Law Enforcement

Help stop a cop killer's parole
On behalf of the almost 10,000 LAPD officers who protect and serve Los Angeles, we're asking for your help, in memory of Detective Williams and in support of his wife and two children. Please take a few minutes to write a letter or email the governor and urge him to deny parole to Voltaire Williams.
LAPD.com

Django Unchained actress ordered to REWRITE apology letter to LAPD after her passive-aggressive first draft accused the arresting officer of racial profiling
Django Unchained actress Daniele Watts has been ordered to rewrite the backhanded apology letter she begrudgingly sent to Los Angeles police and her neighbors. Watts was detained last September after allegedly having sex in a car in public with her boyfriend Brian Lucas.
Daily Mail

LAPD gang officers deployed to 'Straight Outta Compton' premiere for extra security
The LAPD deployed gang enforcement officers to provide extra security at Monday night's downtown Los Angeles premiere of "Straight Outta Compton," a biopic of the rap group N.W.A. -- just in case. As moviegoers, fans and celebrities descended on L.A. Live for the film's big-screen debut, the LAPD had "several officers" on patrol including special events officers from the department's Central Bureau, Officer Mike Lopez said.
Los Angeles Times

Suspected Gunman In Custody After Deadly Shooting Occurs In Downtown LA
A suspected gunman was in custody on Tuesday after a deadly shooting occurred in downtown Los Angeles. Just before 2 a.m., officers located at the Los Angeles Police Department Central Division Station heard shots fired nearby, according to the LAPD. When they went outside to investigate, police located two men who were struck by gunfire. One victim was located on the ground near 5th Street and Wall Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim's identity is being withheld pending family notification.
CBS Los Angeles

LAPD officer helps in Bourbon Street gun bust
Three men were arrested on gun possession charges Sunday (Aug. 9) after a police officer visiting the city alerted local officers on Bourbon Street the group was acting "suspicious." According to Louisiana State Police, an off-duty Los Angeles police officer approached troopers in the 300 block of Bourbon Street after he spotted the men. They "displayed movements consistent with someone trying to conceal a weapon," Tropper Evan Harrell said.
NOLA.com

Mentally ill woman in LAPD assault a case study in system's lapses
Over the last month, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and Sheriff Jim McDonnell have pledged sweeping reforms of the justice system's chronically poor treatment of mentally ill inmates. Advocates for the mentally ill and homeless say that the entire county system is broken. Inmates such as Carey with severe psychological diagnoses repeatedly fall through the cracks and land back on the streets, even when housing is available, they say.
Los Angeles Times

Woman Fatally Shot In Car Parked Outside Of Home In Glassell Park
A woman was shot and killed on Tuesday while she sat in a car that was parked in front of a home located in Glassell Park. Shortly before 3 a.m., officers were sent to Isabel Drive and Avenue 33 for report of shots fired, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Upon their arrival, authorities located an adult female, believed to be between the ages of 30 to 35-years-old, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Her identity is being withheld pending family notification. Authorities said they have detained two men and two women for questioning in connection with the shooting. They were pulled from within the home.
CBS Los Angeles

40 Rare Photos Of The Watts Riots Uncovered By City Intern
Never-before-seen photos of the Watts riots offer a startling look back at the civil unrest that occurred 50 years ago this week. The rare photos, taken by the Los Angeles Fire Department of the 1965 Watts riots, were unearthed last year when an intern stumbled upon three unmarked boxes full of negatives. (Yay, interns!) The boxes had been misplaced after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, part of a forgotten collection that at one point included as many as 17 to 18 boxes from the fire department, according to the L.A. Daily News.
LAist

State of emergency declared in Ferguson after police shoot and critically injure man during protests
A man who was shot and critically injured by police here after authorities said he opened fire at officers was in critical condition Monday, his father said, as questions remained about what sparked the gunfire amid protests marking the first anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.
Washington Post

NYC Police Union Urges Officers To Take Pictures Of Quality-Of-Life Offenders
The Sergeants Benevolent Association is launching its own initiative to combat quality-of-life issues. In a letter to its members, union president Ed Mullins urged officers while off duty to snap pictures of quality-of-life offenders to document what he says is “a city in decline.” Mullins blames Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council, which wants to decriminalize several quality-of-life offenses, Kramer reported.
CBS New York