Assailant Opens Fire On LAPD Cruiser During Traffic Stop, Injuring 2 Officers

An LAPD traffic stop Wednesday night nearly became deadly when an assailant pulled out a weapon without warning and began firing at two officers, police said. The officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries. One had a graze wound in the head; the other was injured by shattered glass, police said. A photo of the damaged cruiser released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows several bullet holes in the windshield, with both the passenger and driver positions hit. According to the police account, Southeast Division officers were patrolling in the area of Broadway and Rosecrans Avenue around 9 p.m. Wednesday when they initiated the traffic stop to have the driver of a white Chevy sedan pull the car over near the intersection of South Broadway and Rosecrans. As the vehicle came to a stop, police said, someone in the car “immediately shot at the officers,” who returned fire. “It’s unknown if the suspect was struck,” the department reported on social media. The police account does not make clear whether it was the driver or someone else in the car who shot at the officers. A media officer said Thursday that no further details were available. After the exchange of gunfire, the car sped away. Officers pursued it to the area of Broadway and 135th Street, where they lost sight of the vehicle traveling north on Broadway.

Los Angeles Times

Investigation Underway After Woman Found Dead Inside Car Covered In Bullet Holes In South Los Angeles

An investigation is underway after a woman was found shot to death inside of a car riddled with bullet holes in South Los Angeles earlier this week. The shooting happened at around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2 near the Vermont Avenue exit of the 105 Freeway, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "It was initially unclear whether the vehicle belonged to the suspect or the victim," the LASD release said. "From the patrol car, the Deputy requested assistance from South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station and the Los Angeles County Fire Department." They arrived and found the woman, identified as 22-year-old Raejonette Morgan, suffering from gunshot wounds inside of her car. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died days later on July 4. 

CBS 2

Woman Remains Outstanding After Fleeing Scene Of Deadly Crash In Downtown L.A. 

Authorities are still searching for a woman who fled the scene of a deadly crash in downtown Los Angeles early Sunday morning. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers were first called to the intersection of Pico Boulevard and San Pedro Street shortly after 6 a.m. on reports of a traffic collision. “The vehicle was driving westbound on Pico when the driver lost control and crashed,” an LAPD spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. “The driver fled on foot and is still outstanding.” The driver was only identified as a 21-year-old woman. At least one other person was inside the vehicle at the time; a 26-year-old who was sitting in the rear of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, police stated. What caused the crash has yet to be determined. 

KTLA 5

3 Children Allegedly Kidnapped By Mother Found Safe

Three children who were allegedly abducted by their mother in South Los Angeles were found Sunday and are safe, police said. The children were found with another adult family member in South Los Angeles, according to Sgt. S. Blackman of the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street station. They were not found with their mother, and Blackman said police are not looking for her at this time. The children went missing around 9 a.m. Saturday in the 2000 block of West Florence Avenue, according to the LAPD. Police said the mother, Timberly White, does not have custodial rights of the children, who are ages 6, 12 and 14. No further information was immediately available.

NBC 4

LA Man Accused Of Trying To Set RV On Fire With Wife, 2 Kids Inside

Police near South Los Angeles arrested a man Thursday, after they said he tried to set an RV on fire with his wife and her two kids inside. It happened just before 1 p.m. on July 4. Officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call after a woman called 911 saying that her husband, against whom she had a restraining order, was harassing her, threatening to burn down the family's RV. When officers got there, they found the husband, identified as 34-year-old Carlos Rangel, standing near the back of the RV. When officers approached Rangel, they said he stepped back and reached for his waistband. The officers ordered Rangel to move his hand, but he refused. That's when officers shot Rangel with less-lethal rounds. From there, officers were able to take Rangel into custody without incident. They later found that the object tucked in Rangel's waistband was a cordless drill. Rangel was booked for attempted murder.

FOX 11

UCLA Police Name Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Sexually Assaulting Student In Dorm

The man suspected of sexually assaulting a UCLA student in her dorm room early Friday is 41 years old and not affiliated with the university, campus police said Saturday. Jeffery Brewer has been arrested on suspicion of forcible sexual penetration, burglary, false imprisonment and assault with intent to commit a felony. Bail was set at $1,050,000. It was around 2:40 a.m. Friday when a man entered Saxon Suites residential dorms by unknown means and assaulted the student in her bed, the UCLA Police Department said in a news release. The incident was reported immediately after the man fled the room, police said. The man was described as being heavy-set with a curly beard, wearing all-black clothing and a beanie. After searching all day, officers located and apprehended the suspect around 9:45 p.m. Friday. The victim and two witnesses positively identified him, campus police said. The victim, whose age was not provided, received medical treatment at the scene, according to the news release. Brewer was previously arrested by UCLA police on July 11 last year on unspecified misdemeanor charges, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Inmate Information Center.

Los Angeles Times

Ohio Officer Shot, Killed While Serving Warrant

A Cleveland police officer who was shot and killed Thursday while serving a felony warrant recently was named Officer of the Month after he and his partner were credited with saving the lives of two people earlier this year. Court records identified Officer Jamieson Ritter as the officer killed Thursday. Cleveland police released Ritter’s name on Thursday afternoon. De’Lawnte Hardy, 24, of Cleveland, has been charged with aggravated murder in the killing, which happened around 4 a.m. on East 80th Place in the city’s Hough neighborhood. Ritter, who city records say lives in Olmsted Falls, was among 18 officers who joined the force in November 2020. He previously served as an ROTC cadet while he studied communications and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University, according to social media posts. He was assigned to the city’s Third District. The Cleveland Police Foundation named Ritter, 27, and his partner, Brittany Vajusi, Officers of the Month five days ago. The pair gave emergency aid to two gunshot victims, one in February and one in May, and rescued a man who had jumped into the Cuyahoga River in April.

PoliceOne

Tennessee ‘Back The Blue Act’ Harshens Penalties For Those Who Assault Law Enforcement Officers

 A new Tennessee law, called the “Back the Blue Act,” has been enacted to harshen penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers, 10 News reported. Those convicted of assaulting officers, now a Class E felony, will face a $10,000 fine and a minimum sentence of 60 days in prison, according to the report. The law differentiates assaults on law enforcement from attacks on other first responders, according to the report Assaulting other first responders is classified as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a $5,000 fine and a minimum of 30 days in prison. Some departments in Tennesse have reported an increase of assaults on police officers. For example, in 2022, the Knoxville Police Department stated 63 officers were listed as victims in assault reports, 10 News reported. So far in 2024, 30 officers have reported being assaulted. “They don’t sign up to be shot,” said Phil Keith, a former Knoxville Police Department chief. “They sign up to be public servants. Here in East Tennessee, these most recent ones are just ambush attacks, and that’s where we’ve seen the greatest increase nationwide.”

PoliceOne

Man Hospitalized, Dog Dead After Fire Breaks Out At San Fernando Valley Home

An elderly man was hospitalized and a dog killed when a fire broke out at a home in the Valley Village neighborhood on Sunday. The blaze was reported just after 12:15 a.m. in the 4900 block of N. Beeman Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Crews were dispatched after receiving notification from an alarm company about the fire. They arrived to find a shed attached to the front of a one-story home that was engulfed in flames, according to an LAFD statement. As some firefighters battled the fire, others entered the home and rescued the elder adult man who lived inside. "The man, who sustained burns to his head, was provided on-site medical care, before being transported to an area hospital in fair condition," LAFD said. Firefighters again entered the home after flames were extinguished at around 12:45 a.m., and found the man's pet dog dead inside.

CBS 2

LAFD Helicopter, Paramedic Rescue Woman Hiking Bienveneda Trail

A rescue operation was underway Saturday afternoon involving a Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter and paramedics trying to help a 66-year-old woman who suffered heat exhaustion while hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains near Topanga State Park. The LAFD was summoned at 3:37 p.m. after the woman became ill on the Bienveneda Trail north of the Leacock Trail, department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. The helicopter lowered a flight paramedic to assess and stabilize the woman and help hoist her into the hovering aircraft for transport to a hospital, Humphrey said.

Westside Current

City Council Votes To Cut Crucial Funds For Senior Meal Delivery Program

A recent vote by the Los Angeles City Council has raised concerns among organizations dedicated to providing meals for seniors, potentially impacting the food security of the city's elderly population. Despite efforts to sustain the vital Los Angeles senior meal delivery program, the city council voted to deny the extension of funds to keep it going. “The cost of living is horrific, and food stamps do not help much anymore since they cut them back,” said Sheila Cage, a senior meal delivery program member since its creation. “It feels like the city council couldn’t care less.” Since the initial announcement of funds ending in early June, Councilwoman Heather Hutt has twice attempted to extend the program's financial life without success. "With over 18% of our seniors currently living in poverty, our city's senior population is one the most vulnerable segments of our society and continues to grow every day. This is why I created the motion to reestablish the city's Rapid Response Senior Meals program, and secure funding to continue for the rest of the year," Hutt said in a statement.

Westside Current

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.