latimes--2020-09-14--Shooting of L.A. County deputies new flashpoint in a 'tinderbox moment'

The video showed a shooting that shocked the conscience : a cold-blooded attempt to kill two Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies at close range in Compton .
Immediately , unequivocal condemnations flooded in from law enforcement officials , city leaders and the nation ’ s most prominent politicians .
President Trump called for the unknown shooter to receive the death penalty .
Trump ’ s opponent in the November presidential election , former Vice President Joe Biden , called for the gunman to face “ the full brunt of the law.
” Najee Ali , a longtime South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined in condemning the shooting .
But he also questioned why such swift calls for justice don ’ t come when it is the police who cause the injuries .
There were police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , which helped spark weeks of demonstrations and unrest around the nation this summer .
And Ali also cited several controversial shootings by sheriff ’ s deputies that have given rise to recent protests .
“ I don ’ t agree with the shooting of anyone that ’ s unjustified , including deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , adding that he plans to join other Black leaders this week to “ stand in full solidarity in condemning these actions.
” With the issues of racism , policing and public safety emerging as key issues in the upcoming presidential election , it was little surprise that the attack on the L.A. County deputies immediately became a flashpoint in the roiling debate .
Nothing in policing occurs in a vacuum in 2020 — even incidents that elicit tremendous sympathy for the police , and especially in a troubled agency like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where deputies have been accused of running their own gangs and the sheriff has been accused of harassment and mismanagement .
It didn ’ t help when deputies arrested a reporter outside the hospital where the deputies were being treated .
Within hours of the shooting , a small group of protesters had gathered there , enraging officials and law enforcement supporters .
Across Los Angeles and the nation , the shooting was swiftly transformed into a political talking point , with speculation swirling as to the possible motivation of the gunman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with the anti-police messaging of recent protests .
“ Words have consequences , ” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said , apparently stoking that idea even though his department has not named a suspect or offered any motive for the attack .
Experts said the reactions were unsurprising but worthy of careful consideration , given their potential implications .
According to Dr. Sarah Vinson , a forensic psychiatrist and associate professor of psychiatry at Morehouse School of Medicine , “ all of us have confirmation bias , ” and people often contextualize a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preexisting ideas about a broader social issue .
That can exacerbate rifts between people in fraught situations .
It can also be dangerous , she said , because it can lead to incorrect conclusions — like that a single person deciding to shoot two deputies means people should stop protesting other shootings by law enforcement .
“ That ’ s a really , really important thing to point out , because you absolutely will get people who will spin this into meaning that these protests are causing problems , ” Vinson said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests are a response to the problem , not the cause : “ If there wasn ’ t injustice in the system , they wouldn ’ t be out in the streets.
” Erin Kerrison , an assistant professor at UC Berkeley ’ s School of Social Welfare who has studied police officers ’ feelings about the job and their perception in the communities they serve , said there is a correlation between officers ’ perceptions and how they operate in the street .
The less they feel like the community respects their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use force and to buck department policies , according to her research .
And because of that , she worries the shooting of the deputies , in a “ tinderbox moment ” of growing distrust in institutions , will make officers feel as if they have a “ green light ” to use more deadly force to protect themselves .
“ It ’ s the precursor to the very behaviors that we as a collective want to put a stop to , which is police violence , ” she said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers and on-the-ground folks who question them.
” Chuck Wexler , president of the Police Executive Research Forum , a Washington-based law enforcement think tank that works closely with police agencies nationwide , said that when he learned of what happened to the deputies , he immediately thought back to a similar incident in 2014 , when two New York Police Department officers were fatally shot in their vehicle .
At the time , New York had been experiencing intense protests over the police killing of Eric Garner .
In the aftermath , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were picked apart for clues as to his motivations , and some seized on posts in which he referenced Garner and foreshadowed the shooting as proof that he ’ d been motivated by the broader protest movement .
Many in law enforcement today want to know what motivated the L.A. shooter , too , Wexler said .
But they also have broader questions .
At recent protests , the “ level of vitriol ” toward police is much greater than in past years , and police are worried that will translate into more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t create that fear , but it will exacerbate it , Wexler said .
At the same time , there is growing recognition among police that the preservation of life , which they have always stressed when it comes to their fellow officers , also must be applied to the individuals they are arresting and confronting on the street .
In that way , they have some common ground with protesters , he said .
“ There ’ s legitimate concerns that everybody has , on both sides , for the sanctity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It used to be that police would say , ‘ It ’ s important that the police officers go home at night.
’ In changing the culture , it ’ s more important that everybody go home safe at night.
” Laura E. Gómez , director of the Critical Race Studies Program at UCLA School of Law , said that when she heard Villanueva say “ words have consequences , ” it struck her that activists had used similar language after it came out that a white teenager charged with shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wis. , had a history of praising Trump — who has been accused of stoking tensions between police and protesters through his rhetoric .
“ Since words do matter , ” Gómez said , “ maybe all of us need to take a breath and consider the context a little bit more before we weigh in to inflame folks , to inflame our allies.
” Ali , the South L.A. activist , said he rejected those who had protested outside the hospital where the deputies were being treated .
( At least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I hope they … die , ” a phrase that was criticized through the day in conservative media and became a trending topic on Twitter . )
But he wonders why there was not more mainstream condemnation in the cases of Andres Guardado , an 18-year-old Latino security guard who was fatally shot by a sheriff ’ s deputy in June , and Dijon Kizzee , a Black bicyclist who was killed while fleeing deputies last month .
Like the deputies who were shot while sitting in their patrol car , Ali @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targets of an unprovoked shooting , ” he said .
Both of those shootings are under investigation .
Ali said he would continue to advocate for protesters and the families of those killed by law enforcement officers in the region and to condemn the shooting of the deputies .
There ’ s no reason why both can ’ t be done at once , he said — and anyone who suggests otherwise should not have their voices amplified .
“ Cooler heads need to prevail and be listened to in this moment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .

Sheriff Alex Villanueva speaks at a news conference outside the emergency room of St. Francis Medical Center, where two L.A. County sheriff’s deputies were being treated after being shot Saturday.
The video showed a shooting that shocked the conscience: a cold-blooded attempt to kill two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies at close range in Compton. Immediately, unequivocal condemnations flooded in from law enforcement officials, city leaders and the nation’s most prominent politicians.
President Trump called for the unknown shooter to receive the death penalty. Trump’s opponent in the November presidential election, former Vice President Joe Biden, called for the gunman to face “the full brunt of the law.”
Najee Ali, a longtime South L.A. activist, understood the anger and joined in condemning the shooting. But he also questioned why such swift calls for justice don’t come when it is the police who cause the injuries.
There were police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, which helped spark weeks of demonstrations and unrest around the nation this summer. And Ali also cited several controversial shootings by sheriff’s deputies that have given rise to recent protests.
“I don’t agree with the shooting of anyone that’s unjustified, including deputies but also civilians,” he said Sunday, adding that he plans to join other Black leaders this week to “stand in full solidarity in condemning these actions.”
Advertisement
With the issues of racism, policing and public safety emerging as key issues in the upcoming presidential election, it was little surprise that the attack on the L.A. County deputies immediately became a flashpoint in the roiling debate.
Nothing in policing occurs in a vacuum in 2020 — even incidents that elicit tremendous sympathy for the police, and especially in a troubled agency like the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where deputies have been accused of running their own gangs and the sheriff has been accused of harassment and mismanagement. It didn’t help when deputies arrested a reporter outside the hospital where the deputies were being treated.
Within hours of the shooting, a small group of protesters had gathered there, enraging officials and law enforcement supporters. Across Los Angeles and the nation, the shooting was swiftly transformed into a political talking point, with speculation swirling as to the possible motivation of the gunman — and whether it had anything to do with the anti-police messaging of recent protests.
“Words have consequences,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, apparently stoking that idea even though his department has not named a suspect or offered any motive for the attack.
Experts said the reactions were unsurprising but worthy of careful consideration, given their potential implications.
According to Dr. Sarah Vinson, a forensic psychiatrist and associate professor of psychiatry at Morehouse School of Medicine, “all of us have confirmation bias,” and people often contextualize a major event by applying to it their own preexisting ideas about a broader social issue.
That can exacerbate rifts between people in fraught situations. It can also be dangerous, she said, because it can lead to incorrect conclusions — like that a single person deciding to shoot two deputies means people should stop protesting other shootings by law enforcement.
Advertisement
“That’s a really, really important thing to point out, because you absolutely will get people who will spin this into meaning that these protests are causing problems,” Vinson said.
In reality, she said, the protests are a response to the problem, not the cause: “If there wasn’t injustice in the system, they wouldn’t be out in the streets.”
Erin Kerrison, an assistant professor at UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare who has studied police officers’ feelings about the job and their perception in the communities they serve, said there is a correlation between officers’ perceptions and how they operate in the street.
The less they feel like the community respects their authority, the more likely they are to use force and to buck department policies, according to her research. And because of that, she worries the shooting of the deputies, in a “tinderbox moment” of growing distrust in institutions, will make officers feel as if they have a “green light” to use more deadly force to protect themselves.
“It’s the precursor to the very behaviors that we as a collective want to put a stop to, which is police violence,” she said. “I foresee some real tensions between on-the-ground officers and on-the-ground folks who question them.”
Chuck Wexler, president of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based law enforcement think tank that works closely with police agencies nationwide, said that when he learned of what happened to the deputies, he immediately thought back to a similar incident in 2014, when two New York Police Department officers were fatally shot in their vehicle.
At the time, New York had been experiencing intense protests over the police killing of Eric Garner. In the aftermath, the social media accounts of the shooter were picked apart for clues as to his motivations, and some seized on posts in which he referenced Garner and foreshadowed the shooting as proof that he’d been motivated by the broader protest movement.
Many in law enforcement today want to know what motivated the L.A. shooter, too, Wexler said. But they also have broader questions.
At recent protests, the “level of vitriol” toward police is much greater than in past years, and police are worried that will translate into more violence toward officers. This incident didn’t create that fear, but it will exacerbate it, Wexler said.
At the same time, there is growing recognition among police that the preservation of life, which they have always stressed when it comes to their fellow officers, also must be applied to the individuals they are arresting and confronting on the street. In that way, they have some common ground with protesters, he said.
“There’s legitimate concerns that everybody has, on both sides, for the sanctity of human life,” Wexler said. “It used to be that police would say, ‘It’s important that the police officers go home at night.’ In changing the culture, it’s more important that everybody go home safe at night.”
Laura E. Gómez, director of the Critical Race Studies Program at UCLA School of Law, said that when she heard Villanueva say “words have consequences,” it struck her that activists had used similar language after it came out that a white teenager charged with shooting and killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wis., had a history of praising Trump — who has been accused of stoking tensions between police and protesters through his rhetoric.
“Since words do matter,” Gómez said, “maybe all of us need to take a breath and consider the context a little bit more before we weigh in to inflame folks, to inflame our allies.”
Ali, the South L.A. activist, said he rejected those who had protested outside the hospital where the deputies were being treated. (At least one protester was heard on video saying, “I hope they … die,” a phrase that was criticized through the day in conservative media and became a trending topic on Twitter.)
But he wonders why there was not more mainstream condemnation in the cases of Andres Guardado, an 18-year-old Latino security guard who was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy in June, and Dijon Kizzee, a Black bicyclist who was killed while fleeing deputies last month.
Like the deputies who were shot while sitting in their patrol car, Ali saw Guardado and Kizzee as “innocent targets of an unprovoked shooting,” he said. Both of those shootings are under investigation.
Ali said he would continue to advocate for protesters and the families of those killed by law enforcement officers in the region and to condemn the shooting of the deputies.
There’s no reason why both can’t be done at once, he said — and anyone who suggests otherwise should not have their voices amplified.
“Cooler heads need to prevail and be listened to in this moment of crisis in L.A. County,” he said.


latimes--2020-09-18--North Complex blaze trapped residents unable to escape 'tsunami of fire'

As a rapidly growing wildfire barreled toward Lake Oroville , residents of the small mountain communities lying in its path had to decide what to do .
Two told their families they planned to seek shelter at a nearby pond .
Another said he would leave only when he could see the fire from his home .
Three others were ready to evacuate , only to hold off based on incorrect information about how much the blaze was contained .
All of those people , along with nine others , ultimately fell victim to the North Complex fire , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the deadliest and most expansive conflagrations California has seen .
While crews continue working furiously to contain the blaze — now the fifth-largest and among the deadliest in recorded state history at more than 284,000 acres — and assess the extent of the devastation left in its wake , information has begun to trickle in about those who paid the ultimate price .
Much is unclear , and two of the victims have not been officially identified .
But the initial details of those who perished illustrate the speed and ferocity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in residents ’ response to evacuation orders and how , for some , inaccurate or incomplete information may have been the difference between life and death .
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday evening that only one person reported missing is still unaccounted for — a promising sign the death toll might not climb higher .
“ Our efforts to really get out and start searching areas has increased dramatically , ” he said during a briefing , adding : “ Because we ’ re covering a lot more ground , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staying steady , that gives me some hope.
” Even so , only four California fires have killed more people than the North Complex .
The victims who have been identified range widely in age : from 16 to 79 .
Most lived in Berry Creek , a mountain hamlet northeast of Oroville , while two hailed from nearby Feather Falls .
Both towns found themselves in the crosshairs of the blaze ’ s astonishing and horrifying advance .
The fire ’ s growth , at times estimated at about 2,000 acres an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plan of attack and forced some 20,000 residents in Butte , Plumas and Yuba counties to flee .
Amid the chaos , evacuation orders came by surprise , went unheeded in some corners and were impaired by a power outage , previous Times ’ reporting showed .
Philip Rubel , 68 , and Millicent Catarancuic , 77 , were among those who prepared to flee Berry Creek as the fire approached .
“ They had packed their belongings in preparation to evacuate but later decided not to evacuate based on erroneous information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Honea said previously .
In fact , the fire was 51 % contained as of the morning of Sept. 8 , according to the U.S. Forest Service , but as it raced toward Berry Creek , it grew larger and faster , swallowing additional acres of wildland .
As of Thursday evening , the fire ’ s containment was 40 % .
Rubel and Catarancuic ’ s bodies were found Sept. 9 in the area of Graystone Lane and Coyote Road , according to the Butte County Sheriff ’ s Office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ charred Toyota pickup and Catarancuic ’ s remains were found down an embankment .
A second vehicle was found nearby , resting against a large rock .
“ They clearly tried to make some escape , and it was an escape that was too late , ” said their nephew Zygy Roe-Zurz .
“ They almost made it to the main road.
” Roe-Zurz learned Thursday that his mother — Suzan Violet Zurz , 76 — had also perished .
She had been missing for more than a week .
Suzan Violet Zurz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half-mile up Graystone Lane , a rugged dirt road that exited near the town ’ s Village Market .
On Sunday , a detective had told Roe-Zurz that a third set of remains had been found near the doorway of the family ’ s burned-out house , but DNA identification was delayed .
The unwelcome news came just before her death was released publicly .
Roe-Zurz said the three had packed two cars and were searching for a missing cat , but then saw information online that led them to believe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is uncertain whether they received evacuation orders on their cellphones , but knows that they began to unpack , thinking they would be safe staying .
He lost communication with them after that , about 7 p.m. , and doesn ’ t know what eventually sent them fleeing .
He is also upset with Honea ’ s statements that his family relied on erroneous information .
He thinks the situation is “ not that simple ” and that it ’ s important to learn when evacuation orders were sent and who received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I was online and I couldn ’ t tell a tsunami of fire was coming toward my family , ” he said .
“ I am not trying to blame anyone , but I am resisting people blaming my family , that they are to blame fully for what happened .
I have a huge problem with that.
” Honea said Thursday that “ we do not know how they came to believe that , we don ’ t know what source of information they accessed to formulate that opinion ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it actually was , but said his “ condolences go out to Ms. Zurz ’ s family.
” Other Berry Creek residents were more reluctant to evacuate , officials said .
The body of Mark Delagardie , 61 , was found Monday at his home on Bean Creek Road .
A friend had asked authorities to check up on him , according to Honea , because Delagardie had “ ignored evacuation orders and chose to stay at his residence.
” When he spoke with his family by phone on the night of Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was aware of the fire and that he would evacuate if flames became visible , ” Honea said .
The 64-year-old ’ s body was found two days later in the area of Starcrest Lane .
John Butler , 79 , and Sandra Butler , 75 , had told their family “ they were going to seek refuge from the fire at a pond near their residence , ” the sheriff said .
Their bodies were later found near their home .
Khawar Bhatti , 58 , was also found dead at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sheriff ’ s officials said , while the body of Jorge Hernandez-Juarez , 26 , was located Sunday at a property on Milsap Bar Road .
Others were found in or near vehicles , overcome as they tried to flee the flames .
Those include Paul Winer , a 68-year-old Berry Creek resident , and Randy Harrell , 67 , of Feather Falls .
Josiah Williams , 16 , is by far the youngest confirmed fatality in the North Complex fire .
His father , Justin Williams , previously told The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known , and his older brother were supposed to leave the family home in Berry Creek in their respective cars on Sept. 9 , but that the younger boy wasn ’ t able to escape .
Officials have said the fire ’ s “ historic run ” started Sept. 8 , when it jumped the middle fork of the Feather River and quickly morphed into a rampaging beast .
“ The fire ran from Cleghorn Bar to Lake Oroville as winds , terrain and dry fuels came into perfect alignment , ” Jay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Incident Management Team 4 , wrote in a public letter Wednesday .
“ The spot fire traveled more than 30 miles in 16 hours and spotted across Lake Oroville.
” It ended up moving “ 20 miles beyond all fire prediction models identified , ” he wrote .
“ Large clusters of spot fires were joining so rapidly that huge areas were igniting at once , creating a very dangerous fire environment.
” Given the swiftly evolving situation , officials have said they did everything possible to get people out of harm ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best job that we could , given the resources and time that we have , ” Honea said previously .
“ That said , as I have said many , many times before , there is no way to guarantee 100 % saturation of your message , ” he added .
“ There ’ s no way to guarantee perfection .
It ’ s particularly difficult when we ’ re dealing with communities in remote and rural areas that are hard to get to and sometimes have spotty coverage.
” While the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosive growth that last week wrought , the danger is far from over .
A new mandatory evacuation order was issued Thursday for Meadow Valley , a community of several hundred in Plumas County .
Jake Cagle , an operations section chief on the fire , urged residents to heed the latest call to evacuate .
“ If we have people trying to evacuate late , or waiting for the fire front , until they see fire ... that impedes our progress to save your structure or to save anything around your area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing Thursday .

Margaret Stewart, center, and Ben Arnold, both with the Los Angeles Fire Department along with working dog Veya, search for victims of the North Complex fire.
As a rapidly growing wildfire barreled toward Lake Oroville, residents of the small mountain communities lying in its path had to decide what to do.
Two told their families they planned to seek shelter at a nearby pond. Another said he would leave only when he could see the fire from his home.
Three others were ready to evacuate, only to hold off based on incorrect information about how much the blaze was contained.
All of those people, along with nine others, ultimately fell victim to the North Complex fire, a massive blaze that exploded last week into one of the deadliest and most expansive conflagrations California has seen.
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While crews continue working furiously to contain the blaze — now the fifth-largest and among the deadliest in recorded state history at more than 284,000 acres — and assess the extent of the devastation left in its wake, information has begun to trickle in about those who paid the ultimate price.
Much is unclear, and two of the victims have not been officially identified. But the initial details of those who perished illustrate the speed and ferocity with which the fire moved, differences in residents’ response to evacuation orders and how, for some, inaccurate or incomplete information may have been the difference between life and death.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday evening that only one person reported missing is still unaccounted for — a promising sign the death toll might not climb higher.
“Our efforts to really get out and start searching areas has increased dramatically,” he said during a briefing, adding: “Because we’re covering a lot more ground, and that number [of fatalities] is staying steady, that gives me some hope.”
Even so, only four California fires have killed more people than the North Complex.
The victims who have been identified range widely in age: from 16 to 79. Most lived in Berry Creek, a mountain hamlet northeast of Oroville, while two hailed from nearby Feather Falls.
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Both towns found themselves in the crosshairs of the blaze’s astonishing and horrifying advance. The fire’s growth, at times estimated at about 2,000 acres an hour, sent crews scrambling to implement a plan of attack and forced some 20,000 residents in Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties to flee.
Amid the chaos, evacuation orders came by surprise, went unheeded in some corners and were impaired by a power outage, previous Times’ reporting showed.
California Another California firestorm where warnings did not prevent mass deaths A timetable of official response shows authorities were slow to warn those downwind of the Bear fire of the firestorm firefighters knew was likely.
Philip Rubel, 68, and Millicent Catarancuic, 77, were among those who prepared to flee Berry Creek as the fire approached.
“They had packed their belongings in preparation to evacuate but later decided not to evacuate based on erroneous information the fire was 51% contained,” Honea said previously.
In fact, the fire was 51% contained as of the morning of Sept. 8, according to the U.S. Forest Service, but as it raced toward Berry Creek, it grew larger and faster, swallowing additional acres of wildland. As of Thursday evening, the fire’s containment was 40%.
Rubel and Catarancuic’s bodies were found Sept. 9 in the area of Graystone Lane and Coyote Road, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.
Rubel’s body was inside a charred Toyota pickup and Catarancuic’s remains were found down an embankment. A second vehicle was found nearby, resting against a large rock.
“They clearly tried to make some escape, and it was an escape that was too late,” said their nephew Zygy Roe-Zurz. “They almost made it to the main road.”
Roe-Zurz learned Thursday that his mother — Suzan Violet Zurz, 76 — had also perished. She had been missing for more than a week.
Suzan Violet Zurz, Rubel and Catarancuic lived together about a half-mile up Graystone Lane, a rugged dirt road that exited near the town’s Village Market.
On Sunday, a detective had told Roe-Zurz that a third set of remains had been found near the doorway of the family’s burned-out house, but DNA identification was delayed. The unwelcome news came just before her death was released publicly.
Roe-Zurz said the three had packed two cars and were searching for a missing cat, but then saw information online that led them to believe the fire was not an immediate threat. He is uncertain whether they received evacuation orders on their cellphones, but knows that they began to unpack, thinking they would be safe staying.
He lost communication with them after that, about 7 p.m., and doesn’t know what eventually sent them fleeing.
He is also upset with Honea’s statements that his family relied on erroneous information. He thinks the situation is “not that simple” and that it’s important to learn when evacuation orders were sent and who received them.
“I am a scientist, and I was online and I couldn’t tell a tsunami of fire was coming toward my family,” he said. “I am not trying to blame anyone, but I am resisting people blaming my family, that they are to blame fully for what happened. I have a huge problem with that.”
Honea said Thursday that “we do not know how they came to believe that, we don’t know what source of information they accessed to formulate that opinion” that the fire was better contained than it actually was, but said his “condolences go out to Ms. Zurz’s family.”
Other Berry Creek residents were more reluctant to evacuate, officials said.
The body of Mark Delagardie, 61, was found Monday at his home on Bean Creek Road. A friend had asked authorities to check up on him, according to Honea, because Delagardie had “ignored evacuation orders and chose to stay at his residence.”
When he spoke with his family by phone on the night of Sept. 8, Kin Lee told them “he was aware of the fire and that he would evacuate if flames became visible,” Honea said.
The 64-year-old’s body was found two days later in the area of Starcrest Lane.
John Butler, 79, and Sandra Butler, 75, had told their family “they were going to seek refuge from the fire at a pond near their residence,” the sheriff said. Their bodies were later found near their home.
Khawar Bhatti, 58, was also found dead at a Berry Creek home on Sept. 10, sheriff’s officials said, while the body of Jorge Hernandez-Juarez, 26, was located Sunday at a property on Milsap Bar Road.
Others were found in or near vehicles, overcome as they tried to flee the flames.
Those include Paul Winer, a 68-year-old Berry Creek resident, and Randy Harrell, 67, of Feather Falls.
Josiah Williams, 16, is by far the youngest confirmed fatality in the North Complex fire. His father, Justin Williams, previously told The Times that JoJo, as he was affectionately known, and his older brother were supposed to leave the family home in Berry Creek in their respective cars on Sept. 9, but that the younger boy wasn’t able to escape.
Officials have said the fire’s “historic run” started Sept. 8, when it jumped the middle fork of the Feather River and quickly morphed into a rampaging beast.
“The fire ran from Cleghorn Bar to Lake Oroville as winds, terrain and dry fuels came into perfect alignment,” Jay Kurth, incident commander for California Interagency Incident Management Team 4, wrote in a public letter Wednesday. “The spot fire traveled more than 30 miles in 16 hours and spotted across Lake Oroville.”
It ended up moving “20 miles beyond all fire prediction models identified,” he wrote.
“Large clusters of spot fires were joining so rapidly that huge areas were igniting at once, creating a very dangerous fire environment.”
Given the swiftly evolving situation, officials have said they did everything possible to get people out of harm’s way.
“We did the best job that we could, given the resources and time that we have,” Honea said previously.
“That said, as I have said many, many times before, there is no way to guarantee 100% saturation of your message,” he added. “There’s no way to guarantee perfection. It’s particularly difficult when we’re dealing with communities in remote and rural areas that are hard to get to and sometimes have spotty coverage.”
While the fire hasn’t seen anywhere near the explosive growth that last week wrought, the danger is far from over.
A new mandatory evacuation order was issued Thursday for Meadow Valley, a community of several hundred in Plumas County.
Jake Cagle, an operations section chief on the fire, urged residents to heed the latest call to evacuate.
“If we have people trying to evacuate late, or waiting for the fire front, until they see fire ... that impedes our progress to save your structure or to save anything around your area,” he said in a video briefing Thursday.


latimes--2020-09-18--A dramatically diminished L.A. school police force under proposed cuts

Two months after a divided Los Angeles Unified school board slashed funding for its police department by more than a third , the contours of a dramatically diminished force emerged this week .
Under a plan presented to the board on Tuesday , police officers would be removed from school campuses and weekend patrols meant to protect schools from vandalism would be eliminated , among other cuts .
The debate over the proposed cuts , set for later this month , marks a wide split on the board over the role that armed , uniformed officers should play in providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enrolled at more than 900 campuses .
With some on the seven-member board calling for the complete elimination of the police department and others opposed to cuts , the sharply opposing views played out in the streets outside the district ’ s downtown headquarters this week , where protesters in favor of police reforms sparred verbally with police supporters .
And in a signal of how unresolved the issue remains for many , a district task force said it intends to survey high school students , parents and employees around the district to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the proposal to cut spending is a recent district effort to rein in the widespread use of overtime in the police department .
The practice has resulted in mid-level supervisors , detectives and rank-and-file officers taking home some of the the highest pay in the nation ’ s second-largest school system , with about two dozen officers earning at least $ 190,000 last year .
The board first took up the idea of overhauling its police force this summer amid national protests over killings of Black people by police officers .
Confronted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rethink policing at schools , board members decided in a 4-3 vote on June 30 to cut $ 25 million from the police department ’ s $ 70-million budget — a 36 % reduction .
The decision was largely viewed as a preliminary step by the board majority toward shutting down the department entirely .
But the decision was made without any advance planning on how to carry out such a large funding cut .
The district ’ s eight-member Reimagining School Safety Task Force was left to come up with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly $ 6.3 million , would entirely eliminate weekend and overnight patrol services that are set up to protect school property and respond to calls at or near schools .
The district would instead have to rely on responses from Los Angeles police , the L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department and other police agencies that serve cities other than L.A. that are within the massive school system .
Complicating the task is that the school board resolution that called for a cut to police funding precludes the district from paying for service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security .
The second-largest reduction , close to $ 5.9 million , would remove all officers from campus-based assignments .
Instead , they would shift to a plan under which officers would patrol areas around schools and come on campuses when summoned .
Currently , high schools typically are assigned one officer , while two middle schools frequently share an officer .
Some cuts would affect ongoing efforts to improve interactions between students and police , in which officers serve as mentors and participate in school activities .
The task force also suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers receive on the proper use of force and overcoming unconscious bias .
Some of the cuts did not seem to sit well with board members who saw them as too focused on simply taking services away rather than on rethinking how to make schools safe .
“ I do want to just put on the table… before we think about cuts , I hope that we can also spend time on the role — the choices between defining the role of a police force , ” Monica Garcia said at the meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department entirely .
George McKenna , the board ’ s lone Black member , said he strongly supports efforts to end police brutality but believes school police are being unfairly maligned .
“ The school police were never a danger to the students , ” McKenna said .
“ Are you under the assumption that there are no Crips , no Bloods , [ that ] there are no gangs out there and we ’ re going to do this with social workers ?
” He added : “ I ’ ll invite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to have of a child [ because ] we don ’ t have anyone protecting them on that campus.
” The board action also called for officers to give up their uniforms and patrol off campus .
A $ 25-million cut is expected initially to lead to the layoffs of 65 officers in the 471-employee department .
Twenty officers have resigned since the cuts were approved , concerned about the “ stability ” of the department , interim Chief Leslie Ramirez said .
Her predecessor , Todd Chamberlain , resigned as chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts .
Money saved from the cuts is to serve the needs of Black students , who make up about 8 % of students and who have a disproportionately high number of interactions with officers .
Joseph Williams , director of operations and campaigns with the group Students Deserve , said the survey the district plans to conduct should give weight to the view of Black students , who have endured an outsize burden from over-policing .
His group , in which students set the policy , and others have complained about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force and its efforts to date .
“ The lack of community engagement ... sends a message : that the Black , Indigenous and People of Color ( BIPOC ) communities that LAUSD serves are being shut out of a process that directly impacts us , ” a coalition of groups wrote in an early August letter to district officials .
Outside the building Tuesday , about 250 demonstrators called for eliminating the school police department , transferring its budget to counseling and other vital student services .
“ We still haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school police , which is what we want , ” said Sarah Djato , a senior at Dorsey High in southwest Los Angeles .
“ When we talk about reimagination , it looks like fully funding counselors .
It looks like fully funding psychiatric social workers .
It looks like having no cops on campus.
” And it means supporting teachers , she said , “ who actually care and want to provide for students and do not criminalize us and instead encourage us to do better each and every day.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street at the entrance to school district headquarters for songs , chants and testimonials .
They drew in chalk on the sidewalk : “ Libraries not jails.
” “ Arrested development.
” “ Hands off our kids , ” read one sign .
“ End the police.
” About 20 minutes into the rally , about 30 counter-protesters rounded the corner .
Many were off-duty officers from the L.A. school police and other departments .
A few spoke about the weekend shooting in Compton of two sheriff ’ s deputies .
Among them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drown out the anti-police rally by revving his customized Road King motorcycle .
His bike was loud , but the anti-police demonstrators had formidable loudspeakers and formed a protective ring that kept the pro-police demonstrators from getting close .
“ The gloves are off , ” the officer explained about his noise-making .
“ Enough is enough .
Everything that they ’ re about , we understand .
Nobody hates bad cops more than good cops because it ’ s a reflection on us.
” The man wore a dark-tinted helmet and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George W. Bush .
He declined to say his name or name his department but said his wife is a district teacher and that he has school-aged children .
“ We ’ re tired , ” he said .
“ We ’ re defeated .
There ’ s good cops leaving the profession .
And the people that are going to suffer the most are the law-abiding citizens and the victims .
We want to keep the schools safe .
We want to keep our kids safe .
”

A Black Lives Matter protester blocks a counter-protester from entering a student-led rally that called for defunding school police. L.A. school board members on Tuesday reviewed potential cuts to the district police department.
Two months after a divided Los Angeles Unified school board slashed funding for its police department by more than a third, the contours of a dramatically diminished force emerged this week.
Under a plan presented to the board on Tuesday, police officers would be removed from school campuses and weekend patrols meant to protect schools from vandalism would be eliminated, among other cuts.
The debate over the proposed cuts, set for later this month, marks a wide split on the board over the role that armed, uniformed officers should play in providing security to hundreds of thousands of students enrolled at more than 900 campuses.
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With some on the seven-member board calling for the complete elimination of the police department and others opposed to cuts, the sharply opposing views played out in the streets outside the district’s downtown headquarters this week, where protesters in favor of police reforms sparred verbally with police supporters.
And in a signal of how unresolved the issue remains for many, a district task force said it intends to survey high school students, parents and employees around the district to evaluate opinions on school police.
Embedded in the proposal to cut spending is a recent district effort to rein in the widespread use of overtime in the police department. The practice has resulted in mid-level supervisors, detectives and rank-and-file officers taking home some of the the highest pay in the nation’s second-largest school system, with about two dozen officers earning at least $190,000 last year.
The board first took up the idea of overhauling its police force this summer amid national protests over killings of Black people by police officers. Confronted with impassioned demands that they move decisively to rethink policing at schools, board members decided in a 4-3 vote on June 30 to cut $25 million from the police department’s $70-million budget — a 36% reduction. The decision was largely viewed as a preliminary step by the board majority toward shutting down the department entirely.
But the decision was made without any advance planning on how to carry out such a large funding cut. The district’s eight-member Reimagining School Safety Task Force was left to come up with a proposal.
The biggest proposed cut, nearly $6.3 million, would entirely eliminate weekend and overnight patrol services that are set up to protect school property and respond to calls at or near schools. The district would instead have to rely on responses from Los Angeles police, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and other police agencies that serve cities other than L.A. that are within the massive school system.
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Complicating the task is that the school board resolution that called for a cut to police funding precludes the district from paying for service from other police forces or armed private security.
The second-largest reduction, close to $5.9 million, would remove all officers from campus-based assignments. Instead, they would shift to a plan under which officers would patrol areas around schools and come on campuses when summoned. Currently, high schools typically are assigned one officer, while two middle schools frequently share an officer.
Some cuts would affect ongoing efforts to improve interactions between students and police, in which officers serve as mentors and participate in school activities. The task force also suggested cuts to extra, non-mandated training that officers receive on the proper use of force and overcoming unconscious bias.
Some of the cuts did not seem to sit well with board members who saw them as too focused on simply taking services away rather than on rethinking how to make schools safe.
“I do want to just put on the table… before we think about cuts, I hope that we can also spend time on the role — the choices between defining the role of a police force,” Monica Garcia said at the meeting Tuesday. She supports gradually eliminating the department entirely.
George McKenna, the board’s lone Black member, said he strongly supports efforts to end police brutality but believes school police are being unfairly maligned.
“The school police were never a danger to the students,” McKenna said. “Are you under the assumption that there are no Crips, no Bloods, [that] there are no gangs out there and we’re going to do this with social workers?”
He added: “I’ll invite you to the first funeral that we have to have of a child [because] we don’t have anyone protecting them on that campus.”
The board action also called for officers to give up their uniforms and patrol off campus. A $25-million cut is expected initially to lead to the layoffs of 65 officers in the 471-employee department.
Twenty officers have resigned since the cuts were approved, concerned about the “stability” of the department, interim Chief Leslie Ramirez said. Her predecessor, Todd Chamberlain, resigned as chief the day after the board approved the cuts.
Money saved from the cuts is to serve the needs of Black students, who make up about 8% of students and who have a disproportionately high number of interactions with officers.
Joseph Williams, director of operations and campaigns with the group Students Deserve, said the survey the district plans to conduct should give weight to the view of Black students, who have endured an outsize burden from over-policing. His group, in which students set the policy, and others have complained about a lack of access to the district task force and its efforts to date.
“The lack of community engagement...sends a message: that the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities that LAUSD serves are being shut out of a process that directly impacts us,” a coalition of groups wrote in an early August letter to district officials.
Outside the building Tuesday, about 250 demonstrators called for eliminating the school police department, transferring its budget to counseling and other vital student services.
“We still haven’t gotten the full, defunding of school police, which is what we want,” said Sarah Djato, a senior at Dorsey High in southwest Los Angeles. “When we talk about reimagination, it looks like fully funding counselors. It looks like fully funding psychiatric social workers. It looks like having no cops on campus.” And it means supporting teachers, she said, “who actually care and want to provide for students and do not criminalize us and instead encourage us to do better each and every day.”
The demonstrators commandeered the block of South Beaudry Street at the entrance to school district headquarters for songs, chants and testimonials. They drew in chalk on the sidewalk: “Libraries not jails.” “Arrested development.”
“Hands off our kids,” read one sign. “End the police.”
About 20 minutes into the rally, about 30 counter-protesters rounded the corner. Many were off-duty officers from the L.A. school police and other departments. A few spoke about the weekend shooting in Compton of two sheriff’s deputies. Among them was an off-duty officer who tried to drown out the anti-police rally by revving his customized Road King motorcycle.
His bike was loud, but the anti-police demonstrators had formidable loudspeakers and formed a protective ring that kept the pro-police demonstrators from getting close.
“The gloves are off,” the officer explained about his noise-making. “Enough is enough. Everything that they’re about, we understand. Nobody hates bad cops more than good cops because it’s a reflection on us.”
The man wore a dark-tinted helmet and a tank-top bearing a portrait of former President George W. Bush. He declined to say his name or name his department but said his wife is a district teacher and that he has school-aged children.
“We’re tired,” he said. “We’re defeated. There’s good cops leaving the profession. And the people that are going to suffer the most are the law-abiding citizens and the victims. We want to keep the schools safe. We want to keep our kids safe.”


latimes--2020-09-17--UC should prepare for online classes, limited dorms beyond fall, UC Health chief says

The University of California ’ s top health executive has told UC officials to prepare to continue online learning and limited access to campus beyond the fall as the COVID-19 pandemic will probably cause at least another year of disruption to university operations .
“ This is not something that will go away quickly , ” Dr. Carrie L. Byington , who heads UC Health , told regents during their two-day online meeting this week .
The university ’ s $ 13-billion health enterprise includes 19 health professional schools and six health systems , five of them academic medical centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not announced plans for winter and spring — unlike the California State University system , which said this month that campuses will stay primarily online through the rest of the academic year .
But Byington told The Times on Thursday that she has discussed with top UC officials the possible need to continue largely online operations .
“ Yes , I have discussed the need to prepare for continued distance learning and decreased density on campuses beyond the fall term with the chancellors , president and regents , ” Byington said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the measures put in place on each campus to control transmission during the fall semester/quarter and on the trajectory of the pandemic in California and the U.S .
If we can control transmission on our campuses and the trajectory of the pandemic is improving , it may be possible to increase density.
” UC Berkeley reported 61 new cases of the coronavirus between Aug. 26 , when fall classes began , and Sept. 16 .
Only two cases involved students who live in campus dorms , and all transmissions have been traced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UC Merced has reported no new cases , Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz told regents .
Berkeley and Merced are the only two of UC ’ s nine undergraduate campuses that have started fall term .
The pandemic ’ s cost to UC campuses and medical centers has been steep .
Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom said UC has taken a $ 2.2-billion hit during the pandemic , including losses in revenue from medical services , housing and dining , and added expenses for online teaching technology and medical and cleaning supplies .
UCLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million , and UC Merced the smallest at $ 16 million between March and August , Brostrom said .
In the first glimpse of how the pandemic is affecting enrollment , Berkeley and Merced have seen no drop in California students this fall , regents were told .
But Berkeley reported enrollment declines of about 550 out-of-state students , half of them seniors , and more than 200 graduate students , many of them international students in law and engineering programs .
Many of them had indicated they planned to enroll but withdrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said .
Those numbers represent a tiny fraction of Berkeley ’ s 43,000 students .
But nonresident students are an important source of revenue because they pay three times the tuition and fees that Californian do and are not eligible for need-based financial aid .

Student Shaya Naimi, 19, hangs out on the steps of the Powell Library at UCLA, where classes moved to online only in March.
The University of California’s top health executive has told UC officials to prepare to continue online learning and limited access to campus beyond the fall as the COVID-19 pandemic will probably cause at least another year of disruption to university operations.
“This is not something that will go away quickly,” Dr. Carrie L. Byington, who heads UC Health, told regents during their two-day online meeting this week. The university’s $13-billion health enterprise includes 19 health professional schools and six health systems, five of them academic medical centers.
So far, UC campuses have not announced plans for winter and spring — unlike the California State University system, which said this month that campuses will stay primarily online through the rest of the academic year.
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But Byington told The Times on Thursday that she has discussed with top UC officials the possible need to continue largely online operations.
“Yes, I have discussed the need to prepare for continued distance learning and decreased density on campuses beyond the fall term with the chancellors, president and regents,” Byington said. “Much will depend on the effectiveness of the measures put in place on each campus to control transmission during the fall semester/quarter and on the trajectory of the pandemic in California and the U.S. If we can control transmission on our campuses and the trajectory of the pandemic is improving, it may be possible to increase density.”
UC Berkeley reported 61 new cases of the coronavirus between Aug. 26, when fall classes began, and Sept. 16. Only two cases involved students who live in campus dorms, and all transmissions have been traced to off-campus encounters, a spokeswoman said. UC Merced has reported no new cases, Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz told regents. Berkeley and Merced are the only two of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses that have started fall term.
The pandemic’s cost to UC campuses and medical centers has been steep. Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom said UC has taken a $2.2-billion hit during the pandemic, including losses in revenue from medical services, housing and dining, and added expenses for online teaching technology and medical and cleaning supplies. UCLA took the greatest hit at $653 million, and UC Merced the smallest at $16 million between March and August, Brostrom said.
In the first glimpse of how the pandemic is affecting enrollment, Berkeley and Merced have seen no drop in California students this fall, regents were told.
But Berkeley reported enrollment declines of about 550 out-of-state students, half of them seniors, and more than 200 graduate students, many of them international students in law and engineering programs. Many of them had indicated they planned to enroll but withdrew just before fall classes started, UC officials said.
Those numbers represent a tiny fraction of Berkeley’s 43,000 students. But nonresident students are an important source of revenue because they pay three times the tuition and fees that Californian do and are not eligible for need-based financial aid.
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UC’s seven other undergraduate campuses start fall classes Oct. 1.


latimes--2020-09-17--Sheriff adds details to Dijon Kizzee shooting; says deputies stopped him for riding on wrong side of

Sheriff adds details to Dijon Kizzee shooting; says deputies stopped him for riding on wrong side of street

Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s officials said Dijon Kizzee was riding his bike on the wrong side of the street when he was stopped by two South L.A. deputies in an incident that ended with the pair firing 19 shots at him .
At a news briefing , sheriff ’ s officials offered yet another version of events of what led up to the fatal shooting on Aug. 31 that has generated national attention and triggered days of protests .
Capt .
Kent Wegener said Kizzee made a U-turn in front of deputies , dropped his bike on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught up to Kizzee , Wegener said , Kizzee lifted his arms , clothes in each hand , struck a deputy in the face , and his pistol dropped to the ground .
“ He bends over , reaches , picks up the gun and is shot as he stands with the gun in hand , ” Wegener said .
“ You will see that the deputy struggling with Kizzee does not arm himself until Kizzee bends down to pick up the gun he dropped.
” Much of the altercation is caught on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided Thursday .
But parts of the struggle with deputies right before the shooting , including the moment that Wegener said Kizzee picked up the gun , are partially obstructed by a wall and difficult to make out .
The new narrative conflicts in some ways with prior versions of events .
The night of the shooting , Lt. Brandon Dean said Kizzee had dropped a jacket he had been carrying , a handgun fell to the ground , and the shooting occurred .
The next day , the Sheriff ’ s Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the gun before he was shot and killed .
When asked about the discrepancy at the news briefing , Sheriff Alex Villanueva said : “ It ’ s not a discrepancy at all — he did make a motion towards the gun , ” he said .
“ He actually recovered the gun and pointed it at the deputies.
” When deputies are involved in a shooting , Villanueva said , they give a “ public safety statement ” to their supervisor — before sitting down for an official interview with homicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s first presented when they ’ re trying to give the preliminary information .
It ’ s always subject to change , just like any investigation , and now when we sit down to interview the deputies in detail we get to pick apart the entire thing .
And we have a lot clearer picture , ” Villanueva said .
He argued the stop was justified , pointing to high crime statistics in the neighborhood .
“ They ’ re surviving almost in a war zone , as you can see , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody asks what we ’ re doing in this community , or why we ’ re stopping , why we ’ re detaining individuals , to give you a very clear idea what we ’ re doing and why we do it — we ’ re trying to save lives plain and simple.
” The department also released photos of the weapon they said they recovered from the scene and said they discovered a video on Kizzee ’ s cell phone of him with the gun — with the same serial number — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported stolen in Las Vegas in 2017 , Wegener said .
Both deputies have been interviewed by homicide investigators .
The Times previously reported that the deputies involved in the shooting were a trainee and his supervisor .
Kizzee sustained several wounds to the chest , both arms , one wound to the back and a grazing wound to head , Wegener said .
An attorney for Kizzee ’ s family , Carl Douglas , said they were disturbed by the “ unspoken messages and half-truths ” by sheriff ’ s officials Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ standing up , with nothing in his hands when the younger deputy fired his first three shots at him.
” “ It was a media-driven sideshow , designed to deflect attention from the 19 shots two sheriff deputies fired at an unarmed man , ” Douglas said of Thursday ’ s news conference .
“ Nineteen shots reflect poor training , and a failure to properly assess the need for deadly force .
Nineteen shots reflect contagious fire , and a fundamental lack of humanity for another living soul .
Nineteen shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessing the need to use deadly force.
” Najee Ali , a longtime community activist who has been speaking on behalf of the Kizzee family , said Villanueva is trying to “ blame a Black man unjustly shot ... for his own murder by his deputies.
” “ His lies concerning Kizzee are rebuffed by witnesses who were at the scene and saw Kizzee be shot with his hands in the air , ” Ali said .
“ And the tape that Villanueva showed — it doesn ’ t show Kizzee pointing his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family and activists have said the shooting wasn ’ t warrante , and his killing sparked days of demonstrations that ended with sheriff ’ s deputies firing pepper balls and rubber bullets into the crowds .
Those confrontations come amid a surge of protests in recent months over police killings of Black people , including George Floyd in Minneapolis .

Undated photo of Dijon Kizzee, who was killed in a deputy involved shooting in the Westmont neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said Dijon Kizzee was riding his bike on the wrong side of the street when he was stopped by two South L.A. deputies in an incident that ended with the pair firing 19 shots at him.
At a news briefing, sheriff’s officials offered yet another version of events of what led up to the fatal shooting on Aug. 31 that has generated national attention and triggered days of protests.
Capt. Kent Wegener said Kizzee made a U-turn in front of deputies, dropped his bike on the sidewalk and ran.
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As one deputy caught up to Kizzee, Wegener said, Kizzee lifted his arms, clothes in each hand, struck a deputy in the face, and his pistol dropped to the ground.
“He bends over, reaches, picks up the gun and is shot as he stands with the gun in hand,” Wegener said. “You will see that the deputy struggling with Kizzee does not arm himself until Kizzee bends down to pick up the gun he dropped.”
Much of the altercation is caught on video that the Sheriff’s Department provided Thursday. But parts of the struggle with deputies right before the shooting, including the moment that Wegener said Kizzee picked up the gun, are partially obstructed by a wall and difficult to make out.
VIDEO | 02:25 Video: Sheriff presents new narrative in Dijon Kizzee’s killing Warning: This video contains images that viewers may find disturbing. At a news briefing, sheriff’s officials offered another version of events of what led up to the fatal shooting on Aug. 31, 2020.
The new narrative conflicts in some ways with prior versions of events.
The night of the shooting, Lt. Brandon Dean said Kizzee had dropped a jacket he had been carrying, a handgun fell to the ground, and the shooting occurred.
The next day, the Sheriff’s Department said Kizzee “made a motion toward” the gun before he was shot and killed.
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When asked about the discrepancy at the news briefing, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said: “It’s not a discrepancy at all — he did make a motion towards the gun,” he said. “He actually recovered the gun and pointed it at the deputies.”
When deputies are involved in a shooting, Villanueva said, they give a “public safety statement” to their supervisor — before sitting down for an official interview with homicide investigators.
“And that is what’s first presented when they’re trying to give the preliminary information. It’s always subject to change, just like any investigation, and now when we sit down to interview the deputies in detail we get to pick apart the entire thing. And we have a lot clearer picture,” Villanueva said.
He argued the stop was justified, pointing to high crime statistics in the neighborhood.
“They’re surviving almost in a war zone, as you can see,” Villanueva said. “So when somebody asks what we’re doing in this community, or why we’re stopping, why we’re detaining individuals, to give you a very clear idea what we’re doing and why we do it — we’re trying to save lives plain and simple.”
The department also released photos of the weapon they said they recovered from the scene and said they discovered a video on Kizzee’s cell phone of him with the gun — with the same serial number — in his pocket. The gun was reported stolen in Las Vegas in 2017, Wegener said.
Both deputies have been interviewed by homicide investigators. The Times previously reported that the deputies involved in the shooting were a trainee and his supervisor. Kizzee sustained several wounds to the chest, both arms, one wound to the back and a grazing wound to head, Wegener said.
An attorney for Kizzee’s family, Carl Douglas, said they were disturbed by the “unspoken messages and half-truths” by sheriff’s officials Thursday. He said witnesses stated Kizzee was “standing up, with nothing in his hands when the younger deputy fired his first three shots at him.”
“It was a media-driven sideshow, designed to deflect attention from the 19 shots two sheriff deputies fired at an unarmed man,” Douglas said of Thursday’s news conference. “Nineteen shots reflect poor training, and a failure to properly assess the need for deadly force. Nineteen shots reflect contagious fire, and a fundamental lack of humanity for another living soul. Nineteen shots reflect poorly trained killers who overreacted in assessing the need to use deadly force.”
Najee Ali, a longtime community activist who has been speaking on behalf of the Kizzee family, said Villanueva is trying to “blame a Black man unjustly shot ... for his own murder by his deputies.”
“His lies concerning Kizzee are rebuffed by witnesses who were at the scene and saw Kizzee be shot with his hands in the air,” Ali said. “And the tape that Villanueva showed — it doesn’t show Kizzee pointing his gun at anyone.”
Kizzee’s family and activists have said the shooting wasn’t warranted, and his killing sparked days of demonstrations that ended with sheriff’s deputies firing pepper balls and rubber bullets into the crowds.
Those confrontations come amid a surge of protests in recent months over police killings of Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis.


latimes--2020-09-18--John Wasson, UCLA cosmo chemist who chased after meteorites, dies at 86

While others looked to the skies for clues as they sought to unravel the mysteries of the solar system , John Wasson found his answers in the chunks and fragments of space debris that crashed to Earth , often tens of thousands of years ago .
A cosmo chemist and passionate promoter of California science , Wasson chased after meteorites around the world and studied their crystalline interiors , hoping for fresh revelations on how the planets were formed .
When a meteorite streaked across the New Mexico skyline in 1996 before slamming to Earth near Kernville , Calif. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wasson so wanted to study it that he persuaded UCLA to put up a $ 5,000 reward for its retrieval .
The reward was never claimed .
“ You learn neat things about how the solar system works , ” he explained simply enough in a 2013 oral history when asked about his fascination with the fiery objects torn from the surface of the moon , Mars and beyond .
A longtime UCLA professor who continued to bike to the Westwood campus until suffering a stroke in January , Wasson died at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 .
He was 86 .
Wasson collected meteorites at a furious pace , slowly amassing a trove that would eventually fill a large room on the third floor of UCLA ’ s Geology Building .
With the help of others it became the UCLA Meteorite Collection , the largest such display in the West .
The centerpiece of the display is the Canyon Diablo Meteorite , a mammoth 357-pound chunk of iron and nickel that slammed to Earth roughly 50,000 years ago , carving out a 560-foot-deep crater outside what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among 1,500 pieces of space debris in the collection , ranging from meteorites the size of a boulder to others no bigger than a grain of rice .
Wasson ’ s favorite was the La ’ gad , a 185-gram meteorite that fell in the Western Sahara Desert .
He marveled at the angular fragments it contained from the light-colored lunar highlands .
He judged it “ the most spectacular ” meteorite in the world .
Studying and collecting meteorites was not only an academic pursuit for Wasson .
There was a cloak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
When a group of amateur prospectors came across a 3-ton meteorite in the Old Woman Mountains in the Mojave Desert in 1975 , Wesson and other scientists were stunned when Smithsonian officials laid claim to the mammoth orb under the Antiquities Act .
Wesson had grown weary of seeing such finds being hauled away by East Coast institutions and protested that the museum ’ s claim to the Old Woman Meteorite was both arrogant and petty .
Though the Smithsonian displayed the impressive meteorite for several years , it eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meteorite and the rest returned west .
UCLA took another 177-pound cut , and the remaining and largest portion is now displayed at the Desert Discovery Center in Barstow .
Wasson was born July 4 , 1934 , in Springtown , Ark , a town of only 100 residents .
His father was a farmer ; his mother a teacher .
He had to travel to a neighboring town to attend high school .
He fell in love with chemistry while studying at the University of Arkansas and later earned his doctorate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Munich , Germany , where he met his future wife , Wasson headed to UCLA to pursue a career in nuclear chemistry .
“ He arrived at UCLA at the right time , during the NASA Apollo missions to the moon when scientists for the first time were able to study lunar samples brought back from the surface , ” said Alan Rubin , cocurator of the meteorite collection .
During his career , Wasson wrote two books and more than 300 papers on the chemical and petrologic properties of meteorites and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemical named in his honor — “ wassonite , ” a form of titanium sulfide .
Wasson is survived by his wife , Gudrun , and two daughters , Christina and Kerstin .

John Wasson amassed a trove of meteorites that would eventually fill a large room on the third floor of UCLA’s Geology Building.
While others looked to the skies for clues as they sought to unravel the mysteries of the solar system, John Wasson found his answers in the chunks and fragments of space debris that crashed to Earth, often tens of thousands of years ago.
A cosmochemist and passionate promoter of California science, Wasson chased after meteorites around the world and studied their crystalline interiors, hoping for fresh revelations on how the planets were formed. When a meteorite streaked across the New Mexico skyline in 1996 before slamming to Earth near Kernville, Calif., creating a quick and eerie green flash, Wasson so wanted to study it that he persuaded UCLA to put up a $5,000 reward for its retrieval. The reward was never claimed.
“You learn neat things about how the solar system works,” he explained simply enough in a 2013 oral history when asked about his fascination with the fiery objects torn from the surface of the moon, Mars and beyond.
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A longtime UCLA professor who continued to bike to the Westwood campus until suffering a stroke in January, Wasson died at his home in Los Angeles on Sept. 8. He was 86.
Wasson collected meteorites at a furious pace, slowly amassing a trove that would eventually fill a large room on the third floor of UCLA’s Geology Building. With the help of others it became the UCLA Meteorite Collection, the largest such display in the West.
The centerpiece of the display is the Canyon Diablo Meteorite, a mammoth 357-pound chunk of iron and nickel that slammed to Earth roughly 50,000 years ago, carving out a 560-foot-deep crater outside what’s now Flagstaff, Ariz. It is among 1,500 pieces of space debris in the collection, ranging from meteorites the size of a boulder to others no bigger than a grain of rice.
Wasson’s favorite was the La’gad, a 185-gram meteorite that fell in the Western Sahara Desert. He marveled at the angular fragments it contained from the light-colored lunar highlands. He judged it “the most spectacular” meteorite in the world.
The Canyon Diablo meteorite is the centerpiece of UCLA’s Meteorite Collection. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
Studying and collecting meteorites was not only an academic pursuit for Wasson. There was a cloak and dagger side to the meteorite trade as well.
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When a group of amateur prospectors came across a 3-ton meteorite in the Old Woman Mountains in the Mojave Desert in 1975, Wesson and other scientists were stunned when Smithsonian officials laid claim to the mammoth orb under the Antiquities Act. Wesson had grown weary of seeing such finds being hauled away by East Coast institutions and protested that the museum’s claim to the Old Woman Meteorite was both arrogant and petty.
Though the Smithsonian displayed the impressive meteorite for several years, it eventually settled for a healthy 942-pound slice of the meteorite and the rest returned west. UCLA took another 177-pound cut, and the remaining and largest portion is now displayed at the Desert Discovery Center in Barstow.
Wasson was born July 4, 1934, in Springtown, Ark, a town of only 100 residents. His father was a farmer; his mother a teacher. He had to travel to a neighboring town to attend high school. He fell in love with chemistry while studying at the University of Arkansas and later earned his doctorate at MIT. After a brief stay in Munich, Germany, where he met his future wife, Wasson headed to UCLA to pursue a career in nuclear chemistry.
“He arrived at UCLA at the right time, during the NASA Apollo missions to the moon when scientists for the first time were able to study lunar samples brought back from the surface,” said Alan Rubin, cocurator of the meteorite collection.
During his career, Wasson wrote two books and more than 300 papers on the chemical and petrologic properties of meteorites and lunar rocks. He even had a chemical named in his honor — “wassonite,” a form of titanium sulfide.
Wasson is survived by his wife, Gudrun, and two daughters, Christina and Kerstin.


latimes--2020-09-18--California job growth is sluggish — and experts say it may get worse

California ’ s job market improved slightly in August , but the state has regained just a third of the jobs it lost since the COVID-19 pandemic forced thousands of businesses to close .
The state added 101,900 positions last month , mostly due to the temporary hiring of federal census takers , boosting state payrolls to about 15.87 million , state officials reported .
In July , employers had hired 83,500 workers after Gov .
Gavin Newsom and county officials allowed many workplaces to reopen .
Compared with August of last year , California payrolls shrank 9.1 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ March and April because of the coronavirus .
Nationwide , payrolls dropped by 10.25 million jobs between August 2019 and August 2020 , a 6.8 % loss .
California ’ s unemployment rate fell to 11.4 % last month from 13.5 % in July .
“ The slight decrease is not bad news , ” said Fernando Lozano , a Pomona College economist .
“ But unfortunately , sectors with the most vulnerable workers in services , leisure and hospitality are still seeing a rise in unemployment.
” August was the first month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off , that joblessness was below the 12.3 % mark California reached in 2010 during the height of layoffs spurred by the Great Recession .
In February , California ’ s economy was on a roll , with unemployment of just 3.9 % .
Los Angeles County ’ s August jobless rate , at 16.6 % , was far higher than the state level and worse than every other California county but Imperial , where unemployment was at 22.9 % .
L.A. County has suffered disproportionately from losses in tourism , business-related travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like encouraging news on California ’ s jobless rate was tempered by the fact that the state ’ s rate was far worse than the nation ’ s .
U.S. unemployment fell to 8.4 % in August from 10.2 % in July .
California has the nation ’ s fifth-highest jobless rate , trailing only Nevada , Rhode Island , New York and Hawaii .
In the Golden State , as in the nation , many people have left the labor force , which counts those who have a job and those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August , California ’ s labor force shrank by 117,000 people , accounting for about a third of the decline in the unemployment rate .
Since February , 807,000 have dropped out .
“ People are worried about becoming infected by the coronavirus , have childcare or other family responsibilities , or see few prospects for employment , ” said Lynn Reaser , an economist at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego .
Reaser predicts that California ’ s job market will worsen this fall .
“ Most of the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the four risk zones recently established by the governor , ” she said .
“ So many businesses will be limited or shuttered.
” Jobless Californians are finding themselves with a frayed safety net .
The federal government ’ s $ 600 weekly unemployment supplement , paid out to those who qualified for state benefits , expired at the end of July .
California ’ s unemployment insurance covers about half of average weekly earnings up to $ 450 .
The federal supplement had enabled many jobless people to stay afloat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When it rains , it pours , ” said Sung Won Sohn , an economist at Loyola Marymount University .
“ The partial reimposition of economic restrictions due to COVID-19 , the wildfires and the end of the federal government ’ s stimulus program had a big impact on August employment.
” Congressional Democrats had passed a House bill to extend the $ 600 supplement , but it was blocked by the Republican-led Senate , which views the benefit as too generous .
The deadlock is expected to continue through the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump last month authorized $ 300 a week in additional benefits under the Lost Wages Assistance program , but it is set to expire this month .
The new supplement does not cover workers who receive less than $ 100 a week in state unemployment insurance , thus excluding 192,000 of the poorest Californians , according to a study by the California Policy Lab .
Even a majority of those who get the $ 300 supplemental payment will have benefits below the poverty level , with the total benefits averaging $ 575 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We expect job growth to only get harder from here , ” said Scott Anderson , an economist at Bank of the West in San Francisco , “ The inability of Congress to pass another rescue fiscal package [ and ] the California wildfires could further delay the state ’ s economic recovery .
“ California was losing net migrants because of high costs of living and taxes even before the wildfires , and those trends will likely accelerate as more folks search for greener pastures .
This means fewer jobs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare , government and real estate than would be created if in-migration were more vigorous.
” Six of California ’ s 11 industry sectors gained jobs last month .
Government grew by 66,100 , thanks to the census and the hiring of teachers for the school year .
Trade , transportation and utilities gained 26,000 , buoyed by transportation and warehousing , as companies such as UPS , FedEx and Amazon added jobs .
General merchandise employment benefited from consumers buying more groceries as they eat out less .
Leisure and hospitality shrank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any industry , as hotels and restaurants continued to suffer .
The sector has shed 561,900 jobs since March .
August ’ s slight overall uptick in jobs contrasts with gloomier economic indicators , including “ unemployment claims well above the national rate , ” said Michael Bernick , a former director of the California Employment Development Department .
“ A sharp drop in job postings and in consumer spending show a stalled state economy.
” In August , Los Angeles added 11,500 jobs to its payrolls of about 4 million ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 18.5 % .
Year-over-year , the county lost nearly 1 in 10 jobs .
Orange County gained 3,700 jobs in August for a total of 1.48 million .
Over the year , the county lost 11.2 % of its jobs , the steepest drop in the Southern California coastal region , as the Disneyland Resort , its largest employer , closed .
Its unemployment rate was 9.9 % in August , down from 12.4 % in July .
The Inland Empire , composed of Riverside and San Bernardino counties , gained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 1.4 million , as warehouses boomed with a national rise in e-commerce .
Compared with a year earlier , the region lost 8.6 % of its jobs .
Unemployment was 11 % in August , down from 13.4 % in July .
Northern California ’ s strong technology sector has enabled many employees to work from home during the pandemic , moderating job losses .
San Francisco ’ s unemployment rate was 8.8 % in August .
San Mateo and Santa Clara counties ’ was at 7.5 % .
In a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labor Secretary Julie Su hailed new state laws protecting workers and offering small-business benefits .
“ Sustained recovery depends on every Californian doing what they can to slow the spread of this virus , ” she said , “ including giving workers a real choice to stay home when needed , isolate , and follow public health orders.
” California ’ s payroll numbers come from a federal survey of 80,000 California businesses .
The unemployment rate is from a separate survey of 5,100 households .

Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School Principal Mylene Keipp, right, interacts virtually with students alongside teacher Arlene Alpuerto in August. The hiring of teachers boosted government-sector payrolls.
California’s job market improved slightly in August, but the state has regained just a third of the jobs it lost since the COVID-19 pandemic forced thousands of businesses to close.
The state added 101,900 positions last month, mostly due to the temporary hiring of federal census takers, boosting state payrolls to about 15.87 million, state officials reported.
In July, employers had hired 83,500 workers after Gov. Gavin Newsom and county officials allowed many workplaces to reopen.
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Compared with August of last year, California payrolls shrank 9.1%. About 2.6 million jobs were lost in March and April because of the coronavirus.
Nationwide, payrolls dropped by 10.25 million jobs between August 2019 and August 2020, a 6.8% loss.
California’s unemployment rate fell to 11.4% last month from 13.5% in July. “The slight decrease is not bad news,” said Fernando Lozano, a Pomona College economist. “But unfortunately, sectors with the most vulnerable workers in services, leisure and hospitality are still seeing a rise in unemployment.”
August was the first month since March, when the pandemic took off, that joblessness was below the 12.3% mark California reached in 2010 during the height of layoffs spurred by the Great Recession.
In February, California’s economy was on a roll, with unemployment of just 3.9%.
Los Angeles County’s August jobless rate, at 16.6%, was far higher than the state level and worse than every other California county but Imperial, where unemployment was at 22.9%. L.A. County has suffered disproportionately from losses in tourism, business-related travel and the entertainment industry.
What seemed like encouraging news on California’s jobless rate was tempered by the fact that the state’s rate was far worse than the nation’s. U.S. unemployment fell to 8.4% in August from 10.2% in July.
California has the nation’s fifth-highest jobless rate, trailing only Nevada, Rhode Island, New York and Hawaii.
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In the Golden State, as in the nation, many people have left the labor force, which counts those who have a job and those who are looking for a job. In August, California’s labor force shrank by 117,000 people, accounting for about a third of the decline in the unemployment rate. Since February, 807,000 have dropped out.
“People are worried about becoming infected by the coronavirus, have childcare or other family responsibilities, or see few prospects for employment,” said Lynn Reaser, an economist at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
Reaser predicts that California’s job market will worsen this fall. “Most of the state’s counties are in the most restricted of the four risk zones recently established by the governor,” she said. “So many businesses will be limited or shuttered.”
Jobless Californians are finding themselves with a frayed safety net. The federal government’s $600 weekly unemployment supplement, paid out to those who qualified for state benefits, expired at the end of July.
California’s unemployment insurance covers about half of average weekly earnings up to $450. The federal supplement had enabled many jobless people to stay afloat, paying for basic living expenses.
“When it rains, it pours,” said Sung Won Sohn, an economist at Loyola Marymount University. “The partial reimposition of economic restrictions due to COVID-19, the wildfires and the end of the federal government’s stimulus program had a big impact on August employment.”
Congressional Democrats had passed a House bill to extend the $600 supplement, but it was blocked by the Republican-led Senate, which views the benefit as too generous. The deadlock is expected to continue through the end of the year.
An executive order by President Trump last month authorized $300 a week in additional benefits under the Lost Wages Assistance program, but it is set to expire this month. The new supplement does not cover workers who receive less than $100 a week in state unemployment insurance, thus excluding 192,000 of the poorest Californians, according to a study by the California Policy Lab.
Even a majority of those who get the $300 supplemental payment will have benefits below the poverty level, with the total benefits averaging $575 per week, the report said.
“We expect job growth to only get harder from here,” said Scott Anderson, an economist at Bank of the West in San Francisco. “The inability of Congress to pass another rescue fiscal package [and] the California wildfires could further delay the state’s economic recovery.
“California was losing net migrants because of high costs of living and taxes even before the wildfires, and those trends will likely accelerate as more folks search for greener pastures. This means fewer jobs in sectors like retail trade, education, healthcare, government and real estate than would be created if in-migration were more vigorous.”
Six of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs last month. Government grew by 66,100, thanks to the census and the hiring of teachers for the school year. Trade, transportation and utilities gained 26,000, buoyed by transportation and warehousing, as companies such as UPS, FedEx and Amazon added jobs. General merchandise employment benefited from consumers buying more groceries as they eat out less.
Leisure and hospitality shrank by 14,600, the largest job loss of any industry, as hotels and restaurants continued to suffer. The sector has shed 561,900 jobs since March.
August’s slight overall uptick in jobs contrasts with gloomier economic indicators, including “unemployment claims well above the national rate,” said Michael Bernick, a former director of the California Employment Development Department. “A sharp drop in job postings and in consumer spending show a stalled state economy.”
In August, Los Angeles added 11,500 jobs to its payrolls of about 4 million; unemployment fell to 16.6% from July’s 18.5%. Year over year, the county lost nearly 1 in 10 jobs.
Orange County gained 3,700 jobs in August for a total of 1.48 million. Over the year, the county lost 11.2% of its jobs, the steepest drop in the Southern California coastal region, as the Disneyland Resort, its largest employer, closed. Its unemployment rate was 9.9% in August, down from 12.4% in July.
The Inland Empire, composed of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, gained 15,400 jobs in August for a total of 1.4 million, as warehouses boomed with a national rise in e-commerce. Compared with a year earlier, the region lost 8.6% of its jobs. Unemployment was 11% in August, down from 13.4% in July.
Northern California’s strong technology sector has enabled many employees to work from home during the pandemic, moderating job losses. San Francisco’s unemployment rate was 8.8% in August. San Mateo and Santa Clara counties’ was at 7.5%.
In a statement on the August jobs report, California Labor Secretary Julie Su hailed new state laws protecting workers and offering small-business benefits. “Sustained recovery depends on every Californian doing what they can to slow the spread of this virus,” she said, “including giving workers a real choice to stay home when needed, isolate, and follow public health orders.”
California’s payroll numbers come from a federal survey of 80,000 California businesses. The unemployment rate is from a separate survey of 5,100 households.