Free Republic

Family members of Keenan Anderson, a Black man who went into cardiac arrest and died earlier this month after Los Angeles police tased and shackled him following a traffic collision, gathered with several local elected officials in front of City Hall Tuesday calling for several LAPD reforms.At the briefing, organizers called for police to not be sent for minor traffic accidents, and for restrictions on the use of tasers.They also sought the release of unedited footage of Anderson’s death, an end to qualified immunity for officers and the removal of Police Chief Michel Moore, who is seeking re-appointment for a...

The Los Angeles Police Department banned the Thin Blue Line flag because it now allegedly symbolizes "undemocratic, racist, and bigoted views" held by extremist groups. The Thin Blue Line symbol is a pro-police emblem that is said to represent the thin line between order and lawlessness in society that is maintained by law enforcement who wear blue uniforms. LAPD Chief Michel Moore sent an email to department personnel on Friday announcing that the department was banning the Thin Blue Line symbol. The LAPD has barred the Thin Blue Line symbol from being displayed in public areas of police property.

A Los Angeles cop who died in what the department said was a training accident was actually killed for being a possible whistleblower — and was about to reveal information about a gang rape by police, his family claims.

The rising crime rate in Los Angeles is a hot-button issue in this year’s race for Los Angeles mayor. And the issue just hit closer to home for one candidate. Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass said Saturday that her home was burglarized. “Last night, I came home and discovered that my house had been broken into and burglarized,” the Bass campaign said in a statement. “LAPD was called, and I appreciate their assistance. At this time, it appears that only two firearms, despite being safely and securely stored, were stolen. Cash, electronics and other valuables were not. It’s unnerving and, unfortunately,...

This is what the people of Los Angeles wanted. They put their police force on a short leash, blaming the overworked officers for the least amount of violence against criminals while at the same time absolving the criminals of responsibility. It has led to increasing numbers of officers leaving the force or retiring early. With fewer officers on the street and those that are being hesitant to act, the criminals are taking advantage of the situation. The Los Angeles Police Department recently started warning people not to wear expensive jewelry in public, or they might become the target of thieves....

More than a dozen Los Angeles gangs are targeting some of the city's wealthiest residents in a new and aggressive manner, sending out crews in multiple cars to find, follow and rob people driving high-end vehicles or wearing expensive jewelry, according to police. In many cases, they're making off with designer handbags, diamond-studded watches and other items worth tens of thousands of dollars — if not more — and then peddling them to black-market buyers who are willing to turn a blind eye to the underlying violence, police said. In some cases, suspects have been arrested but then released from...

Police have learned that 17 gangs have honed in on the wealthiest residents of the Los Angeles area by robbing them after they leave venues catering to the rich and famous. Police said the robberies are often carried out by crews working from multiple vehicles and that the high-end handbags, watches and other items are then sold regionally on a thriving black market, according to the Los Angeles Times. Violence towards victims is becoming a hallmark of the crimes, said Capt. Jonathan Tippet, who leads a Los Angeles Police Department task force formed as the number of high-end violent robberies...

Will Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Friday in the face of possible suspension or expulsion from the organization after he slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars last weekend. In a resignation statement, Smith said he would accept any consequences imposed by the Academy’s Board of Governors for his actions. “The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home,” Smith said in the statement, obtained by Variety. “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived...

Oscars producer Will Packer revealed the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told Chris Rock backstage at the Academy Awards after Will Smith punched him in the face that what the actor did was “battery,” and that they were prepared to “arrest him.” In an interview with Good Morning America, Packer explained police officers were immediately on the scene backstage after the attack, telling Rock what his rights were, and informing the comedian that they were prepared to arrest the actor. Packer said the LAPD “came into my office, and they were laying out very clearly what Chris’ rights were. They...

The Los Angeles Police Department is facing scrutiny after a woman claims she was arrested in a case of mistaken identity and jailed for almost two weeks. Bethany Farber said she was arrested at LAX when police believed she was a different woman with the same name. She was headed to Mexico to see her brother and goddaughter, but instead, Farber was taken into custody by the TSA due to an arrest warrant for Bethany Farber in Texas. “Immediately, all I could think was I’ve never been to Texas,” she said. The no-bail warrant kept her locked up for 13...

An off-duty Los Angeles police lieutenant broke department policy when he opened fire on a car after its passenger shot someone on the sidewalk, the LAPD’s civilian oversight panel ruled Tuesday. Though Lt. Victor Arellano said he feared being shot himself when he fired his handgun, an internal review board found that he did not see anyone in the car aiming a gun at him or posing any other specific threat. Department policy bars officers from firing at moving vehicles unless someone in it is threatening them or someone else with immediate deadly force. The panel found that the Honda...

Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell, beat cops with a combined 28 years on the job, were found through a 2017 investigation to have ignored a commanding officer’s request for assistance in handling an in-progress robbery at a nearby Macy’s. Rather than respond, the two left the area in the hopes of capturing Snorlaxes and Togetics in Pokémon Go. This decision, caught by the digital in-car video system (DICVS) dash cam, as well as attempts to lie about their actions, ultimately led to the officers’ firing from the LAPD. Reps for Lozano and Mitchell subsequently filed a petition seeking to appeal...

LOS ANGELES -- The coroner's office has identified the 14-year-old girl who was fatally shot by Los Angeles police Thursday when officers fired on an assault suspect and a bullet went through the wall and struck the girl as she was in a clothing store dressing room. Police also fatally shot the suspect Thursday morning at a Burlington store in the North Hollywood area of the San Fernando Valley, police said. The Los Angeles County coroner identified the girl as Valentina Orellana-Peralta and the suspect as Daniel Elena Lopez, 24. Online coroner records show their autopsies have been completed and...

The head of the Los Angeles Police Department’s union has a message for tourists planning a trip to the city this holiday season – don’t do it. Don’t go to Los Angeles. That’s quite a message coming from the second-largest city in the United States. The rising crime rate running rampant across the country is hitting Los Angeles especially hard.Jamie McBride, head of the union representing LAPD officers, said he can’t guarantee personal safety. His warning came with a movie reference.“My message to anyone thinking about coming to Los Angeles, especially during the holiday season, is don’t,” Jamie McBride, the...

A man near the University of Southern California fought back against three armed would-be robbers, killing one of them with a gun they dropped during the altercation. Three armed men in their 20s exited a vehicle early Saturday morning in South Los Angeles and attempted to rob the unidentified man, Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Norma Eisenman told the Los Angeles Times. An altercation broke out after the victim resisted complying with the suspects. One of the suspected robbers then dropped his handgun, and the victim picked it up and shot the suspect, according to police.

It's never a good thing when locals warn you to stay out of their crime-infested city.p>When it's the police themselves, well, then it's pretty obvious the city has a problem. Which has brought us this:The Los Angeles police are telling the public not to come into the area for Christmas because it’s like “The Purge” movie.LAPD Detective Jamie McBride recently told media, “My [message] to anybody considering coming to Los Angeles is ‘Don’t,’ he said. “We can’t guarantee your safety. It is terribly out of control […] It’s like that movie ‘Purge’ [sic]. Instead of 24 hours to commit your...

A pair of gun-toting robbers stormed into a holiday house party in Los Angeles, where they stole jewelry, phones and a watch from frightened guests, according to reports. The homeowners hosting the outdoor bash in the city’s Pacific Palisades section said two guests went inside the residence to get their purses Friday night and were confronted by armed assailants who swiped jewelry, iPhones and an Apple watch from two women and fled, the Los Angeles Times reported. One of the homeowners, who declined to be identified, said he tried to contact LAPD several times to give investigators security footage showing...

After two years of rising crime in Los Angeles, residents of upscale neighborhoods are finally starting to freak out after a spate of ‘flash mob‘ lootings at high-end retail stores have been accompanied with a disturbing increase in violent crimes committed in the suburbs, according to the LA Times. Private security officers guard the Beverly Hills home where Jacqueline Avant, the wife of music producer Clarence Avant, was shot and killed Wednesday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)Crews of burglars publicly smashing their way into Los Angeles’ most exclusive stores. Robbers following their victims, including a star of “The Real...

Comedic actor Seth Rogen sparked a Twitter frenzy after he shrugged off Los Angeles criminals breaking into cars, suggesting it's simply part of normal life in a big city. The viral uproar began when the "Knocked Up" star reacted to a tweet from YouTube personality Casey Neistat, who wrote on Wednesday, "so our cars got robbed this morning because Los Angeles is a crime riddled 3rd world s---hole of a city" and expressed gratitude toward the LA Police Department for arresting the criminal and retrieving all the stolen belongings. "Dude I’ve lived here for over 20 years. You’re nuts haha,"...

Welp, one more reason I won’t be moving to Los Angeles anytime soon. Street robberies have gotten so out of control in parts of the city that the LAPD has issued a “follow-home robberies” alert: If you’ve been out shopping, having dinner with friends, or grabbing a few beers with your buds, and a bad guy follows you home to steal your stuff? Stand aside and let him have it, Angelenos. “Cooperate and comply.”Wave of follow-home robberies in and around Los Angeles prompts warning from LAPD https://t.co/ej7WZM9dQ4— KTLA (@KTLA) November 9, 2021Hey, if it works at Best Buy or Walmart,...