Nithya Raman declared ‘Defund the police.’ Now she says L.A. shouldn’t lose more cops
Nithya Raman declared ‘Defund the police.’ Now she says L.A. shouldn’t lose more cops
Two days after her surprise entry into the Los Angeles mayor’s race, Nithya Raman staked out her position on public safety, saying she doesn’t want the Police Department to lose more officers. “We need to maintain the size of our police force and grapple with the fact that even the size of our existing police force is not enough to respond to 911 calls in a timely fashion,” she said Monday in an interview with NBC Los Angeles. Raman’s statements represent a considerable evolution from 2020, when she became the first person elected to the City Council with the support of the Democratic Socialists of America. “Defund the police,” she declared at one point during her campaign. As a city council member, Raman has navigated a tightrope on the issue, responding to the wishes of her DSA supporters but also other constituents concerned about crime. Just three weeks ago, she voted against the hiring of 170 additional police officers sought by Mayor Karen Bass, a former ally who is now her opponent in the June 2 primary. “I’ve voted for police budgets when they have maintained appropriate levels of investment and are fiscally responsible, and that’s what I would continue to do as Mayor,” Raman said Wednesday in a statement to The Times. Asked about Raman’s recent remarks, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file LAPD officers, said: “Her shameless attempt to rewrite her abysmal record on protecting Angelenos should tell voters about the type of person she actually is.”
31-year-old man ejected, killed in Koreatown crash
A 31-year-old man was killed in a late-night crash at Vermont Avenue and 1st Street in Koreatown, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The collision was reported around 10:21 p.m. Wednesday after California Highway Patrol officers were flagged down at the scene of what was initially described as an overturned vehicle, police said. Preliminary information from LAPD indicates a vehicle traveling northbound on Vermont Avenue collided with a second vehicle heading eastbound on 1st Street. The impact caused one of the vehicles to overturn. The 31-year-old man inside the second vehicle was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed a person was declared dead in the 3500 block of West 1st Street following what was classified as an expanded traffic collision. Two other occupants of the same vehicle — a 23-year-old driver and a 21-year-old passenger — were transported to a hospital in stable condition.
Man encounters masked thieves who stole cash and jewelry in Hollywood Hills burglary
A man quickly reversed course after pulling into the driveway of his Hollywood Hills home Wednesday night and encountering two men in ski masks, the Los Angeles Police Department told NBC4 Investigates. The alarming scene unfolded at about 7 p.m. in the 1400 block of Rising Glen Road in the hills above West Hollywood. The man told police he saw two men in ski masks and gloves in his driveway. The men swore at him before he reversed back out and called authorities, police said. Officers responded, but the men had already left the scene. Police said a rear glass door was broken by the intruders. Video from NewsChopper4 showed a board over a rear entrance early Thursday. The house was ransacked and the thieves took about $100,000 in cash and jewelry. They also took two firearms. No arrests were reported early Thursday.
Police Seek Help Identifying Suspects Connected to Assault at USC
Police sought the public’s assistance Wednesday in identifying four protesters suspected of assaulting three Turkish Consulate employees during an event at USC three years ago. Officers responded at around 2:25 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2023, near Downey and Watt ways after a planned event, where the suspects allegedly approached the victims and began yelling derogatory statements and physically attacking them, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victims were walking through the USC campus, where they were allegedly pushed, punched, kicked, and had water thrown on them by the protesters in what police called a hate crime. The motive for the attack remains under investigation by the Major Crimes Division. Anyone with information regarding the case was urged to call detectives Torres or Allen at 213-486-6207. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
Woman arrested for setting fire to Los Angeles Islamic center
Los Angeles police have arrested a woman accused of setting fire to an Islamic community center in Hyde Park. Surveillance video shared on social media by Islah LA shows a person igniting rolls of toilet paper and tossing them over a gate, which had also been defaced with hateful graffiti, on Feb. 7. The fire was contained outside the building on West Slauson Avenue and caused limited damage to a door and wall. Police told KTLA that a woman was taken into custody that morning. It was not immediately known what charges she might face related to the fire and vandalism. “We know her. At one point in time, she was coming here to the community,” Jihad Saafir, the imam and religious director at Islah LA, told KTLA. “She was also a recipient of our mental health services.” L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath issued a statement condemning the incident, saying in part, “Hate has no place in Los Angeles County. Our Muslim neighbors deserve to feel safe in their houses of worship and in the community spaces they cherish.”
Downtown Los Angeles tree vandal sentenced to 2 years in prison
A 45-year-old man was sentenced to two years in prison for using a chainsaw to cut down trees in the downtown Los Angeles area last year. Samuel Patrick Groft pleaded no contest to nine felony counts of vandalism and two misdemeanor counts of vandalism at his Los Angeles County Superior Court hearing on Wednesday. The charges involve 13 trees that were cut between April 13 and April 19, including one that had a limb chopped off. Felled trees lying in the road and walkways left many in the DTLA community baffled and outraged as to who and why anyone would want to go out of their way to chop the trees down. Los Angeles Police Department investigators homed in on the suspect, a man caught on surveillance footage wearing all black and riding a BMX-style bike. Police identified the suspect as Groft, who was arrested on April 22, in the same clothing, same bicycle, and with a chainsaw in his possession at a nearby park encampment. They had said earlier that he has a criminal record and is homeless.
BWC: Dog leads Ky. officers to missing 3-year-old boy
A dog is being credited with helping Louisville police locate a missing 3-year-old boy, video released by LVMPD shows. Officer Josh Thompson of the Louisville Metro Police Department’s 7th Division said that the search led officers through multiple yards before they encountered a barking dog that began following him.
Tenn. PD jabs at officer, releases video of porch tumble: ‘Rapid tactical descent’
An officer who took a spill at a residence is being relentlessly teased by his department on social media over multiple days and posts. “Earlier this evening, Sgt. Bennett conducted an unscheduled structural integrity test on a residential porch within city limits ... We want to assure the citizens of Monterey that this was a highly advanced training maneuver known as a ‘Rapid Tactical Descent.’ This technique ensures our officers are fully prepared for… unexpected elevation changes. Sgt Bennett executed this maneuver ‘FLAWLESSLY,’” the department stated.
Public Safety News
Public advised to stay out of all Los Angeles County beaches
After rain hit Southern California early Wednesday, officials are asking the public to avoid all Los Angeles County beaches due to high levels of bacteria. Due to recent rainfall, contamination from excessive bacteria, trash, chemicals and other hazardous debris can seep into ocean waters from nearby city streets and mountain areas, especially around discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers, said the L.A. County Department of Public Health. This warning also includes any runoff that may flow onto or pond on the beach sand. Stormwater runoff can also transport physical hazards such as partially submerged tree limbs and logs into the ocean, which could cause serious injury, officials said. People who enter the ocean water during this period could become ill, especially children, the elderly, or those who are immunocompromised, officials said. The advisories will remain in effect until at least Saturday, Feb. 14 at 12 p.m. and may be extended depending on further rainfall. The health department tests ocean water bacteria levels regularly and advisories will be lifted once the levels meet standards set by the state of California. Rain advisories typically remain in effect for 72 hours after rainfall ends.
