Law Enforcement

Teen mistakenly shot by LAPD officer seeks $20 million
An attorney representing a 15-year-old boy who was mistakenly shot and injured by a Los Angeles police officer earlier this year announced Wednesday that he has filed a $20-million claim against the city on behalf of his client. Jamar Nicholson, 15, and three of his friends were standing in a South L.A. alley before school on Feb. 10 when two officers assigned to the LAPD's criminal gang-homicide unit approached the group of four with guns drawn.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD Confirms Officer-Involved Shooting In Boyle Heights
LAPD confirmed an officer-involved shooting in Boyle Heights on Wednesday night. An officer called for back-up at 10:25 p.m. for a shooting suspect. The shooting occurred at 4th street and Soto. One person was reported down, with one in custody. It was not immediately clear if these were the same suspect.
CBS Los Angeles

Scores of alleged L.A. gang members arrested in nationwide sweep
Nearly 1,000 suspected gang members, including almost 90 from the Los Angeles area, were swept up in a nationwide crackdown on transnational gangs, authorities announced Wednesday. The sweep, dubbed Operation Wildfire, pulled in 87 members of more than 40 local gangs including Barrio Van Nuys, the Eastside Wilmas and 18th Street, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in a news statement. The sweeps were carried out from Feb. 23 to March 31.
Los Angeles Times , KTLA 5

"I'm Heartbroken": Relative of Man Killed in OC Hit-and-Run Urges Drivers to Come Forward
The "heartbroken" relative of a man killed after being hit by two hit-and-run drivers in Orange County has urged them to come forward. Theodore Antolin, 30, was initially struck by a silver Honda Pilot on Brookhurst Street south of Warner Avenue at around 3:20 a.m, a Fountain Valley Police Department spokesman said.
NBC Los Angeles

Phone Cameras and Apps Help Speed Calls for Police Reform
The video of the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a white police officer in South Carolina is seen by some advocates of police reform as evidence of the rising power of technological weapons in their fight.
New York Times

Fatal Police Shootings: Accounts Since Ferguson
Since a white police officer, Darren Wilson fatally shot unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, in a confrontation last August in Ferguson, Mo., there have been many other cases in which the police have shot and killed suspects, some of them unarmed. Mr. Brown's death set off protests throughout the country, pushing law enforcement into the spotlight and sparking a public debate on police tactics.
New York Times

Q&A: When can police use lethal force against a fleeing suspect?
The law gives police officers latitude to use deadly force when they feel physically endangered, but there's far less legal flexibility when it comes to opening fire at fleeing individuals. Here's a look at legal issues raised by Saturday's police shooting in South Carolina in which video recorded by a bystander shows a black man being shot in the back and killed as he runs away.
Los Angeles Daily News

Public Safety

Failure To Yield To Emergency Vehicles Is A Serious Problem In L.A., Fire Captain Says
Emergency personnel say many drivers in Los Angeles are failing to yield, making it more difficult for crews to navigate around traffic and is among the factors increasing response times. One such incident from January was captured on security video along Ventura Boulevard. In it, the driver of a Volkswagen is seen colliding with a fire engine after failing to yield. Although no one was seriously injured, the driver of the VW was faulted for causing the accident. But emergency personnel say this is a growing trend that may be putting more lives in danger. “It's a serious problem here in Los Angeles. The topography, the geography, the density of the population, the time of day, the traffic concerns, all those things come into play,” LAFD Capt. Jaime Moore said.
CBS Los Angeles

L.A. County firefighter union strikes back at scrutiny of family ties
Union representatives for the Los Angeles County Fire Department's rank and file had a pointed response to reports of nepotism in the agency's hiring practices: They announced their sponsorship of a "family day." Staged for relatives of county firefighters and for others with ties to the department, the event gave attendees a special opportunity to take the physical-ability test needed to apply for a job on the force .
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Alliance charters interfering with unionization efforts, complaint says
Nearly a month after launching a campaign to unionize the largest charter school group in Los Angeles, some teachers are accusing school leaders of violating state laws that allow educators to organize without fear of reprisal. United Teachers Los Angeles, which is working with educators at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, filed an unfair practice charge with the state this week, alleging charter school leaders have started an anti-union campaign, blocked emails to employees and denied organizers access to school buildings after work hours.
Los Angeles Times

State Government

State senator pushes bill to reduce driver's license suspensions
A state senator proposed legislation Wednesday that would reduce the number of driver's license suspensions incurred for unpaid traffic citations that do not affect public safety, after a report found that low-income Californians are being driven further into poverty by the practice.
Los Angeles Times