LAPD Acts Against Elite Police Squad

Associated Press and CBS ^ | May 7, 2007

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LAPD Acts Against Elite Police Squad

Los Angeles Police Chief Says Elite Officers In May Day Melee Off The Street, Will Face Consequences

LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2007


This video image provided by KVEA/Telemundo
shows KCAL cameraman Carl Stein on the ground
during a police response during an immigrants
rights rally, Tuesday May 1, 2007, in Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/KVEA/Telemundo)

---

(AP) Police Chief William Bratton said Sunday that up to 60 members of an elite squad that swarmed into a park and fired rubber bullets during a May Day immigration rally are no longer on the street.

Bratton said he spent the weekend viewing video of the MacArthur Park incident and he said LAPD failures were widespread with officers from the top on down culpable.

"I'm not going to defend the indefensible," Bratton told journalists groups during a meeting at a television studio in Hollywood. "Things were done that shouldn't have been done."

Journalists were among those roughed up as Metropolitan Division's B Platoon moved through MacArthur and fired 148 rubber bullets to break up what had been a peaceful and lawful immigration rally.

Police said they moved in after rocks and bottles were thrown at them by 30 to 40 agitators, he said.

The Metropolitan Division is the city's premier police squad, made up of experienced officers who have extensive training in crowd control.

Bratton said up to 60 members of the Metro's B Platoon are no longer in the field. Additionally, he said, some officers will "in all likelihood" not return to the Metropolitan Division.

"Some of this will be career-impacting," Bratton said, adding that imposition of permanent discipline will await completion of the Police Department investigation.

Journalist organizations asked why officers ignored LAPD policies toward the news media worked out after reporters were assaulted during the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

A 2002 agreement called for designation of a safe spot for reporters covering news events. LAPD spokeswoman Mary Grady acknowledged reporters were not given "a designated safe spot" at MacArthur Park.

"There appears to have been here a failure to communicate," Press Photographers Association local president John McCoy said.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Bratton said he spent the weekend viewing video of the MacArthur Park incident and he said LAPD failures were widespread with officers from the top on down culpable.

The most inexcusible failure was when "someone left the cake out in the rain".

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"There appears to have been here a failure to communicate," Press Photographers Association local president John McCoy said.

"What we have here..."

[justa-hairyape]

How about cracking down on the professional Communist agitators who started all the trouble by tossing bottles of urine at the police!?

They ran and hid within the news crews. Thus, the police had to clear the news crews. You can clearly see the agitators running around and behind the news crews in the videos. The 'journalists' were stuck on stupid trying to 'cover' their immigration rally. They did not even realize they were in the middle of an illegal immigration riot. Real clever and perceptive of them.

Clearly they have not been reporting actual factual news for years. Anyone who has been 'interviewed' by one of them can explain the situation. You are better off not even talking to them. They live in a fantasy world.

[VeniVidiVici]

ACORN wins another while Bratton bends over to kiss the ass of the illegal community and his communist boss.

[Grut]

I can’t believe some of the comments on here.

Well, you've gotcher Order-conservatives and yer Liberty-conservatives....

[colonialhk]

They did their jobs on May Day against socialist operatives. They need to burn in LA so; note to the officers, retire now and take the money and run to the heartland. Look at the leadership and understand it is a piece of France and Tijuana rolled into a nice socialist ball with Hollywood money.

[TheBattman]

And you know the details of this particular incident because you were there, watching?

I personally have seen “journalists” egging on people to riot, and to generally try to create news.

Now - because I was not there, I am not going to make an accusation towards Mr. Stein, but - I am also not going to assume that the LAPD just randomly picked him out to put on the ground.

[doodad]

and the frozen water bottles

[Marauder]

Things were done that shouldn't have been done.

Beginning with appointing this PC sycophant to his current position.

If fifteen injured officers was somehow not enough to justify corrective action, then what number would seem appropriate to this idiot?

[Marauder]

Just my judgment, of course, but I believe if anyone throws any object with a hard surface at anyone else, whether it’s a rock, a bottle of urine, or a flashlight battery, that can safely be classified as a violent act. This would preclude - again, in my opinion - describing this event as peaceful.

But who’s to say? Some judge appointed by Clinton or Carter might and probably will have a different view.

[ohioman]

Go back to the liberal rock you live under.

[untrained skeptic]

And I’m absolutely positive that journalists who stand in a public park filming a protest aren’t breaking the law.

Was he just standing there, or was he trying to force his way into a position to get that money making shot of "police brutality" and in the process interfering with the police effort to control the crowd and end the riot?

How do you know what he was actually doing?

[metmom]

Considering this is LA, I’d take a lot of the accusations against the cops with a grain of salt. Sadly, though, too many in home drug busts by wannabee SWAT teams that result in the death of innocent homeowners, have given police work a really bad name and make the accusations well, credible, at least.

[metmom]

My guess is they wanted to be close to the troublemakers to encourage them.

And simply being as close to the action as possible with their cameras on, would do that.

[bboop]

They should give them a parade. I hate the way the politicians are using this. Is RIOTING protected by the Bill of Rights?

[bboop]

Isn’t Bratton just now up for re-election/ re-appointment?

[DumpsterDiver]

Isn't Bratton just now up for re-election/ re-appointment?

Yes (re-appointment).

[weegee]

And I’m absolutely positive that journalists who stand in a public park filming a protest aren’t breaking the law.

Don't put LA reporters on such a lofty pedestal...

Undercover Photographer - L.A. Times staffer Carolyn Cole crosses a line, again. (www.NationalReview.com 05/14/2002)

Little critical attention has been given to the recent antics of Los Angeles Times staff photographer Carolyn Cole, who on May 2 joined a group of "peace activists" who had clandestinely entered Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, in solidarity with the Palestinian militants holding dozens of civilians and clergymen hostage.

[snip]

But this isn't the first time Cole has stepped over a professional line in her career. In April 2000 — at the height of the Elián Gonzalez affair — Cole was arrested on felony charges of "throwing deadly missiles" at police during protests in Little Havana, apparently in an effort to stir up her subjects and thereby generate "better" news.

Miami detective Delrish Moss said Cole "was seen throwing two or three rocks and then picked up her camera and proceeded to take photographs."

Michael Parks, her boss at the Times, said in a statement that her arrest was "an abridgment of the people's right to know."

"Carolyn Cole was covering the protests in Miami as a news photographer, not participating in them, and her photographs published in the Times make that clear," Parks insisted.

[stopem]

Exactly!

So let me see if I understand this, the LAWBREAKING ILLEGALS get a free pass for demanding, demonstrating, throwing rocks, bottles, waving mexican flags and were generally obnoxious and dangerous BUT Policemen who were doing their JOBS get fired.....

FIRED because they UPHOLD THE LAW???

The only one who should be FIRED is the mexican mayor!

[vicosal]

you act like the cops are infallible-lol,especially in LA-were they have been known to kidnapp women and rape them shot unarmed people in the back-deal drugs-rob banks-murder people for hire.gosh i wonder why they are being closely watched?Just cuz someone puts a uniform on doesnt mean their a saint-granted most are doing their job but a percentage are out for kicks-I personally have dealt with LAPD calling me every name in the book for taking to long to retrieve my insurance -and Im far frm a thug-lowlife,maybe its the enviroment thats makes them so cynical but they have to be dealt with