Progressive Los Angeles DA George Gascón ousted by voters over failed criminal justice reform policies

Californians fed up with soaring crime have overwhelmingly voted to replace Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, the so-called godfather of progressive prosecutors. Gascón — who immediately introduced sweeping criminal justice reforms when elected in 2020 — got less than 40% of the vote as he lost to Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor who campaigned against the controversial DA’s “public safety failure” during his four years in office.

New York Post

Man Charged In Exchange Of Gunfire That Injured Two LAPD Officers

A man who allegedly wounded two Los Angeles Police Department officers in an exchange of gunfire was charged Tuesday with attempted murder and other counts. Superior Court Judge Susan J. De Witt ordered Nija Hill, 30, to remain jailed in lieu of just over $2.2 million bail while awaiting arraignment Dec. 18 at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse. Hill was brought into the courtroom late Tuesday afternoon in a wheelchair. He is charged with nine felony counts, including two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, three counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count each of attempted second-degree robbery, attempted extortion, attempted carjacking and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Officers were responding to a radio call in the area of 92nd Street and South Central Avenue at about 9 p.m. last Friday night when Hill — who had allegedly confronted two people in an alley and then allegedly threatened others with a firearm — immediately fled and led police on a short foot pursuit, according to a statement released by Los Angeles police. Hill allegedly fired at officers during the pursuit, striking both of them, near the 9200 block of South Central Avenue, and then unsuccessfully tried to carjack a vehicle in the area of 93rd Street and Clovis Avenue, police said. SWAT officers found Hill in the area of 92nd Street and Wadsworth Avenue following an extensive search, and he was taken into custody without incident, police said.

MyNewsLA

Proposition 36 overwhelmingly passes in California, reversing some Soros-backed soft-on-crime policies

A ballot measure that will roll back some of California's most controversial soft-on-crime policies has overwhelmingly passed in the deep blue state. Proposition 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, sought to undo portions of Proposition 47 by increasing penalties for some crimes. 

Fox News

DUI Suspect Smashes Into Back Of Los Angeles Police SUV: LAPD

A motorist is suspected of driving under the influence and rear-ending a Los Angeles Police Department SUV as officers were conducting an investigation in a Sylmar neighborhood late Monday night. The incident was reported shortly before 11:30 p.m. as two officers were parked and sitting in their patrol vehicle near Norris Avenue and Polk Street, an LAPD spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. The officers were not injured in the crash but the suspect was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The spokesperson said the suspect, who has not been identified, would be arrested for DUI at a later time. No details regarding the initial investigation the officers were conducting were provided.

KTLA 5

LAPD Investigating Vandalism Of Jewish-Owned Businesses In Pico-Robertson

Police are searching for a suspect accused of vandalizing Jewish-owned businesses in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood Tuesday morning. Investigators told Eyewitness News that the vandalism is being investigated as a hate crime. A man with an apparent ski pole shattered multiple glass windows near Robertson and Pico boulevards around 5 a.m., LAPD said. Police released a photo of the suspect holding the stick. LAPD Detective Malik Shahid said the suspect appeared to have targeted five businesses. "Based on video and canvassing and talking to owners of these businesses, it appears that he approached the front of the businesses, used a stick and shattered several glass windows of these businesses," Shahid said. The suspect dropped the weapon before fleeing the scene, police said.

ABC 7

‘Gave His Life For This City': Chicago Police Officer Killed In Shooting

A Chicago police officer was shot and killed Monday night in East Chatham, according to Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling, who said the 26-year-old officer “gave his life for this city.” “The wounds were too great for this officer to recover,” Snelling said, who called such policework unpredictable. “There is a family suffering right now,” Snelling said, declining to immediately release the officer’s name. Mayor Brandon Johnson called for the city to embrace the family of the officer, who was just shy of three years of service in the department. “Our thoughts and prayers are with this family, and as the city of Chicago , we will rise again,” Johnson said. At around 8 p.m., the officer was responding to a 911 call in the 8200 block of South Ingleside, police said. One suspect involved in the shooting also was shot and killed and another responding officer also fired his weapon during the encounter, Snelling said. That person was found to be in possession of a handgun, Snelling said. Another person at the scene was arrested. Officers recovered a weapon with an extended magazine at the scene, he said. Other responding officers made several calls for an ambulance, but ultimately took the wounded officer to the University of Chicago Medical Center in a police vehicle, according to police radio traffic.

Chicago Tribune

BWC: Man Accused In Shooting Deaths Of 3 People Points Gun At Minnesota Officers Before OIS

A man held a handgun to his head at a busy St. Paul intersection as officers repeatedly told him to drop his weapon, videos released by police Tuesday show. Officers shot the man after he pointed a gun at police at Snelling and University avenues last week. Earl Bennett, 40, remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating. Excerpts of the officers’ videos can be seen on the police department’s YouTube page. On Monday, prosecutors charged Bennett with murder in an Oct. 27 shooting at a homeless encampment in Minneapolis that killed three people. Bennett is also charged with attempted murder in a shooting of another resident at a sober house in Minneapolis on Oct. 28 , about two-and-a-half hours before police officers encountered him in St. Paul. “Our city experienced another episode of gun violence last week,” St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said in a statement Tuesday. “Our officers responded to one of the busiest intersections in our state for a person shooting a gun. Given the location, time of day, and number of motorists, light-rail users, and people on foot and bicycles in the area, I am thankful more people weren’t injured.”

Pioneer Press

Southern California Fire Weather Threatening A “Particularly Dangerous Situation," Forecasters Warn

Los Angeles, Ventura counties and Santa Barbara counties face especially high risks of wildfires as tens of thousands of residents face possible power shutoffs — with forecasters announcing a rare weather advisory that's typically issued only once every few years, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). With extremely low humidity and strong winds, which can lead to fires sparking and quickly spreading, NWS has issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Red Flag Warning, which warns of the potential for "extreme fire behavior and rapid growth" as well as knocked down trees and power outages by utilities trying to prevent wildfires that the electrical system can cause. "The NWS issues a PDS Red Flag Warning to alert emergency officials and the public to an ongoing or imminent fire weather pattern that is especially dangerous," NWS said in a statement Tuesday, warning of potentially "extreme" and "volatile" conditions. Southern California Edison said more than 55,000 customers could have their power shut off while planned outages were already scheduled for 1,113 customers by 10 p.m. Tuesday, By that time, 2,230 customers had already had their power shut off.

CBS 2

Nazarian Appears On Track To Capture L.A. City Council District 2 Seat

Former Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian held a significant lead and appeared set Wednesday to succeed the termed-out Paul Krekorian in the District 2 seat on the Los Angeles City Council. Nazarian — who was Krekorian’s chief of staff from 2006 to 2012 before being elected to the Assembly — led business owner and political newcomer Jillian Burgos by a roughly 13% margin as of early Wednesday. Nazarian had received 32,567 votes, or about 56.3% of the ballots, while Burgos stood at 25,309 votes, or about 43.7%, according to results released by the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office. It was unclear how many ballots remain to be tallied in the district. Mail-in ballots postmarked by election day will also be accepted for up to a week. The former assemblyman described the voting results so far as “promising.” Nazarian added that his election night party in Sun Valley was filled with family, college and high school friends, and colleagues he’s worked with every step of his career.

MyNewsLA

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.