparities in life outcomes for marginalized communities, and to address the disproportionate impacts of communities harmed by the decades of criminalization of cannabis, the city should explore establishing a similar policy (to) the states of Illinois and New York, and dedicate a portion of its cannabis tax revenue to be reinvested into these communities,” the motion reads. According to the motion, which was seconded by Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Illinois’ Restore, Reinvest and Renew Program sets aside a quarter of cannabis tax revenue for violence prevention, reentry, youth development, economic development and civil legal aid services in parts of the state that have high rates of incarceration, gun injuries, child poverty and unemployment. When New York legalized recreational marijuana in March, legislators set aside 40% of tax revenue for communities with disproportionate numbers of marijuana arrests.
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