latimes--2020-06-07--Postal Service controversy? COVID-19? Nothing can stop this letter carrier

Before the start of his shift , James Daniels taped the latest note of gratitude to workstation No .
31 .
In the nearly 16 years he ’ s delivered mail , the letter carrier has received hundreds of notes of appreciation .
But over the last couple of months , as the world changed around him , so did their tone .
In April , a month after Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered Californians to stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19 , a family along his San Clemente route wrote a note that began , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blessing.
” It included Psalm 91 , a fitting hymn for this era , its words associated with times of hardship : “ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night , nor fear the dangers of the day , nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness , though a thousand fall at your side , though ten thousand are dying around you , these evils will not touch you.
” There may be no institution more American than the United States Postal Service , which traces its roots to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first postmaster general by the Continental Congress .
And yet today , in 2020 , its finances are imperiled , its workers are menaced by the dreaded coronavirus and its status has been threatened by the 45th president , who in April declared , “ The Postal Service is a joke.
” Customers have asked Daniels if the USPS is shutting down .
One woman wrote a supportive “ I < 3 USPS ” on her mailbox .
But Daniels tells them what he tells himself : “ We ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry about top officials who are calling the shots .
“ You can ’ t think about them up there , ” the 59-year-old said .
“ You ’ ve got to focus on the people.
” Our postal system is older than the nation itself .
And , just like the U.S. , it ’ s had its ups and downs .
In the early 1920s , so many bandits were targeting mail trains that railway mail clerks were armed with government-issued pistols and ordered to “ shoot to kill.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spate of homicides committed by Postal Service workers , “ going postal ” became shorthand for becoming uncontrollably angry , sometimes to the point of violence .
Those infamous dog attacks regularly referenced in movies and on TV ?
Packing a can of dog repellent is standard operating procedure .
So when the pandemic hit , it became another in a long line of challenges .
As they did during the 2001 anthrax attacks , postal employees put on protective gear and kept on working .
But in recent weeks it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncertainty surrounding the agency .
The USPS is projecting a $ 13-billion revenue loss tied to the pandemic and an additional $ 54 billion in losses over 10 years , Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan told lawmakers in April .
At the same time , it has a longer-term burden : a mandate imposed by Congress in 2006 that it pre-fund the retirement benefits of its 630,000 employees , a requirement not imposed on other federal agencies .
The Trump administration has blocked access to a $ 10-billion line of credit made available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But last month , a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Postal Preservation Act , which would make an emergency appropriation of $ 25 billion and require oversight of the funding by the Postal Service inspector general .
Mark Dimondstein , president of the American Postal Workers Union , said the agency finds itself on a precipice .
“ The post office belongs to everybody , ” he said .
“ If there ’ s not genuine relief … then the whole question of whether the post office as a public entity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an equal basis is going to be up for grabs probably by early fall.
” Not if James Daniels can help it .
On a recent Friday morning , Daniels observed a series of pre-delivery rituals .
He reached down and gripped his knees below his cotton shorts , stretching near a fleet of blue-and-white Postal Service trucks .
There are about 800 addresses on his route , one of the longest in the office .
He didn ’ t want to pull a muscle .
At 10 minutes after 9 a.m. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with packages — from Target and Staples , from Macy ’ s and Ulta Beauty and Amazon Prime — that clerks began sorting hours before the sun rose .
They were destined for his truck , where Daniels arranged them by street , before heading back to his workstation to sort the mail .
He wore his black reading glasses as he rapidly scanned the letters .
Memory is key in this job .
For his USPS entry test , Daniels had to look at 100 addresses and , on the next page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he recalled getting 80 ) .
Over time , regular carriers like Daniels can deliver just by reading the name .
Daniels ’ voice radiated warmth as he joked with his co-workers .
His fellow letter carriers call him “ funny man ” and “ King James.
” “ Appreciate you guys , ” Daniels called out to the clerks , as he grabbed a bag filled with small parcels .
With more people sheltering at home and ordering items to be delivered , the post office is now handling more packages than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which typically lasts for only four weeks .
Letter carriers are delivering gifts and cards for virtual birthday parties , food and flowers , toilet paper and bleach , as well as countless tokens of love and friendship sent by parents and children and friends who can ’ t be there in person .
When Doug Reid , a clerk who arrived at 3:15 a.m. to begin sorting mail , shouted that the last batch of parcels was ready , a cheer rang out among the workers .
Shortly before 11 a.m. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He wore the red , white and blue mask a customer had given him for protection .
Before he left the parking lot , he read the Scripture that rested above the sun visor of his truck : Psalm 91 .
Walking the hilly streets of his route , Daniels was a vision in blue : hat , shorts , long-sleeve shirt and gloves .
Residents and business owners greeted him by name .
A physical therapy office left him a note with three Kind bars : “ We appreciate your joy-filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The changes in the city were noticeable .
Closed offices .
Restaurants boasting takeout and delivery .
Customers telling Daniels over and over to “ be safe.
” “ I haven ’ t seen you in forever , ” Daniels said to one woman .
“ I can ’ t spend any more time with those teenage kids at my house , ” she replied .
“ I ’ m coming back to work.
” “ I don ’ t blame you , ” Daniels said , with a laugh .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He greeted his people by name .
In 16 years , he ’ s seen young men and women he knew as children head off to college , he ’ s been introduced to significant others and he has grieved for longtime customers who died .
Daniels emulates the letter carrier who — decades ago — inspired him to pursue this career .
The postal worker joked around with his grandmother nearly every day on her porch in Flint , Mich. Daniels ’ grandmother trusted the mailman completely , clipping her outgoing mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When she quizzed him the next day , he ’ d name everything he picked up .
“ This guy was just like the coolest dude ever to me , ” Daniels said .
Although he joined the military at 17 , and ultimately spent 26 years in the Army , Daniels never forgot that letter carrier or the importance of the profession .
There are more than 31,000 post offices and 630,000 postal employees across the country .
On a typical day , they process and deliver 471 million pieces of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the agency .
A recent Pew Research Center survey showed that 91 % of respondents have a favorable view of the USPS .
The Postal Service has long served as an entry point into the middle class for African Americans ; around a quarter of the agency ’ s workers are black , according to the Pew Research Center .
And , as of 2018 , the agency employed more than 100,000 military veterans , according to Pew .
“ The man upstairs blessed me with this job , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there and do the best I can , ” Daniels said .
“ I ’ m going to keep doing it until the candle burns out.
” Daniels knows how important the Postal Service is , especially at a time like this .
So do his customers .
When Daniels reached Avenida Serra around 1 p.m. , residents were gathered in the street waiting for a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flyover honoring front-line COVID-19 responders and essential workers .
“ All you ’ ve got to do is look up , ” Traycee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lived on the street for 30 years , and every Christmas she gives baked goods to Daniels .
Daniels receives so many treats that time of year that he ’ s had to turn people down or put the sweets in the post office break room for everyone to share .
Because of the virus , Taylor Greene said , she planned to put together another package for him .
Across the street , as Daniels dropped off the mail , Todd McMeill reminded him about the jets .
The longtime resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energetic deliveryman on “ Mister Rogers ’ Neighborhood , ” who was known for his catchphrase , “ Speedy delivery !
” Daniels ’ normal stride , McMeill said , “ is about 18 miles per hour.
” McMeill , who once worked for the post office , calls Daniels the “ No .
1 ` mailman.
” “ I ’ ve been in the industry , and they don ’ t get any better than that guy , ” he said , describing letter carriers as “ unsung heroes.
” McMeill joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street , making sure to stay physically distanced .
Both of them stared up at the cloudless sky , waiting for the Thunderbirds to make their appearance .
“ I ’ d be happy with a rogue balloon flying by , ” McMeill said .
“ Give me something.
” “ Something in our lives !
” Taylor Greene shouted at the heavens .
“ Help us !
” Daniels kept his eyes trained on his route , ducking into apartment complexes and behind fences .
As he walked , his postal shoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sang Dean Martin ’ s “ Tiny Bubbles.
” There was a Band-Aid on his right leg , applied after he ’ d been pricked by some rose bushes while delivering mail .
Other times , he ’ s had to bandage cuts on his knuckles from ragged mailboxes .
Back at his truck , Daniels wiped down his hand brake , steering wheel and blinkers with disinfectant wipes given to him by a customer .
He kept a laminated handout from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the back of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ careful .
More than 1,000 postal workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and at least 61 have died .
Before Daniels moved on to his next stop , he changed his gloves for a third time .
After all , he observed , the two dirtiest things in the world are “ mail and money.
” Daniels , focused on his deliveries , never heard the jets .
Hours into the day , Daniels pulled down his mask to take a breath .
After walking up steep inclines under a relentless sun , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it was nothing , he reasoned , compared to his time in the Army , when he ran in 100-degree weather wearing an M17 gas mask .
“ He knew I was going to do this , ” Daniels said , pointing up at the sky .
“ So he got me ready for it.
” Daniels falls back on his faith often , especially when conversation turns to the challenges facing the Postal Service .
He avoids reading about the issues , but at times his customers will ask him if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If we didn ’ t do this every day , there ’ d be a whole bunch of chaos in the world going on , ” Daniels said .
“ I look at people up above that don ’ t have a clue , that ain ’ t down here doing nothing — they can make all the comments they want to make , but guess what ?
I just let them keep talking .
I ’ ll keep taking care of my people .
“ You ’ ve got somebody waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their medicine , somebody waiting on a birthday gift , ” he said .
“ These are people ’ s lives you ’ re putting in their mailbox.
” Daniels , who thanks God every morning when his feet hit the floor , has faith that a higher power will make everything right .
The Scripture he ’ d written in his journal that morning was a comfort : “ God is not unjust ; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Route 31 is Daniels ’ town , and he ’ s the sheriff .
Over the years , he ’ s seen it all .
A boa constrictor coming down the steps of a home on Avenida Miramar ( that house didn ’ t get mail that day ) ; a bee swarm that sent him fleeing to his mail truck ; and three dog attacks in one day .
“ You ’ ve just got to be aware of what ’ s out here , ” he said .
By 5:16 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to 700 deliveries .
He drew energy from the half bag of peanuts he ’ d eaten for lunch .
But after nearly two decades , his body had conditioned itself to his routine .
Someone once asked him how far he walked every day .
“ I don ’ t want to know that , ” Daniels said , with a laugh .
As he hit his final homes , Daniels greeted a circle of five people sitting in their driveway along Marquita .
It was happy hour , they joked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his favorite on the route .
“ Is there a paycheck in there ?
” a resident called out to Daniels , as he dropped mail in their box .
“ All right !
” “ Have a great weekend , ” one of the men called out to Daniels , who wouldn ’ t be off for another five days .
“ See you tomorrow , ” he said .

Before the start of his shift, James Daniels taped the latest note of gratitude to workstation No. 31.
In the nearly 16 years he’s delivered mail, the letter carrier has received hundreds of notes of appreciation.
But over the last couple of months, as the world changed around him, so did their tone.
In April, a month after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Californians to stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19, a family along his San Clemente route wrote a note that began, “Dearest Angel man James you are a blessing.”
It included Psalm 91, a fitting hymn for this era, its words associated with times of hardship:
“Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor fear the dangers of the day, nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.”
Advertisement
James Daniels holds a note given to him by a resident on his route in San Clemente. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
There may be no institution more American than the United States Postal Service, which traces its roots to 1775, when Benjamin Franklin was named the first postmaster general by the Continental Congress. And yet today, in 2020, its finances are imperiled, its workers are menaced by the dreaded coronavirus and its status has been threatened by the 45th president, who in April declared, “The Postal Service is a joke.”
Customers have asked Daniels if the USPS is shutting down. One woman wrote a supportive “I <3 USPS” on her mailbox. But Daniels tells them what he tells himself: “We’ll be all right.”
He tries not to worry about top officials who are calling the shots.
“You can’t think about them up there,” the 59-year-old said. “You’ve got to focus on the people.”
::
Our postal system is older than the nation itself. And, just like the U.S., it’s had its ups and downs.
Advertisement
In the early 1920s, so many bandits were targeting mail trains that railway mail clerks were armed with government-issued pistols and ordered to “shoot to kill.” In the 1980s and ’90s, after a spate of homicides committed by Postal Service workers, “going postal” became shorthand for becoming uncontrollably angry, sometimes to the point of violence.
Those infamous dog attacks regularly referenced in movies and on TV? Packing a can of dog repellent is standard operating procedure.
So when the pandemic hit, it became another in a long line of challenges. As they did during the 2001 anthrax attacks, postal employees put on protective gear and kept on working.
But in recent weeks it’s become increasingly difficult to ignore the uncertainty surrounding the agency.
The USPS is projecting a $13-billion revenue loss tied to the pandemic and an additional $54 billion in losses over 10 years, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan told lawmakers in April. At the same time, it has a longer-term burden: a mandate imposed by Congress in 2006 that it pre-fund the retirement benefits of its 630,000 employees, a requirement not imposed on other federal agencies.
The Trump administration has blocked access to a $10-billion line of credit made available in the recently enacted federal stimulus packages. But last month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Postal Preservation Act, which would make an emergency appropriation of $25 billion and require oversight of the funding by the Postal Service inspector general.
Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, said the agency finds itself on a precipice.
Advertisement
“The post office belongs to everybody,” he said. “If there’s not genuine relief … then the whole question of whether the post office as a public entity can continue to serve the people on an equal basis is going to be up for grabs probably by early fall.”
Not if James Daniels can help it.
::
“The man upstairs blessed me with this job, so I’m going to go out there and do the best I can. ... I’m going to keep doing it until the candle burns out.” — James Daniels
On a recent Friday morning, Daniels observed a series of pre-delivery rituals. He reached down and gripped his knees below his cotton shorts, stretching near a fleet of blue-and-white Postal Service trucks. There are about 800 addresses on his route, one of the longest in the office. He didn’t want to pull a muscle.
At 10 minutes after 9 a.m., he wheeled out an orange hamper loaded with packages — from Target and Staples, from Macy’s and Ulta Beauty and Amazon Prime — that clerks began sorting hours before the sun rose. They were destined for his truck, where Daniels arranged them by street, before heading back to his workstation to sort the mail. He wore his black reading glasses as he rapidly scanned the letters.
Memory is key in this job. For his USPS entry test, Daniels had to look at 100 addresses and, on the next page, identify the ones he remembered (he recalled getting 80). Over time, regular carriers like Daniels can deliver just by reading the name.
James Daniels loads mail into his truck. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Daniels’ voice radiated warmth as he joked with his co-workers. His fellow letter carriers call him “funny man” and “King James.”
“Appreciate you guys,” Daniels called out to the clerks, as he grabbed a bag filled with small parcels.
With more people sheltering at home and ordering items to be delivered, the post office is now handling more packages than around Christmastime — the peak season, which typically lasts for only four weeks. Letter carriers are delivering gifts and cards for virtual birthday parties, food and flowers, toilet paper and bleach, as well as countless tokens of love and friendship sent by parents and children and friends who can’t be there in person.
When Doug Reid, a clerk who arrived at 3:15 a.m. to begin sorting mail, shouted that the last batch of parcels was ready, a cheer rang out among the workers.
Shortly before 11 a.m., Daniels was ready to start his route. He wore the red, white and blue mask a customer had given him for protection.
Before he left the parking lot, he read the Scripture that rested above the sun visor of his truck: Psalm 91.
::
Walking the hilly streets of his route, Daniels was a vision in blue: hat, shorts, long-sleeve shirt and gloves.
James Daniels watches for traffic in San Clemente. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Residents and business owners greeted him by name. A physical therapy office left him a note with three Kind bars: “We appreciate your joy-filled spirit that walks in here every day.”
Advertisement
The changes in the city were noticeable. Closed offices. Restaurants boasting takeout and delivery. Customers telling Daniels over and over to “be safe.”
“I haven’t seen you in forever,” Daniels said to one woman.
“I can’t spend any more time with those teenage kids at my house,” she replied. “I’m coming back to work.”
“I don’t blame you,” Daniels said, with a laugh. After raising three kids, he understood.
He greeted his people by name. In 16 years, he’s seen young men and women he knew as children head off to college, he’s been introduced to significant others and he has grieved for longtime customers who died.
Daniels emulates the letter carrier who — decades ago — inspired him to pursue this career. The postal worker joked around with his grandmother nearly every day on her porch in Flint, Mich.
Daniels’ grandmother trusted the mailman completely, clipping her outgoing mail to the box with a raggedy clothespin. When she quizzed him the next day, he’d name everything he picked up.
“This guy was just like the coolest dude ever to me,” Daniels said.
Although he joined the military at 17, and ultimately spent 26 years in the Army, Daniels never forgot that letter carrier or the importance of the profession.
There are more than 31,000 post offices and 630,000 postal employees across the country. On a typical day, they process and deliver 471 million pieces of mail to nearly 160 million delivery points, according to the agency. A recent Pew Research Center survey showed that 91% of respondents have a favorable view of the USPS.
The Postal Service has long served as an entry point into the middle class for African Americans; around a quarter of the agency’s workers are black, according to the Pew Research Center. And, as of 2018, the agency employed more than 100,000 military veterans, according to Pew.
Advertisement
“The man upstairs blessed me with this job, so I’m going to go out there and do the best I can,” Daniels said. “I’m going to keep doing it until the candle burns out.”
James Daniels is greeted by resident Katie Price as he walks his route. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Daniels knows how important the Postal Service is, especially at a time like this.
So do his customers.
::
When Daniels reached Avenida Serra around 1 p.m., residents were gathered in the street waiting for a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flyover honoring front-line COVID-19 responders and essential workers.
“All you’ve got to do is look up,” Traycee Taylor Greene told Daniels. She’s lived on the street for 30 years, and every Christmas she gives baked goods to Daniels.
Daniels receives so many treats that time of year that he’s had to turn people down or put the sweets in the post office break room for everyone to share.
Advertisement
Because of the virus, Taylor Greene said, she planned to put together another package for him.
Across the street, as Daniels dropped off the mail, Todd McMeill reminded him about the jets.
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The longtime resident likened Daniels to Mr. McFeely, the energetic deliveryman on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” who was known for his catchphrase, “Speedy delivery!” Daniels’ normal stride, McMeill said, “is about 18 miles per hour.”
McMeill, who once worked for the post office, calls Daniels the “No. 1 ` mailman.”
“I’ve been in the industry, and they don’t get any better than that guy,” he said, describing letter carriers as “unsung heroes.”
McMeill joined Taylor Greene in the middle of the street, making sure to stay physically distanced. Both of them stared up at the cloudless sky, waiting for the Thunderbirds to make their appearance.
“I’d be happy with a rogue balloon flying by,” McMeill said. “Give me something.”
“Something in our lives!” Taylor Greene shouted at the heavens. “Help us!”
Daniels kept his eyes trained on his route, ducking into apartment complexes and behind fences. As he walked, his postal shoes shining from his morning polish, he sang Dean Martin’s “Tiny Bubbles.”
Advertisement
There was a Band-Aid on his right leg, applied after he’d been pricked by some rose bushes while delivering mail. Other times, he’s had to bandage cuts on his knuckles from ragged mailboxes.
Back at his truck, Daniels wiped down his hand brake, steering wheel and blinkers with disinfectant wipes given to him by a customer.
He kept a laminated handout from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the back of his truck as a reminder to be careful. More than 1,000 postal workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and at least 61 have died. Before Daniels moved on to his next stop, he changed his gloves for a third time.
After all, he observed, the two dirtiest things in the world are “mail and money.”
Daniels, focused on his deliveries, never heard the jets.
::
Hours into the day, Daniels pulled down his mask to take a breath.
James Daniels takes a break after a grueling walk in hot sun delivering mail. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
After walking up steep inclines under a relentless sun, the mask was getting to him. But it was nothing, he reasoned, compared to his time in the Army, when he ran in 100-degree weather wearing an M17 gas mask.
Advertisement
“He knew I was going to do this,” Daniels said, pointing up at the sky. “So he got me ready for it.”
Daniels falls back on his faith often, especially when conversation turns to the challenges facing the Postal Service. He avoids reading about the issues, but at times his customers will ask him if his employer is going to survive.
“If we didn’t do this every day, there’d be a whole bunch of chaos in the world going on,” Daniels said. “I look at people up above that don’t have a clue, that ain’t down here doing nothing — they can make all the comments they want to make, but guess what? I just let them keep talking. I’ll keep taking care of my people.
James Daniels greets a resident while taking a lunch break. (Irfan Khan/ Los Angeles Times)
“You’ve got somebody waiting on their check, somebody waiting on their medicine, somebody waiting on a birthday gift,” he said. “These are people’s lives you’re putting in their mailbox.”
Daniels, who thanks God every morning when his feet hit the floor, has faith that a higher power will make everything right.
The Scripture he’d written in his journal that morning was a comfort:
“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”
::
Route 31 is Daniels’ town, and he’s the sheriff.
Over the years, he’s seen it all. A boa constrictor coming down the steps of a home on Avenida Miramar (that house didn’t get mail that day); a bee swarm that sent him fleeing to his mail truck; and three dog attacks in one day.
“You’ve just got to be aware of what’s out here,” he said.
By 5:16 p.m., Daniels estimated he’d made close to 700 deliveries. He drew energy from the half bag of peanuts he’d eaten for lunch. But after nearly two decades, his body had conditioned itself to his routine.
Someone once asked him how far he walked every day.
“I don’t want to know that,” Daniels said, with a laugh.
As he hit his final homes, Daniels greeted a circle of five people sitting in their driveway along Marquita. It was happy hour, they joked.
He pointed out their dog, his favorite on the route.
“Is there a paycheck in there?” a resident called out to Daniels, as he dropped mail in their box. “All right!”
Advertisement
“You guys have a good evening,” the letter carrier responded.
“Have a great weekend,” one of the men called out to Daniels, who wouldn’t be off for another five days.
Daniels cracked a smile. Gave them a wave.
“See you tomorrow,” he said.


latimes--2020-06-10--Sepulveda Fire: Brush fire erupts off 405 Freeway in Bel Air

Firefighters were appearing to get an upper hand on a brush fire that broke out early Wednesday in Bel-Air off the 405 Freeway .
The blaze was reported around 12:15 a.m. near Getty Center Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard , said Brian Humphrey , a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department .
About four hours later , the fire was estimated to have burned up to 50 acres of grass and brush and was 15 % contained , Humphrey said .
The fire appeared to have spread into the hills east of the 405 Freeway , and more than 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two were injured and treated at the scene of the fire , Humphrey said .
No homes were currently threatened , and no evacuations were ordered , according LAFD spokesman Erik Scott .
Hand crews were fighting the fire on the ground , assisted by water-dropping helicopters , Scott said .
By 3 a.m. , officials said forward progress of the fire had been stopped but that firefighters were still battling the blaze .
The 405 Freeway was opened , but the Getty Center Drive off ramp was closed .
Humphrey said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fire , and it ’ s unclear if any structures were threatened .
Images posted on social media showed bands of fire scorching the brush along the freeway .
In 2019 , a tree branch that landed in power lines during strong winds sparked the Getty Fire , a brush fire that eventually burned more than 740 acres , according to the LAFD .
The fire destroyed 10 homes and damaged another 15 residences .

L.A. County firefighters at the scene of a brush fire that broke out after midnight in the Sepulveda Pass, threatening homes near Bel-Air. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
L.A. County hand crews arrive to contain a brush fire that broke out after midnight in the Sepulveda Pass. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
LAFD firefighter Ralph Hester from Engine 69 puts out hot spots as firefighters work to contain a brush fire that broke out in the Sepulveda Pass. Firefighters were able to stop forward progress of the blaze at about 50 acres. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
LAFD arson investigators Robert Williams, left, and Joe Sanchez examine the scene of the brush fire that broke out early Wednesday in the Sepulveda Pass and threatened homes near Bel-Air. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters were able to stop a brush fire that broke out early Wednesday in Bel-Air off the 405 Freeway.
The blaze, dubbed the Sepulveda fire, was reported about 12:15 a.m. near Getty Center Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard and was burning in rugged, steep terrain in the hills east of the 405, according to fire officials.
Before the sun rose Wednesday morning, officials said, forward progress of the fire had been stopped, but firefighters were still battling the blaze. The 405 Freeway remains open, but the Getty Center Drive off-ramp has been closed.
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As of 8 a.m., the fire was estimated to have burned about 50 acres of grass and brush and was 25% contained.
More than 200 firefighters responded to the fire. Two were injured and treated at the scene, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
No homes were threatened, and no evacuations were ordered. Fire officials, however, set up precautionary structure defense to protect homes near Moraga Drive and in the Bel-Air Crest Estates area, LAFD spokesman Erik Scott said.
Hand crews were fighting the fire on the ground, assisted by water-dropping helicopters, Scott said.
Firefighters’ efforts to control the blaze come amid another day of scorching temperatures across Southern California that saw brush fires popping up all over the state.
To the south, firefighters were making progress on several brush fires that had burned through more than 12 square miles at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base.
The blazes were believed to be linked to military training exercises, John Crook, deputy chief of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, said in a video posted on the base’s Twitter account.
None of the fires posed threats to personnel or buildings, nor to the surrounding communities, Crook said.
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Across the Southland, the mercury rose into the mid-90s on Wednesday. Santa Ana winds that kicked up earlier in the week have diminished, according to the National Weather Service.
The blazes broke out after a day of record-breaking heat across the region. Downtown Los Angeles reached 98 degrees on Tuesday, breaking the previous record of 94 degrees set in 1979. Los Angeles International Airport reached 93 degrees, inching past the previous record for the day of 91 degrees set in 1979.
In Orange County, Anaheim reached 103 degrees, and Newport Beach reached 84 degrees, surpassing their prior records of 92 degrees and 82 degrees, respectively, set in 1990.
Similar weather conditions have helped fuel past brush fires in the area.
In October 2019, a tree branch that landed in power lines during strong winds sparked the Getty Fire, a brush fire that eventually burned more than 740 acres, according to the LAFD. The fire destroyed 10 homes and damaged another 15 residences.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-10--Deported father awarded $35,000 by Corona in  settlement

Victory for former Corona resident Daniel Alberto Valenzuela came with a steep cost nearly 18 months after the 35-year-old man was pulled over for speeding .
Valenzuela , represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California , was awarded $ 35,000 by Corona as part of a settlement against the city , it was announced Tuesday afternoon .
“ We certainly believe that this demonstrates and provides some measure of vindication , ” said attorney Eva Bitrán of the ACLU Southern California branch .
“ We want to make sure the city of Corona doesn ’ t do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money will be sent to Valenzuela , who was deported in early 2019 to Mexico and has remained away from his Corona family since .
He has spent his time between Tijuana and the Mexican state of Sinaloa , where he ’ s been working with other family members and trying to raise money to obtain a visa , according to Bitrán .
Valenzuela was pulled over Jan. 31 , 2019 , while dropping his daughters off at school ; Corona police say he was driving 70 mph in a 45 mph zone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presented his foreign driver ’ s license .
Corona police said he was not the owner of the vehicle he was driving , which Bitrán said belonged to a family member .
Corona police said they contacted the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to verify if Valenzuela , who lived in Corona with his wife and daughters , “ was qualified to drive under a foreign license , ” according to a Corona news release .
Corona police say the Border Patrol told them Valenzuela had overstayed his visa and would need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police refused to transport him to a border patrol facility , but detained him for an hour until customs agents arrived , investigated and took Valenzuela into custody .
The ACLU maintains that if Valenzuela had been speeding , he should have been issued a citation and his legal status should never have been questioned .
The city of Corona says its officers were in the process of writing a ticket and impounding the car when customs agents arrived , so they terminated both events .
The ACLU said the actions of Corona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state law , ” or SB 54 , which acts to prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies “ from using money or personnel to investigate , interrogate , detain , detect or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes … in connection with immigration enforcement by law enforcement agencies.
” The ACLU added that Corona police violated Valenzuela ’ s due process and other constitutional rights .
Bitrán said she was happy that the Corona Police Department has made two reforms since Valenzuela ’ s detainment , including issuing a memo to all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customs agents .
The city disagrees “ that the officer ’ s actions violated federal or state law , ” an official statement said .
“ The officer was handling a traffic stop , not immigration enforcement .
Because the unusual facts of this situation may cause people of goodwill to view it differently , and because of the high costs and disruption of litigation , the city decided to settle this singular and isolated claim.
” A call to a Corona police spokesman was not immediately returned .
The $ 35,000 payment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1-million claim for damages made by the ACLU in June 2019 .

Former Corona resident Daniel Alberto Valenzuela was detained by Corona police on a traffic stop and eventually deported to Mexico.
Victory for former Corona resident Daniel Alberto Valenzuela came with a steep cost nearly 18 months after the 35-year-old man was pulled over for speeding.
Valenzuela, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, was awarded $35,000 by Corona as part of a settlement against the city, it was announced Tuesday afternoon.
“We certainly believe that this demonstrates and provides some measure of vindication,” said attorney Eva Bitrán of the ACLU Southern California branch. “We want to make sure the city of Corona doesn’t do this again to someone else.”
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The money will be sent to Valenzuela, who was deported in early 2019 to Mexico and has remained away from his Corona family since. He has spent his time between Tijuana and the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where he’s been working with other family members and trying to raise money to obtain a visa, according to Bitrán.
Valenzuela was pulled over Jan. 31, 2019, while dropping his daughters off at school; Corona police say he was driving 70 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Valenzuela, a Mexican national, presented his foreign driver’s license. Corona police said he was not the owner of the vehicle he was driving, which Bitrán said belonged to a family member.
Corona police said they contacted the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to verify if Valenzuela, who lived in Corona with his wife and daughters, “was qualified to drive under a foreign license,” according to a Corona news release.
Corona police say the Border Patrol told them Valenzuela had overstayed his visa and would need to be brought to a checkpoint. Corona police refused to transport him to a border patrol facility, but detained him for an hour until customs agents arrived, investigated and took Valenzuela into custody.
He was eventually deported.
The ACLU maintains that if Valenzuela had been speeding, he should have been issued a citation and his legal status should never have been questioned.
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The city of Corona says its officers were in the process of writing a ticket and impounding the car when customs agents arrived, so they terminated both events.
The ACLU said the actions of Corona police violated California’s “sanctuary state law,” or SB 54, which acts to prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies “from using money or personnel to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes … in connection with immigration enforcement by law enforcement agencies.”
The ACLU added that Corona police violated Valenzuela’s due process and other constitutional rights.
Bitrán said she was happy that the Corona Police Department has made two reforms since Valenzuela’s detainment, including issuing a memo to all staffers to speak with supervisors before contacting customs agents.
The city disagrees “that the officer’s actions violated federal or state law,” an official statement said. “The officer was handling a traffic stop, not immigration enforcement. Because the unusual facts of this situation may cause people of goodwill to view it differently, and because of the high costs and disruption of litigation, the city decided to settle this singular and isolated claim.”
A call to a Corona police spokesman was not immediately returned.
The $35,000 payment is a settlement of an original $1-million claim for damages made by the ACLU in June 2019.


latimes--2020-06-09--VA national cemeteries resume military honors services

The Veterans Affairs national cemeteries in Southern California , along with the 138 others throughout the country , resumed committal @ @ @ @ @ .
Services had been reduced to burials and limited visitations since March 23 due to @ @ @ @ @ large services and military honors gatherings were halted , VA officials said .
The national @ @ @ @ @ Riverside , Bakersfield , Miramar and Fort Rosecrans ( which is not accepting new interments @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , said Jennifer Lynch , VA public affairs officer .
Officials said there will @ @ @ @ @ of people who can attend a service based on local guidelines , and face coverings @ @ @ @ @ required for those who live in different households .
Officials also urged that funeral attendees @ @ @ @ @ that sick individuals stay home .
“ We believe we have a robust set of @ @ @ @ @ allow us to conduct committal and memorial services while protecting the health and safety of @ @ @ @ @ our team members who serve them , ” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said .

As a show of respect, Marine Pfc. Morgan Weibel places a penny for the fallen during a Memorial Day celebration at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.
The Veterans Affairs national cemeteries in Southern California, along with the 138 others throughout the country, resumed committal funeral services Tuesday for veterans.
Services had been reduced to burials and limited visitations since March 23 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and large services and military honors gatherings were halted, VA officials said.
The national cemeteries in Los Angeles, Riverside, Bakersfield, Miramar and Fort Rosecrans (which is not accepting new interments) resumed military honors services Tuesday, said Jennifer Lynch, VA public affairs officer.
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Officials said there will be limits on the number of people who can attend a service based on local guidelines, and face coverings and social distancing will be required for those who live in different households. Officials also urged that funeral attendees frequently use hand sanitizer and that sick individuals stay home.
“We believe we have a robust set of measures in place that will allow us to conduct committal and memorial services while protecting the health and safety of veterans, their families and our team members who serve them,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said.


latimes--2020-06-09--L.A. city attorney drops mandatory meetings for curfew violators

Los Angeles protesters arrested for violating curfews while demonstrating against the police killing of George Floyd won ’ t be prosecuted and now won ’ t have to attend meetings planned by City Atty .
Mike Feuer .
After receiving pushback from activists and local Black Lives Matter leaders , Feuer dropped the strings attached to dismissing the cases .
On Monday , he said protesters arrested for curfew violations would be required to attend “ dialogues ” or other events with law enforcement and community stakeholders designed to focus on police interactions , bias and other issues .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for curfew violations and failure to disperse while protesting last week .
Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey had already announced she would not charge any of those violators .
“ We evaluated a number of factors in deciding whether to make attendance at these events voluntary or mandatory for protesters who were arrested for these violations , ” Feuer said .
“ On the one hand , for example , although I very much hope there is never a future need for another curfew in Los Angeles , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances , it will be important that our residents take it seriously and comply with it.
” But , he said , “ the factors weighing in favor of voluntary participation in our program were more compelling , particularly given how unprecedented — indeed , absolutely extraordinary — the events of the last two weeks have been.
” Feuer said the goal of these discussions is to promote meaningful change .
“ If those arrested were required to attend as a necessary precondition to our office not filing a case , but then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be subject to prosecution .
Those prosecutions could result in peaceful protesters having a criminal record , which is not an outcome I support — especially here , given the rights they were exercising at this crucial time.
” He also said resources would be better used making the city safer , but he strongly encouraged those who were arrested to participate .
The decision by city law enforcement officials to not pursue criminal or financial penalties against protesters follows complaints by many of those arrested that they spent hours in plastic handcuffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them with injuries and potentially exposing them to the coronavirus .
Many of those arrested were taken into custody on suspicion of either violating curfew rules or failing to disperse after the LAPD had declared their protest unlawful .
A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and Black Lives Matter L.A. claims the curfews illegally suppressed constitutionally protected protests and violated people ’ s freedom of movement .
The organizations have also decried videos that show police officers responding with violence against protesters , including swinging batons and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates said the city ’ s new stance does not resolve all the concerns outlined in the lawsuit , and they urged that all cases be dismissed .

Protesters gather outside City Hall in Los Angeles to condemn the police killing of George Floyd.
Los Angeles protesters arrested for violating curfews while demonstrating against the police killing of George Floyd won’t be prosecuted and now won’t have to attend meetings planned by City Atty. Mike Feuer.
After receiving pushback from activists and local Black Lives Matter leaders, Feuer dropped the strings attached to dismissing the cases. On Monday, he said protesters arrested for curfew violations would be required to attend “dialogues” or other events with law enforcement and community stakeholders designed to focus on police interactions, bias and other issues.
Some 2,500 people were arrested in L.A. alone for curfew violations and failure to disperse while protesting last week. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey had already announced she would not charge any of those violators.
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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)
“We evaluated a number of factors in deciding whether to make attendance at these events voluntary or mandatory for protesters who were arrested for these violations,” Feuer said. “On the one hand, for example, although I very much hope there is never a future need for another curfew in Los Angeles, if one is ever imposed, in whatever circumstances, it will be important that our residents take it seriously and comply with it.”
But, he said, “the factors weighing in favor of voluntary participation in our program were more compelling, particularly given how unprecedented — indeed, absolutely extraordinary — the events of the last two weeks have been.”
Feuer said the goal of these discussions is to promote meaningful change.
“If those arrested were required to attend as a necessary precondition to our office not filing a case, but then chose not to participate, they would be subject to prosecution. Those prosecutions could result in peaceful protesters having a criminal record, which is not an outcome I support — especially here, given the rights they were exercising at this crucial time.”
He also said resources would be better used making the city safer, but he strongly encouraged those who were arrested to participate.
The decision by city law enforcement officials to not pursue criminal or financial penalties against protesters follows complaints by many of those arrested that they spent hours in plastic handcuffs crammed in buses without justification, leaving them with injuries and potentially exposing them to the coronavirus.
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Many of those arrested were taken into custody on suspicion of either violating curfew rules or failing to disperse after the LAPD had declared their protest unlawful.
A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and Black Lives Matter L.A. claims the curfews illegally suppressed constitutionally protected protests and violated people’s freedom of movement. The organizations have also decried videos that show police officers responding with violence against protesters, including swinging batons and firing foam and sponge projectiles.
Those advocates said the city’s new stance does not resolve all the concerns outlined in the lawsuit, and they urged that all cases be dismissed.


latimes--2020-06-10--Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals officially canceled for 2020

An October re-scheduling for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2020 seemed optimistic in the face of COVID-19 .
Now it ’ s official — the festival will not take place in 2020 .
On Wednesday , Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser announced that , because of the risks of the ongoing pandemic , the two-weekend festival ( along with its country music counterpart Stagecoach ) will be off until next year at the earliest .
Coachella , initially planned for April , with Rage Against the Machine , Frank Ocean and Travis Scott as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Empire Polo Grounds this Oct. 9 .
“ I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall , ” Kaiser said on Wednesday .
“ In addition , events like Coachella and Stagecoach would fall under Governor Newsom ’ s Stage 4 , which he has previously stated would require treatments or a vaccine to enter .
Given the projected circumstances and potential , I would not be comfortable moving forward .
“ These decisions are not taken lightly with the knowledge that many people will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health of the community.
” Kaiser praised Goldenvoice , the promoter of the festivals , for its efforts to protect the health of concert-goers .
Representatives for Goldenvoice did not immediately return messages seeking comment .
2020 will be the first year without a Coachella since 2000 , a gap year after the fest ’ s 1999 debut and its 2001 return .
On Monday , Goldenvoice ’ s parent firm AEG announced a wave of layoffs , furloughs and pay cuts affecting all divisions of its company , which include music , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear now that live events with fans will not resume for many months and likely not until sometime in 2021 , so we are faced with no easy options , ” chief executive Dan Beckerman wrote in a company-wide memo .
The cancellation follows the release of California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s four-step outline for re-opening the state , in which businesses in certain sectors were allowed to offer modified services .
Music festivals , like conventions and live sports , are last in line to resume and will not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the novel coronavirus is widely available .
The loss of the fest , which draws 125,000 fans to each of the six days spread over two consecutive weekends , will be a major blow to the tourism and hospitality industries of the Coachella Valley .
While most artists had anticipated the possibility of the festival ’ s cancellation — major touring is still on hold for the U.S. music industry — it does show the scale of the challenge facing live entertainment .
Coachella usually nets promoter Goldenvoice between $ 75 million and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the most profitable music fest in America .

The 2020 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
An October re-scheduling for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2020 seemed optimistic in the face of COVID-19. Now it’s official — the festival will not take place in 2020.
On Wednesday, Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser announced that, because of the risks of the ongoing pandemic, the two-weekend festival (along with its country music counterpart Stagecoach) will be off until next year at the earliest. Coachella, initially planned for April, with Rage Against the Machine, Frank Ocean and Travis Scott as headliners, had been scheduled to return to the Empire Polo Grounds this Oct. 9.
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“I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall,” Kaiser said on Wednesday. “In addition, events like Coachella and Stagecoach would fall under Governor Newsom’s Stage 4, which he has previously stated would require treatments or a vaccine to enter. Given the projected circumstances and potential, I would not be comfortable moving forward.
“These decisions are not taken lightly with the knowledge that many people will be impacted. My first priority is the health of the community.”
Kaiser praised Goldenvoice, the promoter of the festivals, for its efforts to protect the health of concert-goers.
Representatives for Goldenvoice did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
2020 will be the first year without a Coachella since 2000, a gap year after the fest’s 1999 debut and its 2001 return.
On Monday, Goldenvoice’s parent firm AEG announced a wave of layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts affecting all divisions of its company, which include music, sports and facilities. “It is clear now that live events with fans will not resume for many months and likely not until sometime in 2021, so we are faced with no easy options,” chief executive Dan Beckerman wrote in a company-wide memo.
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The cancellation follows the release of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-step outline for re-opening the state, in which businesses in certain sectors were allowed to offer modified services. Music festivals, like conventions and live sports, are last in line to resume and will not be permitted until an effective therapeutic treatment for the novel coronavirus is widely available.
The loss of the fest, which draws 125,000 fans to each of the six days spread over two consecutive weekends, will be a major blow to the tourism and hospitality industries of the Coachella Valley.
While most artists had anticipated the possibility of the festival’s cancellation — major touring is still on hold for the U.S. music industry — it does show the scale of the challenge facing live entertainment. Coachella usually nets promoter Goldenvoice between $75 million and $100 million annually, and it is the most profitable music fest in America.


latimes--2020-06-10--Amid police brutality protests, demonstrators target D.A. Jackie Lacey

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the sweltering heat in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon to decry the practices of the city ’ s law enforcement and protest Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey , who has come under fire for not prosecuting more police officers for misconduct .
The families of victims of officer-involved shootings spoke of losing loved ones as protesters shouted , “ Say their name.
” Diana Hernandez described how her brother , Daniel , was shot and killed , and said more needs to be done to investigate his death .
“ Our family is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
Speakers said that the energy of this moment shouldn ’ t wane , and that politicians such as Lacey — who is trying to win a third term in a runoff against former San Francisco Dist .
Atty .
George Gascón — and President Trump needed to be voted out of office .
“ Jackie Lacey must go .
Jackie Lacey must go , ” the crowd chanted .
“ We need to show the next D.A .
we mean business , ” one speaker said .
“ Prosecute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” they chanted next .
The planned protest follows weeks of marches across the region , expressing outrage at police brutality and the killing of George Floyd .
Lacey was targeted by protesters last week .
Lacey survived a heated primary against Gascón and former public defender Rachel Rossi , but now faces a November runoff against Gascón .
Lacey , who has described herself as among the first district attorneys in the country to champion a diversion program that routes certain offenders to mental health treatment rather than criminal prosecution , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Activists criticized the longtime district attorney earlier this year for backing out of candidate forums and limiting public appearances after protesters disrupted a debate .
Then on the eve of her primary election , a video showing Lacey ’ s husband pointing a gun at unarmed Black Lives Matter protesters during a confrontation outside the couple ’ s home in March went viral .
Video from the scene shows her husband , David , who is a former investigative auditor for the district attorney ’ s office , standing in the doorway of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shouting , “ I will shoot you .
Get off of my porch.
” The incident prompted an LAPD response , but no one was hurt or arrested .
Lacey offered an apology on her husband ’ s behalf but also derided protesters for what she said was repeated harassment and threats throughout her two terms in office .
“ His response was in fear , and now that he realizes what happened he wanted me to say to the protesters , the person that he showed the gun to , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s profoundly sorry , that he meant no one any harm , ” Lacey said , her voice swelling with emotion .

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey is trying to win a third term in a runoff against former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascón.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the sweltering heat in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon before marching down Spring Street to decry the practices of the city’s law enforcement and protest Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, who has come under fire for not prosecuting more police officers for misconduct.
During the protest in front of the Hall of Justice, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies lined the building as families of victims of officer-involved shootings spoke of losing loved ones as protesters shouted, “Say their name.” Diana Hernandez described how her brother, Daniel, was shot and killed, and said more needs to be done to investigate his death.
“Our family is devastated by the policies of LAPD,” she said.
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The father of Grechario Mack described the circumstances surrounding his son’s killing, saying how Mack was shot by the LAPD when he was already on the ground. Despite his sadness, he said he was proud to see this movement grow in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.
“My son was not a danger. The police were a danger,” Quintus Moore said. “If it wasn’t for these phones and social media they would be getting away with much more. [Police] lie over and over and over. We can’t breath. It’s time for us to breath.”
Speakers said that the energy of this moment shouldn’t wane, and that politicians such as Lacey — who is trying to win a third term in a runoff against former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascón — and President Trump needed to be voted out of office.
“Jackie Lacey must go. Jackie Lacey must go,” the crowd chanted. “We need to show the next D.A. we mean business,” one speaker said. “Prosecute killer cops. Prosecute killer cops,” they chanted next.
The planned protest follows weeks of marches across the region, expressing outrage at police brutality and the killing of George Floyd.
The movement has already sparked some change. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said during a media briefing Wednesday that he is committed to make a $250 million investment in communities of color. The money will be cut from city operations, including as much as $150 million from the Los Angeles Police Department.
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Garcetti also shared the LAPD’s investigation into 56 allegations of misconduct by officers during protests.
“Just as George Floyd was put in the ground yesterday, we are asking ourselves what comes next in the closing of that chapter to demand justice first and foremost for him and his family but also for all the other George Floyds,” he said. “And those who don’t have names because they’re living short lives, or never able to graduate or get a good job or serving time in prison disproportionately or living on the streets of a city in a tent. These are the moments for us to make sure that peace is more than a moment. It is a movement for each one of us that comes through justice.”
As the throng of protesters increased in downtown L.A., activist Janaya “Future” Khan cautioned how opponents of this moment would try to sow division between the multicultural movement and urged that the focus must remain on undoing a system that’s been unjust to minorities and benefited white people.
“They will try to divide us,” Khan said. “They will try to use our pain against each other because that’s what the colonial project does.”
Lacey was once celebrated by the Black community for her ascent to lead the largest prosecutor’s office in the country. But for some Black Angelenos, that support has diminished throughout her eight years in office as activists criticized her perceived refusal to prosecute police officers for using unjust force.
Lacey, who was targeted by protesters last week survived a heated primary against Gascón and former public defender Rachel Rossi, but now faces a November runoff against Gascón.
Lacey has described herself as among the first district attorneys in the country to champion a diversion program that routes certain offenders to mental health treatment rather than criminal prosecution. She would serve a third term if reelected.
Activists criticized the longtime district attorney earlier this year for backing out of candidate forums and limiting public appearances after protesters disrupted a debate.
Then on the eve of her primary election, a video showing Lacey’s husband pointing a gun at unarmed Black Lives Matter protesters during a confrontation outside the couple’s home in March went viral.
Video from the scene shows her husband, David, who is a former investigative auditor for the district attorney’s office, standing in the doorway of their Granada Hills home pointing a gun and shouting, “I will shoot you. Get off of my porch.”
The incident prompted an LAPD response, but no one was hurt or arrested. In April, officials for the state attorney general’s office said it was reviewing whether Lacey’s husband committed a crime and should face prosecution.
Lacey offered an apology on her husband’s behalf hours after the incident in March but also derided protesters for what she said was repeated harassment and threats throughout her two terms in office.
“His response was in fear, and now that he realizes what happened he wanted me to say to the protesters, the person that he showed the gun to, that he was sorry, that he’s profoundly sorry, that he meant no one any harm,” Lacey said, her voice swelling with emotion.


latimes--2020-06-10--Compton leaders call for removal of sheriff's deputies after man's beating

Dalvin Price said he was on his way home from visiting friends on May 31 when he noticed sheriff ’ s deputies in a patrol car following him .
They approached him as he was walking near Santa Fe and Rosecrans avenues in Compton and told him to get on the ground .
“ They didn ’ t force me to get on the ground — I got on the ground on my own , ” Price , 24 , told reporters Wednesday .
“ They told me to stop resisting although I wasn ’ t resisting .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were saying .
However , I was still treated like I didn ’ t have any rights.
” What happened next was filmed by someone standing nearby .
The video shows two deputies on top of Price , who is lying facedown on the pavement .
Moments later , a third deputy runs up and begins striking Price with his knee .
“ Why y ’ all beating him ?
” a woman yells from behind the camera .
The deputies then appear to handcuff Price .
The video sparked outrage in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have called for the “ immediate removal ” of the three deputies involved in the incident .
At a news conference Wednesday , Compton Mayor Aja Brown joined Price and community members intensified that demand .
“ I don ’ t know where Dalvin was going or coming from .
The fact is it doesn ’ t even matter , ” Brown said .
“ We are tired of dodging sheriff ’ s cars that have no regard for traffic laws or personal property , being snatched out of our cars , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and intimidated , beaten and in some cases murdered.
” She and Compton City Atty .
Damon Brown sent a letter last week to Sheriff Alex Villanueva saying the deputies ’ conduct evoked the death of George Floyd , who was killed when a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee down on Floyd ’ s neck for more than eight minutes .
Floyd ’ s death has led to protests nationwide against police brutality and widespread calls for police reform .
“ We will not stand for this violence against our residents or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” they wrote .
Four officers were fired and charged in Floyd ’ s killing .
Officer Derek Chauvin , who was recorded on video pinning Floyd down by his neck as he pleaded for air , was charged with second-degree murder and the three others at the scene face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder .
The sheriff ’ s deputies who encountered Price have not been named .
Jacqueline Venters , a Compton resident whose son was shot by a deputy in 2011 , said that it ’ s time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountable for their actions .
“ Everything that they arrest us for they been getting away with , ” she said .
Price filed a complaint with Villanueva Tuesday about how he was treated , alleging that two of the deputies kept shouting for him to stop resisting to “ mask their unwarranted attack on me by pretending I was actively resisting arrest.
” He said he suffered several injuries , including fractured ribs , and swelling to his head , eye and face .
He wrote that he was arrested on suspicion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge of assault with a deadly weapon was “ mysteriously levied.
” Price was released on bond two days later , jail records show .
Within hours of his release he wrote in the complaint , three sheriff ’ s cars cordoned off his street saying they were conducting a registration sweep .
“ But my uncle ’ s car was the only vehicle towed away , ” he said in the complaint .
Villanueva did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the complaint , but has said previously that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer “ narrowly escaped being killed by fleeing looters ” in a vehicle .
The Sheriff ’ s Department has said little else about what led up to the beating .
When asked about it at a Compton City Council meeting , Capt .
La Tonya Clark said the man involved was “ part of a looting spree in our city.
” “ It wasn ’ t like the deputies were out there and just selected this person haphazardly in our city , ” she said .
“ I ’ m not saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video , by no means at all .
And I just want all of you to understand that it is gon na be investigated thoroughly.
” The woman who recorded the incident said that since doing so , she has been harassed and intimidated .
She said her son has been pulled over .
“ My life has been turned upside down , ” Aja Hall said at the news conference .
Price said in his complaint that had it not been for the recording , “ it would now be my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tilted justice system , clearly predisposed to believing the testimony of those in uniform.
” Price also wrote that a sheriff ’ s deputy removed a new pair of tennis shoes his girlfriend had bought for him a week earlier from the trunk of his car .
He said the deputy put a phone — not his — in the shoes and carried them away .
“ My new shoes have not been returned to me as of yet , and I am fearful of evidence being planted , ” he wrote @ @ @ @

Compton resident Dalvin Price receives a hug of support from Compton City Mayor Aja Brown at a news conference about his arrest by sheriff’s deputies.
Dalvin Price said he was on his way home from visiting friends on May 31 when he noticed sheriff’s deputies in a patrol car following him.
They approached him as he was walking near Santa Fe and Rosecrans avenues in Compton and told him to get on the ground.
“They didn’t force me to get on the ground — I got on the ground on my own,” Price, 24, told reporters Wednesday. “They told me to stop resisting although I wasn’t resisting. I was trying my best to comply with everything they were saying. However, I was still treated like I didn’t have any rights.”
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What happened next was filmed by someone standing nearby. The video shows two deputies on top of Price, who is lying facedown on the pavement.
“On the ground!” a deputy yells.
“I’m on the ground!” Price responds.
Moments later, a third deputy runs up and begins striking Price with his knee.
“Why y’all beating him?” a woman yells from behind the camera. The deputies then appear to handcuff Price.
The video sparked outrage in the community and the Compton city leaders have called for the “immediate removal” of the three deputies involved in the incident.
Dalvin Price and his grandmother, Jacqueline Celestine, at a news conference about his allegedly violent arrest by sheriff’s deputies in Compton. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
At a news conference Wednesday, Compton Mayor Aja Brown joined Price and community members intensified that demand.
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“I don’t know where Dalvin was going or coming from. The fact is it doesn’t even matter,” Brown said. “We are tired of dodging sheriff’s cars that have no regard for traffic laws or personal property, being snatched out of our cars, having our vehicles illegally searched, being threatened and intimidated, beaten and in some cases murdered.”
She and Compton City Atty. Damon Brown sent a letter last week to Sheriff Alex Villanueva saying the deputies’ conduct evoked the death of George Floyd, who was killed when a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee down on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd’s death has led to protests nationwide against police brutality and widespread calls for police reform.
“We will not stand for this violence against our residents or any individual while in our city,” they wrote.
Four officers were fired and charged in Floyd’s killing. Officer Derek Chauvin, who was recorded on video pinning Floyd down by his neck as he pleaded for air, was charged with second-degree murder and the three others at the scene face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
The sheriff’s deputies who encountered Price have not been named.
Jacqueline Venters, a Compton resident whose son was shot by a deputy in 2011, said that it’s time for law enforcement officers to be held accountable for their actions.
“Everything that they arrest us for they been getting away with,” she said.
Price filed a complaint with Villanueva Tuesday about how he was treated, alleging that two of the deputies kept shouting for him to stop resisting to “mask their unwarranted attack on me by pretending I was actively resisting arrest.”
He said he suffered several injuries, including fractured ribs, and swelling to his head, eye and face. He wrote that he was arrested on suspicion of looting and that later, a charge of assault with a deadly weapon was “mysteriously levied.”
Price was released on bond two days later, jail records show.
Within hours of his release he wrote in the complaint, three sheriff’s cars cordoned off his street saying they were conducting a registration sweep. “But my uncle’s car was the only vehicle towed away,” he said in the complaint.
Villanueva did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the complaint, but has said previously that the incident in Compton arose after an officer “narrowly escaped being killed by fleeing looters” in a vehicle.
The Sheriff’s Department has said little else about what led up to the beating. When asked about it at a Compton City Council meeting, Capt. La Tonya Clark said the man involved was “part of a looting spree in our city.”
“It wasn’t like the deputies were out there and just selected this person haphazardly in our city,” she said. “I’m not saying that I condone what I saw on the video, by no means at all. And I just want all of you to understand that it is gonna be investigated thoroughly.”
The woman who recorded the incident said that since doing so, she has been harassed and intimidated. She said her son has been pulled over.
“My life has been turned upside down,” Aja Hall said at the news conference.
Price said in his complaint that had it not been for the recording, “it would now be my word against the officers in an unfair and tilted justice system, clearly predisposed to believing the testimony of those in uniform.”
Price also wrote that a sheriff’s deputy removed a new pair of tennis shoes his girlfriend had bought for him a week earlier from the trunk of his car. He said the deputy put a phone — not his — in the shoes and carried them away.
“My new shoes have not been returned to me as of yet, and I am fearful of evidence being planted,” he wrote in the complaint.


latimes--2020-06-10--Judicial leaders may amend coronavirus orders on bail but postpone vote on evictions and foreclosure

Judicial leaders may amend coronavirus orders on bail but postpone vote on evictions and foreclosures

Just as California ’ s judicial leaders were considering Wednesday on whether to amend COVID-19 orders to resume eviction and foreclosure proceedings , Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye decided to suspend the vote .
She said she acted after discussions with Gov .
Gavin Newsom , legislators and other judicial leaders .
“ I believe the executive and legislative branches will need more time to sort through various policy proposals , ” she said .
The Judicial Council , the rule-making body for the state judiciary , voted by email on proposals to reopen the courts sooner than planned .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all the votes late Wednesday afternoon .
The proposed amendments , which Cantil-Sakauye shelved , would have allowed court proceedings on evictions and foreclosures to resume on Aug. 3.They had been criticized by a San Francisco state legislator and a poverty law group .
Assemblyman David Chiu ( D-San Francisco ) announced legislation Wednesday to bar evictions for nonpayment of rent for 90 days after state and local coronavirus emergency orders end .
The bill would give renters an additional year before landlords could file civil suits to collect unpaid rent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that year , however .
Chiu had criticized the council for planning to restart eviction and foreclosure proceedings before the Legislature had time to pass new rules .
The council was also voting on whether to rescind an emergency order on June 20 that required bail be set at zero for people accused of lower-level crimes .
Judges would still have the flexibility to grant zero bail , however .
Another amendment would require that criminal defendants once again be arraigned within 48 hours after arrest .
The Judicial Council , headed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April to try to reduce jail populations , keep the coronavirus from spreading in courtrooms and spare courts from having to hear non-urgent civil cases during the pandemic .
Now that the state is reopening , the courts are following suit , though often by remote appearances .
The need to reduce jail populations is no longer as urgent .
Prisons are expected to allow convicted inmates to move from jails to prisons in all 58 countries by June 19 , a move that will lower the number of people in county jails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for lower-level offenses already have been released from California ’ s jails since the start of the pandemic .
“ The Judicial Council acted quickly to safely reduce jail populations and halt evictions and foreclosures during an unprecedented global health crisis , Martin Hoshino , the council ’ s administrative director , said before the vote on evictions and foreclosures was canceled .
“ These rules achieved their goals — to reduce harm , save lives , and help ‘ flatten the curve ’ of the pandemic.
” “ As a result , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started a phased , safe reopening , ” he added .
“ A statewide rule no longer serves our need to be flexible and responsive based on local health conditions .
”

California’s judicial leaders on Wednesday rescinded an emergency coronavirus order that set bail at zero for defendants accused of low-level crimes.
But a vote on whether to resume eviction and foreclosure court proceedings was suspended after Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye spoke with Gov. Gavin Newsom, legislators and other judicial leaders.
The Judicial Council, which Canti-Sakauye heads, voted 17-2 by email to rescind an emergency order on June 20 that required bail be set at zero for people accused of lower-level crimes. Judges will still have the flexibility to grant zero bail, however.
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“The Judicial Council’s action better reflects the current needs of our state, which has different health concerns and restrictions county-to-county based on the threat posed by COVID-19,” said Court of Appeal Justice Marsha Slough, a member of the council. “We urge local courts to continue to use the emergency COVID-19 bail schedule where necessary to protect the health of the community, the courts, and the incarcerated.”
The council, the rule-making body for the California court system, had also been scheduled to vote on a proposal to allow eviction and foreclosure proceedings to resume on August 4. The proposal had been criticized by a San Francisco state legislator and a poverty law group.
Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) announced legislation Wednesday to bar evictions for nonpayment of rent for 90 days after state and local coronavirus emergency orders end. The bill would give renters an additional year before landlords could file civil suits to collect unpaid rent. Tenants would have to pay rent during that year, however.
Chiu had criticized the council for planning to restart eviction and foreclosure proceedings before the Legislature had time to pass new rules.
Cantil-Sakauye said her conversations with lawmakers and other judges persuaded her that it was too soon to resume the court proceedings.
“I believe the executive and legislative branches will need more time to sort through various policy proposals,” she said.
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Cantil-Sakauye also decided Wednesday to rescind an emergency order that gave courts up to seven days to arraign a defendant after an arrest. Once again, arrestees will have to be arraigned within 48 hours.
The Judicial Council passed the emergency rules early in the pandemic to try to reduce jail populations, keep the coronavirus from spreading in courtrooms and spare courts from having to hear non-urgent civil cases during the pandemic.
Now that the state is reopening, the courts are following suit, though often by remote appearances.
The need to reduce jail populations is no longer as urgent. Prisons are expected to allow convicted inmates to move from jails to prisons in all 58 countries by June 19, a move that will lower the number of people in county jails.
More than 20,000 defendants facing trials for lower-level offenses already have been released from California’s jails since the start of the pandemic.


latimes--2020-06-10--Disneyland is reopening in July. What about other parks?

Now that the Happiest Place on Earth has announced plans to reopen July 17 , what ’ s the status @ @ @ @ @ What will they look like upon reopening ?
Here ’ s what we know so @ @ @ @ @ parks in the coronavirus era .

Now that the Happiest Place on Earth has announced plans to reopen July 17, what’s the status of other amusement parks? What will they look like upon reopening?
Here’s what we know so far about some major theme parks in the coronavirus era.


latimes--2020-06-10--LAPD officer violated department policy when he fatally shot a mentally disabled man at Costco

A Los Angeles police officer violated department policy when he fatally shot a mentally disabled man and wounded the man ’ s parents while shopping at a Costco , the Police Commission ruled Wednesday .
LAPD Chief Michel Moore also found the off-duty shooting out of policy and will now decide what discipline the officer , Salvador Sanchez , will face .
In a statement , Moore expressed “ profound regret ” to the family of the victim , Kenneth French .
“ The decisions and actions of this officer can not be justified and are inconsistent with the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expectations of every member of this organization , ” Moore said .
In a 30-page report , Moore provided more details of the events at the Costco in Corona on June 14 , 2019 .
Sanchez , who was getting food samples while holding his young son , was slapped on the cheek by French , 32 , in an unprovoked attack , the report said .
Sanchez told investigators that he thought French had a gun and had shot him , but there were inconsistencies in his account , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground , Sanchez continued shooting — 10 rounds in all , also hitting French ’ s parents , both of whom required surgery .
French was unarmed and Sanchez was struck only by French ’ s hand , the report said .
After presenting the case to a grand jury , Riverside County prosecutors declined to charge Sanchez .
The LAPD has stripped him of his police powers and assigned him to home .

Russell French, left, Paola French and son, Kenneth. Kenneth was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer at a Corona Costco in 2019.
A Los Angeles police officer violated department policy when he fatally shot a mentally disabled man and wounded the man’s parents while shopping at a Costco, the Police Commission ruled Wednesday.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore also found the off-duty shooting out of policy and will now decide whether the officer, Salvador Sanchez, will keep his job.
Sanchez, who was getting food samples while holding his young son, was struck on the head by French in an unprovoked attack at the Costco in Corona on June 14, 2019, according to a 30-page report by Moore.
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Sanchez told investigators that he thought French, 32, had shot him. But there were inconsistencies in his account, and French turned out not to have a gun, the report said.
In a written statement, Moore expressed “profound regret” to French’s family.
“The decisions and actions of this officer cannot be justified and are inconsistent with the Department’s core values, training and expectations of every member of this organization,” Moore said.
After presenting the case to a grand jury, Riverside County prosecutors declined to charge Sanchez, who worked in Southwest Division and has been with the LAPD for eight years. The department has stripped him of his police powers and assigned him to home.
French’s parents, Russell and Paola French, have sued the city of Los Angeles, arguing it is liable for Sanchez’s actions off-duty. They are undergoing more surgeries after being seriously wounded in the shooting, said their attorney, Dale Galipo.
“They’re obviously disappointed there was no criminal prosecution, especially now with what’s going on across the country with other cases they see,” Galipo said. “At least with some, like George Floyd, there is going to be a prosecution. Many families are wondering, ‘Why not in my case?’”
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David Winslow, an attorney for Sanchez, said the officer perceived a deadly threat and acted to defend himself and his child.
“Sal was off duty shopping with his family, holding his baby when he was violently attacked from behind without any provocation whatsoever,” Winslow said in a written statement. “He was hit in the head so hard that he was knocked to the floor unconscious. The blow to the head was so forceful he believed he had been shot. When he awoke he was laying on the floor semiconscious. His baby was screaming and he thought he had been shot too.”
French, who began suffering mental health problems after high school, lived with his parents and was mostly nonverbal, Galipo said.
As the Frenches and Sanchezes converged around the Aidells sausage sample booth that evening, Kenneth French suddenly hit Sanchez on the right side of the head. The two men did not appear to have had any contact with each other prior to that, Moore’s report said.
Sanchez fell to the ground. He thought he had been shot and thought he saw French still pointing a gun at him and his son, he told investigators. He pulled out his own gun and fired twice at French. Shoppers screamed and ran.
French collapsed but still had a “concentrated, intense look in his eyes, still looking at me and my son,” Sanchez told investigators. “I remember we were face-to-face and his arm was still extended out, and I believe he still had that same gun, and I fired twice more in his direction at him.”
Sanchez said he did not see French’s parents as he continued firing, sending off a total of 10 rounds into the store full of shoppers.
“Those people, I think that they were probably like — got in the way. I don’t know,” Sanchez said of Russell and Paola French.
Moore’s report said Sanchez should have determined the extent of his injuries and whether he had indeed been shot before reaching for his weapon. He also should have spoken to French and attempted to defuse the situation. No witnesses or evidence supported Sanchez’s belief that French was armed and had shot him, the report said.
Scouring the store after French was pronounced dead and his parents were taken to the hospital, investigators found only Sanchez’s gun — no other weapons. French had nothing on him, not even a wallet.
Sanchez was struck only by French’s hand, the report said.