Officer Struck By Drunk Driver Overnight During Traffic Stop In Los Angeles

An LAPD officer was struck by a vehicle after exiting their squad car early Saturday morning. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers with the Southwest Division attempted to pull over a stolen vehicle around 3:40 a.m. The vehicle took off from the traffic stop and stopped in the area of Western Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard approximately two minutes later, police said. As two officers got out of their squad car to approach the stopped vehicle, one was struck by a car passing by the area. That motorist was discovered to be driving under the influence and was arrested. The driver of the stolen vehicle was also taken into custody around 3:45 a.m., LAPD said. The officer was rushed to a nearby hospital, where they are listed to be in stable condition. Their identity has not been released at this time.

KTLA 5

Man Killed, 2 Others Shot In Wilmington

A gunman killed a man in his 50s and wounded two other people in a residential neighborhood of Wilmington, authorities said Sunday. All three victims were in the 1000 block of Sanford Avenue when the assailant approached them at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday and fired shots striking them all, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. The gunman then fled the scene on foot. Paramedics rushed the wounded trio to a hospital, where the man in his 50s died from his gunshot wounds. A man about 36 years old was listed in critical condition and a 32-year-old woman was listed in stable condition. No further information was immediately available.

FOX 11

Man Killed In Shooting Near Vermont Square

A man was shot to death in the Vermont Square neighborhood on Saturday. According to Los Angeles Police Department, the shooting happened at around 3:15 p.m. near 51st Street and Denker Avenue. Police responding to the scene found a man in his early-30s lying in the street. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A large area near the intersection was cordoned off by crime scene tape, spotted by SkyCal overhead. Nearly a dozen evidence markers could also be seen in the street. Investigators were told the shooting was preceded by some sort of dispute between the victim and suspect, who fled from the spot of the shooting northbound along Denker Ave. in a dark-colored four-door sedan. It is unclear if the shooting was gang-related, police said. 

CBS 2

2 shot in East Hollywood following dispute between neighbors: LAPD

A SWAT team searched unsuccessfully Sunday at an East Hollywood apartment building for a resident believed to have shot two of his neighbors during an altercation. Two men were shot near the apartment complex in the 1500 block of Serrano Avenue, between Hollywood and Sunset boulevards, around 1:50 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department Officer Rosario Cervantes told City News Service.

Fox 11

Buddha Statue Worth $1.5M Stolen From Art Gallery Near West Hollywood

Los Angeles police are continuing their search for clues about the theft of a nearly 250-pound Buddha statue, worth approximately $1.5 million, that was stolen from a gallery near West Hollywood. Officers responded shortly before 10:30 a.m. Monday to the Barakat Gallery in the 900 block of North La Cienega Boulevard, between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, regarding a burglary, authorities said. The statue from Japan's Edo Period of 1603-1867 was stolen around 3:45 a.m. Monday, according to surveillance footage. The thief broke into the entrance through a driveway gate and used a dolly to move the statue onto a truck within 25 minutes, officials said. In addition to the Los Angeles location, Barakat also has galleries in London and Seoul. Anyone with information about the stolen sculpture was urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-275-5273.

NBC 4

3 Men Accused Of Kidnapping Teen For Ransom In Southern California

Three men were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a SoCal teenager and holding him for ransom on Friday. The suspects were identified as Santa Maria residents: Fidel Jesús Patino Jaimes, 22, Jair Tomás Ramos Domínguez, 26, and Ezequiel Felix López, 27. The victim was identified as a 17-year-old boy from San Bernardino County, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. On the morning of Sept. 18, the three suspects allegedly caused a car crash involving the teen boy. As the boy exited his vehicle, the men grabbed him and forced him into their SUV, court documents said. Later that afternoon, the boy’s mother received a call from a Mexico-based phone number. The caller demanded she hand over $500,000 to a location in Nogales, Mexico in exchange for the boy. They told her the boy’s father was to blame for the abduction, officials said.

KTLA 5

California Sheriff's Office K-9 Sniffs Out 23 Pounds Of Meth During Traffic Stop

A Sonoma County Sheriff's Office K-9 led his deputy to 23 pounds of meth during a Wednesday traffic stop, resulting in one arrest, authorities said. The suspect, Enrique Sanchez-Arias, 33, of Vacaville, was booked into the Sonoma County jail on suspicion of felony possession and transportation of a controlled substance, according to the Sheriff's Office news release. Around 6:15 a.m., a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on an SUV near Stage Gulch Road and Watmaugh Road in Temelec, an unincorporated area west of Sonoma. The SUV had several lights out and an expired registration, said Deputy Robert Dillion, spokesperson for the sheriff's office. The deputy's K-9 smelled around the vehicle and alerted to the presence of substances, Dillion said. The deputy recovered about 23 pounds of meth from inside the SUV. Based on the large quantity of drugs, an investigation was launched by the property/narcotics unit and is ongoing, Dillion said. 

Press Democrat

Georgia Trooper Arrests Man Accused Of Faking His Own Death To Avoid Child Rape Charges

A man arrested after a weekend police pursuit and motorcycle crash in Georgia turned out to be a fugitive accused of avoiding a child rape charge by faking his own drowning death last month in a Mississippi River kayaking accident, according to a Louisiana sheriff. Melvin Emde, 41, of Talihina, Oklahoma, had been reported missing by his son early on Aug. 7, St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said in a news release. Authorities were told at the time that Emde had fallen from a kayak while fishing and had drowned. The sheriff's office reported at the time that the search spanned two days and used divers, sonar, a small boat and a drone. No body was found. Meanwhile, investigators learned that Emde was facing charges of “indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape of a child” in North Carolina. “We immediately became quite suspicious that this may have been a faked accidental drowning and death in order for Mr. Emde to escape charges in Brunswick County, North Carolina," Champagne said in the release. “However, we could not publicly expose our suspicions for fear of tipping him off.”

Associated Press

LAFD Seeks Community Input Regarding Its Department Tattoo Policy

The Los Angeles Fire Department is asking for community input regarding its firefighter tattoo policy. The department is considering amending its 15-year-old policy to cover up tattoos while on duty, feeling it may be a bit antiquated as body art has become more common and seemingly more accepted. In a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center, nearly a third of U.S. adults, 32 percent, have a tattoo and 22 percent have more than one. The current LAFD tattoo policy states, "All sworn members, while on duty, shall not display any tattoos, scarification and/or brandings." The policy further states, "Sworn uniformed members shall cover any visible tattoos, scarifications, and/or brandings by wearing a department approved uniform or skin patch." Currently, any applicants who may have tattoos that are not able to be covered by a Band-Aid, skin patch, Under Armor material, or a long-sleeve shirt are not hired based on the written policy. In its letter asking for community input on surveymonkey.com, the department says firefighters have relayed negative impacts from the policy such as operational and response challenges, lack of acceptance and inclusion as well as heat--related issues.

CBS 2

Here’s Why L.A. Council Members Could Get A One-Time Shot At A Six-Year Term

If you’ve been following the push for reform at Los Angeles City Hall, you’ve heard plenty of arguments in favor of expanding the size of the City Council. Supporters say the change — now being contemplated for the November 2024 ballot — will make city government more responsive, more diverse and possibly even less corrupt, given that each council member’s fiefdom would shrink. As it turns out, the proposal could also end up providing council members an intriguing side benefit. As they flesh out the specifics of the expansion plan, two new arrivals at City Hall have begun pursuing a proposal to give council members elected in 2026 the opportunity to serve a six-year term in office — longer than the typical four years allowed under the City Charter. The politicians floating that idea come from very different places on the ideological spectrum. Councilmember Traci Park was elected on the Westside with huge support from the city’s police union. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents part of the Eastside, regularly votes against police spending.

Los Angeles Times

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.