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Good Morning. Join us on Monday, October 3rd for the 38th Annual Chief Daryl F. Gates Golf Tournament at Porter Valley Country Club in Northridge. Registration is $150 per person and proceeds will go towards benefitting the Officer Needs Help Fund. Click here for more information.
Law Enforcement News
Police Officers From Coast To Coast Come Under Attack Over 4th Of July Weekend
As Americans celebrated the founding of the nation over the weekend, crime rang out and left police officers from coast to coast the target of various attacks. Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago and Baltimore were all rocked by shootings over the holiday weekend, leaving dozens dead and injured. As the dust settles from the holiday, reports show police officers in cities both large and small came under direct attack, most notably in Philadelphia, where two officers were shot and injured. Thousands attended a Fourth of July concert and fireworks show on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Monday evening in Philadelphia, but chaos erupted when shots were fired nearby, leaving two officers injured. "I'm still going to put my uniform on every day and come to work to serve because that's what I love to do," Philadelphia officer Sergio Diggs told WPVI after he was grazed on the forehead by a bullet. "I'm very grateful I was able to come home to my family. They are the reason I go out here and try to make a difference." Police are still investigating the shooting that left Diggs and Montgomery County Deputy John Foster injured. A chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police is offering a $20,000 reward for any information on the shooting.
FOX News
Gascón Recall Proponents Deliver 717,000 Signatures To County
Campaign organizers seeking to recall embattled Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón submitted 717,000 signatures to election officials Wednesday, July 6, hoping to force an election that could oust him after less than two years on the job. A group of sign-waving recall supporters, many of them families of murder victims critical of Gascon’s policies, greeted a truck that delivered the petitions to the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office in Norwalk. Supporters need 566,857 signatures — representing 10% of the total registered voters in the county at the time of the November 2020 election that Gascon won — to qualify the recall for the ballot. Supporters hope the extra signatures will provide a sufficient cushion to allow for disqualified signatures. “It was a Herculean effort with a lot of moving parts to obtain the signatures,” said former Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, who is co-chairman of campaign to recall Gascon. Wednesday was the county deadline to submit the recall petitions. Cooley predicted that if the signatures are certified, Gascón will be turned out of office in a landslide. The county will have 30 days to verify the signatures before scheduling a recall vote.
LA Daily News
LAPD Releases Surveillance Video Of Murder Suspect, Accomplice Fleeing Downtown LA Shooting
Los Angeles police seeks the public's help in finding a 27-year-old man and a woman who are wanted in connection with the shooting death of a 63-year-old man in an apartment building in downtown L.A. Officers found the victim laying on the floor of an apartment located in the 500 block of South San Pedro Street around 12:30 a.m. on June 19 when they responded to an "ambulance death investigation," according to an LAPD news release. LAFD paramedics pronounced the victim, identified as Gerald Burrell, dead at the scene. Burrell died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the coroner's office. LAPD investigators reviewed surveillance video from the area and identified the suspect in the shooting as Deshawn Dequan Porter. Investigators also noted Porter was assisted by a female suspect following the alleged shooting, but her identity could not be determined. Police also say Porter shot at three other people in the apartment complex. A motive for the shooting is unknown. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to contact LAPD Detective Carrero Ortiz or Detective Wright at 213-996-4118. Calls made during non-business hours or on weekends can be directed to 877-527-3247.
ABC 7
Gunman Convicted Of Murder In Killing Of LA Hip-Hop Artist Nipsey Hussle
A man was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday in the shooting death of Nipsey Hussle outside the hip-hop artist's South Los Angeles clothing store. The panel spent just over a half-hour in deliberations Wednesday, following nearly five hours of discussions last Friday. Eric Ronald Holder Jr., 32, was charged with murder for the March 31, 2019, killing of the 33-year-old rapper, whose real name was Ermias Joseph Asghedom. Holder's attorney has acknowledged that the defendant shot and killed Nipsey, but urged jurors to find him guilty on a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter because he was acting in the "heat of passion." The Los Angeles County jury also found Holder Jr. guilty of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter for gunfire that hit other men at the scene. Prosecutors had sought two counts of attempted murder. Holder also was found guilty of two counts of assault with a firearm on the same men. Holder could get life in prison when he's sentenced on Sept. 15. Closing arguments wrapped up Thursday with prosecutors portraying the relationship Nipsey had with the South Los Angeles neighborhood that was home to his Marathon clothing store.
NBC 4
Man Arrested, Accused Of Impersonating A Police Officer To Kidnap 13-Year-Old Boy
A 38-year-old man who impersonated a police officer to get a 13-year-old boy into his truck was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of kidnapping, Los Angeles police officials said. Around 8 a.m. Wednesday, the boy was riding his bicycle near Van Nuys Boulevard and Tupper Street in Panorama City when he was struck by a pickup truck, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A man identified as Ottoniel Mendoza got out of the vehicle, showed the boy a badge and told him he was a police officer, the LAPD said. Mendoza told the boy to get into the truck and he did, police said. A witness followed the truck and called police after the crash. Officers found Mendoza, another man and the boy inside the truck near Sepulveda Boulevard and Tupper Street. The boy was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries he sustained in the crash. Both adult occupants of the truck were detained and interviewed, but only Mendoza was arrested and booked into jail, police said.
LA Times
Authorities Searching For Hit-and-Run Driver Who Fled From Scene Of Two-Car Collision In Westlake
Authorities were searching for a suspect involved in a hit-and-run in Westlake early Thursday morning. The crash occurred a little before 5 a.m. near W. 3rd Street and Huntley Drive, when the driver reportedly ran a red light and collided with another vehicle before veering off the side of the road and smashing into the front doorway of a business. According to Los Angeles Police Department, the suspect fled from the scene on foot before authorities could arrive. There was no additional information on the suspect or their vehicle readily available. The victim had complaints of pain but denied medical transport.
CBS 2
Sylmar Shooting Being Investigated As Potential Hate Crime
Police Wednesday sought the public's help to identify the person who shot a man in Sylmar in what is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Los Angeles Police Department officers were sent to the area of Polk Street and Foothill Boulevard, near the Foothill (210) Freeway, at about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday and found a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot of a convenience store. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were called to the scene and took the man to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. An investigation into the shooting revealed the victim was talking with another person at the scene when they were approached by the suspect. "The suspect made disparaging and offensive comments, then fired multiple shots at the victim before fleeing the scene," according to the LAPD. "This shooting is being investigated as a hate crime." No suspect description was provided. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to contact LAPD Detective Thomas Townsend at 818-374-9550. Calls made during non-business hours or on weekends can be directed to 877-527-3247.
FOX 11
Woman Wounded In Chesterfield Square Shooting
A woman is in the hospital Thursday after being shot in the Chesterfield Square neighborhood of Los Angeles. The shooting was reported at 8:43 p.m. Wednesday and officers from the Los Angeles Police Department arrived at Slauson and Western avenues where they found a woman who had been shot as she walked along Slauson, LAPD Officer Norma Eiseman told City News Service. The victim, who police say is homeless, was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Eiseman said police do not think the shooting was gang-related.
MyNewsLA.com
2 Sought In Armed Robbery In Beverly Grove Area: LAPD
An investigation is underway after a person was reportedly robbed at gunpoint in the Beverly Grove area early Wednesday. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, two male suspects robbed the victim of personal property including cell phones. The suspects were wearing black clothing and were armed with handguns, police said. No other information was immediately available.
FOX 11
Woman Accused Of Attacking Street Vendor, Spitting In Food Is Arrested
A woman has been arrested in connection with a caught-on-camera attack on a street vendor that shows a woman punching a vendor in the head, spitting in the food, and tossing all the food on the ground in Harvard Park. The Los Angeles Police Department announced the arrest of 30-year-old India Duerson Wednesday. On July 2, the LAPD said Duerson walked up to the South Tacos vendor on Normandie and Slauson avenues. Video taken by a bystander shows a woman punching the vendor, named Bertha. Witnesses said the woman wanted a burrito, but didn't have money to pay for it. The tirade lasted about 15 minutes as the woman vandalized the stand and even spit in the food. The LAPD said she stole food and ran from the area. People rallied Monday night behind the street vendor. On Tuesday, the LAPD said Duerson was arrested on suspicion of robbery. She had an existing $10,000.00 warrant for prostitution, the LAPD said. She was being held on $60,000 bail and the case was being sent to the LA County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. A GoFundMe benefitting the vendor has raised more than $8,000 after setting a goal of $2,500.
NBC 4
More Than 90 ‘Ghost Guns,' High-Capacity Magazines, Ammo Seized By Deputies In Palmdale, LASD Says
Dozens of so-called "ghost guns" are off the street following a major bust in Palmdale, according to authorities. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department posted photos of the weapons it says deputies seized during a search warrant operation. More than 90 illegal "ghost guns," along with high-capacity magazines, narcotics and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition were confiscated, the sheriff's department stated in a social media post. Authorities say the bust led to the arrest of a convicted felon, but further details about the suspect and the arrest were unavailable.
ABC 7
Elderly Man Stabbed To Death In Pasadena
One man has been arrested after an elderly man was stabbed to death in Pasadena Wednesday afternoon, according to police. Pasadena Police say they received calls for a stabbing at a home at the intersection of Mentor Avenue and Bell Street around 2:15 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a man in his 80s dead. After investigating, officers were able to identify the suspect's car, and found it in the parking lot of a Target store at 3121 E. Colorado Blvd. in East Pasadena. SkyFOX was live over the scene, where officers could be seen investigating a dark-colored Ford pickup truck. The Pasadena Police Department tweeted that officers were asking people to leave the store while they investigated. At 7:45, Pasadena Police sent an update saying that the suspect had been arrested and that they were allowing people back into the store. Police were still investigating the scene at the house, and advise travelers to avoid the area.
FOX 11
Chicago Police Officer Shot Multiple Times While Responding To Domestic Violence Call
A Chicago police officer responding to a domestic disturbance at an apartment building was repeatedly shot as he stepped off an elevator Friday, hours after two men were killed in a separate shooting downtown, authorities said. The male officer was in serious condition with multiple wounds, police Superintendent David Brown said outside Stroger Hospital. Brown praised a University of Illinois-Chicago police officer who transported the man in his patrol car, “likely saving his life.” “We are asking for prayers for this officer,” Brown said. Police were called to an apartment building for help in a domestic disturbance. “As soon as they got off the elevator to go to the apartment, they were fired upon by the offender,” Brown said, adding that officers didn't shoot their guns. The man, an ex-convict, was arrested, he said. “We have seen over the last two years a significant surge in domestic violence-related calls but also domestic-related homicides and shootings. ... It is a huge public health and public safety issue," said Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who joined Brown at the hospital. Earlier Friday, about 1:45 a.m., someone opened fire during an argument in downtown Chicago, killing two men and wounding three other people who were leaving a business, police said. Two men in their 20s were killed, while the wounded were reported in good condition. No one was in custody.
Associated Press
Public Safety News
Crews Battle Large Fire At Vacant Restaurant In Boyle Heights
Firefighters were engaged with a large structure fire at a vacant restaurant in Boyle Heights early Wednesday morning. Los Angeles Fire Department crews could be seen engaging the massive flames as they escaped from the roof of the reportedly unoccupied structure located on S. Soto Street. The blaze, which started a little before 5:30 a.m., had fully engulfed the restaurant by 5:50 p.m. as multiple firefighters on ladders attempted to battle from above. As they continued to fight the spread to surrounding buildings, firefighters asked for help from Los Angeles Police Department to shutdown Soto Street as they called for additional fire recourses. At 6:19 a.m., the department reported that 50 firefighters had extinguished the flames in just under 40 minutes. According to LAFD, this was the third time that the building has caught fire.
CBS 2
Why Are There So Many Fires In California? People, For Starters
The past week has seen an outbreak of new fire hashtags in Northern California, and that pattern doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. KTLA sister station KRON spoke with fire expert Jon Keeley, a research scientist for U.S. Geological Survey, about why we’re seeing so many fires and what we can do to protect ourselves and our homes. “The one correlation we find with a lot of fire activity is drought. This is not a recent phenomenon,” Keeley said. Drought means there’s less moisture in the grass and woodlands to combat small ignitions. This lack of moisture turns grass, trees, and other vegetation that has the capacity to burn into “fuels” for fire. Though we’ve seen drought conditions on and off for nearly 20 years in California, Keeley says that our current drought state is not indicative of future droughts, it’s just what we’re faced with right now. But the biggest concern when it comes to fires isn’t drought, it’s people, “at least 95% of the fires in our area are started by people.” That number might seem high for us in northern California, but it isn’t the highest in the state. According to Keeley’s article, “Historical patterns of wildfire ignition sources in California ecosystems” published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire, many areas of southern California see closer to 99% of their fires ignited by people.
KTLA 5
