Law Enforcement

LAPD seeks killers in suspected Koreatown pot-shop robbery
Los Angeles police on Thursday were seeking the killers of a 28-year-old man who was shot in a suspected robbery at a Koreatown marijuana clinic. The shooting was reported Wednesday around 9:25 p.m. at the clinic near West 8th Street and South Vermont Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Witnesses saw three masked men with a duffel bag fleeing the business, the LAPD said. The suspects left in a green sedan and were last seen going east on Francis Avenue.
Los Angeles Times

California Supreme Court rules names of officers involved in shootings are public record
California's police departments do not have a blanket right to conceal the names of officers involved in shootings, the state Supreme Court ruled this morning. In a 6-1 decision, the Supreme Court rejected the arguments of the Long Beach police union, concluding there is a presumption that the public has a right to know the identities of officers involved in shooting incidents.
Long Beach Press-Telegram

59-year-old man dies after being dragged by car in downtown Los Angeles
A 59-year-old man was fatally injured Thursday when he was dragged by a car in downtown Los Angeles, possibly as a result of a drug deal gone bad, police said. The victim, who was not identified, died at a hospital after being dragged an unknown distance by a vehicle near the intersection of East Sixth Street and South San Pedro Street around 1:10 a.m. today, Los Angeles police Sgt. J. Chacon said.
City News Service

Man shot, killed after ramming van in North Hollywood
A man who repeatedly rammed his truck into a van was shot and killed in North Hollywood on Thursday, police said. The shooting happened in the 7300 block of Fulton Avenue before 6 a.m., according to police. The suspect had been living inside the van, which was parked in the back of a business at an industrial park. The suspect told police the victim rammed his truck into the van several times. Moments later, shots were fired. "Some type of altercation occurred between two men," said LAPD Officer Cesar Gonzales.
ABC7

City shuts down alleged drug haven
Residents in the 500 block of North Highland Ave. are getting some relief after the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office cracked down on the occupants of a house that was a haven for drug activity, according to authorities. The house, located at 508 N. Highland Ave., had been causing concern in the neighborhood for at least the past two years, according to a neighbor who asked to remain anonymous.
Park La Brea News/Beverly Press

Airports, police want training, funds to deter gunmen
Better training and more federal funding would help airport officials and police prevent shootings like the one that killed a Transportation Security Administration officer in Los Angeles in November, a House panel heard Thursday. Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association, told the Homeland Security subcommittee on transportation that staffing has fallen during the past four years despite the airport expanding. Two police officers were assigned to the terminal where the shooting occurred, "which is typical," he said.
USA Today

Legislation

Legislature splits on medical marijuana bills
The state Assembly on Thursday rejected a medical marijuana regulation bill, a day after competing legislation preferred by local governments and law enforcement sailed unanimously through the Senate. The bill, AB1894, failed on a 26-31 vote following years of unsuccessful attempts to rein in the free-wheeling industry.
Associated Press

Bill would remove jail mandate for some drug users
The Assembly has approved legislation removing mandatory jail sentences for some drug offenders after rejecting an almost identical measure by a Republican gubernatorial candidate last week. AB2492 advanced to the Senate Thursday on a 46-15 vote. It would remove a three-month jail mandate for those convicted of being under the influence of drugs.
Associated Press

Election 2014

Outsider could end 100-year tradition by becoming L.A. County sheriff
The last time an outsider was elected Los Angeles County sheriff, posses tracked bandits into the hills of Glendora, Charlie Chaplin had just hit movie screens and Angelenos were watching anxiously as World War I began in Europe. Since the election of 1914, county voters have consistently favored Sheriff's Department insiders for the job. But against a backdrop of scandal and crises in the agency, this year's race could upend that 100-year tradition.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Mayor Eric Garcetti set to upload a new trove of online city data
Months after drawing sharply mixed reviews for his initial effort to post city data online, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is set to roll out a new trove of information this weekend on crime, car crashes, street lights, business licenses and other municipal minutiae. The mayor, a proponent of "open data" in government operations, will turn the site,data.lacity.org, live on Saturday as he kicks off a two-day technology and innovation conference at City Hall.
Los Angeles Times

Garcetti thanks President Obama for 'listening' on L.A. River project
With new backing from the federal government, city officials celebrated a step forward Thursday for a $1-billion plan to revitalize a strip of the Los Angeles River. After originally pushing for a cheaper $453-million plan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced this week that it now supports a more robust, $1-billion proposal that would widen the river and restore habitat along an 11-mile stretch north of downtown through Elysian Park.
Los Angeles Times