Law Enforcement

Authorities identify man killed by LAPD in Shadow Hills
A man killed in an officer-involved shooting in Shadow Hills was identified Thursday as 30-year-old Garmik Kirakosian, according to the L.A. County coroner's office. Kirakosian was shot about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday after allegedly robbing a tobacco shop, shooting an employee and carjacking a woman, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police shot him after he pointed a weapon at them, according to preliminary reports by the LAPD. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Los Angeles Times

Police ticket pedestrians, drivers in North Hollywood crosswalk sting
Police ticketed dozens of pedestrians and motorists at busy intersections in North Hollywood on Thursday in a pair of crosswalk stings, a week after an elderly man was killed by a car while crossing the street in the area. Officers made 60 stops, issuing 36 tickets and 24 warnings to pedestrians who were crossing the street illegally or drivers who weren't yielding to undercover officers, said Sgt. Art Gomez of the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division.
Los Angeles Daily News

Beheading of two dogs 'despicable,' LAPD official says
A Los Angeles Police Department official described the killing of two dogs whose severed heads were found in a South Los Angeles dumpster as "despicable." "This is despicable and very disturbing and we want to find out who did this," said LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith. "If they could do this to defenseless animals, who knows what they are capable of." A resident found the remains of a chocolate Labrador retriever and tan German shepherd mix about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Slauson and South Vermont avenues and called police.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD investigating alleged sexual misconduct by NPHS teacher
A Newbury Park High School teacher is under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department for alleged inappropriate sexual contact with a male student from the school, CVUSD Superintendent Jeff Baarstad told the Acorn last week. The incident between the student and the teacher-whose name has not been released by the school district or the police-is believed to have occurred off campus and outside of Ventura County, Baarstad said.
Thousand Oaks Acorn

Coliseum probe brings three arrests
Two former Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum executives and the head of a prominent rave company have been arrested in connection with a corruption scandal involving millions of dollars in questionable financial transactions at one of the nation's most storied stadiums. Former longtime General Manager Patrick Lynch and former Events Manager Todd DeStefano were taken into custody Thursday morning by Los Angeles County investigators, as was Reza Gerami, chief executive of the rave company Go Ventures.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

ACLU is critical of state prison realignment
California risks repeating past mistakes as it doles out hundreds of millions of dollars to help county jails house inmates who once would have ended up in state prisons, according to an American Civil Liberties Union report released Wednesday. The report highlights a recurring concern of advocates: Rather than pursuing cheaper ways of protecting public safety, the state is shifting the problem of prison overcrowding to the local level.
Los Angeles Times

Immigration

US policies encourage immigrants to stay, study finds
U.S. policies and laws aimed at improving the nation's immigration system have unintentionally spurred more immigrants - authorized or not - to stay in the United States, according to a new paper released Thursday. The paper, "Unintended Consequences of U.S. Immigration Policy," was released by Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
California Watch

City Government

Villaraigosa wants 6 more Fire Department ambulances activated
Seeking to bolster public confidence in the beleaguered Los Angeles Fire Department, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa late Thursday called on the City Council to dip into budget reserves to activate six more ambulances and ordered the appointment of a recognized public safety analyst to take charge of the agency's accounting of its performance.
Los Angeles Times City News Service