Law Enforcement

When Unarmed Becomes Armed
In the immediate aftermath of the Los Angeles Police Department officer-involved shooting this past Sunday, March 1, 2015, the Los Angeles Times posted an article by an “unnamed writer” who wondered, “What guidelines govern how officers behave in situations like the one that occurred Sunday…?” Our answer is, if a person takes or attempts to take an officer's gun — no matter their motivation or mental state — they should expect that officers may resort to the use of force and justifiably, deadly force. An officer who hesitates, for whatever reason, is likely to end up seriously injured or even dead.
LAPD

Op-Ed: Shooting of L.A. homeless man underscores risks, decisions police face (LAPPL)
The death of a homeless man in downtown L.A.'s skid row on Sunday has received wide coverage, both in this city and around the world. This comes at a time of heightened sensitivity to officer-involved shootings, with prominent situations last year in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City leading to demonstrations in many cities and criticism of police in popular media and online.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD officers involved in another struggle with man on skid row
Four Los Angeles police officers were involved in a struggle with a man on skid row Wednesday after he tried to grab a television news camera and then scuffled with the officers, police said. At one point, an LAPD spokeswoman said, the man grabbed hold of a sergeant's holster. The officers used a Taser stun weapon twice in an attempt to detain the man and were able to take him into custody without firing their weapons, LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar said.
Los Angeles Times , FOX 11

Man Shot Dead by LAPD on Skid Row Was From Cameroon, Not France: ICE
A man who was shot dead during a Skid Row altercation with LAPD officers was from Cameroon, not France as he had claimed, a U.S. federal immigration official said Wednesday. The 39-year-old man, whose true identity is not known, went by Charley Saturmin Robinet — the name that Los Angeles police sources gave when describing him as a French national Tuesday.
KTLA 5

Car-Theft Suspect Killed In Burbank Officer-Involved Shooting
A car-theft pursuit ended in a deadly officer-involved shooting early Thursday, officials said. The chase began at 1:40 a.m. when police were following the vehicle on the 134 Freeway, near Cahuenga Boulevard, and ended a short time later in a cul-de-sac on Evergreen Street and W. National Avenue in Burbank, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
CBS Los Angeles

Police Search for Armed Man in South LA; School Locked Down
Police turned up empty handed after an hours-long search for a gunman in South Los Angeles that forced the lockdown of a nearby school, where some 100 children were participating in after-school programs, officials said. Officers spotted a man with a gun about 5:25 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Western Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, LAPD officials said.
NBC Los Angeles , CBS Los Angeles

Shooting Leaves 3 Wounded in Reseda
Three people were wounded in what appeared to be a gang-related shooting in or near a CVS parking lot in Reseda on Tuesday night, officials said.The shooting took place about 9:10 p.m. near the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Valerio Street, Los Angeles Police Department officials said.
NBC Los Angeles

Federal Report Says Brown Shooting Justified, Clears Wilson
The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it will not prosecute former Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of an unarmed black 18-year-old, while also releasing a report faulting the city and its law enforcement for racial bias .In the criminal investigation, federal officials concluded Wilson's actions "do not constitute prosecutable violations under the applicable federal criminal rights statute," Fox News reports.
Police Magazine

Unions

Teacher union will consider supporting Galatzan's opponent in Los Angeles Unified election
While Los Angeles Unified School Board member Tamar Galatzan handily defeated a field of five challengers in Tuesday's primary election, the teachers union said it will now consider supporting her opponent in the May 19 runoff. Galatzan won 39.34 percent of votes in her bid to represent the western San Fernando Valley for a third term, while retired principal and teacher Scott Schmerelson finished in second with 20.06 percent, according to unofficial results.
Los Angeles Daily News

Elections

L.A. city council's newest member represents a lurch to the left
Marqueece Harris-Dawson won a seat on the L.A. City Council outright on Tuesday, winning the election to succeed Bernard Parks with a surprising 61 percent of the vote. When he is sworn in on July 1, Harris-Dawson will move the council's center of gravity to the left. Parks has represented the 8th District, which covers much of South L.A., for the last dozen years. A former LAPD chief, Parks built a reputation as a budget hawk and the most pro-business representative on the council.
Los Angeles Weekly

Facing low voter turnout numbers, Los Angeles tries a new tack
Waiting in a Los Angeles City Hall elevator Wednesday, Mayor Eric Garcetti was stopped by reporters seeking comment on a perennial story: dismal voter turnout. Less than 10 percent of Los Angeles voters cast ballots in Tuesday's election, according to unofficial results. “It's a bad thing when we have voter turnout that low,” Garcetti said. “Hopefully the change will give us some higher turnout.”
Los Angeles Daily News