latimes--2020-06-06--LAPD faces growing criticism for excessive force, poor tactics during protests

The Los Angeles Police Department faces growing criticism over its handling of protests as new videos and images emerged Friday of violent , aggressive behavior by officers .
Mayor Eric Garcetti found himself walking a fine line , criticizing episodes of excessive force that have been captured on video while also defending positive contributions that individual officers and law enforcement investigations have made , such as breaking up human trafficking rings .
He said some of the police tactics seen in the last week have “ no place in the City of Angels.
” A coalition of criminal justice activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city over how police have handled protests following the death of George Floyd , accusing officers of shooting a homeless man in the eye with rubber bullets and holding people for upward of 12 hours for simple curfew violations .
The suit — filed late Friday by the Los Angeles chapter of the National Lawyers Guild , Black Lives Matter and Los Angeles Community Action Network — accused the LAPD of violating protesters ’ right to assemble and using excessive force .
The complaint also provided new information about an image of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in downtown Los Angeles that had gone viral and been shared by many critical of the department over the past week .
The LAPD has not completed a breakdown of arrests during the protests .
Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein estimated that about 2,700 people were arrested between May 29 and Tuesday during the height of the protests ; booking records suggest the majority of those arrests were for failure to obey a dispersal order or curfew violations .
The department has not provided updated arrest figures since Tuesday .
The lawsuit estimated 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looting or other crimes .
Booking records reviewed by The Times earlier this week showed about 150 people had been arrested for looting during that time , approximately 5 % of the overall arrest total .
“ Over the past week , while [ Black Lives Matter Los Angeles ] and its members were engaged in lawful First Amendment activity , the LAPD used force to terminate the protests , including the indiscriminate use of so-called less lethal weapons that caused injury to its members and instilled fear in them that , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to express their opposition to police violence across the nation against black men and women , they would be the subject of such violence and arrest , ” the suit said .
The suit also accused the LAPD of arresting a number of homeless people for curfew violations even though they “ had no place they could go to avoid violating.
” The suit contained a gruesome picture of a homeless man in a wheelchair known as “ Cincinnati ” bleeding from the eye , allegedly after police shot him in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it uses less-than-lethal foam projectiles , not rubber bullets .
“ He pleaded with police not to use force on him before being shot in the face , ” the suit claims .
Rubenstein confirmed the incident involving the homeless man is the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation , as are several other widely circulated clips of alleged police misconduct that have surfaced in recent days .
He urged anyone who believes they were the victim of police misconduct to contact Internal Affairs or the Office of the Inspector General , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier this week , LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the department needed to show more force in response to attacks on police officers and reports of looting in various parts of the city .
At least 27 officers have been injured in the last week while responding to protests or looting , including one officer who was hospitalized with a fractured skull .
But in recent days , the LAPD has been criticized for its response to the demonstrations .
Two City Council members and the president of the civilian Police Commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have called for a review .
On Friday , Rep. Ted Lieu ( D-Torrance ) also called on the Police Commission to investigate the department ’ s response last week to protests and looting in the Fairfax District .
While the area saw significant looting and police cars being set on fire , footage has also emerged showing officers striking unarmed protesters with batons .
A reporter for L.A. Taco said he was attacked with a baton without provocation , despite declaring himself a member of the press .
“ Folks who loot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are committing crimes and that can not be condoned or tolerated .
At the same time , you can ’ t attribute what some folks did on one day , and then deal with peaceful protesters on a different day and hit them with batons , ” Lieu said Friday .
“ They are a different set of people , so it ’ s not a justification to say just because some people did some looting , therefore we ’ re going to treat all protesters the same.
” Asked about the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up demonstrations , Moore said officers could be justified in using such force if an unlawful assembly is declared because of violence , attacks on officers or destruction of property .
But he said the key was the proportionality of force used and acknowledged at least one incident from last weekend required his involvement to stop officers from being violent .
“ Officers were taking rocks , bottles , other projectiles [ and ] sustaining injuries from members within a very large crowd .
And that crowd , it was the determination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assembly , and that that crowd needed to disperse , ” he said .
“ And what I witnessed was officers resorting to force , including baton strikes to achieve that , and I went personally to the scene and took actions to stop that.
” Still , consequences from the department ’ s actions last weekend continued to surface .
Brooke Fortson , 29 , who said she was peacefully protesting when an LAPD cruiser slammed into her in Pershing Square on Sunday , has filed notice that she plans to sue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LAPD vehicle driving toward a crowd of protesters near 5th and Hill streets Sunday afternoon .
After briefly stopping as protesters tried to get around the car , the car speeds forward , striking at least one person .
Fortson told The Times she suffered bruises across her body after the car struck her in the side .
The LAPD has said protesters were attacking the vehicle , which was responding to a report of a robbery , but television footage does not appear to show that .
Fortson also denied that claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was , after I was hit , I jumped away and I remember hands pulling me toward the curb and asking me if I was OK .
I remember hearing someone yell this is a peaceful protest , everybody kneel , and everybody on the steps kneeled down , ” she said .
“ Largely , the vast majority of people stayed and remained peaceful and deescalated the situation that the cop caused.
” Meanwhile , dozens of protests continued across Southern California .
A Friday afternoon demonstration at Santa Monica City Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the city police chief , interim city manager and mayor .
Mayor Kevin McKeown and interim City Manager Lane Dilg attempted to address protesters and were met with questions about the use of tear gas last Sunday in Santa Monica and calls to “ We will look at the actions of Sunday ; we will determine what we can do to keep our community safe and facilitate peaceful protest , ” Dilg said .
“ You called in the National Guard !
” one protester shouted .
Police Chief Cynthia Renaud said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died at the hands of police doesn ’ t seem to end , but they stop in Santa Monica .
“ I believe in the peace ; I believe in the community I serve , ” she said .
Then she , the mayor and others took a knee in solidarity with the protesters .
Some in the crowd decried the moment as a photo op .
One protester said if Renaud couldn ’ t admit that violence was used against nonviolent protesters then she should resign .
Times staff writers Alex Wigglesworth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leila Miller contributed to this report .

AN LAPD officer watches for people tossing debris from tall buildings as dozens of protesters are arrested for curfew violations on Broadway.
The Los Angeles Police Department faces growing criticism over its handling of protests as new videos and images emerged Friday of violent, aggressive behavior by officers.
Mayor Eric Garcetti found himself walking a fine line, criticizing episodes of excessive force that have been captured on video while also defending positive contributions that individual officers and law enforcement investigations have made, such as breaking up human trafficking rings. He said some of the police tactics seen in the last week have “no place in the City of Angels.”
A coalition of criminal justice activists and homeless advocates filed a lawsuit against the city over how police have handled protests following the death of George Floyd, accusing officers of shooting a homeless man in the eye with rubber bullets and holding people for upward of 12 hours for simple curfew violations.
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The suit — filed late Friday by the Los Angeles chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Black Lives Matter and Los Angeles Community Action Network — accused the LAPD of violating protesters’ right to assemble and using excessive force.
1 / 82 A protester dances on top of Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a demonstration by members of Refuse Fascism who are calling an end to the Trump administration on June 20, 2020. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 82 Deborah Jay Winams cries after singing a song at a Black Lives Matter Los Angeles rally to call for justice in the fatal shooting of Kenneth Ross Jr. by Gardena police in 2018. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 82 People participate in the All Black Lives Matter march in West Hollywood on Sunday, June 14. Thousands of demonstrators marched for racial justice and LGBTQ rights. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 82 A protester waves a rainbow flag on Sunset Boulevard during the All Black Lives Matter march on Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 82 Thousands hold up signs and march in the All Black Lives Matter solidarity protest on Hollywood Boulevard. The procession started at Hollywood and Highland and moved into West Hollywood. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 82 Jason De Puy of West Hollywood wears a mask that reads “Black Trans Lives Matter” as people fill Hollywood Boulevard during a solidarity march called All Black Lives Matter on Sunday, June 14. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 82 Protesters hold up signs at the All Black Lives Matter march, which was organized by Black LGBTQ leaders and organizations in place of a previously planned event by the group behind LA Pride. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 82 Protesters march, raising fists and signs in the air, on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 82 The Compton Cowboys ride horseback down South Tamarind Avenue, joining thousand of protesters Sunday during the Compton peace ride, which ended at City Hall. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 82 Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook speaks to the crowd of protesters and the Compton Cowboys at the end of a peace walk at Compton City Hall on Sunday. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 82 Elijah Estrada, 6, holds up his fist for 8:46, the length of time George Floyd was held down by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, at the conclusion of a peace ride and walk with the Compton Cowboys at Compton City Hall on Sunday. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 82 A family member of Breonna Taylor, right, is hugged by another woman after speaking to protesters in Beverly Hills Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 82 A woman tries to get between Black Lives Matter protesters and pro-Trump counter protesters during a demonstration at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 82 Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Regina Scott takes knee next to Johnathan Jasper, brother of slain teen Anthony Weber, during a rally in front of LA City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 82 A protester yells in front of a Black Lives Matter mural with the names of victims on Fairfax Ave. during a march Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 82 David Blackgold hugs Huntington Beach police officer K. Wood during a Black Lives Matter protest in Huntington Beach Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 82 A National Guardsman holds a rose given to him by a protester along Fairfax Ave. during a march Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 82 A Black Lives Matter protester blows bubbles by a police line in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 82 A protester lies on the ground under his horse with his hands behind his back as demonstrators including some on horseback rally in front of LA City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office in Los Angeles Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 82 Tempers flare between Black Lives Matter demonstratiors and pro-Trump counterprotesters in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 82 Black Lives Matter demonstrators raise clenched fist in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 82 Mek Bitul held up a sign with the words, “This Is The Tipping Point!!!” in front of City Hall, joining nearly 1,000 people gathered to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 23 / 82 Katyana DeCampos, a citizen of France visiting California, marched with a sign with the words “Anti Racism,” joining nearly 1,000 people gathered to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 24 / 82 Zoe Perkins, 4, of Glendale and her mother brought flowers to the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles to protest the death of George Floyd. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 82 LAPD Chief Michel Moore, left, talks with community leaders outside police headquarters after a candlelight vigil for George Floyd on Friday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 82 A man lays a rose at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 82 Braydon Deauce White, 4, fist-bumps a National Guardsman at LAPD headquarters Thursday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 82 Allison Bracy of Fontana hugs daughter Brielle Bracy, 10, while attending a rally in Riverside on Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 82 A protester drapes himself with a flag during a demonstration in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 82 Gustavo R. Ramirez of Pomona kneels in front of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 82 Protesters at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 82 Crowds gather in downtown L.A. to protest the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At 9 p.m., for exactly 8 minutes and 46 seconds, protesters shone lights into the sky. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 82 Protesters dance on Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles as a march attracted thousands of people. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 82 Thousands of protesters gather at the Los Angeles Civic Center. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 82 Thousands of protesters gather at the Los Angeles Civic Center. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 82 Thousands of protesters gather at the Los Angeles Civic Center. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 37 / 82 Stephen Chang, 32, left, of Silver Lake, with an American flag draped over his head, joins other demonstrators at the intersection of Spring and Temple streets in downtown Los Angeles, as they protest against L.A. Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and also demand justice in the death of George Floyd. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 38 / 82 Miles Miles, 8, left, and Memphis Miley, 6, center, of Newport Beach, join protest against racism in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 39 / 82 Protester Vailing high-fives National Guardsmen as they march through Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 40 / 82 Protesters march through a residential neighborhood in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 41 / 82 Protesters walk through a residential neighborhood in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 42 / 82 A L.A. Sheriff’s deputy watches as protester Annik Chung holds a sign while cheering on marchers along La Brea Ave. in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 43 / 82 Mustafa-Ali, 27, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, joins other demonstrators as they protest on Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 44 / 82 Paul Villalobos, 28, from Oakland, joins other demonstrators as they protest on Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 45 / 82 A huge crowd gathers in downtown Los Angeles to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 46 / 82 Protestors march through downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 47 / 82 Protestors march through downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 48 / 82 Protestors march through downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 49 / 82 Riverside County Sheriff Lt Chris Durham tries to calm nerves after hundreds of demonstrators that marched to the police station protest the death of George Floyd in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 50 / 82 In a sign of peace, protesters reach out to Riverside County Sheriff deputies, who were there to enforce an 8pm curfew during a demonstration to protest the death of George Floyd’s in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 51 / 82 Hundreds of demonstrators block traffic as they march down both sides of Balboa Blvd. to protest against racism in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 52 / 82 Protesters march through West Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd during march on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 53 / 82 Protesters march through West Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd during march on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 54 / 82 Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 55 / 82 Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 56 / 82 Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 57 / 82 Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 58 / 82 Bando Kev prays along Hollywood Blvd. in front of the National Guard and near TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 59 / 82 A couple promote peace on Highland Ave. in Hollywood as protesters continue to demonstrate. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 60 / 82 Makenzie Anderson, 2, rides on her father, Shawn’s shoulders as they join hundreds of protesters marching throughout downtown. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 61 / 82 Marcus Owen, yells out chants for George Floyd as hundreds of protesters gather outside City Hall in a daylong protest. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 62 / 82 Hussain Sharif, left, Mari Drake, and Thomas Rosado chant as they ride along with hundreds of protesters at a downtown demonstration. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 63 / 82 Hundreds of protesters march throughout downtown ending with many arrested for curfew violations. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 64 / 82 “Hands up. Don’t shoot,” say hundreds participating in a march against the of George Floyd on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice onTuesday. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 65 / 82 Members of the California National Guard flash peace signs after protesters had marched by in support of Black Lives Matter in Venice. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 66 / 82 Protesters shoot hoops while taking a break from marching against the death of George Floyd by police on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice on Tuesday. The basketball hoop was attached to the front of a bus that followed the protest for a while. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 67 / 82 Several hundred protesters take a knee and hold their fists in the air during a moment of silence to honor George Floyd during a peaceful protest march from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 68 / 82 A woman stands next to an image of George Floyd as hundreds participate in a march against the in-custody death of Floyd in Venice. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 69 / 82 Terrence Burney, 36, left, and Commander of the LAPD Operation West Bureau Cory Palka, right, talk together peacefully in front of Getty House in Hancock Park. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 70 / 82 Protestors gather outside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Hancock Park house as they continue to demonstrate against police brutality. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 71 / 82 Jessica Jordan takes a knee as she joins other protesters at Sunset & Vine in Hollywood on Tuesday. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 72 / 82 A young woman reacts to a group chant, while gathered with a couple hundred people to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, near the Manhattan Beach Pier. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 73 / 82 Jayse Garcia, 27, of Los Angeles takes part in a demonstration in Hollywood. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 74 / 82 Protesters sit in front of National Guardsmen closing Sunset Blvd at Vine Street in Hollywood. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 75 / 82 Mira Ercingoz,16, from Palos Verdes, center in red hat, holds a poster with an image of George Floyd alongside protesters in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 76 / 82 Demonstrators take a knee during protests in Hollywood on Tuesday.
(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 77 / 82 A mother and daughter pass protestors in Hollywood. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 78 / 82 Several hundred protesters gather to demand justice for George Floyd at the Manhattan Beach Pier Plaza Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 79 / 82 Janie Hill,15, from Lawndale, receives a hug from a friend, following an emotional discussion with a Manhattan Beach Police officer, at the conclusion of a protest in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 80 / 82 LAPD Cmdr. Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with clergy members from the Los Angeles area as they participate in a march and demonstration outside LAPD headquarters in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 82 L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti walks out to address protesters and clergy members outside LAPD headquarters on Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 82 Several hundred protesters take a knee and hold their fists in the air during a moment of silence to honor George Floyd during a peaceful protest march from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
The complaint also provided new information about an image of a homeless man bleeding from the eye in downtown Los Angeles that had gone viral and been shared by many critical of the department over the past week.
The LAPD has not completed a breakdown of arrests during the protests. Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein estimated that about 2,700 people were arrested between May 29 and Tuesday during the height of the protests; booking records suggest the majority of those arrests were for failure to obey a dispersal order or curfew violations.
The department has not provided updated arrest figures since Tuesday. The lawsuit estimated 3% of the 2,700 arrests were for looting or other crimes. Booking records reviewed by The Times earlier this week showed about 150 people had been arrested for looting during that time, approximately 5% of the overall arrest total.
“Over the past week, while [Black Lives Matter Los Angeles] and its members were engaged in lawful First Amendment activity, the LAPD used force to terminate the protests, including the indiscriminate use of so-called less lethal weapons that caused injury to its members and instilled fear in them that, if they chose to assemble in public spaces to express their opposition to police violence across the nation against black men and women, they would be the subject of such violence and arrest,” the suit said.
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The suit also accused the LAPD of arresting a number of homeless people for curfew violations even though they “had no place they could go to avoid violating.”
The suit contained a gruesome picture of a homeless man in a wheelchair known as “Cincinnati” bleeding from the eye, allegedly after police shot him in the face with rubber bullets. The LAPD has said it uses less-than-lethal foam projectiles, not rubber bullets.
“He pleaded with police not to use force on him before being shot in the face,” the suit claims.
Rubenstein confirmed the incident involving the homeless man is the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation, as are several other widely circulated clips of alleged police misconduct that have surfaced in recent days. He urged anyone who believes they were the victim of police misconduct to contact Internal Affairs or the Office of the Inspector General, but declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Earlier this week, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the department needed to show more force in response to attacks on police officers and reports of looting in various parts of the city. At least 27 officers have been injured in the last week while responding to protests or looting, including one officer who was hospitalized with a fractured skull.
But in recent days, the LAPD has been criticized for its response to the demonstrations. Two City Council members and the president of the civilian Police Commission, former federal prosecutor Eileen Decker, have called for a review.
On Friday, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) also called on the Police Commission to investigate the department’s response last week to protests and looting in the Fairfax District.
While the area saw significant looting and police cars being set on fire, footage has also emerged showing officers striking unarmed protesters with batons. A reporter for L.A. Taco said he was attacked with a baton without provocation, despite declaring himself a member of the press.
“Folks who loot or commit arson or assault police officers are committing crimes and that cannot be condoned or tolerated. At the same time, you can’t attribute what some folks did on one day, and then deal with peaceful protesters on a different day and hit them with batons,” Lieu said Friday. “They are a different set of people, so it’s not a justification to say just because some people did some looting, therefore we’re going to treat all protesters the same.”
Asked about the use of batons or foam rounds to break up demonstrations, Moore said officers could be justified in using such force if an unlawful assembly is declared because of violence, attacks on officers or destruction of property. But he said the key was the proportionality of force used and acknowledged at least one incident from last weekend required his involvement to stop officers from being violent.
“Officers were taking rocks, bottles, other projectiles [and] sustaining injuries from members within a very large crowd. And that crowd, it was the determination of on-scene commanders that it was an unlawful assembly, and that that crowd needed to disperse,” he said. “And what I witnessed was officers resorting to force, including baton strikes to achieve that, and I went personally to the scene and took actions to stop that.”
Still, consequences from the department’s actions last weekend continued to surface. Brooke Fortson, 29, who said she was peacefully protesting when an LAPD cruiser slammed into her in Pershing Square on Sunday, has filed notice that she plans to sue the city.
Television footage showed an LAPD vehicle driving toward a crowd of protesters near 5th and Hill streets Sunday afternoon. After briefly stopping as protesters tried to get around the car, the car speeds forward, striking at least one person.
Fortson told The Times she suffered bruises across her body after the car struck her in the side. The LAPD has said protesters were attacking the vehicle, which was responding to a report of a robbery, but television footage does not appear to show that. Fortson also denied that claim.
“My experience of what happened was, after I was hit, I jumped away and I remember hands pulling me toward the curb and asking me if I was OK. I remember hearing someone yell this is a peaceful protest, everybody kneel, and everybody on the steps kneeled down,” she said. “Largely, the vast majority of people stayed and remained peaceful and deescalated the situation that the cop caused.”
Meanwhile, dozens of protests continued across Southern California.
A Friday afternoon demonstration at Santa Monica City Hall turned into a raucous Q&A between peaceful protesters and the city police chief, interim city manager and mayor.
Mayor Kevin McKeown and interim City Manager Lane Dilg attempted to address protesters and were met with questions about the use of tear gas last Sunday in Santa Monica and calls to cut the city’s police budget.
“We will look at the actions of Sunday; we will determine what we can do to keep our community safe and facilitate peaceful protest,” Dilg said.
“You called in the National Guard!” one protester shouted.
Police Chief Cynthia Renaud said the list of names of people who died at the hands of police doesn’t seem to end, but they stop in Santa Monica.
“I believe in the peace; I believe in the community I serve,” she said.
Then she, the mayor and others took a knee in solidarity with the protesters. Some in the crowd decried the moment as a photo op. One protester said if Renaud couldn’t admit that violence was used against nonviolent protesters then she should resign.
Times staff writers Alex Wigglesworth, Tony Barboza, Joseph Serna and Leila Miller contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-06--Long Beach police officer standing over blood with his baton has been 'relieved' from department

The Long Beach police officer responsible for posting photos on his social media , including one showing him standing over blood with his baton , this week amid days of protests held in the city to remember George Floyd has been “ relieved from employment , ” the department announced Friday night .
“ Our organization is dedicated to our community and we must build upon the relationships we have while continuing to develop and foster new relationships , ” Police Chief Robert Luna said in a statement .
“ We hold our employees to the highest standards and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The news comes a day after the department became aware of “ a social media post an officer had on his Facebook page ” that included “ a baton and blood on the ground , ” according to an email sent Thursday by City Manager Tom Modica .
The department launched an internal investigation and the officer , who was not identified in the document , was removed from patrol duties pending the investigation , according to the letter .
The officer was and in a public social media post by Councilwoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted an image from Delgado ’ s LinkedIn page that shows he has been a member of the Long Beach Police Department for about two years and previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps .
Another photo , obtained by BuzzFeed News , shows Delgado sharing on his Instagram account a picture of him sitting in what appears to be a police car with two other officers flashing the shaka sign .
“ Back up , on the way , ” he wrote on the image .
Delgado ’ s sibling , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photo of his brother standing over blood on his personal Instagram account , writing “ Bro getting his.
” Delgado and his sibling have since deleted their social media accounts .

Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, shown in 2014, announced Friday that an officer who posted photos on social media amid the George Floyd protests has been “relieved from employment.”
The Long Beach police officer responsible for posting photos on his social media, including one showing him standing over blood with his baton, this week amid days of protests held in the city to remember George Floyd has been “relieved from employment,” the department announced Friday night.
“Our organization is dedicated to our community and we must build upon the relationships we have while continuing to develop and foster new relationships,” Police Chief Robert Luna said in a statement. “We hold our employees to the highest standards and will not ignore behavior that erodes public trust.”
The news comes a day after the department became aware of “a social media post an officer had on his Facebook page” that included “a baton and blood on the ground,” according to an email sent Thursday by City Manager Tom Modica.
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The department launched an internal investigation and the officer, who was not identified in the document, was removed from patrol duties pending the investigation, according to the letter.
The officer was identified by BuzzFeed News and in a public social media post by Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce as Jacob Delgado. Pearce posted an image from Delgado’s LinkedIn page that shows he has been a member of the Long Beach Police Department for about two years and previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Another photo, obtained by BuzzFeed News, shows Delgado sharing on his Instagram account a picture of him sitting in what appears to be a police car with two other officers flashing the shaka sign. “Back up, on the way,” he wrote on the image.
Delgado’s sibling, according to BuzzFeed News, also shared the photo of his brother standing over blood on his personal Instagram account, writing “Bro getting his.”
Delgado and his sibling have since deleted their social media accounts.


latimes--2020-06-06--LA Pride organizers under fire after seeking police permit for Black Lives Matter solidarity protest

The organizers behind LA Pride ’ s solidarity march for black lives are being denounced for organizing the event collaboratively with the Los Angeles Police Department .
Festivities celebrating the 50th year of the city ’ s Pride parade had been suspended because of the coronavirus .
But this week , organizers announced that they were planning a march in solidarity with Black Lives Matter for June 14 , starting in Hollywood and ending in West Hollywood .
On behalf of Christopher Street West , the group that organizes Los Angeles ’ Pride march , Jeff Consoletti , who runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special event permit application to the LAPD on Tuesday .
“ For the past 50 years , we have demonstrated a strong and unified partnership with law enforcement in the annual organization of PRIDE here in Los Angeles and West Hollywood , ” he wrote .
“ Your support of this peaceful gathering is the key to its success and continues a LA tradition of support , advocacy , and the peaceful right to protest for all.
” LGBTQ activists took to social media to point out that partnering with police goes against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killings of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , Tony McDade and others at the hands of police .
Fran Tirado , the former deputy editor of Out magazine , posted a screenshot of Consoletti ’ s letter on Twitter , urging fellow non-black LGBTQ people to regroup “ with black organizers , so we don ’ t co-opt the movement.
” Indya Moore , who plays Angel Evangelista on the FX television series “ Pose , ” spoke directly to the organizers of LA Pride , telling them , “ This is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look to black trans women and queer folk for leadership and direction , ” Moore said .
On Friday afternoon , Consoletti posted an apology to Instagram and withdrew his involvement from the event .
Consoletti said that Christopher Street West had assured him they had the support of the black LGBTQ community for the protest , “ but it has become clear that is not entirely the case.
” “ I apologize and now see that these actions demonstrated the type of privileged , passive , and systemic issues that permeate society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post .
“ Our desire to stand with the Black Lives Matter movement was not carefully thought through .
I am appreciative of the education I am receiving on how to be better and can see now that it is not right to take up space or attention from the conversation of racial inequality and the injustice Black people face from law enforcement.
” West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath told WEHOville that Christopher Street West had withdrawn its request to the city for a permit to stage the protest .
A day earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the solidarity march committee who are both black and gay , tweeted from the LA Pride account that they were listening to the black community .
“ Christopher Street West is engaging Black community advocacy groups , Black LGBTQ+ organizations and community leaders to align on our mission and objectives , ” they wrote .
“ We are committed to educating ourselves on how to be an ally in the fight against systemic social injustice and police brutality and to work for justice reform.
” Late Friday , the Christopher Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message to the LA Pride Instagram account .
They said their effort was well-intentioned but that they had realized they didn ’ t first collaborate with enough black leaders who have been on the front lines of recent protests .
“ As we quickly mobilized this protest , we proceeded to approach the permitting as we would normally do with organizing the annual LA Pride Parade ... , ” they wrote .
“ In that haste , we overlooked the direct police involvement that permitting involves .
We understand that clearly goes against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christopher Street West and the American Civil Liberties Union had to challenge the Los Angeles Police Commission in court to get the permit for the city ’ s first Pride parade in 1970 , which itself was a commemoration of the a year earlier , where and other LGBTQ people of color led a fight against police violence and oppression .
Estevan Montemayor , president of Christopher Street West , did not respond to requests for comment for this story .
Earlier this week , he told The Times that Johnson ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman inspired the solidarity march .
In their apology letter , the board leaders said they recognize that the organization ’ s relationship with marginalized groups within the LGBTQ community has been problematic and said they would meet with black leaders in the coming days .
“ The previously announced solidarity march scheduled for June 14 is currently being reevaluated through these discussions with more updates to be shared shortly , ” they wrote .
“ We pledge that the LGBTQ+ community will continue to speak up and speak out against racism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long march to freedom and equality .
”

On June 1, thousands of demonstrators rallied in front of the Riverside Public Library to protest the death of George Floyd.
The organizers behind LA Pride’s solidarity march for black lives are being denounced for organizing the event collaboratively with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Festivities celebrating the 50th year of the city’s Pride parade had been suspended because of the coronavirus. But this week, organizers announced that they were planning a march in solidarity with Black Lives Matter for June 14, starting in Hollywood and ending in West Hollywood.
On behalf of Christopher Street West, the group that organizes Los Angeles’ Pride march, Jeff Consoletti, who runs an event production firm, submitted a special event permit application to the LAPD on Tuesday.
“For the past 50 years, we have demonstrated a strong and unified partnership with law enforcement in the annual organization of PRIDE here in Los Angeles and West Hollywood,” he wrote. “Your support of this peaceful gathering is the key to its success and continues a LA tradition of support, advocacy, and the peaceful right to protest for all.”
LGBTQ activists took to social media to point out that partnering with police goes against the intent of protests responding to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and others at the hands of police.
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Fran Tirado, the former deputy editor of Out magazine, posted a screenshot of Consoletti’s letter on Twitter, urging fellow non-black LGBTQ people to regroup “with black organizers, so we don’t co-opt the movement.”
I've been informed @LAPride is, in fact, working with police for their so-called "Black solidarity" march. Attached is a screenshot of an event producer's letter to the LAPD underscoring "a strong and unified partnership with law enforcement." Homos, this is not it. pic.twitter.com/7YkndfDUrV — Fran Tirado (@fransquishco) June 5, 2020
Indya Moore, who plays Angel Evangelista on the FX television series “Pose,” spoke directly to the organizers of LA Pride, telling them, “This is not it.”
“White gay men must look to black trans women and queer folk for leadership and direction,” Moore said.
On Friday afternoon, Consoletti posted an apology to Instagram and withdrew his involvement from the event. Consoletti said that Christopher Street West had assured him they had the support of the black LGBTQ community for the protest, “but it has become clear that is not entirely the case.”
“I apologize and now see that these actions demonstrated the type of privileged, passive, and systemic issues that permeate society today,” he said in the post. “Our desire to stand with the Black Lives Matter movement was not carefully thought through. I am appreciative of the education I am receiving on how to be better and can see now that it is not right to take up space or attention from the conversation of racial inequality and the injustice Black people face from law enforcement.”
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West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath told WEHOville that Christopher Street West had withdrawn its request to the city for a permit to stage the protest.
1 / 82 A protester dances on top of Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a demonstration by members of Refuse Fascism who are calling an end to the Trump administration on June 20, 2020. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 82 Deborah Jay Winams cries after singing a song at a Black Lives Matter Los Angeles rally to call for justice in the fatal shooting of Kenneth Ross Jr. by Gardena police in 2018. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 82 People participate in the All Black Lives Matter march in West Hollywood on Sunday, June 14. Thousands of demonstrators marched for racial justice and LGBTQ rights. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 82 A protester waves a rainbow flag on Sunset Boulevard during the All Black Lives Matter march on Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 82 Thousands hold up signs and march in the All Black Lives Matter solidarity protest on Hollywood Boulevard. The procession started at Hollywood and Highland and moved into West Hollywood. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 82 Jason De Puy of West Hollywood wears a mask that reads “Black Trans Lives Matter” as people fill Hollywood Boulevard during a solidarity march called All Black Lives Matter on Sunday, June 14. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 82 Protesters hold up signs at the All Black Lives Matter march, which was organized by Black LGBTQ leaders and organizations in place of a previously planned event by the group behind LA Pride. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 82 Protesters march, raising fists and signs in the air, on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 82 The Compton Cowboys ride horseback down South Tamarind Avenue, joining thousand of protesters Sunday during the Compton peace ride, which ended at City Hall. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 82 Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook speaks to the crowd of protesters and the Compton Cowboys at the end of a peace walk at Compton City Hall on Sunday. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 82 Elijah Estrada, 6, holds up his fist for 8:46, the length of time George Floyd was held down by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, at the conclusion of a peace ride and walk with the Compton Cowboys at Compton City Hall on Sunday. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 82 A family member of Breonna Taylor, right, is hugged by another woman after speaking to protesters in Beverly Hills Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 82 A woman tries to get between Black Lives Matter protesters and pro-Trump counter protesters during a demonstration at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 82 Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Regina Scott takes knee next to Johnathan Jasper, brother of slain teen Anthony Weber, during a rally in front of LA City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 82 A protester yells in front of a Black Lives Matter mural with the names of victims on Fairfax Ave. during a march Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 82 David Blackgold hugs Huntington Beach police officer K. Wood during a Black Lives Matter protest in Huntington Beach Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 82 A National Guardsman holds a rose given to him by a protester along Fairfax Ave. during a march Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 82 A Black Lives Matter protester blows bubbles by a police line in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 82 A protester lies on the ground under his horse with his hands behind his back as demonstrators including some on horseback rally in front of LA City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office in Los Angeles Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 82 Tempers flare between Black Lives Matter demonstratiors and pro-Trump counterprotesters in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 82 Black Lives Matter demonstrators raise clenched fist in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 82 Mek Bitul held up a sign with the words, “This Is The Tipping Point!!!” in front of City Hall, joining nearly 1,000 people gathered to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 23 / 82 Katyana DeCampos, a citizen of France visiting California, marched with a sign with the words “Anti Racism,” joining nearly 1,000 people gathered to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 24 / 82 Zoe Perkins, 4, of Glendale and her mother brought flowers to the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles to protest the death of George Floyd. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 82 LAPD Chief Michel Moore, left, talks with community leaders outside police headquarters after a candlelight vigil for George Floyd on Friday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 82 A man lays a rose at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 82 Braydon Deauce White, 4, fist-bumps a National Guardsman at LAPD headquarters Thursday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 82 Allison Bracy of Fontana hugs daughter Brielle Bracy, 10, while attending a rally in Riverside on Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 82 A protester drapes himself with a flag during a demonstration in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 82 Gustavo R. Ramirez of Pomona kneels in front of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 82 Protesters at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 82 Crowds gather in downtown L.A. to protest the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At 9 p.m., for exactly 8 minutes and 46 seconds, protesters shone lights into the sky. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 82 Protesters dance on Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles as a march attracted thousands of people. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 82 Thousands of protesters gather at the Los Angeles Civic Center. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 82 Thousands of protesters gather at the Los Angeles Civic Center. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 82 Thousands of protesters gather at the Los Angeles Civic Center. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 37 / 82 Stephen Chang, 32, left, of Silver Lake, with an American flag draped over his head, joins other demonstrators at the intersection of Spring and Temple streets in downtown Los Angeles, as they protest against L.A. Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and also demand justice in the death of George Floyd. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 38 / 82 Miles Miles, 8, left, and Memphis Miley, 6, center, of Newport Beach, join protest against racism in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 39 / 82 Protester Vailing high-fives National Guardsmen as they march through Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 40 / 82 Protesters march through a residential neighborhood in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 41 / 82 Protesters walk through a residential neighborhood in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 42 / 82 A L.A. Sheriff’s deputy watches as protester Annik Chung holds a sign while cheering on marchers along La Brea Ave. in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 43 / 82 Mustafa-Ali, 27, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, joins other demonstrators as they protest on Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 44 / 82 Paul Villalobos, 28, from Oakland, joins other demonstrators as they protest on Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 45 / 82 A huge crowd gathers in downtown Los Angeles to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 46 / 82 Protestors march through downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 47 / 82 Protestors march through downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 48 / 82 Protestors march through downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 49 / 82 Riverside County Sheriff Lt Chris Durham tries to calm nerves after hundreds of demonstrators that marched to the police station protest the death of George Floyd in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 50 / 82 In a sign of peace, protesters reach out to Riverside County Sheriff deputies, who were there to enforce an 8pm curfew during a demonstration to protest the death of George Floyd’s in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 51 / 82 Hundreds of demonstrators block traffic as they march down both sides of Balboa Blvd. to protest against racism in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 52 / 82 Protesters march through West Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd during march on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 53 / 82 Protesters march through West Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd during march on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 54 / 82 Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 55 / 82 Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 56 / 82 Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 57 / 82 Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 58 / 82 Bando Kev prays along Hollywood Blvd. in front of the National Guard and near TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 59 / 82 A couple promote peace on Highland Ave. in Hollywood as protesters continue to demonstrate. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 60 / 82 Makenzie Anderson, 2, rides on her father, Shawn’s shoulders as they join hundreds of protesters marching throughout downtown. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 61 / 82 Marcus Owen, yells out chants for George Floyd as hundreds of protesters gather outside City Hall in a daylong protest. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 62 / 82 Hussain Sharif, left, Mari Drake, and Thomas Rosado chant as they ride along with hundreds of protesters at a downtown demonstration. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 63 / 82 Hundreds of protesters march throughout downtown ending with many arrested for curfew violations. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 64 / 82 “Hands up. Don’t shoot,” say hundreds participating in a march against the of George Floyd on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice onTuesday. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 65 / 82 Members of the California National Guard flash peace signs after protesters had marched by in support of Black Lives Matter in Venice. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 66 / 82 Protesters shoot hoops while taking a break from marching against the death of George Floyd by police on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice on Tuesday. The basketball hoop was attached to the front of a bus that followed the protest for a while. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 67 / 82 Several hundred protesters take a knee and hold their fists in the air during a moment of silence to honor George Floyd during a peaceful protest march from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 68 / 82 A woman stands next to an image of George Floyd as hundreds participate in a march against the in-custody death of Floyd in Venice. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 69 / 82 Terrence Burney, 36, left, and Commander of the LAPD Operation West Bureau Cory Palka, right, talk together peacefully in front of Getty House in Hancock Park. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 70 / 82 Protestors gather outside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Hancock Park house as they continue to demonstrate against police brutality. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 71 / 82 Jessica Jordan takes a knee as she joins other protesters at Sunset & Vine in Hollywood on Tuesday. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 72 / 82 A young woman reacts to a group chant, while gathered with a couple hundred people to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, near the Manhattan Beach Pier. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 73 / 82 Jayse Garcia, 27, of Los Angeles takes part in a demonstration in Hollywood. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 74 / 82 Protesters sit in front of National Guardsmen closing Sunset Blvd at Vine Street in Hollywood. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 75 / 82 Mira Ercingoz,16, from Palos Verdes, center in red hat, holds a poster with an image of George Floyd alongside protesters in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 76 / 82 Demonstrators take a knee during protests in Hollywood on Tuesday.
(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 77 / 82 A mother and daughter pass protestors in Hollywood. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 78 / 82 Several hundred protesters gather to demand justice for George Floyd at the Manhattan Beach Pier Plaza Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 79 / 82 Janie Hill,15, from Lawndale, receives a hug from a friend, following an emotional discussion with a Manhattan Beach Police officer, at the conclusion of a protest in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 80 / 82 LAPD Cmdr. Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with clergy members from the Los Angeles area as they participate in a march and demonstration outside LAPD headquarters in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 82 L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti walks out to address protesters and clergy members outside LAPD headquarters on Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 82 Several hundred protesters take a knee and hold their fists in the air during a moment of silence to honor George Floyd during a peaceful protest march from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
A day earlier, Gerald Garth and Brandon Anthony, members of the solidarity march committee who are both black and gay, tweeted from the LA Pride account that they were listening to the black community.
“Christopher Street West is engaging Black community advocacy groups, Black LGBTQ+ organizations and community leaders to align on our mission and objectives,” they wrote. “We are committed to educating ourselves on how to be an ally in the fight against systemic social injustice and police brutality and to work for justice reform.”
Late Friday, the Christopher Street West board of directors posted an apology message to the LA Pride Instagram account. They said their effort was well-intentioned but that they had realized they didn’t first collaborate with enough black leaders who have been on the front lines of recent protests.
“As we quickly mobilized this protest, we proceeded to approach the permitting as we would normally do with organizing the annual LA Pride Parade...,” they wrote. “In that haste, we overlooked the direct police involvement that permitting involves. We understand that clearly goes against the demands for systemic police reform.”
Christopher Street West and the American Civil Liberties Union had to challenge the Los Angeles Police Commission in court to get the permit for the city’s first Pride parade in 1970, which itself was a commemoration of the Stonewall uprising a year earlier, where Marsha P. Johnson and other LGBTQ people of color led a fight against police violence and oppression.
Estevan Montemayor, president of Christopher Street West, did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Earlier this week, he told The Times that Johnson’s struggle and courage as a black transgender woman inspired the solidarity march.
In their apology letter, the board leaders said they recognize that the organization’s relationship with marginalized groups within the LGBTQ community has been problematic and said they would meet with black leaders in the coming days.
“The previously announced solidarity march scheduled for June 14 is currently being reevaluated through these discussions with more updates to be shared shortly,” they wrote. “We pledge that the LGBTQ+ community will continue to speak up and speak out against racism and stand in solidarity with you on the long march to freedom and equality.”


latimes--2020-06-05--UCLA handling of sexual misconduct allegations against physicians 'inadequate,' report finds

UCLA ’ s handling of allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct against five physicians employed by the university over three decades was “ at times either delayed or inadequate or both , ” an independent committee investigating the allegations said in a report released Friday .
The allegations included conduct ranging from sexually suggestive questions and commentary to inappropriate touching and invasive genital , anal and breast exams .
They involved five physicians who worked at UCLA Health and the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center .
Among them is James M. Heaps , whose arrest a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection with two patients touched off intense public scrutiny about how UCLA handled earlier complaints against him .
Heaps has strongly denied all allegations of wrongdoing .
The committee found that “ a number of organizational , cultural and informational deficiencies played a role ” in UCLA ’ s failure to act adequately at the time of the incidents and complaints .
“ In short , ” the report said , “ some of the conduct the committee examined may have been prevented.
” The report publicly disclosed for the first time that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors : Mark L. Weissman , Steven J. Weinstein , Edward Wiesmeier and Dennis A. Kelly .
The report said that none of the five doctors — all of whom have retired or left UCLA , in some cases because of the allegations — agreed to meet with the special committee , led by former California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno .
The committee reviewed patient and employee complaints for the specific purpose of assessing UCLA Health and Student Health ’ s responses .
It did not assess whether the complaints violated policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Title IX office , which oversees investigations alleging sexual harassment or violence against members of the UCLA community , is conducting its own review of the complaints .
“ The incidents described in this report are deeply upsetting and reflect alleged conduct that is completely antithetical to our values , ” Chancellor Gene Block wrote in a message to the campus posted Friday afternoon .
“ Deriving lessons from these incidents , the report recommends further steps to prevent , detect and respond to allegations of sexual misconduct by a clinician.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Block ’ s direction , after the UC regents received a notice of an intent to sue from a former patient of Heaps , an obstetrician-gynecologist who was affiliated with UCLA from 1983 to 2018 in a variety of roles , including as a faculty member at the medical school and consulting physician at Student Health .
Heaps retired in June 2018 ; UCLA did not disclose that he had been the subject of complaints and investigations until a year later , when he was charged with sexual battery and exploitation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its findings that UCLA Health ’ s leadership asked Heaps to begin a planned vacation ahead of schedule in 2017 after receiving a patient complaint about him that was escalated to UCLA ’ s Title IX office and the UCLA police department .
UCLA Health administrators tasked with handling the complaint determined that , while the Title IX investigation proceeded , it was not necessary to suspend Heaps in order to protect patients , the report said .
The Title IX office later found the patient ’ s report to be credible and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s sexual violence and sexual harassment policy , and Heaps was placed on investigatory leave and then retired .
In 2019 , UCLA received a complaint from a patient who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Heaps during a visit in 2018 , after Heaps returned from vacation and while the Title IX office was conducting its investigation into him , the report found .
“ It is unfortunate that UCLA has released a report that contains allegations but a paucity of proof , ” said his attorney Leonard Levine .
Heaps “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence is presented , he will be totally exonerated of any and all criminal charges.
” Levine said hundreds of former patients and fellow workers , including nurses who were present during the alleged misconduct , support Heaps “ and are adamant that the allegations are untrue.
” An attorney for Heaps ’ victims did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The report also outlined complaints against the four other doctors , concluding that UCLA did not undertake its due diligence in vetting some of them before hiring them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Toluca Lake Health Center began diverting female patients away from Weissman and signaling to him during exams with a light when he appeared to cross boundaries , but complaints about him were not disclosed or uncovered during UCLA ’ s 2014 acquisition of the clinic , the report said .
UCLA later placed Weissman on investigatory leave and notified law enforcement and the Medical Board about him .
The university ’ s Title IX office is investigating patient complaints relating to him .
Similarly , Weinstein , a surgeon at UCLA ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was the subject of a patient complaint that involved law enforcement when he worked at a Woodland Hills medical center , but UCLA did not learn about the complaint when it later hired Weinstein , the report said .
Weinstein was placed on investigatory leave and reported to the Medical Board ; he has since challenged UCLA ’ s response to a patient complaint .
Wiesmeier , an OB-GYN , and Kelly , a specialist in men ’ s health , both worked at Student Health but retired more than a decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current and former employees who worked with Wiesmeier said they saw him ignore patients ’ requests not to perform sensitive exams , become sexually aroused during exams and uneccessarily and repeatedly touch patients ’ vagina and clitoris , the report stated .
Employees said they saw Kelly examine male patients “ on all fours ” without privacy draping , perform unnecessary rectal exams , lock the exam room door and remain present while patients undressed , the report said .
The committee consulted three expert physicians in these practice areas with decades of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generally would be considered inappropriate and below the standard of care.
” UCLA ’ s Title IX office is following its investigations process for complaints related to the two Student Health doctors , the report said .
Among the deficiencies the committee outlined at UCLA : • The absence of clear and consistent standards , as well as clear authority , for immediately suspending physicians accused of sexual misconduct ; • The lack of clear and consistent processes for reviewing and responding to complaints of sexual misconduct ; • A cultural deference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Inadequate education of patients and chaperones about sensitive exams .
The committee said such conduct could be avoided in the future by implementing the following recommendations : • Clarify procedures and authority to suspend a physician while investigating allegations of sexual misconduct ; • Develop a standard response to such allegations in the clinical context ; • Enhance standardization and training about clinical boundaries and expectations during sensitive exams ; The committee recommended the appointment of a compliance monitor to oversee implementation of these changes .
In his message to the campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several measures to improve patient safety before the committee convened , including changing staff reporting structures to facilitate the reporting of misconduct , updating chaperone policies , training staff , providing more feedback mechanisms for patients and creating a dedicated UCLA Health Title IX investigator .
“ Amidst these changes and recommendations , we make this commitment to you : We will not tolerate sexual violence or harassment in any form .
Allegations of sexual misconduct by any healthcare provider will be promptly investigated , and appropriate actions will be taken to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respected , ” Block said .

UCLA’s handling of allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct against five physicians employed by the university over three decades was “at times either delayed or inadequate or both,” an independent committee investigating the allegations said in a report released Friday.
The allegations included conduct ranging from sexually suggestive questions and commentary to inappropriate touching and invasive genital, anal and breast exams. They involved five physicians who worked at UCLA Health and the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.
Among them is James M. Heaps, whose arrest a year ago for sexual battery and exploitation in connection with two patients touched off intense public scrutiny about how UCLA handled earlier complaints against him. Heaps has strongly denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The committee found that “a number of organizational, cultural and informational deficiencies played a role” in UCLA’s failure to act adequately at the time of the incidents and complaints.
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“In short,” the report said, “some of the conduct the committee examined may have been prevented.”
The report publicly disclosed for the first time that the commission investigated allegations against four other doctors: Mark L. Weissman, Steven J. Weinstein, Edward Wiesmeier and Dennis A. Kelly.
The report said that none of the five doctors — all of whom have retired or left UCLA, in some cases because of the allegations — agreed to meet with the special committee, led by former California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno.
The committee reviewed patient and employee complaints for the specific purpose of assessing UCLA Health and Student Health’s responses. It did not assess whether the complaints violated policy or law. The university’s Title IX office, which oversees investigations alleging sexual harassment or violence against members of the UCLA community, is conducting its own review of the complaints.
“The incidents described in this report are deeply upsetting and reflect alleged conduct that is completely antithetical to our values,” Chancellor Gene Block wrote in a message to the campus posted Friday afternoon. “Deriving lessons from these incidents, the report recommends further steps to prevent, detect and respond to allegations of sexual misconduct by a clinician.”
The committee was convened in March 2019, at Block’s direction, after the UC regents received a notice of an intent to sue from a former patient of Heaps, an obstetrician-gynecologist who was affiliated with UCLA from 1983 to 2018 in a variety of roles, including as a faculty member at the medical school and consulting physician at Student Health.
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Heaps retired in June 2018; UCLA did not disclose that he had been the subject of complaints and investigations until a year later, when he was charged with sexual battery and exploitation of two patients.
The committee reported among its findings that UCLA Health’s leadership asked Heaps to begin a planned vacation ahead of schedule in 2017 after receiving a patient complaint about him that was escalated to UCLA’s Title IX office and the UCLA police department.
UCLA Health administrators tasked with handling the complaint determined that, while the Title IX investigation proceeded, it was not necessary to suspend Heaps in order to protect patients, the report said. The Title IX office later found the patient’s report to be credible and that Heaps had violated the university’s sexual violence and sexual harassment policy, and Heaps was placed on investigatory leave and then retired.
In 2019, UCLA received a complaint from a patient who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Heaps during a visit in 2018, after Heaps returned from vacation and while the Title IX office was conducting its investigation into him, the report found.
Heaps’ criminal case is pending.
“It is unfortunate that UCLA has released a report that contains allegations but a paucity of proof,” said his attorney Leonard Levine. Heaps “remains confident that when all of the evidence is presented, he will be totally exonerated of any and all criminal charges.”
Levine said hundreds of former patients and fellow workers, including nurses who were present during the alleged misconduct, support Heaps “and are adamant that the allegations are untrue.”
An attorney for Heaps’ accusers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The report also outlined complaints about the four other doctors, concluding that UCLA did not undertake its due diligence in vetting some of them before hiring them.
Beginning as early as 2009, employees at Toluca Lake Health Center began diverting female patients away from Weissman and signaling to him during exams with a light when he appeared to cross boundaries, but complaints about him were not disclosed or uncovered during UCLA’s 2014 acquisition of the clinic, the report said. UCLA later placed Weissman on investigatory leave and notified law enforcement and the Medical Board about him. The university’s Title IX office is investigating patient complaints relating to him.
Similarly, Weinstein, a surgeon at UCLA’s Northridge clinic from 2015 to 2017, was the subject of a patient complaint that involved law enforcement when he worked at a Woodland Hills medical center, but UCLA did not learn about the complaint when it later hired Weinstein, the report said. Weinstein was placed on investigatory leave and reported to the Medical Board; he has since challenged UCLA’s response to a patient complaint.
Wiesmeier, an OB-GYN, and Kelly, a specialist in men’s health, both worked at Student Health but retired more than a decade ago, the report said. Several current and former employees who worked with Wiesmeier said they saw him ignore patients’ requests not to perform sensitive exams, become sexually aroused during exams and uneccessarily and repeatedly touch patients’ vagina and clitoris, the report stated.
Employees said they saw Kelly examine male patients “on all fours” without privacy draping, perform unnecessary rectal exams, lock the exam room door and remain present while patients undressed, the report said.
The committee consulted three expert physicians in these practice areas with decades of experience who said that such conduct “generally would be considered inappropriate and below the standard of care.”
UCLA’s Title IX office is following its investigations process for complaints related to the two Student Health doctors, the report said.
Among the deficiencies the committee outlined at UCLA:
The absence of clear and consistent standards, as well as clear authority, for immediately suspending physicians accused of sexual misconduct;
The lack of clear and consistent processes for reviewing and responding to complaints of sexual misconduct;
A cultural deference to physicians that impeded reporting about them;
Inadequate education of patients and chaperones about sensitive exams.
The committee said such conduct could be avoided in the future by implementing the following recommendations:
Clarify procedures and authority to suspend a physician while investigating allegations of sexual misconduct;
Develop a standard response to such allegations in the clinical context;
Enhance standardization and training about clinical boundaries and expectations during sensitive exams;
Reduce barriers to reporting physician misconduct;
Put more emphasis on patient advocacy.
The committee recommended the appointment of a compliance monitor to oversee implementation of these changes.
In his message to the campus, Block said UCLA had already taken several measures to improve patient safety before the committee convened, including changing staff reporting structures to facilitate the reporting of misconduct, updating chaperone policies, training staff, providing more feedback mechanisms for patients and creating a dedicated UCLA Health Title IX investigator.
“Amidst these changes and recommendations, we make this commitment to you: We will not tolerate sexual violence or harassment in any form. Allegations of sexual misconduct by any healthcare provider will be promptly investigated, and appropriate actions will be taken to ensure our patients are safe, protected and respected,” Block said.


latimes--2020-06-05--Small plane carrying 3 people crashes on hillside near Redlands

A plane with three people onboard crashed on a hillside near the Redlands wastewater treatment facility on Friday afternoon , @ @ @ @ @ Cessna 172 crashed under unknown circumstances off Highway 38 and Mill Creek Road , said @ @ @ @ @ for the Federal Aviation Administration .
No additional details were immediately available .
A Redlands @ @ @ @ @ aboard were believed dead .
A police officer will stand watch overnight until a San @ @ @ @ @ ’ s helicopter and city firefighters arrive in the morning to reach the plane , @ @ @ @ @ Redlands city spokesman The FAA and the National Transportation and Safety Board are investigating the @ @

The single-engine Cessna 172 crashed on a hillside near Redlands’ wastewater treatment facility under unknown circumstances on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
A plane with three people onboard crashed on a hillside near the Redlands wastewater treatment facility on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The single-engine Cessna 172 crashed under unknown circumstances off Highway 38 and Mill Creek Road, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. No additional details were immediately available.
A Redlands police spokesperson said all three aboard were believed dead.
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A police officer will stand watch overnight until a San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department’s helicopter and city firefighters arrive in the morning to reach the plane, said Carl Baker, a Redlands city spokesman
The FAA and the National Transportation and Safety Board are investigating the incident.


latimes--2020-06-05--Advocates sue LAPD over protest tactics, alleging disabled homeless man was shot in face with rubber

Advocates sue LAPD over protest tactics, alleging disabled homeless man was shot in face with rubber bullets

A coalition of criminal justice activists and homeless advocates filed a lawsuit against the city over how Los Angeles police have handled protests following the death of George Floyd , accusing officers of shooting a homeless man in the eye with rubber bullets and holding people for upward of 12 hours for simple curfew violations .
The suit — filed late Friday by the Los Angeles chapter of the National Lawyers Guild , Black Lives Matter and Los Angeles Community Action Network — accused the L.A. Police Department of violating many protesters ’ right to assemble and using excessive force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about an image of a homeless man bleeding from the eye in downtown Los Angeles that had gone viral and been shared by many critical of the department over the last week .
Protests over the death of Floyd , who was killed while in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 , have led to unrest that Los Angeles has not seen since the 1992 riots .
While businesses were looted and buildings were damaged and burned in downtown , Van Nuys and the Fairfax District , activists said protests have been largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their attention on arresting demonstrators instead of looters .
The LAPD has not completed a full breakdown of arrests during the protests .
Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein estimated that about 2,700 people were arrested between May 29 and Tuesday during the height of the protests , and booking records suggest the majority of those arrests were for failure to obey a dispersal order or curfew violations .
The department has not provided updated arrest figures since Tuesday .
The lawsuit estimated 3 % of the 2,700 arrests were for looting or other crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this week showed about 150 people had been arrested for looting in Los Angeles during that time frame , approximately 5 % of the overall arrest total .
“ Over the past week , while [ Black Lives Matter Los Angeles ] and its members were engaged in lawful First Amendment activity , the LAPD used force to terminate the protests , including the indiscriminate use of so-called ‘ less lethal ’ weapons that caused injury to its members and instilled fear in them that , if they chose to assemble in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police violence across the nation against black men and women , they would be the subject of such violence and arrest , ” the suit said .
The suit also accused the LAPD of arresting a number of homeless people for curfew violations even though they “ had no place they could go to avoid violating.
” The suit contained a gruesome picture of a homeless man in a wheelchair known as “ Cincinnati ” bleeding from the eye , allegedly after police shot him in the face with rubber bullets .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projectiles , not rubber bullets .
“ He pleaded with police not to use force on him before being shot in the face , ” the suit claims .
Rubenstein confirmed the incident involving the homeless man is the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation , as are several other widely circulated clips of alleged police misconduct that have surfaced in recent days .
He urged anyone who believed they were the victim of police misconduct to contact Internal Affairs or the Office of the Inspector General , but declined to comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the department needed to show more force in response to attacks on police officers and reports of looting in various parts of the city .
At least 27 officers have been injured in the last week while responding to protests or looting , including one officer who was hospitalized with a fractured skull .
But in recent days , the LAPD has been criticized for its response to the demonstrations .
Two City Council members and the president of the civilian Police Commission , former federal prosecutor Eileen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Friday , Rep. Ted Lieu ( D-Torrance ) also called on the commission to investigate the department ’ s response to protests and looting in the Fairfax District last week .
Late Friday , Mayor Eric Garcetti said some of the police tactics seen in the last week had “ no place in the City of Angels.
” “ The civilian Police Commission ’ s Inspector General is reviewing the footage and will ensure a full investigation of incidents depicting excessive uses of force , which could lead to officer discipline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger context , but our officers must keep the peace , without violence , ” Garcetti said .

A coalition of criminal justice activists and homeless advocates filed a lawsuit against the city over how Los Angeles police have handled protests following the death of George Floyd, accusing officers of shooting a homeless man in the eye with rubber bullets and holding people for upward of 12 hours for simple curfew violations.
The suit — filed late Friday by the Los Angeles chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Black Lives Matter and Los Angeles Community Action Network — accused the L.A. Police Department of violating many protesters’ right to assemble and using excessive force.
The complaint also provided new information about images of a homeless man bleeding from the eye in downtown Los Angeles that had gone viral and been shared by many critical of the department over the last week.
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Protests over the death of Floyd, who was killed while in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, have led to unrest that Los Angeles has not seen since the 1992 riots. While businesses were looted and buildings were damaged and burned in downtown, Van Nuys and the Fairfax District, activists said protests have been largely peaceful and police have focused most of their attention on arresting demonstrators instead of looters.
The LAPD has not completed a full breakdown of arrests during the protests. Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein estimated that about 2,700 people were arrested between May 29 and Tuesday during the height of the protests, and booking records suggest the majority of those arrests were for failure to obey a dispersal order or curfew violations.
The department has not provided updated arrest figures since Tuesday. The lawsuit estimated 3% of the 2,700 arrests were for looting or other crimes. Booking records reviewed by The Times earlier this week showed about 150 people had been arrested for looting in Los Angeles during that time frame, approximately 5% of the overall arrest total.
“Over the past week, while [Black Lives Matter Los Angeles] and its members were engaged in lawful First Amendment activity, the LAPD used force to terminate the protests, including the indiscriminate use of so-called ‘less lethal’ weapons that caused injury to its members and instilled fear in them that, if they chose to assemble in public spaces to express their opposition to police violence across the nation against black men and women, they would be the subject of such violence and arrest,” the suit said.
The suit also accused the LAPD of arresting a number of homeless people for curfew violations even though they “had no place they could go to avoid violating.”
The suit contained a gruesome picture of a homeless man in a wheelchair bleeding from the eye, allegedly after police shot him in the face with rubber bullets. The LAPD has said it uses less-than-lethal foam projectiles, not rubber bullets.
Carol Sobel, a civil rights attorney representing the plaintiffs, said at least three homeless men in wheelchairs were struck by rubber bullets fired by the LAPD during downtown protests. One of them, a member of L.A. CAN known as “Cincinnatti,” had “pleaded with police not to use force on him before being shot in the face,” the suit alleges.
Rubenstein confirmed the incident involving the homeless man is the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation, as are several other widely circulated clips of alleged police misconduct that have surfaced in recent days. He urged anyone who believed they were the victim of police misconduct to contact Internal Affairs or the Office of the Inspector General, but declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Even the LAPD’s request for information about misconduct in the past week has been met with push back from defense attorneys and criminal justice advocates, who have advised people to discuss their case with an attorney prior to contacting any police officials with a complaint.
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Earlier this week, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the department needed to show more force in response to attacks on police officers and reports of looting in various parts of the city. At least 27 officers have been injured in the last week while responding to protests or looting, including one officer who was hospitalized with a fractured skull.
But in recent days, the LAPD has been criticized for its response to the demonstrations. Two City Council members and the president of the civilian Police Commission, former federal prosecutor Eileen Decker, have called for a review.
On Friday, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) also called on the commission to investigate the department’s response to protests and looting in the Fairfax District last week.
Late Friday, Mayor Eric Garcetti said some of the police tactics seen in the last week had “no place in the City of Angels.”
“The civilian Police Commission’s Inspector General is reviewing the footage and will ensure a full investigation of incidents depicting excessive uses of force, which could lead to officer discipline or removal. Every incident has a larger context, but our officers must keep the peace, without violence,” Garcetti said.
Times staff writer Cindy Chang contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-05--LAPD union decries Garcetti's 'killers' comment. He says he wasn't talking about police

Officials with the Los Angeles police union assailed Mayor Eric Garcetti on Friday for comments he made about cutting the LAPD budget , saying police officers have lost confidence in the mayor ’ s ability to lead the city after days of demonstrations .
Speaking at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Los Angeles on Thursday , Garcetti said that his proposal to reduce LAPD spending and shift the savings to minority communities was getting attention from mayors across the country .
“ That ’ s exactly the point , ” he said .
“ It starts someplace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be who we want to be , or we ’ re going to continue being the killers that we are.
” A Garcetti aide later told The Times that the “ killers ” remark referred to police agencies across the country .
The following morning , an official with the Los Angeles Police Protective League , the union that represents rank-and-file officers , accused the mayor of “ political pandering ” and called him “ unstable.
” “ He smeared every single police officer in Los Angeles and across the nation by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McBride , a board member with the union .
Hours later , Garcetti said his “ killers ” remark wasn ’ t about police officers at all — but was instead a reference to society ’ s “ collective burden ” to address high mortality rates among black Angelenos .
“ I absolutely did not say that about the league , about police officers , ” he said .
“ And I won ’ t have those words distorted.
” The back-and-forth between the union and the mayor played out in the wake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would seek to cut up to $ 150 million from the Los Angeles Police Department and put the money toward funding new youth jobs , health initiatives and “ peace centers ” to heal trauma .
The move to scale back police spending followed days of pressure from activists , labor unions and community groups and nationwide protests against police violence , including a large demonstration outside his home , over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Union leaders said they were caught off guard by the announcements from Garcetti and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LAPD .
As recently as last weekend , Garcetti gave no hint that he would consider decreasing funding when asked about the size of the police force .
McBride said his union is “ honestly concerned ” about the mayor ’ s mental health in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the protests .
“ I think he should seek some help and maybe have somebody to talk to — a counselor or something — and reflect on some of his decisions , ” McBride said .
Union officials also said they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract , which provides them with 4.8 % in raises and nearly $ 41 million in education bonuses in the fiscal year that starts July 1 .
When Garcetti ran for mayor in 2013 , the union pumped about $ 1.5 million into the candidacy of his opponent , then-City Controller Wendy Greuel .
Garcetti and the union patched things up , and by 2016 the mayor was working with the league on a union-backed measure to change the LAPD ’ s disciplinary process .
Last year , Garcetti and the City Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raises and bonuses for officers that is expected to add $ 123 million to the LAPD ’ s budget .

Officials with the Los Angeles police union assailed Mayor Eric Garcetti on Friday for comments he made about cutting the LAPD budget, saying police officers have lost confidence in the mayor’s ability to lead the city after days of demonstrations.
Speaking at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Los Angeles on Thursday, Garcetti said that his proposal to reduce LAPD spending and shift the savings to minority communities was getting attention from mayors across the country.
“That’s exactly the point,” he said. “It starts someplace, and we say we are going to be who we want to be, or we’re going to continue being the killers that we are.”
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A Garcetti aide later told The Times that the “killers” remark referred to police agencies across the country.
The following morning, an official with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers, accused the mayor of “political pandering” and called him “unstable.”
“He smeared every single police officer in Los Angeles and across the nation by calling us killers,” said Jamie McBride, a board member with the union.
Hours later, Garcetti said his “killers” remark wasn’t about police officers at all — but was instead a reference to society’s “collective burden” to address high mortality rates among black Angelenos.
“I absolutely did not say that about the league, about police officers,” he said. “And I won’t have those words distorted.”
The back-and-forth between the union and the mayor played out in the wake of Garcetti’s announcement that he would seek to cut up to $150 million from the Los Angeles Police Department and put the money toward funding new youth jobs, health initiatives and “peace centers” to heal trauma.
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The move to scale back police spending followed days of pressure from activists, labor unions and community groups and nationwide protests against police violence, including a large demonstration outside his home, over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Union leaders said they were caught off guard by the announcements from Garcetti and council members about new cuts to the LAPD. As recently as last weekend, Garcetti gave no hint that he would consider decreasing funding when asked about the size of the police force.
McBride said his union is “honestly concerned” about the mayor’s mental health in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the protests.
“I think he should seek some help and maybe have somebody to talk to — a counselor or something — and reflect on some of his decisions,” McBride said.
Union officials also said they have no intention of reopening negotiations on their contract, which provides them with 4.8% in raises and nearly $41 million in education bonuses in the fiscal year that starts July 1.
When Garcetti ran for mayor in 2013, the union pumped about $1.5 million into the candidacy of his opponent, then-City Controller Wendy Greuel.
Garcetti and the union patched things up, and by 2016 the mayor was working with the league on a union-backed measure to change the LAPD’s disciplinary process. Last year, Garcetti and the City Council signed off on a lucrative package of raises and bonuses for officers that is expected to add $123 million to the LAPD’s budget.
Times staff writer James Rainey contributed to this report.