Person Of Interest Detained In Ambush Killing Of L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy In Palmdale

A person of interest has been detained in the ambush killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who was shot in the head near the Palmdale station Saturday night, law enforcement sources told The Times. Few details were available, but authorities had launched a massive manhunt since the brazen killing, which was captured on surveillance video. The video shows Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer steering his patrol cruiser onto Sierra Highway and stopping at a red light outside the Palmdale sheriff’s station. Clinkunbroomer was dressed in his sheriff’s department uniform and on duty patrolling the high desert community of Palmdale, just north of Los Angeles. Seconds later, a dark gray Toyota Corolla can be seen pulling up behind the marked black-and-white cruiser and pausing, in the security video shared with The Times. The sedan then pulls alongside the driver’s side of the cruiser. It pauses again, then speeds off. Clinkunbroomer’s vehicle drifts a foot or two. In those seconds, authorities said, the deputy was shot in the head. He died from his injuries hours later. Clinkunbroomer was 30 years old.

Los Angeles Times

Two Models Found Dead In Downtown L.A. Apartments In Last Week

Two models have been found dead inside their luxury apartments in downtown Los Angeles within the last week, authorities confirmed Saturday. The death of Maleesa Mooney, 31, on Sept. 12 is being investigated as a murder, according to the L.A. Police Department. The death of a second model, 32-year-old Nichole Coats, on Sept. 10 is not being investigated as a homicide, according to the LAPD and the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. It’s unclear whether there is any link between the two deaths. But family members of Coats, who went by Nikki, said in a teary interview with TV station KTLA that they believe she was murdered. “I couldn’t recognize her,” Coats’ aunt, May Stevens, said, describing the way her niece looked when family members discovered her lifeless body inside her apartment in the 700 block of Grand Avenue. “I believe it was murder, I really do. One of her legs was up in the air in a kicking position. That’s not somebody who just laid in their bed and died.” Coats’ mother, Sharon, told the news station that the scene of her daughter’s death was bloody and gruesome. The family could not be reached for comment Saturday night.

Los Angeles Times

LAPD Searches For Gunman Following Shooting Death In North Hollywood

An investigation is underway in North Hollywood after a man was shot dead Saturday morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). LAPD Detective Richard Moakley said the department received a call of a death investigation around 8 a.m. near the intersection of Tujunga Avenue and Cumpston Street. Officers initially thought the death may have been the result of an overdose but found upon inspection that the victim sustained a gunshot wound to his torso. Officials said they have identified the deceased, but are not releasing his name at this time. They did, however, say he was a 38-year-old man. Moakley said there is a “strong likelihood” that drugs may have been involved in the case, but he did not elaborate. The department added that investigators believe the victim may have been experiencing homelessness. LAPD said the shooting appears to be an isolated and targeted event. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Valley Bureau Homicide detectives at 818)-374-9550. Anonymous tips can be made by contacting the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).

NBC 4

1 Dead, 1 Wounded Following Shooting In South LA

One person was killed and another wounded during a shooting in South Los Angeles on Friday. According to Los Angeles Police Department, the shooting happened at around 7:30 p.m. near a Bank of America located on S. Broadway and Manchester Avenue. Officers arrived to find a man in his 30s dead at the scene after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. A woman was taken to a nearby hospital after being shot in the leg. Her condition is unknown. Neither of the victims' identities has been released. As they investigate the incident, police say that two suspects wearing black hooded sweatshirts were seen running from the area northbound in an alley north of Broadway. 

CBS 2

LAPD Deploys New ‘Robot Dog' In Koreatown Barricade Situation Involving Armed Suspect

The Los Angeles Police Department released video of a barricade situation in Koreatown involving an armed suspect, and it included footage from the department's new "robot dog." The incident happened on the evening of Aug. 12. A 911 caller told police there was a man armed with a gun inside a convenience store on West 6th Street. The suspect, 35-year-old Taylor Dean Sanders, had fled the scene but was later spotted near the area carrying what appeared to be a black assault rifle, according to police. "As officers issued verbal commands to Sanders, he raised the rifle in the direction of the officers resulting in an officer-involved shooting," said police in a statement. Sanders then led officers on a foot chase through several streets. Police said Sanders kept pointing his rifle at officers. The officers deployed both beanbag shotguns and less lethal launchers at Sanders several times before he ultimately barricaded himself behind the stairwell of a building near the intersection of 7th Street and Vermont Avenue.

ABC 7

LASD Seeks Tips In 2001 Compton-Area Gang Shootings, Including One That Left Father, Daughter Dead

For more than 20 years, they have searched for answers. Now, the family of a young father and his daughter who were killed by gang violence in 2001 is one step closer to justice. Stephen Murphy, 25, and his 2-year-old daughter Kali Murphy were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were both shot during an ongoing gang war they had nothing to do with. But new evidence announced by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Friday may help with their case and other cases that have since gone cold. Sheriff's homicide Lt. Hugo Reynaga said the spree of violence occurred over two nights, beginning Aug. 7, 2001, when 22-year-old Richard Lawrence was fatally shot in the 2000 block of North Grape Avenue in Compton. The motive for the killing is believed to have been "an ongoing war at the time'' between a pair of rival street gangs, Reynaga said. Witnesses provided a basic description of two male suspects in the crime, and sheriff's officials released artist renderings in hopes of generating tips from the public. Reynaga said the suspects were driving a gray Chevrolet Caprice.

ABC 7

Man Who Shot New Jersey Officer In ‘Hostile Mob' Ambush Sentenced To 37 Years In Prison

A man convicted of shooting a New Jersey State Police detective in Salem County in 2020 was sentenced Tuesday to 37 years in state prison, officials said. On April 25, 2020, Detective Richard Hershey was shot and wounded while investigating a home invasion in which a woman was beaten and robbed at the Harding Woods mobile home park on Harding Highway in Pittsgrove, according to a statement from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. The incident stemmed from derogatory comments the victim allegedly made about the family of one of her assailants, according to court documents. While Hershey was at the scene of that crime, which had occurred several hours earlier, a hostile mob of 15 people pulled up in five vehicles at around 10:30 p.m., with the intention of attacking and injuring a resident at the mobile home park and damaging her home, the office said, The members of the caravan were armed with at least two handguns, one knife, and one bottle. Some members got out their cars and confronted the detective, who identified himself as a police officer and gave commands in an effort to control the intruders, investigators said. Tremaine Hadden, 30, of Bridgeton, along with two others, Najzeir “Naz” Hutchings and Kareen “Kai” Warner, opened fire on Hershey.

PoliceOne

Video: K-9 Shot By Armed Suspect Saved By Georgia Deputies

A K-9 survived being shot in an encounter with an armed suspect thanks to lifesaving actions carried out by deputies from Coweta County, FOX 5 reports. Body camera video shows K-9 Kilo surrounded by deputies who worked quickly to stop the bleeding after Kilo was shot in the shoulder. The shooting happened at the end of August when an armed suspect led deputies on a pursuit that ended in a crash. Kilo had been deployed when a man pointed a gun at deputies, the Coweta County Sheriff's Office said. "I believe with every fiber of my being that the dog saved officers' lives, and less than 10 minutes later, they were trying to save the dog’s life," Sgt. Toby Nix told FOX 5. The vet who treated Kilo also credited the deputies with saving the K-9's life. Kilo was awarded a Medal of Valor for his heroic efforts in the incident. 

PoliceOne

Firefighters Knock Down Blaze In Commercial Unit In LA

Firefighters put out a blaze at a commercial unit south of downtown Los Angeles Saturday. The fire was reported at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday in a one-story row of commercial structures at 5504 S. Central Ave., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. A total of 36 firefighters performed a coordinated attack in the building’s interior and with rooftop ventilation to contain the fire to the unit of origin and extinguish the flames in 12 minutes. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

MyNewsLA

L.A. Hospital Seeks Help Identifying Unknown Patient

A local hospital needs help identifying a patient who was found in Los Angeles earlier this week. The man is currently at the Los Angeles General Medical Center and has been there for about one week. He was found wandering the streets near 833 N. Broadway in Chinatown, according to hospital staff. He is currently unable to recall his name, where he lives, or where he was going. He does not have any information or belongings to identify him. He is described as an Asian man around 76 years old. He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 145 pounds and has a medium build. He has black and gray short hair with brown eyes. He was found wearing black dress pants with white vertical stripes, a white dress shirt with light blue stripes, and a black hoodie with the words “California Republic” on the front. Anyone who recognizes this man or has additional information is asked to call Mercedes Mark, a hospital clinical social worker at 323-409-3786.

KTLA 5

Terror Of Long COVID Remains Common Even As Pandemic Eases, Data Show

Long COVID remains common after coronavirus infection, even as cases of the syndrome have decreased since the start of the pandemic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, data increasingly suggest that getting vaccinated reduces the risk of long COVID among children and adults — a factor health officials have cited as part of the rationale behind recommending virtually all Americans get a newly formulated vaccine this year. “Those who do not get a COVID-19 vaccine have an increased likelihood of developing long COVID,” CDC epidemiologist Sharon Saydah said during a recent meeting of the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Long COVID refers to a wide range of physical and mental health problems that persist four or more weeks after a coronavirus infection. While research has hinted at a possible correlation between the severity of initial infection and likelihood of developing long COVID, the syndrome can afflict even those who had only mild symptoms — or none at all.

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.