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Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch
LA Police Protective League
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Los Angeles
Police Protective League
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the union that represents the
rank and file LAPD officers
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Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch
Daily News Digest
from LA Police Protective League
March 17, 2016 |
Judge: Man on death row for killing 2 cops can't be executed
A man on death row for killing two undercover New York City police officers cannot be executed because he meets the legal standard to be considered intellectually disabled, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. In his 76-page decision, U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis vacated Ronell Wilson's death sentence and imposed a new punishment of life in prison. "In reaching this decision, the court in no way minimizes or excuses the cruelty and depravity of Wilson's action," Garaufis wrote. "Having presided over this tragic case for more than a decade, the court quite frankly finds it impossible to muster any sense of sympathy for this defendant." But the judge said Wilson, who had a history of severe behavioral problems dating back to childhood, had "significant deficits in adaptive functioning" that made him ineligible for the death penalty under new standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Associated Press
CHP Officer Killed in Sierra Crash Remembered by Officers at Emotional Ceremony
A 35-year-old CHP officer who was fatally struck while directing traffic near Truckee on Interstate 80 in the Sierra Nevada was remembered this week in an emotional bell-ringing ceremony in Sacramento. Officer Nathan Taylor was struck by a driver who lost control of her SUV while he was closing a lane at the site of collision on the freeway in the Donner Pass area on the afternoon of Saturday, March 12. He was flown to a hospital in Reno, Nevada, but died Sunday night. A procession to bring his body home was expected Wednesday afternoon. On Tuesday, CHP officials and his fellow officers remembered Taylor during a ceremony at the agency's West Sacramento academy that marked Taylor's end of watch.
KTLA 5
Los Angeles Faces Hit-and-Run 'Epidemic' A hit-and-run crash occurs about once every 18 minutes in Los Angeles, according to data analyzed by the NBC4 I-Team that illustrates the extent of a problem that has been called an "epidemic." The I-Team examined data reported to the California Highway Patrol on all hit-and-run cases in Los Angeles County for 2015. More than 28,000 reported hit-and-run crashes during that year occurred over a widespread area of the county at an alarming rate and 50 percent of all incidents in Los Angeles County are hit-and-run cases. The national average is 11 percent, according to the American Automobile Association. "The numbers are extremely high," said Los Angeles Police Detective Michael Kaden. "There is no rhyme or reason, that's why they call them accidents."
NBC 4
City Officials To Offer $50K Reward For Suspect Wanted In West LA Murder
City officials will offer a $50,000 reward Thursday for information leading to the arrest of a murder suspect in West Los Angeles. At 11 a.m., City Councilman Paul Koretz, Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Tina Nieto and Det. Steve Katz will hold a news conference to provide updates about the case. On Aug. 25, 2015, James Jackson, 30, was shot to death outside of his home located in the 3100 block of Canfield Avenue. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this case has been urged to contact the West Bureau Homicide at (213) 382-9470.
CBS 2
LA will pay up to $30 million to settle lawsuit over gang curfews
The city of Los Angeles will pay up to $30 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over its practice of enforcing curfews for suspected gang members. The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to approve the agreement, which came after some residents said they were mislabeled as gang members. A judge must still sign off on the deal. Alberto Cazarez, a resident of the Mar Vista Gardens housing project, was one of two plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Cazarez and Christian Rodriguez, the other plaintiff, were stopped in June 2009 by Los Angeles Police Department officers who thought the teenagers were perhaps breaking the gang-injunction curfew. Cazarez, who was 17 at the time, was not listed on the gang-injunction roster so he couldn't be charged with a misdemeanor for violating the curfew. But he was cited for violating the general curfew for minors.
Los Angeles Daily News
Car-theft suspect arrested at Sherman Oaks Galleria after chase
Police arrested a car-theft suspect after a chase over freeways and surface streets in the San Fernando Valley that ended with a foot pursuit into the Sherman Oaks Galleria. LAPD #chase stolen car in Valley; suspect caught after running into Sherman Oaks Galleria. The suspect was initially wanted on grand theft auto charges, according to the Devonshire Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. He led officers on a chase that went over the 405 and 101 freeways, as well as Sepulveda and Ventura boulevards, until he jumped out of the sedan and ran into the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Officers chased him on foot and quickly brought him out of the mall in handcuffs.
ABC News
Police Call Off Search For Gunman After Shots Reported In LA
Los Angeles police have called off evacuations and ended a search for a suspect who reportedly fired a gun in a residential neighborhood. According to the Los Angeles Police Department the search ended after more than six hours Wednesday with no suspect found in the Arlington Heights area. Shortly after 1 a.m., a victim called 911 to report that he had been shot at in the area of Washington Boulevard and 6th Avenue. SWAT team members escorted families including young children in pajamas out of several homes as they established a perimeter. A preliminary investigation revealed the suspect used a high-powered rifle to fire four rounds. Shell casings were located at the scene.
CBS 2
Police Seeking Unidentified Man Who Left $8,000 in Cash at Restaurant Near LAX
Police were asking for the public's help Wednesday in identifying a man who left $8,000 in cash at a restaurant near Los Angeles International Airport. The man had a morning meal at a restaurant on Century Boulevard on Dec. 19, 2015, according to a news release from the Los Angeles Police Department. When the man walked out of the restaurant, he left behind more than $8,000 in cash in the booth where he was sitting, the release stated. Detectives were not releasing too much information so that when the man comes forward he can provide specific details to prove the money is his, police said.
KTLA 5
$1 Million Warrant Out for South Bay Serial Burglar: Deputies
An accused serial robber had a $1,050,000 warrant out for his arrest after the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said he broke into and stole items from homes in the South Bay. The Lomita Station said Charles Eugene Vaca, 62, was linked to a series of home burglaries, and his DNA was found at two homes. Deputies said Vaca, who sometimes goes by the alias "Ryan Baca," is a transient who travels from Harbor City to Palos Verdes Estates. Deputies also said he has an "extensive" history of thefts. He was described as a Hispanic male, 5-feet 10-inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. The city of Rolling Hills, the target of burglaries, sits behind a security gate.
NBC 4
What California Law Says Is Legal When It Comes To Defending Oneself During A Burglary
Three cases in which homeowners have shot suspected intruders in the past two days have raised the question: Under California law, what rights do homeowners have when it comes to defending oneself? “Residential burglary is viewed as an inherently dangerous crime because so much could go so wrong so quickly,” said CBS2/KCAL9 Legal Analyst Steve Meister. Meister says the law tends to fall on the side of the homeowner, even if the suspect is outside of the home. “The myth is that if you shoot someone outside your house, you drag them back in so that you are protected by the law,” said Meister.
CBS 2
58,000 California drivers have traffic fines and court fees cut under amnesty
Tens of thousands of California drivers have had traffic fines and court fees reduced under an amnesty program pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown to help the poor. State court officials said Tuesday that more than 58,000 drivers have received cost reductions in the first three months of an 18-month program that started in October. When he announced the program in May, Brown called the traffic court system a “hellhole of desperation” for the poor who lose driving privileges because they can't afford skyrocketing traffic fines or miss a court date. The Department of Motor Vehicles reports that about 612,000 people currently have a suspended driver's license for failure to appear or pay. At least 3.3 million traffic tickets are eligible for the amnesty program.
Associated Press
Bill Would Fund Gun Violence Research Center at UC
The University of California could put a bigger focus on gun violence research if a bill in the state Legislature is successful. It passed the Senate Education Committee today. The measure from Sen. Lois Wolk would ask UC to establish a Firearm Violence Research Center. The Davis Democrat is proposing the state give $5 million over five years to help get the center started. “The numbers of people who are injured and killed each year is just appalling,” she says. “And research can point the way to better policies to reduce or eliminate perhaps some of them.” Pediatrician Lindsey Harms says research on prevention could help her treat and advise patients.
KQED
CBS2 Investigation: On-The-Clock LA City Employee Works On Parks Official's Home
On a recent afternoon, a worker toiled to repair a gate at the Rosemead home of Andy Ho, a recreation facility director at L.A.'s MacArthur Park. It wasn't just any worker, however. The worker was wearing a “City of Los Angeles Construction” T-shirt. Parked just one house away was his L.A. City Recreation and Parks truck. That's right, a city employee was working at Ho's home while earning taxpayer money. A photographer snapped some shots of the worker, who abruptly packed up and left when he saw the shutterbug. CBS2 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein tracked down Ho and asked why the city worker was at Ho's house.
CBS 2
Big LA Anti-Development Measure Seeks Lower Voter Turnout
It looks like Los Angeles voters will have to wait until next spring to weigh in on an initiative that could profoundly alter the course of the city's future. In a press conference at City Hall, the Coalition to Preserve LA announced that it will hold off on submitting the anti-development Neighborhood Integrity Initiative until March—rather than floating it in November—when there will be fewer ballot measures competing for the attention of voters. The initiative proposed by CPLA would force the city to stick to the exact zoning laws it has on the books when approving developments, ending the practice of adjusting requirements on a case by case basis, even though the existing zoning laws are decades out of date. It would also halt city approval of major development completely for two years.
LA Curbed
LA Targets 'Mega Users' of Water in Plan for Increased Conservation
Consumers in the highest tier of water users could be fined as much as $40,000 a month if the drought worsens and they refuse to reduce consumption deemed "unreasonable," under a plan approved Wednesday by commissioners of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. "What's been missing in the water conservation ordinance is the ability to address what we call these mega-users," said Marty Adams, LADWP senior assistant general manager, offering this definition: "The folks that we see listed in the paper, using millions and millions of gallons of water a year, and no real recourse." DWP has not identified "mega users" by name, but has released statistics on the highest usage by area. Last year it was revealed a property in Bel Air was consuming 32,000 gallons a day.
NBC 4 |
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About the LAPPL Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at:
www.LAPD.com |
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