Law Enforcement

LAPPL Releases Public Information Showcasing Ford as a Crip Gang Member
Earlier this week Los Angeles Police Protective League President Craig Lally criticized the Los Angeles Police Commission's decision that the actions of one of the officers involved in the Ezell Ford case were not in policy. In making these comments, Lally said that Ford was a “known gang member.” This comment gained attention in media coverage. Today the LAPPL referenced public information of Ezell Ford's arrest record for marijuana possession and trafficking in 2008. This arrest had previously been reported by the Los Angeles Times in an article published on January 16, 2015. That article noted – and is clear on the arrest incident record released today by the LAPPL – that the LAPD considered Ford to be a member of the “66 St. East Coast Crips” with the gang moniker “Lil Easy.”
LAPD.com

Celebrity golf tournament, family fun day helps widows, orphans of LAPD officers killed on duty
Celebrities such as Steven Bauer of “Scarface” and “Breaking Bad” fame and Terri Hatcher of “Desperate Housewives” will be among those participating in this Saturday's Los Angeles Police Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena, officials said. All proceeds from the family fun day and celebrity golf tournament, which will be hosted by actress Heather Locklear, will benefit the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation. The foundation financially assists LAPD family members experiencing catastrophic circumstances resulting from injury or death — including widows and orphans of officers killed in the line of duty.
Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD chief: Church leaders, police should 'stand in solidarity' after Charleston shooting
Hoping to quell concerns over the fatal shooting of nine congregants in South Carolina, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck reassured church leaders that officers would stand with them and provide additional security. Speaking to a group of congregants with the Ministerial Alliance of L.A. African Methodist Episcopal Church, Beck said Thursday at Ward AME that he was saddened and shocked by the fatal shootings. “This is an attack on the cornerstone of American culture and the American people,” he said.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD Officers Open Fire on Driver After Lengthy Pursuit Ends in El Monte
Los Angeles police opened fire on an armed man Friday morning after he led officers on a lengthy pursuit that ended in El Monte, officials said. Suspected of felony domestic violence, the man was armed with a handgun when he was shot near the intersection of Garvey Avenue and Mountain View Road, said Sgt. Jason Adkins of the Los Angeles Police Department. It was unclear whether the driver opened fire.
KTLA 5

10 Arrested In 'Well-Planned' Koreatown Jewelry Store Robbery
Police announced Thursday the arrests of 10 suspects, five of them juveniles, in a coordinated, swiftly executed smash-and-grab takeover robbery of a Koreatown jewelry store. The robbery occurred about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday at the St. Cross Jewelry store inside the Korean Town Center Mall in the 900 block of Western Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. When officers arrived at the scene, the suspects had fled in a getaway van, but investigators learned that about nine of them, armed with handguns and sledge hammers, had overpowered store employees and stole several hundred expensive designer watches, police said.
myFOXla.com

Man Arrested For Violen Robberies Across South Los Angeles
An arrest has been made in the search for a violent serial robber thought to be responsible for two shootings in the past two days across South Los Angeles. Jeffrey Miles, 55, was placed under arrest for attempted murder on Thursday morning. The arrest comes after police handcuffed and placed a person of interest in the back of an unmarked police vehicle Wednesday night. He was driving a Cadillac SRX with paper plates, which fits the description of the one driven by a serial armed robber who shot two store clerks. "Officers from the LAPD Metropolitan Division have made an investigative stop on a vehicle that we put out earlier that is similar to the one that we asked the public's help for," said LAPD Capt. Cory Palka. "This is an investigative stop only at this time. The detectives are going to process this scene and continue their investigation."
ABC 7

Silver Lake to honor slain arts teacher Joseph Gatto as murder remains unsolved
City officials and family members are scheduled on Friday morning to unveil a plaque naming the intersection of West Silver Lake Drive and Rowena Avenue in honor of Joseph Anthony Gatto, a long-time resident and arts instructor who was shot dead in his Silver Lake home in November 2013. Joseph Anthony Gatto Memorial Square will be dedicated as the murder remains unsolved and Gatto's killer remains at large. Gatto, father of Assemblyman Mike Gatto, and his family moved to Silver Lake in 1978. He helped found the L.A. County High School for the Arts, and served as dean of the Visual Arts Department until he retired at age 67, according to the office of Tom LaBonge, which introduced the City Council motion naming the intersection in Gatto's honor. After retirement, Gatto pursued his interest in art by designing and making jewelry.
The Eastsider

Inglewood Man Found Decapitated Inside Apartment
The decapitated body of an elderly man was found inside an apartment in Inglewood Thursday, sources tell Eyewitness News. The discovery was made inside an apartment in the 800 block of Glenway Drive shortly before 1 p.m. Family members identified the victim as Robert Hollis, a blind man in his 70s. The victim's son, Robin Hollis, says his brother discovered their father's body. Inglewood police are searching for a suspect, a motive and for the man's head, which is missing from the gruesome crime scene, according to family members.
ABC 7

California Highway Patrol to test body cameras next year
California's best-known law enforcement agency will begin testing body cameras next year under a proposal included in the state budget that lawmakers will consider on Friday. The budget gives the California Highway Patrol $1 million to develop policies that address some of the most pressing concerns about law enforcement's use of body cameras to record their interactions with the public. They include protecting the privacy of innocent citizens, how to store and when to publicly release the footage, and whether officers should be allowed to view the video before they write their reports.
KPCC

Shooting suspect in custody after Charleston church massacre
Before he allegedly opened fire on members of a Bible study group at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, Dylann Roof sat with them. He might have prayed with them. A Snapchat video from Wednesday night at the historic African-American church shows Roof at a table with the small group. Nothing in the footage suggests the carnage to come. Police say Roof shot and killed nine people inside the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, near the heart of Charleston's tourist district. Eight died at the scene; a ninth died at a hospital.
CNN.com