Law Enforcement

Man charged with 15 felonies in deadly gun battle with LAPD
A man found hiding in a dumpster after multiple shootouts with police through the streets of Los Angeles has been charged with 15 felonies, including attempted murder and assault of an officer. Avel Jowan Turks, 18, of Los Angeles, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon on six counts of attempted murder on a peace officer, six counts of using an assault weapon on an officer, and one count each of shooting at an occupied vehicle, evading police and possession for sale of cocaine base.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. pays $5 million in police shooting; 2 councilmen object
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a $5-million settlement with the family of an unarmed National Guard veteran killed on live television in a barrage of gunfire at the end of a wild pursuit last year in downtown L.A. The proposed payout is the largest settlement the city has made in a fatal police shooting case in at least a decade and comes after Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck raised concerns about the officers' tactics.
Los Angeles Times

Man shot during attempted street robbery in South L.A.
A man was shot in South Los Angeles Tuesday night during a botched street robbery, police said. The shooting occurred at 11:30 p.m. on the corner of Imperial Highway and Olive Street in the community of Vermont Vista when the victim said he felt a sharp pain in his torso. When he looked down, he saw blood and realized that he had been shot, according to Los Angeles Police Officer Liliana Preciado.
Los Angeles Times

Woman, 41, wounded by shotgun blast from SUV while driving in Atwater Village
A woman wounded by a shotgun blast in a vehicle-to- vehicle shooting as she exited the Golden State (5) Freeway near Griffith Park today was reported in good condition at a hospital. The shooting in Atwater Village occurred about 6 a.m. on or near the Colorado Boulevard off-ramp from the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway, said Los Angeles police Officer Bruce Borihanh.
City News Service

16-year-old boy critically injured when he crashes stolen BMW in Tarzana
A 16-year-old boy was critically injured when he crashed a stolen BMW on Wednesday in Tarzana. The crash occurred around midday in the 3700 block of Reseda Boulevard, south of Ventura Boulevard, said Sgt. Randy Modrell of the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley Traffic Bureau. KCAL9 reported that the driver was lucky to have survived. He was taken to a hospital and is listed in critical but stable condition, according to the station. The station reported that the car was stolen on Aug. 11, but it was not immediately known if the boy was the culprit in the theft.
City News Service

125 marijuana plants found in Van Nuys home
A man was arrested Wednesday after 125 mature marijuana plants were found growing in a Van Nuys residence, police said. The plants were found in the 15400 block of Hartland Street, scattered throughout the single-family residence, around 10 p.m. Tuesday, said Los Angeles police Sgt. Don Muniz. The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, will be booked on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana, Muniz said.
City News Service

New kind of cop in San Jose: 'Service officers'
That next call to San Jose police for help could be answered not by the men and women in blue, but a community service officer in light-blue threads instead. On Thursday, 25 community service officer recruits will graduate from a five-week academy and will begin a three-week field training program.
San Francisco Chronicle

FBI warns healthcare firms they are targeted by hackers
The FBI has warned that healthcare industry companies are being targeted by hackers, publicizing the issue following an attack on U.S. hospital group Community Health Systems Inc that resulted in the theft of millions of patient records. "The FBI has observed malicious actors targeting healthcare related systems, perhaps for the purpose of obtaining Protected Healthcare Information (PHI) and/or Personally Identifiable Information (PII)," the agency said in a "Flash" alert obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
Reuters

City Government

Garcetti hires chief data officer
As part of Mayor Eric Garcetti's effort to ensure full disclosure to the public, he announced Wednesday the hiring of a chief data officer to organize and oversee dissemination of the reams of information being collected. Abhi Nemani, who had been co-executive director of the nonprofit Code for America, a technology organization dedicated to reinventing government for the 21st century, will be coordinating with city agencies to process the data and ensure its clear posting on the mayor's Open Data portal, data.lacity.org
Los Angeles Daily News