Police org defends officer who punched detained man

The Los Angeles Police Protective League on Tuesday issued a statement defending the actions of an LAPD officer caught on camera punching a detained man in the jaw, despite a press conference that morning in which the victim’s attorney called for criminal charges to be filed against that officer. According to police and the Protective League, only one hand had been cuffed as Mitchell’s protestations were paused by an officer’s punch to his jaw. That strike “enabled officers to complete the handcuffing,” police said, and the Protective League added that the use of strikes complies with LAPD protocol when an officer is trying to “overcome active resistance to arrest.”

KTLA 5

LAPD releases body cam video of officer who punched a man in Watts

The LAPD released body cam footage that showed the moments that led up to 28-year-old Alex Mitchell being punched by an officer while being handcuffed. Richard Mendoza with the Police Protective League said the body cam footage shows that officers tried to get Mitchell to comply with their orders several times. "He right away is uncooperative with officers," said Mendoza. "2 weeks prior within the same geographical division officers made a traffic stop and they were ambushed."

NBC 4

Police Investigating Attempted Murder At Apartment Building In Downtown LA

Police are investigating an assault and attempted murder of a woman at an apartment building in downtown Los Angeles. AIR7 was above the scene Wednesday just after 12 p.m. and captured several police vehicles outside the WREN Apartments on S. Hill Street near Pico Boulevard. Crime-scene tape cordoned off a large portion of the sidewalk. Details are limited, but police confirmed the victim is a woman. Her condition remains unknown and no arrests have been made. Detectives appeared to be focusing on a ground-floor unit. They were seen looking through the balcony of the apartment and dusting the exterior surface for fingerprints. Eyewitness News is working to get more information. Meanwhile, people who live in the area said they're shocked. "That is alarming. For something to happen like this so close to where we live at, it's quite alarming," said one resident. 

ABC 7

Two Stabbings Near Union Station And South L.A. Station Among Latest Violent Incidents Around Metro Stops

Two stabbings at or near different Metro bus stations Wednesday are the latest in a string of violent attacks around L.A. County’s public transit system in recent months. Officials received a call from Union Station security just after noon Wednesday that a man had been stabbed near the bus turnaround area on the east side of the station. Metro spokesperson Jose Ubaldo said the man was stabbed on Arcadia Street and then walked to Union Station, where security officers called for assistance. The Los Angeles Fire Department arrived on the scene near Vignes Street at 12:11 p.m. after the Los Angeles Police Department cleared the scene, LAFD spokesperson Brian Humphrey said. The suspect was gone when police arrived, LAPD spokesperson Carlos Maldonado said. The victim, a man, was taken to a hospital for treatment but has been uncooperative, he said. The LAPD did not provide any further information on the extent of the injury, nor did it identify or describe the suspect or the victim. A few hours before that incident, a stabbing was reported at the Slauson Station on the J express bus line near the 110 Freeway at 8:35 a.m. The victim and suspect were gone when law enforcement arrived, LAPD Officer Kevin Terzes said. The suspect was described as a Latino man in his 30s wearing painters clothes. Terzes said he could not confirm whether the victim was injured.

Los Angeles Times

Teenage Boy Injured After Gunfire Erupts In Los Angeles Neighborhood

Police are investigating after gunfire erupted in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westlake, injuring a teenage boy on Wednesday. Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of shots fired in the area of West Temple and North Coronado streets just after 5 p.m. When police arrived at the scene, they found a 16-year-old boy with a gunshot wound. Additional officers were requested to block off the crime scene while medical personnel with the Los Angeles Fire Department treated the victim. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital where he was listed in stable condition. Details are limited and it’s unclear exactly how the shooting unfolded, but police said a Hispanic male in a white SUV allegedly fired from the vehicle before fleeing. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.  

KTLA 5

Search Continues For Suspect Who Sexually Assaulted Victim In Silver Lake During String Of “Hot Prowl" Burglaries

Police are still searching for a suspect connected to a string of "hot prowl" burglaries in the East Hollywood and Silver Lake areas over the weekend, one of which also involved the sexual assault of a female victim. The burglaries happened in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 27 and again the evening of Tuesday, July 30, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Information on the burglaries remains limited as the investigation continues, but detectives have released a description of a possible suspect. He is described as a man between 20 and 35 years old with a thin build. He is believed to be around 5-foot-10 and was last seen wearing dark-colored athletic pants, black athletic shoes with a white logo, a dark hat and a dark-colored sweatshirt or windbreaker. As their search for the suspect continues, flyers have been placed on cars throughout the neighborhood, hopeful that someone who may know more can come forward with information. Residents are living on edge, unsure if their neighborhood is safe as the suspect remains outstanding.

CBS 2

4 Men Arrested In String Of Carjackings In LA County

Four men were arrested in connection with a series of armed carjacking in Los Angeles County during a three-week crime spree, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday. A group of men ages 19 to 23 carried out several carjackings that resulted in the theft of five vehicles and two televisions, federal officials said in a press release. The alleged crimes took place from Nov. 15 to Dec. 9 of last year when the suspects stole vehicles from the victims at gunpoint in Downey, Pico Rivera, Norwalk and Whittier. Two of the men additionally stole two large-screen TVs from a Walmart in South Gate and threatened an employee, according to the DOJ. The defendants were identified as: Michael Anthony Fisher, 23, a.k.a. “Ghost,” of Bell; Sergio Macias, 22, a.k.a. “Checho,” of South Los Angeles; Andres Silva Cerrillos, 19, a.k.a. “Ruler,” of Buena Park; and Jesse Gutierrez, 19, a.k.a. “Lotto,” of Los Angeles. “Violent gun crime tears at the fabric of our community and leaves victims with lasting trauma,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “These arrests and this indictment highlight my office’s determination to use our powerful federal laws to punish those who callously risk the lives of others.”

NBC 4

Massachusetts Man Gets Consecutive Life Terms In 2018 Killing Of Police Officer And Bystander

A Massachusetts man was sentenced Wednesday to consecutive life terms for killing a police officer and a bystander, following emotional testimony from family and colleagues about the suffering the murders caused. Emanuel Lopes, now 26, was fleeing the scene of a minor car crash on July 15, 2018 when prosecutors said he threw a large rock at the head of the investigating officer, Sgt. Michael Chesna, 42. The rock knocked Chesna to the ground, unconscious, and then Lopes grabbed the officer’s gun and shot him multiple times, they said. Then he fled the scene, shooting 77-year-old Vera Adams, who was on her porch, as he tried to get away, prosecutors said. When he was caught, Chesna’s service weapon was out of ammunition, authorities said. Lopes was found guilty earlier this year of multiple charges, including murder. Wednesday’s sentences mean Lopes would be eligible for parole in 40 years — short of the 55 years requested by prosecutors. This was the second trial for Lopes after Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial last year when a jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict. The new jury also sent notes to Cannone saying it hadn’t been able to reach a decision, but the judge ordered jurors to keep deliberating.

Associated Press

Video: Man Who Allegedly Threatened, Fought With Girlfriend Runs At Alaska LEOs With Shotgun Before Fatal OIS

A man who threatened his girlfriend and made suicidal comments ran toward Anchorage Police Department officers with a shotgun, leading to a fatal officer-involved shooting, Alaska Public Media reported. The incident occurred on May 13 when officers responded to a report of a disturbance between a man and a woman, according to the report. While en route, dispatchers informed them that the male suspect had left the building carrying a long gun. Upon arrival, officers used a public address system to order the suspect to drop his weapon and come out with his hands up, video released July 31 shows. The suspect ignored the commands and advanced toward the officers with a shotgun in hand. The suspect then raised the shotgun in the air and shouted at the officers before moving rapidly towards them. Multiple officers then fired shots, striking the suspect 10 times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Office of Special Prosecutions’ findings, released in a letter to Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case, noted that the suspect’s girlfriend had told police he had been drinking and making suicidal threats before the incident, according to the report. State investigators concluded that the officers’ belief that the suspect posed a threat to their lives was justified. The officers involved will not face charges.

PoliceOne

LA Warns Of Measles Case In Traveler Who Visited LAX

A case of measles has been confirmed in a non-Los Angeles County resident who traveled to LAX while infectious last Friday, the county's Department of Public Health said Wednesday. The person arrived on Norse Atlantic Airways flight Z0711 at Tom Bradley International Terminal B, Gate 202, at 2:18 p.m. on July 26 and then traveled to Orange County, the health department said. The Orange County Health Care Agency is investigating additional exposure sites in that county. Those who were at LAX TBIT and Terminal B from about 2:30 to 4 p.m. last Friday may be at risk of developing measles due to exposure to the infected traveler, the DPH said. Additional locations where possible exposures may have occurred are being investigated. In collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Orange County Health Care Agency, passengers assigned to specific seats that may have been exposed on flight Z0711 will be notified of exposure by local health departments. The agencies work together to investigate communicable disease exposures on international and domestic flights to the United States. Exposed individuals should confirm if they have been vaccinated against measles. If they have not had measles in the past and have not yet obtained the measles vaccine, they are at risk of contracting measles if they have been exposed.

NBC 4

What To Know About Metro's Plan To Connect The San Fernando Valley With The Westside

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in the early stages of a transit project to connect the San Fernando Valley to West L.A. The Sepulveda Transit Corridor aims to alleviate congestion on the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass, an area some locals jokingly call the "world's biggest parking lot" for the time spent stuck in traffic. The plan is to build a fully automated rapid transit line to connect the San Fernando Valley to the Westside. The line would connect with Metro's current and future stops, including a stop in the heart of the UCLA campus. It would go as fast as 70 mph. "That would connect Van Nuys all the way down to the Expo Line in 20 minutes," said Yusef Robb, a spokesperson for Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners. "It would connect Westwood to Ventura Boulevard in six and a half minutes. We're proposing that trains run every two and a half minutes." Metro says the project is something as big as the D Line extension project, which will connect downtown L.A. with the Westside.

ABC 7

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.