LAPD Police Union Sues Chief Moore, Wants Images Of Undercover Officers Taken Offline

The union representing Los Angeles police rank and file sued Chief Michel Moore on Tuesday to force the department to stop making officers’ photos public and to claw back images of undercover officers given out under the state’s public records law. The lawsuit follows more than a week of controversy, after the LAPD released the names, photographs and other identifying information of more than 9,300 officers to a watchdog group that posted them on its website. The LAPD released the images and information as part of a public records request to a journalist with the nonprofit newsroom Knock LA. The Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, an activist group, then turned the photos into a public, searchable database called “Watch the Watchers,” which includes each officer’s name, ethnicity, rank, date of hire, division/bureau, badge number and photo.

Los Angeles Times

L.A. detective: 'They don't care about the safety of our officers' 

Jamie McBride says the LAPD releasing thousands of officers' personal information by mistake for a public records request is the worst security breach he's seen in his 32-year career. He evaluates what this means for the officers who's information was leaked.

NewsNation

Family Seeks Justice 15 Years After Double Homicide In South L.A.

Loved ones on Tuesday pleaded with the public for help solving a 2008 double homicide in South Los Angeles. They reminded the community that the victims’ killer is still out there. Clifton Hibbert Jr. was only weeks from graduating from Cal State Northridge when he and his friend, Kenneth Patterson, were fatally shot after returning to another friend’s apartment during a night out on March 20, 2008. They were on spring break at the time, and Hibbert was hoping to get a scholarship for an internship in Washington, D.C. Hibbert, 22, an aspiring business law attorney, and Patterson, 23, were gunned down outside the building and the unknown assailant got away. The gunman was with a woman, and both were seen running away from the scene. Hibbert’s mom, Donna Brown, said that 15 years after her son was shot, she still hears about gun violence and that trauma and heartbreak lingers. “This kind of act, homicide, it interrupts a family’s life,” she said Tuesday.

KTLA 5

LAPD Offers $50K For Information In Deadly East Hollywood Hit-and-Run

The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public’s help and is offering a reward of up to $50,000 to anyone that is able to provide information regarding a fatal hit-and-run of a woman in East Hollywood in January. On the morning of January 9, 2023, a compact SUV, described as a white KIA Sportage, was traveling northbound on Serrano Avenue near Sunset Boulevard when it collided with the 84-year-old woman, according to a statement from the LAPD. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and rushed the victim to a local hospital, where she died. The suspect drove off, authorities said. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the LAPD's West Traffic Division detectives at 213-473-0234 or 213-473-0222. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit www.lacrimestoppers.org.

NBC 4

Body Found In Fire-Damaged Vehicle In Woodland Hills

A body was found in a vehicle that was damaged by a fire Tuesday in Woodland Hills, and an investigation was underway. Authorities went to Mulholland Drive and Rosario Road at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters sent to the scene found a vehicle on fire, and they discovered the body when they extinguished the flames, the LAFD reported. Information on the identity of the person was not immediately available.

MyNewsLA

Shoplifting Surges In LA In January: Report

A new report from Crosstown LA showed more than 800 shoplifting reports in January 2023 — the highest single-month total since at least 2010. Reporter Carter Hyde breaks down the numbers.

FOX 11 Video

LAPD Searching For Pair Of Suspects Connected To Diamond Robbery In Downtown L.A.

Authorities are searching for a pair of suspects who they believe to be connected to a robbery in Downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, in which a person was robbed of diamonds. According to Los Angeles Police Department, the incident occurred just before 12:40 p.m. when two men approached a person in the 600 block of Hill Street while armed with a taser. It's unclear in what capacity the diamonds were taken, though police say that the person robbed was likely connected to some jewelry store in the area. The suspects fled from the area in a dark-colored BMW that had no license plates. They have not yet determined a value for the stolen gems. 

CBS 2

Video Shows Man Tossing Caged Puppy Into Tujunga Wash

A home surveillance camera captured the moment a man hurled a caged puppy into the Tujunga Wash over the weekend. The video shows the man pulling up in an SUV near the intersection of Renaissance Drive and Cardamine Court, taking the cage out of the trunk and tossing it over a fence before driving off. Thankfully for the pup, several neighbors later jumped in to help. “When I first saw the puppy, I didn’t even think. I just jumped over the fence, climbed down the wash. I slipped. I didn’t even care; I just wanted to rescue the dog,” a man who wished to be identified only as Amir told NBC4. The dog, he said, was wet and shivering when he got her. The man said he got stuck in the wash, but two other men made a human chain and help him get out. He spoke with NBC4 Monday, one day after the incident. The puppy, now named Ring for the Ring camera that captured her getting tossed in the wash, wagged her tail and faithfully followed her rescuer around. The Los Angeles Police Department said its Foothill Division detectives have begun an investigation.

NBC 4

Woman With Depression Reported Missing In Compton

A 20-year-old woman who detectives said has been diagnosed with depression was reported missing after last being seen in Compton, authorities said Wednesday. Jackie Aguayo was last seen at around 2 a.m. Thursday on the 1400 block South Tamarind Avenue, said the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Aguayo is Latina, 5 feet, 1 inch tall, weighs 160 pounds, has brown hair, brown eyes and a nose piercing. She was last seen driving a blue 2014 Kia Optima with a California license plate 8FBA309. Anyone who has seen Aguayo or knows of her whereabouts was asked to call the Sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. Anonymous calls can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or sent to lacrimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

Police Chase Suspect Dies After Jumping Out Of Stolen CHP Cruiser In LA County

A man suspected of stealing a patrol car and leading California Highway Patrol officers on a high-speed police chase through the Antelope Valley before jumping out of the moving vehicle has died. SkyFOX was live Tuesday afternoon and captured the moment the suspect jumped out of the car traveling around 70 mph, headed eastbound on the 138 Freeway. The man was rushed to the hospital, where CHP said the suspect was later pronounced dead. Prior to being taken to the hospital, an officer was spotted performing chest compressions on the suspect. The driver jumped from the moving vehicle after one of the rear tires went flat due to a spike strip, leaving him struggling to control the cruiser. The driverless cruiser wound up knocking down a power pole before coming to a stop in a grassy area next to the freeway.

FOX 11

Former SoCal Resident Sentenced To 27 Years In Federal Prison For Enticing Vulnerable Girls To Engage In Masochistic Abuse Online 

A former Redondo Beach resident was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for targeting young girls on the internet and convincing them to engage in masochistic abuse. According to the Department of Justice, 32-year-old Matthew Christian Locher singled out girls suffering from mental health issues including depression, suicidal thoughts and eating disorders to send him videos of themselves committing acts of self-harm, which included cutting their breasts with razor blades, for his sexual gratification. He began targeting girls in November 2020 and continued doing so until May 2021. “During internet conversations, Locher groomed his victims to engage in self-mutilation and instructed a victim struggling with an eating disorder to starve herself, ordering her to film herself cutting her body when she disobeyed him,” the DOJ said in a statement. In one incident, Locher enticed a 12-year-old victim to kill her parents and set her family’s house on fire. He then said that he would pick her up from her house in Ohio, bring her to California, and make her his “slave.” The victim began a trip to California after setting her family’s house on fire in an unsuccessful attempt to kill her parents. 

KTLA 5

Alabama Officer Killed, Another In Critical Condition After Being Shot, Suspect Wounded

One of two Alabama police officers shot when they responded to a shooting call at a Huntsville apartment complex has died. “This is a devastating loss for our department, the Huntsville community and the State of Alabama, HPD Chief Kirk Giles said. “We send our heartfelt condolences to the officer’s family as they mourn their loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice.” “As we grieve with our fallen officer’s family, we have another officer fighting for his life,’’ the chief said. “Please keep all our officers and the entire department in your prayers.” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall identified the slain policeman as Officer Garrett Crumby. The wounded officer has been identified as Officer Albert Morin. “Tonight, our State grieves the death of another member of the law enforcement community—one who, when called upon, ran toward danger in aide of a female victim,” said Marshall said. “Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby and fellow Officer Albert Morin were responding to an emergency domestic violence call for service when they were ambushed by an armed suspect.”

PoliceOne

'It's Been Such An Amazing Journey': LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley Looks Back At First Year On Job

It has officially been one year since Kristin Crowley was sworn in as the 19th fire chief in Los Angeles Fire Department history, becoming the first female to hold the position. Since then — and busier than ever before — she looks back on her time on the job thus far fondly. "It's been such an amazing journey," she said during a one-on-one interview with KCAL News's Joy Benedict. "I honestly feel inspired." The job hasn't come without its challenges though, with the community needing the fire department's services more than seemingly ever before. "The community needs are different," Crowley said, noting that the amount of daily callers has seen a remarkable increase. "Couple of years ago, 1,000 calls were a lot for us. We are running easily 1,500 calls." Since 2020, she says that calls for service have seen a nearly 13-percent jump and crews are starting to feel the effects. 

CBS 2

COVID Numbers Continue Downward Trend In LA County

Coronavirus numbers continue to drop in Los Angeles County, with data recently released by the county and state health departments reflecting the downward trend. The L.A. County Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported 1,269 new COVID-19 cases and 24 additional virus-related deaths since Saturday — breaking down to 576 new cases Saturday, 290 Sunday, 208 Monday and 195 Tuesday. However, the county cautioned that the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday figures reflect an undercount due to a lag in weekend reporting. No fresh data was announced Monday as the county observed Cesar Chavez Day. Nine additional virus-related deaths were reported in the county on Saturday, compared to six Sunday, five Monday and four Tuesday, with the county again cautioning of a likely undercount.

MyNewsLA

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 9,200 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.