Law Enforcement

Wild police chase in South L.A. ends with two in custody
A man and a woman inside a stolen van were taken into custody Wednesday night after a wild police chase in South L.A. The pursuit ended about 9:10 p.m. after a police cruiser struck the vehicle, forcing it to lose control and stop. Officers attempted to use the PIT maneuver at least two times before bringing the chase to a halt.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD officer shoots man in Boyle Heights
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the officer-involved shooting of a man in Boyle Heights on Wednesday. About 5:30 p.m., police responded to a 911 call of a man with a gun at Marengo and North State Street, Officer Drake Madison said. "Upon arrival, officers encountered a suspect with a gun and an officer-involved shooting occurred," Madison said. It's unknown how many times the man was struck, Madison said.
Los Angeles Times

LAUSD school police to return grenade launchers
Los Angeles Unified has decided to return three grenade launchers acquired under a federal program that sent military surplus gear to school police, and an Iraq War vehicle could be the next to go. The gear isn't practical for campus-based officers and creates a less-than-flattering public perception amid growing scrutiny over the militarization of local law enforcement agencies, Los Angeles School Police Department Chief Steven Zipperman said Wednesday.
Los Angeles Daily News

Alleged L.A. serial killer smiles in court as victim's family watches
The arraignment for Alex Hernandez, a 34-year-old man suspected of carrying out a series of fatal shootings in the San Fernando Valley area last month, was postponed for the second time on Wednesday. Wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, Hernandez smiled as he looked over the downtown Los Angeles courtroom while Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo spoke to attorneys.
Los Angeles Times

Feuer to co-chair new national group Prosecutors Against Gun Violence
Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer and Manhattan Dist. Atty. Cyrus Vance Jr. will lead a new coalition of nearly two dozen prosecutors as they explore policies to reduce gun violence, officials announced Wednesday. Prosecutors Against Gun Violence includes prosecuting attorneys in cities across the nation, including Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Boston.
Los Angeles Times

Court upholds civil verdict against LAPD for withholding evidence
A federal appeals court upheld a civil jury award against two former Los Angeles police detectives Wednesday for concealing evidence that they had arrested and jailed -- for 27 months -- an innocent man. The three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected Los Angeles' appeal of a $106,000 jury award to Michael Walker and a $348,000 award for attorney fees and court costs.

Los Angeles Times

Claim: Police killed unarmed man with mental issue
The parents of a black man killed last month by Los Angeles police filed a $75 million claim against the city on Wednesday and a federal civil rights lawsuit against the department and the two officers who shot him. Ezell Ford, 25, was unarmed when police confronted him Aug. 11 on a street near his home. Officers said they tried to speak with Ford, but ended up in a struggle in which they shot him when he tried to grab an officer's gun.
Associated Press

Traffic

Thousands diverted onto 110 ExpressLanes, then fined by toll operator
Thousands of drivers who were diverted onto toll lanes following a dramatic gun battle in Los Angeles last month were fined for not having the transponder needed to travel on the pay-to-drive lanes. The fines, which in some cases were for as little as a dollar, were issued to thousands of commuters detoured by police onto the northbound 110 ExpressLanes near Vernon Avenue from 3 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 18 when police closed the regular lanes, city officials said.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

L.A. may ease rush-hour construction ban for smaller streets
More rush-hour construction projects could be permitted on Los Angeles' smaller side streets, under a plan being considered by City Council members. The easing of the 7-year-old ban on rush-hour street work would affect about a third of the projects that the ban currently restricts and is intended to speed up construction work and save city agencies millions of dollars annually.
Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles City Council looks at 32 ways to tempt voters
Exploring ways to increase voter turnout in Los Angeles, a citizens panel on Wednesday recommended a change in the city's scheduling of elections by either moving them to even-numbered years or changing the timing to the more traditional June and November dates rather than the March-May cycle in effect now.
Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti leading trade delegation to Asia
Mayor Eric Garcetti will make his second major foreign trip in November as he leads a delegation of business leaders on a trip through Asia, it was learned Wednesday. The mayor's office confirmed planning is in the works, with the trip designed to promote trade, tourism and travel between Los Angeles and China, South Korea and Japan. Garcetti went on a similar excursion to Mexico City last March. The Asia trip is scheduled to run Nov. 15-26.
Los Angeles Daily News