Law Enforcement

Off-duty LAPD officer found dead inside Thousand Oaks home
An off-duty LAPD officer was found dead inside a Thousand Oaks home Tuesday evening in what investigators believe was a suicide, hours after authorities were called to the home. Tim Lohman, a detective with the Thousand Oaks Police Department, said authorities received a 911 call about a domestic disturbance in the 3100 block of Apache Circle about 1:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Times

2 LAPD cruisers collide in San Fernando Valley; 3 officers taken to hospital
Three Los Angeles Police Department officers were taken to a hospital Tuesday after two police cruisers collided with each other in the San Fernando Valley, officials said. The crash occurred shortly before 6:20 p.m. near the intersection of Corbin Avenue and Chase Street in the Winnetka area, said Officer Drake Madison. None of the officers were seriously injured, the LAPD said. Authorities had initially said only one officer was hospitalized.
KTLA

Officer in 'Django Unchained' actress incident calls LAPD investigation "disgusting"
The police officer at the center of the brief detention of actress Daniele Watts is calling foul play over the LAPD's internal affairs investigation of the incident. LAPD Sgt. Jim Parker says that he and the two junior officers are being deprived of due process by being investigated without formal charges.
Hollywood Reporter

Daniele Watts and the allure of racial victimhood
Among the frustrations of this punditry business is one we might call Writer's Groundhog Day Syndrome. Those who suffer with this affliction experience the sensation of writing the same column over and over and over again, until every last nuance of a given topic has been addressed to exhaustion. And then, owing to events of the day, you write it yet again.
Jack Dunphy/PJ Media

Inert hand grenade temporarily closes eastbound 210 Freeway in Sunland
An inert hand grenade found on the roadside temporarily closed the eastbound lanes of the 210 Freeway in Sunland on Tuesday as a bomb squad investigated the possible threat. A SigAlert was issued after the freeway was closed shortly before 9:25 a.m. near Sunland Boulevard. Ramps on and off the freeway were also closed, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Los Angeles Times

San Bernardino trio to go to trial in police officer shooting
A Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that three men suspected of trying to kill two San Bernardino police officers during a shootout in August should be held to face felony charges at trial. Judge William Jefferson Powell IV said during proceedings in San Bernardino Superior Court that the three defendants will be held accountable.
San Bernardino Sun

iPhone hoax: No, you can't recharge it in the microwave, LAPD warns
No, the latest iPhone software does not allow for the device to be quickly charged by heating it up in the microwave, despite some convincing, but very fake online ads. Microwaving the phone will not only ruin the device, it could cause a fire or explosion, authorities said. But a hoax floating around the Internet seemed so legitimate to some that even police are spreading the warning, as noted by the Los Angeles Police Department communications unit on Twitter.
Los Angeles Times

FBI gags state and local police on capabilities of cellphone spy gear
The FBI requires state and local police to keep quiet about the capabilities of a controversial type of surveillance gear that allows law enforcement to eavesdrop on cellphone calls and track individual people based on the signals emitted by their mobile devices, according to a bureau document released recently under a Freedom of Information Act request.
Washington Post

Drones

Drones are coming to Hollywood: FAA set to announce approval for use in filming
The FAA will approve Hollywood's request to use drones for filming, government and industry sources familiar with the process have told Forbes. On Thursday afternoon the FAA will announce its decision, and explain the procedures under which production companies will operate and the aviation rules which they are exempted from, the sources say.
Forbes

Prisons

Federal prison population drops for first time in decades
The federal prison population has dropped in the last year by roughly 4,800, the first time in several decades that the inmate count has gone down, according to the Justice Department. In a speech Tuesday in New York City, Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department expects to end the current budget year next week with a prison population of roughly 215,000 inmates.
Associated Press

City Government

L.A. may soon crack down on unlicensed park vendors
Los Angeles leaders could soon impose tight restrictions on vending in city parks and beaches, reviving a highly controversial issue that divides police, community residents and immigration advocates. People hawking ice cream, holding yoga classes or selling other goods and services can get permission with the parks department to ply their trade, but there is no effective way to punish them if they don't, parks and police officials told a City Council committee Monday.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. business groups threaten suit if city hikes hotel workers' wage
Los Angeles business groups Tuesday ramped up threats to sue the city if it adopted a minimum wage requirement for big hotels. The warnings came as a City Council committee unanimously endorsed the wage hike and sent it to the full council for a vote Wednesday.
Los Angeles Times