Law Enforcement News An Officer Firing At A Suspect Also Killed A 14-Year-Old In A Burlington Store. What He Knew At That Moment Will Be Key In Determining Wrongdoing, Experts Say The fatal shooting of a 14-year-old girl when an officer's bullet ripped through a California department store dressing room wall has raised serious questions about whether he was justified in firing his weapon at a man suspected of attacking a woman with a bicycle lock in the store. The Los Angeles Police Department unit that was responding to numerous reports of an assault with a deadly weapon and a possible shooting in progress on December 23 was operating under active shooter mode and following police protocols for responding to mass shootings, according to Tom Saggau, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, a police union that represents LAPD officers. Jones, Saggau said, was responding to the "worst threat that came in" from the 911 calls with a report of an active shooter in the store. Jones had just completed the LAPD's mass casualty active shooter training a couple of weeks before the Burlington incident, Saggau said. The training runs through "the exact scenarios that they confronted that day," he added. "It is not inaccurate to say that the suspect was unarmed. He did not have a gun, but the officers that responded, including Officer Jones, received conflicting reports," Saggau said. As the group of officers entered the store, they clearly moved into a "diamond formation," which is a typical active shooter-driven response, Saggau said. "Several people called and said there was somebody assaulting people with a bike lock, but other people phoned and said he had a gun and was shooting," Saggau added. "If you have one call about an active shooter, it automatically triggers that response." CNN 2 Bicyclists Killed In Chatsworth Hit-and-Run Crash A hit-and-run crash in the San Fernando Valley leaves two bicyclists dead. Emergency crews responded to a call of the crash in the 9500 block of Lurline Avenue in the Chatsworth area around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday night. Upon arrival, the Los Angeles Police Department spotted two bicyclists but no car at the scene, leading officers to believe it was a hit-and-run crash. Both bicyclists were pronounced dead at the scene. LAPD received another call of a different crash from a location "a little further away" from the Lurline Avenue scene, which led officers to believe the suspect was involved in both crashes. LAPD placed the suspect in custody. The suspect was taken to the hospital. Officials did not specify the severity of his injuries. One of the deceased bicyclists was described as a woman in her 30s or 50s. Officials did not give a specific description of the second bicyclist, other than the fact that he was a male. FOX 11 Man Struck And Killed In Granada Hills, Driver Detained For Questioning A man pushing a shopping cart was fatally struck by a driver in Granada Hills early Tuesday morning, Jan. 4, and the driver was detained by police for further questioning, Los Angeles police said. The crash happened around 4:45 a.m. near Chatsworth Street and Petit Avenue, said Officer Mike Lopez, spokesman for the LAPD. A man wearing dark clothing was pushing a shopping cart on Chatsworth Street when a 1973 Ford Maverick was headed west on Chatsworth Street, Lopez said. The Ford then struck the pedestrian, who was described as being about 50 years old, Lopez said. The Ford’s driver — who was described as a 63-year-old man — identified himself to responding police and was detained for further questioning regarding the incident, Lopez said. No arrest had been made as of Tuesday evening, he said. Los Angeles Daily News Response Times Could Be Jeopardized By Fire And Police COVID Spike More than 400 LAPD officers and 200 LA City firefighters called-in sick this week and reported they had tested positive for Covid-19 – amidst a nationwide spike in the number of new cases likely spurred by the quickly-spreading Omicron variant. 201 firefighters missed their shifts Tuesday, leading to an incremental increase in response times to medical and fire emergencies and the need to bring more off-duty firefighters back to work on overtime shifts. "We will have fewer resources to respond," City Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas told the I-Team. "Therefore we're going to have slightly longer response time." As of late Tuesday 416 police officers reported they were out due to Covid along with 89 members of the LAPD's support staff, City officials said Tuesday. “LAPD is still meeting staffing requirements throughout the City and there is no current disruption to core services,” said Capt. Stacy Spell. “The department is prepared to make adjustments to our staffing, including the reallocation of human resources in the event it becomes needed, however we are not at that point.” An internal LAPD report obtained by the I-Team showed 52 of those new cases were at one of the LAPD academy locations, 27 were at the Newton Station, and 12 were at the Downtown 911 and dispatch center. NBC 4 California bill aimed at cracking down on fentanyl dealers for fake pills fails in committee Senate Bill 350, also known as Alexandra's Law, says that anyone who is convicted of selling drugs will receive a formal written notice that says: "It is extremely dangerous to human life to manufacture or distribute real or counterfeit controlled substances. If you do so, and a person dies as a result of that action, you can be charged with voluntary manslaughter or murder.” KCRA 3 Former NFL Player Jonathan Martin's Social Media Post Prompts Closure Of California School A former NFL player who attended a prestigious private high school in Los Angeles was detained by police Friday in connection with a social media post that prompted the closure of the school due to security concerns, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the matter. Jonathan Martin, who graduated from Harvard-Westlake in 2008 and went on to play as an offensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers, was being questioned by LAPD detectives about the post, the sources confirmed. The sources requested not to be named due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation. The image in question depicted a black shotgun with the words #HarvardWestlake superimposed over it and shotgun shells scattered around the weapon. There was also a reference to "#MiamiDolphins" on the gun. A message to the side of the weapon read: "When you're a bully victim & a coward, your options are suicide or revenge" The image was circulated among students at Harvard-Westlake and was shared with CNN. School officials said the image had been attributed to a former student, but did not identify the person. LAPD officials declined to name the person who had been detained, but said that person is believed responsible for the post. CNN Woman Reported Missing From East Hollywood Area Authorities sought the public’s help Tuesday to find a woman who went missing in the East Hollywood area. Linda HernandezFlores, 27, was last seen Dec. 29 in the 1300 block of North Vermont Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. “Linda’s friends and family are very concerned for her safety,” police said in a statement. HernandezFlores is Hispanic, 5 feet 4 inches tall, weigh 150 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes. Anyone knowing her whereabouts was urged to call detectives at 213-996-1800; 877-LAPD-247; or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. MyNewsLA.com Beverly Hills City Council Joins Recall Of LA County District Attorney The Beverly Hills City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to join the recall of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón. After an original recall effort, Gascón’s opposition started a second recall effort in December. The Beverly Hills council cites an increase in widespread crime, including follow-home robberies and smash and grab robberies as s reason for wanting to recall Mr. Gascón. Los Angeles County Sherriff Alex Villanueva supported the first recall effort of Mr. Gascón. Some families of victims and victims’ advocates have criticized Gascón, a former police chief, for being too soft on crime following his elimination of criminal enhancement provisions. Gascón has repeatedly come under fire for his policies since taking office last December after beating incumbent Jackie Lacey. CBS 2 Authorities Search For Killer After Man Found With Fatal Stab Wound On Paramount Street Detectives are searching for whoever fatally stabbed a man who was found on a street in Paramount late Monday night. The incident was reported about 11:59 p.m. in the 6800 block of San Carlos Street, a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated. The victim, a 27-year-old Hispanic man, was found with an apparent stab wound to his upper body, the Sheriff’s Department stated. The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses who reported the incident told authorities they heard arguing and then saw someone being dragged by a vehicle. Investigators said a vehicle believed to belong to the victim was found at the scene. No details about a possible suspect or a motive for the attack were immediately released. The victim appeared to have been alone in his vehicle at the time of the incident, Lt. Charles Calderaro said. Authorities are searching the area for witnesses or video that may help in the investigation, Calderaro said. KTLA 5 Hawthorne Man Charged In Stolen Ballots Case A Hawthorne man allegedly found with more than 300 stolen recall election ballots in his parked car is facing federal bank fraud and identity theft charges, it was announced Tuesday. Eduardo Mena, 34, was indicted by a Los Angeles federal grand jury in September on charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail, and being a felon in possession of ammunition, according to the court docket. Police said there is no evidence to suggest Mena was involved in election fraud. Mena was arrested Aug. 16 after Torrance Police Department officers were called to a 7-Eleven located in the area of Emerald Street and Hawthorne Boulevard on reports of a man sleeping in his car in the parking lot, according to a department spokesperson. Officers located the man and allegedly found in his vehicle a loaded gun, unspecified narcotics and driver licenses and credit cards that belonged to other people, along with a box of mail in the back seat that contained the unopened and unmarked ballots, according to a police statement issued after Mena’s arrest. MyNewsLA.com Police Apprehend Two Armed Robbery Suspects After Pursuit Police apprehended two armed robbery suspects following a pursuit that ended in Lancaster Tuesday night. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department in Santa Clarita initiated the pursuit on the Antelope Valley Freeway (SR-14) at about 6:50 p.m. after deputies conducted a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle briefly pulled over before fleeing as deputies approached the vehicle. The vehicle exited the Antelope Valley Freeway shortly before police deployed spike strips. The vehicle then stopped on West Tenth Street and Newgrove Street, at about 7:20 p.m. The driver surrendered immediately, however, a passenger in the vehicle ran through a parking lot and a few residential yards. Authorities arrested the passenger in a nearby backyard after a brief search of the area. After detaining the passenger, police began to search for a weapon in the nearby area. CBS 2 Police Search For Missing Tracy Man Believed To Be In LA Area Authorities Tuesday sought the public’s assistance to locate a 19-year-old Tracy man who is believed to be in the Southland. Michael Romero was last seen Dec. 4, though his last whereabouts were not known, according to the West Covina Police Department. Family members told police they believe he is somewhere in the West Covina or La Puente areas. Romero is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs between 180 and 200 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was asked to contact the WCPD at 626-939-8500, or the department’s tip line at 626-939-8688. MyNewsLA.com L.A. County Pauses Criminal Trials For 2 Weeks Due To COVID Surge Los Angeles County will pause all criminal trials for two weeks beginning Wednesday, as coronavirus infections continue to surge across the region due to the infectiousness of the Omicron variant. Presiding Judge Eric Taylor said trials will be paused until Jan. 19, a delay that will allow court officials to “balance access to justice with local public safety needs.” “I will continue to consult closely with L.A. County Department of Public Health … officials on local conditions and any changes to public health orders and guidance during this winter surge,” Taylor said in a statement. “For the second consecutive winter, holiday gatherings have fueled widespread community transmission.” The news came a day after a panel of judges ordered the suspension of all federal trials in Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties. There was no timetable given for a return to normal operations in the federal court system. KTLA 5 Cold Case Victim From 1994 Is Identified Through Forensic Genealogy In Riverside County After nearly 30 years of languishing in anonymity, the victim in a 1994 cold case death has been identified through forensic genealogy, authorities in Riverside County announced this week. Forensic genealogy, a relatively new investigative tool, involves uploading DNA into public databases to look for family members or matches. The long saga in Riverside County began Oct. 24, 1994, when the body of a woman — now known to be Patricia Cavallaro, 57 — was found partially buried in the Thousand Palms desert, the Riverside County district attorney's office said in a news release. Investigators used "all available resources at the time" to identify the woman, including entering her DNA into the California Department of Justice's Missing and Unidentified Persons System, but no match was made. The investigation was eventually taken over by Riverside County's regional cold case homicide team, which includes members of the district attorney's office, sheriff-coroner's department, police departments and the FBI. Last year, the team had a DNA sample created for the purposes of forensic genealogy. The sample came from one of Cavallaro's bone fragments, according to supervising investigator Ryan Bodmer. Yahoo! News 4 Deaths Possibly Tied To Fentanyl Reported In Anaheim In 3 Separate Overdose Cases Four people are dead after a possible string of fentanyl overdoses in three unrelated cases in Anaheim that unfolded Monday, authorities said. Police did not find any drugs at the three locations but discovered foil and other drug paraphernalia, officials with the Anaheim Police Department said. Authorities think the drugs were ingested in a variety of ways at three separate locations. Officials are awaiting toxicology reports from the coroner’s division of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to confirm whether fentanyl was involved in the deaths. Those reports could take up to eight weeks, Anaheim Police Sgt. Shane Carringer said. All three emergency calls occurred within about one hour, police said. “To get four deaths in the span of an hour in a city the size of Anaheim, that is an enormous increase for us,” Carringer said. At 11:40 a.m., a woman was found dead in a motel room in the 800 block of South Beach Boulevard. Twenty minutes later, a man was found dead in the 1700 block of South State College Boulevard. Both were determined to have died of drug overdoses, authorities said. Los Angeles Times California Lawmakers Unveil Plan To Hold Gun Makers Liable For Shootings Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to target the gun industry through private lawsuits is coming together in legislation unveiled Tuesday that would allow gun violence survivors and other citizens to sue firearm manufacturers and dealers. In December, the governor called on the Legislature and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to model legislation after a Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks and gives private people the ability to sue providers and clinics as tool to help enforce it. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the law, and Newsom responded by pledging to implement the the same legislative prototype in California to go after firearms. “So long as the United States Supreme Court has set a precedent which allows private citizens to sue to stop abortions in Texas, California will use that same ability to save lives,” Newsom spokesperson Daniel Lopez said in a statement Tuesday. Assembly Bill 1594 would hand the state, local governments, gun violence survivors and victims’ families the power to pursue legal action against “irresponsible, reckless or negligent gun manufacturers, importers and dealers,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco, one of three Democrats pushing the plan. Los Angeles Times Bradley Officer Pleaded For Her Life Before Suspect Allegedly Fatally Shot Her With Her Own Gun: Prosecutors A Bradley police sergeant was pleading for her life just moments before she was fatally shot with her own service weapon by a gunman in a hotel last week, prosecutors said. On Dec. 29, 2021, Bradley Police Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic and Officer Tyler Bailey responded to the Comfort Inn Hotel in Bradley regarding barking dogs that were left in a vehicle. When Officer Bailey arrived at the scene around 9:56 p.m., he ran the plates of the suspect vehicle, which registered to Xandria Harris, prosecutors said. Officer Bailey then entered the hotel lobby where he met with Sgt. Rittmanic. Bailey then asked a hotel clerk if there were any rooms under Harris or Darius Sullivan, as Bailey had knowledge that Harris was usually in the presence of Sullivan. Bailey also knew Sullivan was wanted on outstanding warrants of arrests for failure to appear in court, prosecutors said. Officer Bailey was also allegedly aware at the time that Sullivan had previously fled from officers who attempted to apprehend him on the warrants. Sgt. Rittmanic and Officer Bailey were given the room where Harris and Sullivan were staying. Prosecutors said the officers proceeded up the stairs to the third floor, where they had the intention to issue a local ordinance violation for the dogs being left in the vehicle and to take Sullivan into custody on the warrants. FOX 11 Over 65 Shots Fired On Busy Philadelphia Street; 6 Wounded Two gunmen fired more than 65 rounds on a Philadelphia street, sending nighttime pedestrians on a busy block teeming with markets and restaurants scrambling for cover and injuring six people, at least one of them critically, police said Friday. Police responded around 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the Germantown neighborhood and found a 21-year-old woman shot multiple times in the abdomen and chest and lying near dozens of spent casings. Officers rushed her to the hospital, where she was in critical condition Friday. Five men ages 19 to 29 were taken with gunshot wounds by private vehicles to two hospitals, police said. All were expected to survive. Officers are looking at surveillance footage, Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters late Thursday. The injured woman, who suffered the most gunshot wounds, may have been the intended target, Small said. But the extensive crime scene — with a sea of casings on Germantown Avenue and bullets from at least two different-caliber semiautomatic weapons striking parked cars — made it difficult to be certain. Associated Press Public Safety News With Omicron Surging, California Calls For Stricter COVID Isolation For Infected People With California’s coronavirus surge worsening, the state has issued new recommendations for when people infected with the virus can end their isolation, guidance that is stricter than what was made earlier this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California is now recommending that asymptomatic, coronavirus-infected people can exit isolation after the fifth day following a positive test, but only if they get a negative test result. By contrast, the CDC’s recommendations don’t ask for a follow-up negative test; the CDC only recommends that those ending isolation continue wearing a mask around other people for five additional days. Dr. Robert Wachter, chair of the UC San Francisco Department of Medicine, praised California’s stricter guidelines. “Kudos,” Wachter wrote. “Safer than [CDC’s] version.” The move comes as the Omicron surge is reaching new highs. Los Angeles County on Thursday reported more than 20,000 new cases, fueled in part by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Overall, California’s reported average daily coronavirus caseload has more than quadrupled in the last two weeks — an astonishing rise that has pushed infection levels significantly higher than during the summer surge linked to the Delta variant. Los Angeles Times As Coronavirus Cases Explode In California, Next Few Weeks Are ‘Absolutely Critical’ Coronavirus cases in California exploded into record territory as counts from the holiday weekend were tallied, and officials are warning that the next few weeks are crucial in the fight against the highly infectious Omicron variant. The mounting toll was evident in long lines for those seeking tests and increasingly crowded conditions at some hospitals. In a sign of how widespread the coronavirus is, the share of tests coming back positive reached a seven-day rate of 20.4%, the highest during the pandemic so far, according to the California Department of Public Health. “We need to quickly adapt to periods of high transmission, like right now,” San Francisco Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said in a statement Tuesday. “The next several weeks are absolutely critical. It is within our power to limit the damage of this latest surge, but we need everybody’s help.” The state reported a massive backlog of 237,084 new cases Tuesday, a total that includes four days’ worth of data. This pushed the statewide seven-day average of newly announced infections to 50,267, easily eclipsing the sky-high case counts seen during last winter’s deadly COVID-19 wave, according to data compiled by The Times. Los Angeles Times Local Government News LA City Council Reverts Back To Virtual Meetings Amid Surge Of COVID-19 Cases The Los Angeles City Council will return to virtual meetings for the first month of 2022 as officials assess the latest COVID-19 surge, Council President Nury Martinez' office announced Tuesday. Meetings were held virtually twice a week from March 2020 until June 15, 2021, when the City Council resumed in-person meetings, although members of the public continued participating virtually. After the initial Friday meeting this week, the City Council's Friday meetings will be suspended for the month and council members will meet virtually only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. At the end of the month, officials will revisit holding in-person council meetings. The move back to fully virtual meetings during the month of January comes as the number of COVID-19 positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals surged well above the 2,000 mark amid a surge in infections that has seen daily case numbers skyrocket over the past two weeks. FOX 11 ‌ ‌ ‌ Visit our website LA Police Protective League | 1308 West Eighth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!