Good Morning. Join us on Thursday, September 9th for the LAPD Central Area Golf Tournament Fundraiser honoring Officers Rice and Botello. The tournament will be held at Montebello Country Club at 11 a.m. Tickets are $150.00 an individual and $600.00 a foursome. Click here for more information.
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Why Police Have Been Quitting In Droves In The Last Year
As protests surged across the country last year over the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, Officer Lindsay C. Rose in Asheville, N.C., found her world capsized. Various friends and relatives had stopped speaking to her because she was a cop. During a protest in June around Police Headquarters, a demonstrator lobbed an explosive charge that set her pants on fire and scorched her legs. She said she was spit on. She was belittled. Members of the city’s gay community, an inclusive clan that had welcomed her in when she first settled in Asheville, stood near her at one event and chanted, “All gay cops are traitors,” she said. Thousands of police officers nationwide have headed for the exits in the past year. A survey of almost 200 police departments indicated that retirements were up 45 percent and resignations rose by 18 percent in the year from April 2020 to April 2021 when compared with the previous 12 months, according to the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington policy institute.
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One Killed, Others Wounded In Shooting After Attempted Robbery Of Fashion Company CEO
The CEO of a popular fashion company was the apparent target of an attempted robbery that led to a deadly shooting in the Hollywood Hills early Friday morning, sources say. The CEO, along with his friend and security guard, arrived at his Hollywood Hills home located above the Sunset Strip after an event around 1:30 a.m. when three men in an Audi got out of the vehicle and attempted to rob him. Investigators believe the suspects had been following them for some time. At some point during the attempted robbery, the suspects opened fire. The CEO’s bodyguard, who is an apparat retired police officer, returned fire and hit two of the three suspects. The suspects then got back into the Audi and drove away from the scene. Moments later, patrol officers with the Los Angeles Police Department spotted the suspects’ vehicle with a flat tire at the intersection of Doheny Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. During the stop, officers discovered two men were suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the suspects died at the scene and a second suspect was rushed to a local hospital in reportedly critical condition. The third suspect was taken into custody, LAPD said. As for the victims, the security guard involved in the shooting was taken to a hospital. Officials said he was alert and speaking with first responders. The CEO and his friend were also taken to a local hospital and their conditions have not been released.
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Woman Suspected Of Fatally Shooting Man Outside Ralphs In Mid-Wilshire Identified
A woman accused of fatally shooting a man outside a Ralphs grocery store in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood was identified by police Thursday as a 60-year-old Los Angeles woman. Eva Fekete was arrested Wednesday night, hours after officers found a man shot in the area of Wilshire Boulevard and Ridgely Drive around 12:40 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, officials said. He was identified only as being in his 40s. The shooter fled from the area before police arrived. A woman who was shopping at the Ralphs said about a dozen armed officers came into the store, ordering all customers and employees to leave and stand on the south side of Wilshire Boulevard while they searched the underground garage, the Los Angeles Times reported. Police searched for the shooter for hours and just after 7 p.m., officers saw her vehicle while conducting patrol in the area of the incident, LAPD said. It was not immediately clear how authorities knew what her vehicle looked like.
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Man Falls To Death After Scaling LAPD Hollenbeck Station’s Broadcast Tower
A 31-year-old man died this week after falling from a broadcast tower atop the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollenbeck station in Boyle Heights, authorities said. The death has sparked a review of building security. The man managed to climb an “outer architectural structure” on the front of the Hollenbeck station shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, then was able to access a small walkway leading to the tower, said Officer William Cooper, an LAPD spokesman. A witness saw the man fall from the tower to the pavement below, Cooper said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man was later identified as Jonathan Joseph Martinez of Los Angeles. It was not clear whether Martinez accidentally fell off the structure or jumped, but a death investigation is underway, officials said. The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner said an autopsy was conducted Thursday, but a cause of death was not determined and more investigation will be done. Capt. Stacy Spell, another LAPD spokesman, said the department is reviewing building security and access at the Hollenbeck station.
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Relatives Of Young Mom Found Dead In South L.A. Last Summer Urge Authorities To Reopen Case
Loved ones of a woman found dead in her car in Gramercy Park last September urged authorities Thursday to reopen the case. Mikeona Johnson, 23, was last seen on Sept. 9 after going to get food for her family. On Sept. 16, the mother of two was found dead in her car, which was parked in a residential street near an elementary school. She was partially clothed. The Los Angeles Police Department closed the case, as did the L.A. County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office. But her family believes there is more to uncover and is asking the county’s District Attorney’s Office to open an investigation.
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Man Struck And Killed While Crossing The Street In Sylmar
A man was struck and killed while crossing the street in Sylmar late Thursday night and the driver who hit him didn't bother to stop and help, authorities say. The hit-and-run happened at about 11:45 p.m. in the 12000 block of San Fernando Road. The victim died at the scene, said the Los Angeles Police Department. His identity has not been released. Investigators are working to get a description of the car that sped away. The investigation is ongoing.
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LAX: Driver In Custody After Smashing Through Fence, Leading Airport Police On Chase Along Taxiway
A man was taken into custody after smashing a car through a fence at Los Angeles International Airport and leading police on a brief chase along a taxiway, authorities said. The incident began about 6 p.m. when the driver "broke through a fence at the FedEx cargo facility and drove westbound on the surface road and airfield," according to an LAX statement. Airport police then cornered the vehicle near the Atlantic FBO, a private terminal at the facility, and detained the suspect. He was not immediately identified. No injuries were reported. "Airport police and operations have inspected the south airfield following police activity that briefly closed the south runways," LAX said on Twitter shortly before 7 p.m. "One south runway has reopened and the other will open shortly. The north runways continued operating normally."
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Man Shot To Death In Unincorporated Area Near South Los Angeles
A man was shot and killed Thursday evening in an unincorporated area near South Los Angeles. The shooting occurred at about 7:50 p.m. in the 10600 block of Budlong Avenue, near Vermont Avenue, according to Deputy Morgan Arteaga of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released. It was not immediately clear what led up to the shooting. No suspect description was provided. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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70-Year-Old Woman With Dementia Reported Missing Near Gardena
A 70-year-old woman diagnosed with dementia last seen in an unincorporated area near Gardena was reported missing Thursday. Debra Sue Cox was last seen just before 11 a.m. in the 1400 block of West 125th Street, between Western and Normandie avenues, according to Deputy Shawn Du Busky of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Cox is Black, 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. She was last seen wearing a light blue sweater, faded blue jeans and was carrying a black “stick-like” object. Anyone with information on Cox’s whereabouts was asked to call the Sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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Two SoCal Residents Arrested In Large Drug Trafficking Investigation
Two people have been arrested and authorities seized about $3.5 million worth of drugs during an investigation involving a large drug trafficking organization based out of Mexico, the Huntington Beach Police Department reported Thursday. "This complex and fluid investigation has been taking place over the last 30 days," Jennifer Carey of the HBPD said in a statement. The names of the suspects were not immediately released. According to Carey, detectives learned that "drug pick-ups" were happening throughout Southern California, including Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. "It was also determined that the (trafficking organization) was shipping large amounts of drugs across state lines and into the state of New York," Carey said. "HBPD detectives worked tirelessly, surveilling multiple identified locations and adapting to rapidly evolving situations, culminating in the arrest of two suspects."
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San Francisco Grapples With Drastic Drop In Police Recruits
As police departments across the country have had up to a third of its force quit or retire within the last year, the SFPD is facing a similar shortage. Department officials say they are seeing fewer applicants this year. Officers assaulted on streets, escalating violent situations, and non-stop calls to redirect funding away from police are part of why departments are having trouble getting more applicants these days. “With recruitment right now, we’re getting less candidates, and less people applying. That impacts how many we can bring through the academy doors,” said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott. SFPD needs about 400 more officers, and the shortage has gotten worse from 12% in 2020, to now 18% shy of where it should be according to the department and based on an independent study commissioned by the city and Board of Supervisors in 2020. Store owners say they’re thwarting thieves almost daily and need help. “I don’t believe in defunding police departments. Don’t understand the logic. It’s ridiculous,” said shop owner Sammy Suleiman. By a 3-to-1 margin, city residents want more cops and expanded community policing, according to a new Citybeat poll released Thursday by the SF Chamber of Commerce. “We need more cops on the streets,” said Chief Scott. The poll also says 8 in 10 residents think crime has gotten worse over the years. But advocates of alternative policing solutions, are demanding funds be directed away from police departments.
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Florida Officer Shot In Head Identified; Suspect Still At Large
A $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of Othal Wallace, a 29-year-old father with Broward County ties who police believe shot a Daytona Beach police officer in the head Wednesday night. Blue Alerts blew up phones around Florida Thursday afternoon about Wallace, who police say is "armed and dangerous." Blue Alerts go out when a law enforcement officer has been injured or killed. Wednesday night, Daytona Beach Police Department Tweeted that 26-year-old Officer Jason Raynor was in critical condition. But, Thursday afternoon, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young would say only "I want to respect the family. Just keep him lifted up in prayer." Young said Raynor has been with the Daytona Beach Police Department since February 2019. Before joining Daytona Beach's department, Raynor was with the Port Orange Police Department from October 2016 through February 2019. He's single with no kids, Young said, but his mother and sister are at his side. Wallace's Facebook page, last updated June 6, says he lives in Hollywood. One database said he's lived in Fort Lauderdale, Deltona and New Smyrna Beach. Photos and captions show him to be a father of three. He owes Broward County $573 for driving on a suspended license for the second time, an arrest in Sunrise.
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Police Arrest New Suspect In Deadly Austin Mass Shooting
Killeen police have arrested a 19-year-old in connection with the Sixth Street mass shooting earlier this month, officials said. On Thursday afternoon, members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Forces and the Killeen Police Department SWAT Team located and arrested De'ondre Jermirris White in the 1300 block of Anna Lee Drive near Fort Hood Street in Killeen. White was named the new suspect in the June 12 mass shooting in downtown Austin on Tuesday. Austin Police Department investigators suspect he is responsible for the shooting death of Douglas Kantor, a 25-year-old tourist, as well as the shooting injuries of "many, if not all of" the 13 other victims, interim Police Chief Joe Chacon said in a press conference Tuesday. Two other juveniles, previously charged and detained in the shooting, had their cases dropped on Tuesday. Travis County prosecutors announced that they dismissed the charges against Jeremiah Tabb, who was arrested last week on a charge of aggravated assault, and a second teen — whose name has not been released because he is a juvenile — was charged with deadly conduct.
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LA County Reports Largest Daily Number Of New COVID-19 Cases Since Mid-May
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Thursday reported its highest daily number of new COVID-19 infections since mid-May. “Obviously the numbers are really, really low still, really low,” Dr. Barbara Ferrer, County Public Health Director, said. “Case rates are low, test positivity is low. You all remember how high those numbers have been for us. “So I’m not concerned at all about surge,” she continued. “What I want to do is I want to make sure that we address any disproportionality early on by identifying those places where we’re seeing pockets of increase.” Ferrer said the more concerning data point was that Black residents appeared to be bearing the brunt of the increase, with a “slight but perceptible rise” in case rates and a slight increase in hospitalizations. And while death rates are declining across the board, Black residents still have “persistently higher” rates of dying from COVID-19.
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3 In 5 Californians Now At Least Partially Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Three in five Californians, or 60.5%, have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, federal figures show — the latest milestone in the state’s rollout. The picture is even rosier when looking at only those currently eligible to roll up their sleeves. More than 70% of residents 12 and older are partially vaccinated at this point, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest numbers, although improving, show the Golden State still has a ways to go in its vaccination efforts. Fewer than half of all Californians (48.6%), and about 57% of those eligible to receive a shot, are fully inoculated — meaning millions more doses will need to be administered before the state reaches the level of vaccine coverage often cited as necessary to achieve long-lasting herd immunity against the coronavirus. And although much of the state is enjoying some degree of protection, officials remain concerned about potential flare-ups among those who are unvaccinated. Those worries are pressing given the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant, which may be twice as transmissible as the conventional strain.
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City Councilmen Buscaino And Lee Seek Anti-Camping Ordinance For Streets And Sidewalks
The City of Los Angele has a camping ordinance that was suspended during the Covid pandemic, which prohibited tents during daytime hours, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. A stricter draft anti-camping ordinance went before the Homelessness and Poverty Committee on November 30, 2020, where it has languished. Seven months later, on June 23, Councilmen Joe Buscaino and John Lee invoked Rule #54, which took the proposed ordinance from the Committee and moved it to a June 29 L.A. City Council meeting. The ordinance would restrict people from lying, sleeping, sitting or placing tents and personal property on sidewalks 1) where it reduces the path of travel required by the American with Disabilities Act; 2) within 10 feet of an operational utilizable entrance, exit, driveway or loading dock; 3) within 500 feet of a facility that provides housing, shelter, supportive services, safe parking or storage to unhoused people; 4) within 500 feet of a designated freeway overpass, underpass, ramp, tunnel or pedestrian subway and 5) at all times and at all locations if a person has been offered shelter.
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