latimes--2020-06-20--Want to save the world? Do your homework first

At first , the founder of the new nonprofit in Pico-Union offered community yoga classes , but at the appointed hours , no one in the community showed up to take them .
At first , he had flowers from his San Fernando Valley garden planted up and down the sidewalks surrounding the building he ’ d just bought and assumed that the neighborhood would be delighted .
He was stunned to come back and find some of the plants unceremoniously ripped out .
From the moment he arrived there seven years ago , Craig Taubman sincerely wanted to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populated downtown neighborhood .
But he soon realized that they saw “ this white guy coming in and maybe wanting to change things , wanting to gentrify.
” He was just at the beginning of a long and likely never-ending process of asking , listening , learning , proving his commitment and , inch by inch , earning the neighborhood ’ s trust .
I ’ m telling you the story of Taubman and his Pico Union Project today because I see it as a parable relevant to this moment , when there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , searching for places to land .
So many of us are feeling a strong drive to try to find ways to be useful to others .
It ’ s a drive that has led thousands onto the streets , even with the threat of the coronavirus , to collectively demand an end to systemic injustice and racism toward Black people .
It ’ s a drive that has made those who just now are starting to see the extent of their own privilege want to get engaged right away in work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate ways to aid other people whose experiences are very different is complicated , as Taubman ’ s story illustrates .
Love your neighbor as yourself .
That ’ s the principle , central to Judaism , on which Taubman launched his nonprofit seven years ago after he bought a more-than-century-old house of worship on Pico-Union ’ s western edge .
The building , with Stars of David in its beautiful stained-glass windows , had first been a synagogue .
Then it had become a Welsh Presbyterian church , whose congregation had over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handful of elderly faithful driving in from the suburbs , that there was little choice but to sell .
Taubman , a singer-songwriter and music producer who made his name as a children ’ s entertainer for Disney , was sure he could find wonderful ways to breathe new life into the space .
Here he was , a man with enormous energy and heart , who wanted to share the fruits of his success .
Here he was , a person of faith , who wanted to put that faith into practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in one way at Sinai Temple in Westwood , where 15 years before he ’ d been tasked with creating a monthly Friday night service that would try to draw young people back to the synagogue .
Thousands had come to Friday Night Live — which centered mainly on music and song .
At the conservative synagogue , he and Rabbi David Wolpe had sometimes turned the services into opportunities for dialogue , bringing in leaders of other faiths to share wisdom .
Taubman assumed the experience he ’ d gained at Sinai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He felt a certain kismet since the 1909 building he ’ d bought had been Sinai Temple ’ s first home .
For a minute , he had considered converting the building into a nightclub with a fine whiskey bar .
As he asked people their thoughts on what he should do with it , his daughter Abby , who just graduated from college , set him straight .
Why ask me ?
Ask the community , she told him .
Starting to question his new neighbors about how his investment could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be his first good step .
( I tend to think it ’ s always a good way to start , as I ’ ve said to you often about homelessness . )
Last Friday , I went to meet Taubman in the parking lot of his building , where he and a crew of volunteers and people from the neighborhood he was paying for giving over their time to help were readying to distribute boxes of produce — apples , oranges , melons , potatoes , onions — as well as eggs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Neighbors had begun lining up around the block well in advance .
The Pico Union Project now works in partnership with Seeds of Hope , the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles ’ food justice ministry .
Seeds of Hope trucks in pallets of produce gathered by another nonprofit , Food Forward , which rescues and redistributes fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste .
Since the coronavirus hit , the Pico Union Project has scaled up from giving out food to 250 families twice a month to helping feed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Taubman said .
Because here ’ s what Taubman learned first when he started asking people in the neighborhood what they needed , with much assistance from the Latino members of his small staff .
They weren ’ t so much short on yoga .
They were short on the very basics , a problem the virus only exacerbated .
Some didn ’ t have money to do laundry , so he launched Loads of Love , asking donors to underwrite the costs at a local laundromat .
Some didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handing it out and holding nutrition classes .
Those efforts began to draw the neighborhood in , said the project ’ s caretaker , Jorge Alvarez , who lives in the Pico Union Project ’ s building and worked for the Welsh church before Taubman arrived .
Soon the classes got so big that they had to be held in the sanctuary .
“ We thank them for coming .
We tell them , we appreciate your presence .
And it ’ s like a big wall of ice breaks , ” Alvarez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a community , and it feels so great .
People start to feel that confidence that we really are here to help them.
” Instead of ripping out the backyard plants , neighbors started helping to keep them alive .
When they saw Alvarez wheeling around a heavy cart holding trashcans full of water , some started watering for him or offering the use of their hoses .
The project soon got trashcans installed on the nearby sidewalks and started planting dozens of trees — including orchards of citrus and avocado up against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the neighborhood ’ s homeless .
They put pantry boxes around the area , loaded with nonperishable food , asking people to take what they need and give what they can .
Taubman has over the years turned his building ’ s sanctuary into a multi-faith worship and cultural center , offering groups of a variety of faiths the space for minimal rent in exchange for a commitment to volunteer .
He ’ s held Sabbath gatherings in which rich and poor , housed and unhoused , gather to worship and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rented the space out for concerts to bring in additional money for his community efforts .
And he ’ s tapped into a network of fellow nonprofits and sources of support — including the offices of city Councilman Gil Cedillo and county Supervisor Hilda Solis — because there was no need to reinvent the wheel .
He ’ s also never stopped asking for neighborhood input .
This Tuesday , when I arrived for the food distribution , it started with a listening session .
Quite a few people asked for more free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed her gratitude and said that she hadn ’ t worked or paid her rent in three months .
Yanira Ruiz later told me she hasn ’ t been able to make money either cleaning houses or driving for Uber since the virus arrived , and her landlady — who like her comes from El Salvador — harasses her relentlessly for the rent money .
When I mentioned that to Taubman , he immediately made a note to give people at a future distribution information about tenants ’ rights and rent forgiveness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ still adds up to baby steps in helping empower people to better help themselves .
That , rather than handouts , has become Taubman ’ s ultimate , much more complex goal .
His daughter Abby , 30 , now a county social worker , who has spent the last three years as an activist with White People 4 Black Lives , said she thinks there are a lot of people out there at the moment with “ white savior complex , ” who need to spend more time in self-reflection before they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
The kind of societal changes people are now talking about “ take lifetimes and lifetimes of work , ” she said .
Work that starts , I think , with loving your neighbor by first taking the time to get to know your neighbor .

At first, the founder of the new nonprofit in Pico-Union offered community yoga classes, but at the appointed hours, no one in the community showed up to take them.
At first, he had flowers from his San Fernando Valley garden planted up and down the sidewalks surrounding the building he’d just bought and assumed that the neighborhood would be delighted. He was stunned to come back and find some of the plants unceremoniously ripped out.
From the moment he arrived there seven years ago, Craig Taubman sincerely wanted to help the people of this poor, densely populated downtown neighborhood. But he soon realized that they saw “this white guy coming in and maybe wanting to change things, wanting to gentrify.”
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He was just at the beginning of a long and likely never-ending process of asking, listening, learning, proving his commitment and, inch by inch, earning the neighborhood’s trust.
I’m telling you the story of Taubman and his Pico Union Project today because I see it as a parable relevant to this moment, when there’s so much positive energy hovering, searching for places to land.
So many of us are feeling a strong drive to try to find ways to be useful to others. It’s a drive that has led thousands onto the streets, even with the threat of the coronavirus, to collectively demand an end to systemic injustice and racism toward Black people.
It’s a drive that has made those who just now are starting to see the extent of their own privilege want to get engaged right away in work to level the playing field. But finding appropriate ways to aid other people whose experiences are very different is complicated, as Taubman’s story illustrates.
Love your neighbor as yourself. That’s the principle, central to Judaism, on which Taubman launched his nonprofit seven years ago after he bought a more-than-century-old house of worship on Pico-Union’s western edge.
Jorge Alvarez, left, and Craig Taubman of Pico Union Project at the nonprofit’s headquarters. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The building, with Stars of David in its beautiful stained-glass windows, had first been a synagogue. Then it had become a Welsh Presbyterian church, whose congregation had over the years so dwindled, to a handful of elderly faithful driving in from the suburbs, that there was little choice but to sell.
Taubman, a singer-songwriter and music producer who made his name as a children’s entertainer for Disney, was sure he could find wonderful ways to breathe new life into the space.
Advertisement
Here he was, a man with enormous energy and heart, who wanted to share the fruits of his success. Here he was, a person of faith, who wanted to put that faith into practice.
He’d already done so in one way at Sinai Temple in Westwood, where 15 years before he’d been tasked with creating a monthly Friday night service that would try to draw young people back to the synagogue. Thousands had come to Friday Night Live — which centered mainly on music and song. At the conservative synagogue, he and Rabbi David Wolpe had sometimes turned the services into opportunities for dialogue, bringing in leaders of other faiths to share wisdom.
Taubman assumed the experience he’d gained at Sinai Temple would be transferable to Pico-Union. He felt a certain kismet since the 1909 building he’d bought had been Sinai Temple’s first home.
For a minute, he had considered converting the building into a nightclub with a fine whiskey bar. As he asked people their thoughts on what he should do with it, his daughter Abby, who just graduated from college, set him straight.
Why ask me? Ask the community, she told him. Starting to question his new neighbors about how his investment could be of service to them turned out to be his first good step. (I tend to think it’s always a good way to start, as I’ve said to you often about homelessness.)
Residents wait in line at a food giveaway at the Pico Union Project. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Last Friday, I went to meet Taubman in the parking lot of his building, where he and a crew of volunteers and people from the neighborhood he was paying for giving over their time to help were readying to distribute boxes of produce — apples, oranges, melons, potatoes, onions — as well as eggs, clothes, toilet paper and toys. Neighbors had begun lining up around the block well in advance.
The Pico Union Project now works in partnership with Seeds of Hope, the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles’ food justice ministry. Seeds of Hope trucks in pallets of produce gathered by another nonprofit, Food Forward, which rescues and redistributes fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste.
Since the coronavirus hit, the Pico Union Project has scaled up from giving out food to 250 families twice a month to helping feed as many as 2,000 families twice a week, Taubman said.
Because here’s what Taubman learned first when he started asking people in the neighborhood what they needed, with much assistance from the Latino members of his small staff. They weren’t so much short on yoga. They were short on the very basics, a problem the virus only exacerbated.
Craig Taubman directs people to wait in a line for a food giveaway at the Pico Union Project. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Some didn’t have money to do laundry, so he launched Loads of Love, asking donors to underwrite the costs at a local laundromat.
Some didn’t have enough food, so he started handing it out and holding nutrition classes.
Those efforts began to draw the neighborhood in, said the project’s caretaker, Jorge Alvarez, who lives in the Pico Union Project’s building and worked for the Welsh church before Taubman arrived. Soon the classes got so big that they had to be held in the sanctuary.
“We thank them for coming. We tell them, we appreciate your presence. And it’s like a big wall of ice breaks,” Alvarez told me. “You start getting a community, and it feels so great. People start to feel that confidence that we really are here to help them.”
Instead of ripping out the backyard plants, neighbors started helping to keep them alive. When they saw Alvarez wheeling around a heavy cart holding trashcans full of water, some started watering for him or offering the use of their hoses.
Yanira C. Ruiz, 50, looks over a box of produce she received. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The project soon got trashcans installed on the nearby sidewalks and started planting dozens of trees — including orchards of citrus and avocado up against a 110 Freeway underpass to provide sustenance for the neighborhood’s homeless. They put pantry boxes around the area, loaded with nonperishable food, asking people to take what they need and give what they can.
Taubman has over the years turned his building’s sanctuary into a multi-faith worship and cultural center, offering groups of a variety of faiths the space for minimal rent in exchange for a commitment to volunteer. He’s held Sabbath gatherings in which rich and poor, housed and unhoused, gather to worship and then break bread together. He’s rented the space out for concerts to bring in additional money for his community efforts.
And he’s tapped into a network of fellow nonprofits and sources of support — including the offices of city Councilman Gil Cedillo and county Supervisor Hilda Solis — because there was no need to reinvent the wheel.
He’s also never stopped asking for neighborhood input. This Tuesday, when I arrived for the food distribution, it started with a listening session. Quite a few people asked for more free chili and tomato plants. One woman expressed her gratitude and said that she hadn’t worked or paid her rent in three months.
Volunteers with the Pico Union Project hand out produce and other necessities to residents and families in the area on Tuesdays and Fridays. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Yanira Ruiz later told me she hasn’t been able to make money either cleaning houses or driving for Uber since the virus arrived, and her landlady — who like her comes from El Salvador — harasses her relentlessly for the rent money. When I mentioned that to Taubman, he immediately made a note to give people at a future distribution information about tenants’ rights and rent forgiveness.
All of this, of course, still adds up to baby steps in helping empower people to better help themselves. That, rather than handouts, has become Taubman’s ultimate, much more complex goal.
His daughter Abby, 30, now a county social worker, who has spent the last three years as an activist with White People 4 Black Lives, said she thinks there are a lot of people out there at the moment with “white savior complex,” who need to spend more time in self-reflection before they venture out with their plans to remake the world. The kind of societal changes people are now talking about “take lifetimes and lifetimes of work,” she said.
Work that starts, I think, with loving your neighbor by first taking the time to get to know your neighbor.


latimes--2020-06-20--Amid string of controversial shootings, L.A. County Sheriff's Department moves slowly to deploy body

Amid string of controversial shootings, L.A. County Sheriff's Department moves slowly to deploy body cameras

In a span of roughly 24 hours this week , Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies shot and killed two men , raising questions about how the episodes escalated into deadly gunfire .
The only video to emerge after deputies on Wednesday shot Terron Boone , a 31-year-old Black man , in a Kern County community came from a home security camera that recorded audio of the incident .
It ’ s unclear what footage , if any , investigators will be able to collect from the second scene in Gardena , where Andres Guardado , an 18-year-old Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fatally shot Thursday .
But no video was recorded by the deputies themselves .
After years of debates and then plans to distribute body cameras throughout the force , deputies still don ’ t have them .
Nor do they have — or is the agency planning on getting — audio recorders or dash cameras for department vehicles .
Questions about the back-to-back shootings , which come amid nationwide unrest over police brutality and the killing in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd , highlight how far the Sheriff ’ s Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implementing what experts say is an important tool for accountability and transparency .
The Los Angeles Police Department began deploying body cameras in 2015 .
“ Now is the time to do it , ” said Mike Gennaco , a police practices expert who used to oversee such standards at the Sheriff ’ s Department .
“ It should ’ ve been done yesterday.
” Sheriff ’ s officials heading up the program say they agree .
The program stalled for years over concerns about its costliness and policies for reviewing and releasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tangled up in bureaucratic red tape .
“ Everybody wants them , ” said Cmdr .
Chris Marks , pointing to deputies , members of the public and the courts .
“ The justice system wants them — everybody ’ s in agreement.
” The L.A. County Board of Supervisors set aside nearly $ 35 million to equip 5,200 deputies and security officers with the devices over the next two years .
The first batch is scheduled to roll out at Century station — a large and busy station with more than 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other areas — by October , said Sgt .
Chris Meadows .
After the new year , he said , four other stations , including Lakewood , Industry , West Hollywood and Lancaster , will get them .
Two years from now , they should be deployed at 31 locations , including 24 patrol stations and seven specialized bureaus , Meadows said .
It ’ s not uncommon for deputies to wear their own body cameras , but the Sheriff ’ s Department does not track how many do so , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Once the Sheriff ’ s Department implements the program , personal body cameras will be prohibited , Marks said .
Studies are mixed about whether body cameras are a tool for reform and how well they work to prevent use of excessive force .
All four officers involved in Floyd ’ s death had them on and activated , said Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder .
Many video recordings from high-profile incidents , such as the death of Floyd , whose neck was pinned by an officer ’ s knee for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some of those videos conflict with official police accounts .
Gennaco said the devices are ineffective if they ’ re not coupled with appropriate policies .
“ If you have a policy that is below standard , that does not match up with best practices , you might as well not have them , ” he said .
In a report this week , the county ’ s Office of Inspector General said it was troubled by some measures developed by the Sheriff ’ s Department that appear to “ strongly favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , the report said , there are concerns supervisors and deputies have too much discretion in deciding when to turn the devices on and off and the policy prohibits random audits for the purpose of discovering misconduct .
Deputies will be able to review footage before giving a statement in an investigation , which Marks said was consistent with best practices put forth by an outside consultant hired by the county .
But Gennaco said that allowing such prior review could compromise investigations .
The detectives who shot and killed Boone were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body cameras .
“ All those people will not have them because they ’ re just not in the field that much , ” Meadows said .
The fatal shooting of Boone , the half brother of Robert Fuller , a 24-year-old man found hanging from a tree in Palmdale last week , came as authorities were investigating allegations that he pistol-whipped , imprisoned and threatened a former girlfriend over a weeklong period .
The woman found an opportunity to escape Monday and ran into a store to call 911 , said Lt. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undercover detectives trailed Boone to an apartment complex in Rosamond , about 20 miles north of Palmdale , where he exited the car ’ s passenger side and began shooting , striking the police vehicle ’ s hood and roof , Westphal said .
Three detectives and a supervisor returned fire and shot him multiple times in the chest , killing him .
The death of Fuller and then Boone have stirred questions and heightened racial tensions in the Antelope Valley community .
Westphal said the lack of body camera video is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s rare nowadays that investigators aren ’ t able to collect some sort of video .
“ It ’ s just another piece in the puzzle because videos don ’ t tell the whole story — they only tell a snapshot from a certain perspective .
So it helps to piece things together , but it ’ s not by a long shot definitive , ” Westphal said .
The shooting in Gardena Thursday raised still more questions .
Two deputies from the Compton station observed Guardado outside a body shop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and produced a firearm , ” the Sheriff ’ s Department said .
Guardado ran and the deputies gave chase , before one opened fire .
But it ’ s unclear what prompted the gunfire .
Investigators said a gun recovered at the scene was not registered and was loaded with a prohibited large-capacity magazine .
“ We want to know why they killed him .
What justification is there to shoot him seven times ?
” Guardado ’ s uncle Noe Abarca said at the scene Friday .
He kneeled on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candles lined up in front of bouquets and a plush SpongeBob still in its plastic bag .
Above him were signs that said : “ Andres Guardado , 18 yr old , murdered by police , ” “ Justice for Andres , ” “ RIP Andres My Back was turned when they shot me.
” Sheriff ’ s officials said Guardado was struck in the upper torso and the coroner ’ s office had not completed an autopsy to determine how many times he was shot .
Lt. Charles Calderaro said investigators identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ search warrants to get footage from the scene .
Abarca , who works nearby , said he arrived at the scene Friday morning and sheriffs had taken the security cameras and a digital video recorder from an auto body shop near where he was killed .
Neither he nor the shop owner had seen the footage .
He said Guardado was friendly and funny , working two jobs as a security guard — the Sheriff ’ s Department said he did not have a security guard license — and was attending Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or electrician .
He was considering joining the Army and had started working at Street Dynamic Autobody six to eight months ago .
He lived in Koreatown with his two siblings and parents .
“ His father and mom are destroyed in the house .
There are no words to tell them right now .
”

Jennifer Guardado touches a picture of her brother, Andres Guardado, as she grieves Friday afternoon at the location in Gardena where the 18-year-old Latino youth was shot and killed by L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies.
In a span of roughly 24 hours this week, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed two men, raising questions about how the episodes escalated into deadly gunfire.
The only video to emerge after deputies on Wednesday shot Terron Boone, a 31-year-old Black man, in a Kern County community came from a home security camera that recorded audio of the incident. It’s unclear what footage, if any, investigators will be able to collect from the second scene in Gardena, where Andres Guardado, an 18-year-old Latino man working as a security guard, was fatally shot Thursday.
But no video was recorded by the deputies themselves.
After years of debates and then plans to distribute body cameras throughout the force, deputies still don’t have them. Nor do they have — or is the agency planning on getting — audio recorders or dash cameras for department vehicles.
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Protesters gather near Figueroa Street and Redondo Beach Boulevard on Friday afternoon to protest the killing of Andres Guardado. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Questions about the back-to-back shootings, which come amid nationwide unrest over police brutality and the killing in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, highlight how far the Sheriff’s Department trails other large law enforcement agencies in implementing what experts say is an important tool for accountability and transparency. The Los Angeles Police Department began deploying body cameras in 2015.
“Now is the time to do it,” said Mike Gennaco, a police practices expert who used to oversee such standards at the Sheriff’s Department. “It should’ve been done yesterday.”
Sheriff’s officials heading up the program say they agree. The program stalled for years over concerns about its costliness and policies for reviewing and releasing footage. More recently, implementation was tangled up in bureaucratic red tape.
“Everybody wants them,” said Cmdr. Chris Marks, pointing to deputies, members of the public and the courts. “The justice system wants them — everybody’s in agreement.”
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors set aside nearly $35 million to equip 5,200 deputies and security officers with the devices over the next two years.
The first batch is scheduled to roll out at Century station — a large and busy station with more than 200 deputies who patrol Walnut Park, Willowbrook and other areas — by October, said Sgt. Chris Meadows. After the new year, he said, four other stations, including Lakewood, Industry, West Hollywood and Lancaster, will get them. Two years from now, they should be deployed at 31 locations, including 24 patrol stations and seven specialized bureaus, Meadows said.
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It’s not uncommon for deputies to wear their own body cameras, but the Sheriff’s Department does not track how many do so, and the rules for them are less strict. Once the Sheriff’s Department implements the program, personal body cameras will be prohibited, Marks said.
Studies are mixed about whether body cameras are a tool for reform and how well they work to prevent use of excessive force.
All four officers involved in Floyd’s death had them on and activated, said Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder. Many video recordings from high-profile incidents, such as the death of Floyd, whose neck was pinned by an officer’s knee for more than eight minutes, come from bystanders. Some of those videos conflict with official police accounts.
Gennaco said the devices are ineffective if they’re not coupled with appropriate policies.
“If you have a policy that is below standard, that does not match up with best practices, you might as well not have them,” he said.
In a report this week, the county’s Office of Inspector General said it was troubled by some measures developed by the Sheriff’s Department that appear to “strongly favor LASD employees over public transparency.”
For example, the report said, there are concerns supervisors and deputies have too much discretion in deciding when to turn the devices on and off and the policy prohibits random audits for the purpose of discovering misconduct.
Deputies will be able to review footage before giving a statement in an investigation, which Marks said was consistent with best practices put forth by an outside consultant hired by the county.
But Gennaco said that allowing such prior review could compromise investigations.
The detectives who shot and killed Boone were undercover and would not be supplied with body cameras.
“All those people will not have them because they’re just not in the field that much,” Meadows said.
A bullet went through the kitchen window of Joyce Chaney’s apartment in a complex where Terron Boone was fatally shot by deputies Wednesday afternoon. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
The fatal shooting of Boone, the half brother of Robert Fuller, a 24-year-old man found hanging from a tree in Palmdale last week, came as authorities were investigating allegations that he pistol-whipped, imprisoned and threatened a former girlfriend over a weeklong period. The woman found an opportunity to escape Monday and ran into a store to call 911, said Lt. Robert Westphal.
Two days later, undercover detectives trailed Boone to an apartment complex in Rosamond, about 20 miles north of Palmdale, where he exited the car’s passenger side and began shooting, striking the police vehicle’s hood and roof, Westphal said. Three detectives and a supervisor returned fire and shot him multiple times in the chest, killing him.
The death of Fuller and then Boone have stirred questions and heightened racial tensions in the Antelope Valley community.
Westphal said the lack of body camera video is not likely to hinder the investigation. And it’s rare nowadays that investigators aren’t able to collect some sort of video.
“It’s just another piece in the puzzle because videos don’t tell the whole story — they only tell a snapshot from a certain perspective. So it helps to piece things together, but it’s not by a long shot definitive,” Westphal said.
The shooting in Gardena Thursday raised still more questions. Two deputies from the Compton station observed Guardado outside a body shop before he “looked toward the deputies and produced a firearm,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
Guardado ran and the deputies gave chase, before one opened fire. But it’s unclear what prompted the gunfire. Investigators said a gun recovered at the scene was not registered and was loaded with a prohibited large-capacity magazine.
“We want to know why they killed him. What justification is there to shoot him seven times?” Guardado’s uncle Noe Abarca said at the scene Friday.
He kneeled on the sidewalk to light the Virgen de Guadalupe candles lined up in front of bouquets and a plush SpongeBob still in its plastic bag. Above him were signs that said: “Andres Guardado, 18 yr old, murdered by police,” “Justice for Andres,” “RIP Andres My Back was turned when they shot me.”
Sheriff’s officials said Guardado was struck in the upper torso and the coroner’s office had not completed an autopsy to determine how many times he was shot.
Lt. Charles Calderaro said investigators identified some buildings with cameras and were obtaining search warrants to get footage from the scene.
Abarca, who works nearby, said he arrived at the scene Friday morning and sheriffs had taken the security cameras and a digital video recorder from an auto body shop near where he was killed. Neither he nor the shop owner had seen the footage.
He said Guardado was friendly and funny, working two jobs as a security guard — the Sheriff’s Department said he did not have a security guard license — and was attending Los Angeles Trade Technical College to be a mechanic or electrician. He was considering joining the Army and had started working at Street Dynamic Autobody six to eight months ago.
He lived in Koreatown with his two siblings and parents. “His father and mom are destroyed in the house. There are no words to tell them right now.”


latimes--2020-06-21--Gardena man fatally shot by deputy was armed with an illegal handgun, sheriff's officials say

Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s officials on Saturday said a Gardena man shot by a deputy this week was armed with an illegal handgun but did not provide details on what prompted the shooting that resulted in the man ’ s death .
Speaking at a late-afternoon news conference , Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters that investigators were still gathering evidence and that it was too early to say what exactly led to the shooting of Andres Guardado , 18 , who family members said worked as a security guard .
He also urged the public not to buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The sheriff promised a thorough investigation and urged the public to “ wait until all the facts are known ” before making judgments .
“ It ’ s sometimes going to be maddeningly slow because today in the 24-hour news cycle , everybody wants information immediately , ” Villanueva said .
“ But you have to remind yourself this happened not even 48 hours ago .
So the process has just begun.
” Guardado was shot at about 6 p.m. Thursday following a confrontation with deputies at 420 West Redondo Beach Blvd.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the homicide bureau .
He had been chatting with someone in a car that was blocking the location when deputies from the Compton sheriff ’ s station pulled up , Wegener said .
He fled , holding a gun , with two deputies chasing him on foot , Wegener said .
One of the deputies confronted him and opened fire , striking him in the upper torso , he said .
Authorities said they do not know whether Guardado had pointed his weapon at the deputy .
Guardado was shot six times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the scene .
His family said Guardado had worked as a security guard for Street Dynamic Autobody , near the location where he was shot .
Wegener said Guardado was under the 21-year age requirement to be a security guard in California .
He said the victim was not wearing a gunbelt , a uniform or any marked clothing , and that the .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol he was carrying was not licensed .
The weapon with a polymer frame did not have a serial number , Wegener said , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ larger than allowed ” with 13 live rounds loaded .
Authorities did not say whether Guardado fired any shots .
Homicide detectives do not have any video of the shooting , Wegener said , and they are still working to get footage from the scene from a third-party vendor operating a web-based system .
An autopsy is expected to be completed within a few days .
Meanwhile , family members and public officials said they believe the shooting was unjustified , pressuring the Sheriff ’ s Department for answers .
Congresswomen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on Saturday called for independent investigations , including one conducted by state Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra .
“ Another day , and another Black or brown kid has been shot in the back by police , ” Barragán and Waters said in a joint statement .
“ These killings must stop ... We demand answers and call for an independent investigation into this tragic death .
There must be full transparency so the public can trust the investigation and we know we are getting the truth.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing body cameras — equipment that , according to Villanueva , he has been asking since December of 2018 — his first month on the job .
He blamed the delay on a lack of support from the county Board of Supervisors .
At the news conference , sheriff ’ s Cmdr .
Chris Marks said officials are close to awarding a contract for body cameras , which will be supplied to 5,200 uniformed deputies working patrol jobs .
On Friday , Jennifer Guardado fought back tears near the auto body shop where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand , Guardado , 22 , held a white rose and a black baseball cap .
In the other was a sign with an image of her brother .
“ This is not right , ” she said .
“ I need justice .
He was a good man… .
He was going to make it and become a good professional man in life , but they took that away from my family .
My parents are completely destroyed… .
I didn ’ t even get to say goodbye to him.
” Guardado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was also at the scene on Friday , said Guardado was a good man who was working two jobs as a security guard and attending Los Angeles Trade-Technical College to become a mechanic or electrician .
He was also considering joining the Army and had only recently started working at Street Dynamic Autobody .
“ He had no history of trouble , ” Abarca said .
“ He ’ s never been in detention ” and had recently bought a brand-new car .
“ We were proud of him , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighboring auto body shop said he was shocked by the killing .
He said Guardado worked as security guard for his shop and was a good employee with a clean record .
“ We had security out front because we had certain issues with people tagging and stuff like that , and then the police come up and they pull their guns on him , and he ran because he was scared and they shot and killed him , ” Andrew Heney told KCAL-TV Channel 9 .

Sheriff Alex Villanueva said investigators continue to gather evidence in the fatal shooting of Andres Guardado in Gardena.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials on Saturday gave some updates about an officer-involved fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Gardena man but provided no details about what prompted the incident.
Officials said the man, Andres Guardado, was armed with an illegal handgun and was not wearing a uniform identifying him as a security guard. But their failure to explain what actually led to the shooting has infuriated protesters, who on Sunday said they are concerned the shooting was unjustified and demanded more answers from authorities. They carried signs that read “Justice for Andres.”
Among the crowd was Edis Abarca, Guardado’s aunt. She had an El Salvador flag wrapped around herself, reflecting the country her family fled because of the war.
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When asked how her family felt, she said, “broken.”
“What happened to Andres was not only a tragedy, it was an outright crime,” said Ron Gochez, a member of Union del Barrio, which organized this demonstration. “This is just one more of so many people who have been killed by the L.A. County sheriff’s and the police ... this is the unity between the Black and brown community saying we are tired of this.”
Shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday, the crowd of around 100 began marching down West Redondo Beach Boulevard, taking up both sides of the street as they headed to the Sheriff’s Station in Compton over three miles away. As they marched, people in cars threw up their fists in solidarity and honked their horns.
Protesters wore masks and held signs that read “Where’s the footage???” and “He ran because he was scared.”
Toward the front, Aztec dancers beat drums. Families watched from their front yards, phones raised to capture the crowd marching.
It marked one of several protests over the killing in recent days.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters that investigators were still gathering evidence, though he did not say why a deputy shot Guardado, 18, who family members said worked as a security guard. He also urged the public not to buy into conspiracy theories spreading on social media.
The sheriff promised a thorough investigation and urged the public to “wait until all the facts are known” before making judgments.
“It’s sometimes going to be maddeningly slow because today in the 24-hour news cycle, everybody wants information immediately,” Villanueva said. “But you have to remind yourself this happened not even 48 hours ago. So the process has just begun.”
Guardado was shot at about 6 p.m. Thursday following a confrontation with deputies at 420 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., said Capt. Kent Wegener of the homicide bureau. He had been chatting with someone in a car that was blocking the location when deputies from the Compton sheriff’s station pulled up, Wegener said.
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He fled, holding a gun, with two deputies chasing him on foot, Wegener said. One of the deputies confronted him and opened fire, striking him in the upper torso, he said. Authorities said they do not know whether Guardado had pointed his weapon at the deputy.
Guardado was shot six times, Wegener said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Andres Guardado, 18, was attending Los Angeles Trade-Technical College to become a mechanic or electrician, his family said. ( Guardado family)
His family said Guardado had worked as a security guard for Street Dynamic Autobody, near the location where he was shot.
Wegener said Guardado was under the 21-year age requirement to be a security guard in California. He said the victim was not wearing a gunbelt, a uniform or any marked clothing, and that the .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol he was carrying was not licensed.
The weapon with a polymer frame did not have a serial number, Wegener said, but it had an extended magazine with 15-round capacity, “larger than allowed” with 13 live rounds loaded. Authorities did not say whether Guardado fired any shots.
Homicide detectives do not have any video of the shooting, Wegener said, and they are still working to get footage from the scene from a third-party vendor operating a web-based system. An autopsy is expected to be completed within a few days.
Meanwhile, family members and public officials said they believe the shooting was unjustified, pressuring the Sheriff’s Department for answers. Congresswomen Nanette Barragán and Maxine Waters and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on Saturday called for independent investigations, including one conducted by state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra.
“Another day, and another Black or brown kid has been shot in the back by police,” Barragán and Waters said in a joint statement. “These killings must stop... We demand answers and call for an independent investigation into this tragic death. There must be full transparency so the public can trust the investigation and we know we are getting the truth.”
Barragán and Waters criticized deputies for not wearing body cameras — equipment that, according to Villanueva, he has been asking since December of 2018 — his first month on the job. He blamed the delay on a lack of support from the county Board of Supervisors.
At the news conference, sheriff’s Cmdr. Chris Marks said officials are close to awarding a contract for body cameras, which will be supplied to 5,200 uniformed deputies working patrol jobs.
On Friday, Jennifer Guardado fought back tears near the auto body shop where her brother was killed. In one hand, Guardado, 22, held a white rose and a black baseball cap. In the other was a sign with an image of her brother.
“This is not right,” she said. “I need justice. He was a good man…. He was going to make it and become a good professional man in life, but they took that away from my family. My parents are completely destroyed…. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to him.”
Guardado’s uncle Noe Abarca, 47, who was also at the scene on Friday, said Guardado was a good man who was working two jobs as a security guard and attending Los Angeles Trade-Technical College to become a mechanic or electrician. He was also considering joining the Army and had only recently started working at Street Dynamic Autobody.
“He had no history of trouble,” Abarca said. “He’s never been in detention” and had recently bought a brand-new car.
“We were proud of him,” he said.
The owner of a neighboring auto body shop said he was shocked by the killing. He said Guardado worked as security guard for his shop and was a good employee with a clean record.
“We had security out front because we had certain issues with people tagging and stuff like that, and then the police come up and they pull their guns on him, and he ran because he was scared and they shot and killed him,” Andrew Heney told KCAL-TV Channel 9.
Times staff writer Dorany Pineda contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-20--At Los Angeles toppling of Junipero Serra statue, activists want full history told

It began with a prayer and ended with a loud clunk .
On Saturday afternoon , a group of about five dozen indigenous activists of all ages — children and elders included — gathered at Father Serra Park in downtown Los Angeles , just south of Olvera Street .
As Tataviam/Chumash elder Alan Salazar burned sage and invoked the spirit of his ancestors , a group of young activists bound the nearby statue of Father Junipero Serra with ropes and tore him off his pedestal to chants of “ Take it down !
Take it down !
” After the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd erupted with shouts and drumming .
Statues of Serra , the 18th century Franciscan friar who served as principal architect of the California mission system during the era of Spanish colonization , have long been a flashpoint among indigenous activists .
The mission system was designed to convert and acculturate the Native population to Catholicism and European culture , and this was done by confining them to missions up and down the coast .
Natives who tried to escape were captured .
Those who disobeyed were beaten .
Indigenous beliefs and customs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church — quite controversially — canonized Serra in 2015 .
“ Mass incarceration comes from the mission system , ” says Joel Garcia , a cultural worker of indigenous Huichol background who was in attendance at Saturday ’ s toppling , and was part of a group of activists that pressed to have the statue of Christopher Columbus removed from Grand Park in 2018 .
“ It ’ s important that what is going on doesn ’ t overshadow what happened in California.
” Salazar , a long-time activist in indigenous cultural causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blessing for the toppling because of his own family ’ s history .
“ My family was brought to the San Fernando mission in 1799 , ” he says .
“ So when I talk about Native people who lost their culture , their language and their lives — and were worked like slaves at the missions — I ’ m talking about my great-great-great-great-grandparents.
” The statue of Serra , holding aloft a cross and bearing a model of a Spanish mission , was first installed in the downtown area by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An early , undated photograph in the collection of the California Historical Society at USC shows it occupying a corner near Spring Street and Sunset Boulevard ( now Cesar Chavez Avenue ) .
For many years , the statue has occupied a somewhat indistinct perch in Father Serra Park , a small plot of land wedged between a freeway on-ramp and the Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument .
Over the years , depictions of Serra have been protested and vandalized .
In 2018 , Stanford University removed Serra ’ s name from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials in Ventura announced that they would remove the statue that stands in front of Ventura City Hall and place it in “ a more appropriate non-public location.
” On Friday , protesters in San Francisco toppled a statue of Serra in Golden Gate Park .
The Los Angeles action was peaceful — no police were present — and the vibe was more familial ceremony than protest .
After the statue was removed , a young activist named Chynna ( she declined to give a surname ) placed fruits on the statue ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ informal altar .
Nearby , others laid flowers around Serra ’ s bronze form , which lay face-down on the pavement .
Another group laid out an offering of fruit in the middle of the park , to which others added their own objects .
Ever Velazquez , an artist who was in attendance , says it is time to reframe the narrative around the Spanish missions .
“ As a child growing up in Los Angeles and being forced to do a missions project in school — which was a bunch of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I knew my history and I know why it was important , and that ’ s why it was important to bring the families and the children here.
” In a statement issued via email on Saturday afternoon , organizers of the action ( a loose group of unnamed artists and activists ) say they see the toppling as a beginning , not an end .
“ It is time for reconciliation and with that , it is time for the WHOLE truth , all sides of the history need to be told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not just for us , but for future generations .
”

It began with a prayer and ended with a loud clunk.
On Saturday afternoon, a group of about five dozen indigenous activists of all ages — children and elders included — gathered at Father Serra Park in downtown Los Angeles, just south of Olvera Street. As Tataviam/Chumash elder Alan Salazar burned sage and invoked the spirit of his ancestors, a group of young activists bound the nearby statue of Father Junipero Serra with ropes and tore him off his pedestal to chants of “Take it down! Take it down!”
Alan Salazar, a Tataviam and Chumash Elder, leads a blessing prior to the statue’s toppling. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
After the statue flew off its pedestal, the crowd erupted with shouts and drumming.
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Statues of Serra, the 18th century Franciscan friar who served as principal architect of the California mission system during the era of Spanish colonization, have long been a flashpoint among indigenous activists. The mission system was designed to convert and acculturate the Native population to Catholicism and European culture, and this was done by confining them to missions up and down the coast. Natives who tried to escape were captured. Those who disobeyed were beaten. Indigenous beliefs and customs were banned.
Nonetheless, the Catholic Church — quite controversially — canonized Serra in 2015.
Activists tear down and deface with red paint the statue of Father Junipero Serra at Father Serra Park in Pueblo Amigo. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
“Mass incarceration comes from the mission system,” says Joel Garcia, a cultural worker of indigenous Huichol background who was in attendance at Saturday’s toppling, and was part of a group of activists that pressed to have the statue of Christopher Columbus removed from Grand Park in 2018. “It’s important that what is going on doesn’t overshadow what happened in California.”
Salazar, a long-time activist in indigenous cultural causes, says that he wanted to offer the blessing for the toppling because of his own family’s history.
“My family was brought to the San Fernando mission in 1799,” he says. “So when I talk about Native people who lost their culture, their language and their lives — and were worked like slaves at the missions — I’m talking about my great-great-great-great-grandparents.”
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Children pose for pictures atop the toppled statue of Junipero Serra. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
The statue of Serra, holding aloft a cross and bearing a model of a Spanish mission, was first installed in the downtown area by the Knights of Columbus in 1932. An early, undated photograph in the collection of the California Historical Society at USC shows it occupying a corner near Spring Street and Sunset Boulevard (now Cesar Chavez Avenue). For many years, the statue has occupied a somewhat indistinct perch in Father Serra Park, a small plot of land wedged between a freeway on-ramp and the Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.
Over the years, depictions of Serra have been protested and vandalized. In 2018, Stanford University removed Serra’s name from various campus buildings. On Thursday, officials in Ventura announced that they would remove the statue that stands in front of Ventura City Hall and place it in “a more appropriate non-public location.” On Friday, protesters in San Francisco toppled a statue of Serra in Golden Gate Park.
California Junipero Serra statue to be moved away from Ventura City Hall Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere, the Barbareño/Venureño Band of Mission Indians and Father Tom Elewaut issue a joint statement agreeing to move a statue of missionary Junipero Serra.
The Los Angeles action was peaceful — no police were present — and the vibe was more familial ceremony than protest.
After the statue was removed, a young activist named Chynna (she declined to give a surname) placed fruits on the statue’s plinth, turning it into an informal altar. Nearby, others laid flowers around Serra’s bronze form, which lay face-down on the pavement. Another group laid out an offering of fruit in the middle of the park, to which others added their own objects.
Activists sing after toppling the statue of Father Junipero Serra in Father Serra Park. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Ever Velazquez, an artist who was in attendance, says it is time to reframe the narrative around the Spanish missions.
“As a child growing up in Los Angeles and being forced to do a missions project in school — which was a bunch of lies,” she says, “I knew my history and I know why it was important, and that’s why it was important to bring the families and the children here.”
In a statement issued via email on Saturday afternoon, organizers of the action (a loose group of unnamed artists and activists) say they see the toppling as a beginning, not an end.
“It is time for reconciliation and with that, it is time for the WHOLE truth, all sides of the history need to be told,” reads the statement. “Not just for us, but for future generations.”


latimes--2020-06-21--Los  Angeles County reports 1,784 new coronavirus cases, 11 deaths

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 1,784 new cases of the coronavirus and 11 related deaths .
The county now has recorded more than 83,000 cases of the virus and over 3,120 deaths .
The continued rise in new cases came amid the first weekend of more businesses sectors reopening , as bars , card rooms and some personal care services were given the green light to resume operations Friday , provided they take certain precautions .
They include ensuring that customers practice physical distancing and wear face coverings .
“ These are the actions that allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and these actions will be essential to ensure that we don ’ t overwhelm our healthcare system and see increased numbers of deaths from COVID-19 , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county health director , said Sunday in a statement .
The average number of daily deaths in L.A. County continues to decrease , while average daily hospitalizations have also declined slightly , according to the Department of Public Health dashboard that tracks reopening metrics .
As of Sunday , there were 1,426 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals , with 29 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators .
That was a slight increase from the day before , when there were 1,406 patients .
Nearly 945,000 people had been tested for the virus and received their results , with about 8 % testing positive , officials said .
That rate has remained steady for the past several weeks .
Still , L.A. County continues to report high numbers of new cases each day .
Officials have said that is a result of both stepped-up testing and an increase in community transmission as more establishments reopen , putting more people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County has also seen an increase in new coronavirus cases , reporting its highest one-day total on Saturday and then again on Sunday .

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 1,784 new cases of the coronavirus and 11 related deaths.
The county now has recorded more than 83,000 cases of the virus and over 3,120 deaths.
The continued rise in new cases came amid the first weekend of more businesses sectors reopening, as bars, card rooms and some personal care services were given the green light to resume operations Friday, provided they take certain precautions.
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They include ensuring that customers practice physical distancing and wear face coverings.
“These are the actions that allow us to continue our recovery journey, and these actions will be essential to ensure that we don’t overwhelm our healthcare system and see increased numbers of deaths from COVID-19,” Barbara Ferrer, the county health director, said Sunday in a statement.
The average number of daily deaths in L.A. County continues to decrease, while average daily hospitalizations have also declined slightly, according to the Department of Public Health dashboard that tracks reopening metrics.
As of Sunday, there were 1,426 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals, with 29% in intensive care and 21% on ventilators. That was a slight increase from the day before, when there were 1,406 patients.
Nearly 945,000 people had been tested for the virus and received their results, with about 8% testing positive, officials said. That rate has remained steady for the past several weeks.
Still, L.A. County continues to report high numbers of new cases each day. Officials have said that is a result of both stepped-up testing and an increase in community transmission as more establishments reopen, putting more people in contact with one another.
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Orange County has also seen an increase in new coronavirus cases, reporting its highest one-day total on Saturday and then again on Sunday.


latimes--2020-06-21--Orange County reports another daily coronavirus case high

Orange County on Sunday reported its highest one-day total of new coronavirus cases for the second day in a row .
Public health officials recorded 434 new cases Sunday , which was preceded by 413 cases Saturday .
Previously , the county reported a high of 297 new cases on June 14 .
With the increases , the total number of cases reported by Orange County reached 10,422 .
Two more deaths were reported Sunday , bringing the total to 269 countywide .
As the number of cases has ticked upward , testing has also increased , with the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of Thursday , compared with 2,200 tests per day in early May .
Still , the seven-day average number of daily hospitalizations has also been rising steadily , from 202 in early May to 319 on Friday .
According to a Los Angeles Times analysis , Orange County also experienced a 76 % jump in ICU hospitalizations in the last six weeks .
As of Sunday , a total of 332 COVID-19 patients were in county hospitals , with 133 in intensive care .
That was a slight drop from Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 345 COVID-19 patients .

Glenby Ramirez, right, wipes down the escalator handrail and shoppers pass by as South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa reopened June 11.
Orange County on Sunday reported its highest one-day total of new coronavirus cases for the second day in a row.
Public health officials recorded 434 new cases Sunday, which was preceded by 413 cases Saturday. Previously, the county reported a high of 297 new cases on June 14.
With the increases, the total number of cases reported by Orange County reached 10,422. Two more deaths were reported Sunday, bringing the total to 269 countywide.
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As the number of cases has ticked upward, testing has also increased, with the county performing an average of 3,800 per day as of Thursday, compared with 2,200 tests per day in early May.
Still, the seven-day average number of daily hospitalizations has also been rising steadily, from 202 in early May to 319 on Friday. According to a Los Angeles Times analysis, Orange County also experienced a 76% jump in ICU hospitalizations in the last six weeks.
As of Sunday, a total of 332 COVID-19 patients were in county hospitals, with 133 in intensive care. That was a slight drop from Tuesday, when county hospitals saw a high of 345 COVID-19 patients.


latimes--2020-06-21--Mayor of Nevada City in Northern California lashes out at face coverings rule

The mayor of a Northern California city lashed out Saturday at Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s order requiring face coverings .
“ As you go about your day today , KNOW there is NO LAW that Orders you to Wear a Mask , ” Reinette Senum , mayor of Nevada City , wrote in a Facebook post .
“ Our Governor does NOT have that unilateral power to make such orders .
While I know the HEADLINES over the last couple days have stated something entirely different , that is because journalism is dead.
” Newsom on Thursday ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in public or high-risk settings .
Under state law , residents who violate the order could be charged with a misdemeanor and potentially face a fine , according to the Newsom administration .
Still , many law enforcement agencies have said they won ’ t enforce the order .
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Thursday he believed it ’ s not the responsibility of law enforcement to ensure compliance with the state ’ s mask order .
Instead , he said , “ it is each person ’ s responsibility to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safeguards in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.
” The Sacramento Sheriff ’ s Department said that it recommended that everyone follow the governor ’ s order .
“ However , due to the minor nature of the offense , the potential for negative outcomes during enforcement encounters , and anticipating the various ways in which the order may be violated , it would be inappropriate for deputies to criminally enforce the Governor ’ s mandate , ” Sheriff Scott Jones said in a statement .
“ Accordingly , the Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims told the Fresno Bee that her agency won ’ t take enforcement actions against those not wearing face coverings because it “ does not have the resources to direct toward this type of enforcement.
” Law enforcement officials in Tulare , Modoc and Placer counties have made similar statements .
Nevada County , which has a population of fewer than 100,000 people , has been less hard-hit by the coronavirus than some other areas of the state , reporting just 75 cases and one death as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at which new cases have been identified has accelerated in the last few weeks , officials said .
Ten new cases were reported Wednesday , the highest one-day increase in new cases since the pandemic began , the county said in a news release .
“ Many of the new cases are the result of people thinking it is safe to have social gatherings , or relax social distancing precautions , ” the county said .
“ This has resulted in multiple cases in Nevada , Placer , and across state lines.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order , multiple counties , including Los Angeles , had already required that residents wear face coverings in most public places .
Some have framed the requirements as a political issue , prompting heated clashes .
A group of protesters that include anti-vaccine activists recently demonstrated against the mask orders outside the home of Contra Costa County ’ s public health officer .
Earlier this month , Orange County ’ s chief health officer resigned amid intense pushback against her countywide mask order and threats against her that prompted a security detail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last week , a group of Orange County union leaders who gathered to call on health officials to reinstate the order was shouted down by a group of protesters who reportedly pushed speakers and tried to hit them in the head with signs .
Newsom said Friday that both state and local regulatory agencies could be called upon to “ exercise a little bit of persuasion ” in getting people to comply with the face coverings order .
On the state level , that could include the Division of Occupational Safety and Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control , which regulates the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants .
“ We ’ re not looking to fine people .
We ’ re looking to educate people , encourage people , ” Newsom said .
“ And to the extent that people flaunt and abuse , which may be the exception , then we have many tools in the tool kit.
” Times staff writers Phil Willon , Hannah Fry and Melody Gutierrez contributed to this report .

The mayor of a Northern California city lashed out Saturday at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order requiring face coverings.
“As you go about your day today, KNOW there is NO LAW that Orders you to Wear a Mask,” Reinette Senum, mayor of Nevada City, wrote in a Facebook post. “Our Governor does NOT have that unilateral power to make such orders. While I know the HEADLINES over the last couple days have stated something entirely different, that is because journalism is dead.”
Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public or high-risk settings. Under state law, residents who violate the order could be charged with a misdemeanor and potentially face a fine, according to the Newsom administration.
Still, many law enforcement agencies have said they won’t enforce the order.
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Thursday he believed it’s not the responsibility of law enforcement to ensure compliance with the state’s mask order. Instead, he said, “it is each person’s responsibility to wear a face covering and follow other recommended safeguards in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
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The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department said that it recommended that everyone follow the governor’s order. “However, due to the minor nature of the offense, the potential for negative outcomes during enforcement encounters, and anticipating the various ways in which the order may be violated, it would be inappropriate for deputies to criminally enforce the Governor’s mandate,” Sheriff Scott Jones said in a statement. “Accordingly, the Sheriff’s Office will not be doing so.”
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims told the Fresno Bee that her agency won’t take enforcement actions against those not wearing face coverings because it “does not have the resources to direct toward this type of enforcement.”
Law enforcement officials in Tulare, Modoc and Placer counties have made similar statements.
Nevada County, which has a population of fewer than 100,000 people, has been less hard-hit by the coronavirus than some other areas of the state, reporting just 75 cases and one death as of this week.
Still, the rate at which new cases have been identified has accelerated in the last few weeks, officials said. Ten new cases were reported Wednesday, the highest one-day increase in new cases since the pandemic began, the county said in a news release.
“Many of the new cases are the result of people thinking it is safe to have social gatherings, or relax social distancing precautions,” the county said. “This has resulted in multiple cases in Nevada, Placer, and across state lines.”
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Even before the governor’s statewide order, multiple counties, including Los Angeles, had already required that residents wear face coverings in most public places.
Some have framed the requirements as a political issue, prompting heated clashes.
A group of protesters that include anti-vaccine activists recently demonstrated against the mask orders outside the home of Contra Costa County’s public health officer.
Earlier this month, Orange County’s chief health officer resigned amid intense pushback against her countywide mask order and threats against her that prompted a security detail. Her predecessor then rescinded the order.
Last week, a group of Orange County union leaders who gathered to call on health officials to reinstate the order was shouted down by a group of protesters who reportedly pushed speakers and tried to hit them in the head with signs.
Newsom said Friday that both state and local regulatory agencies could be called upon to “exercise a little bit of persuasion” in getting people to comply with the face coverings order. On the state level, that could include the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which enforces workplace safety requirements, and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which regulates the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants.
“We’re not looking to fine people. We’re looking to educate people, encourage people,” Newsom said. “And to the extent that people flaunt and abuse, which may be the exception, then we have many tools in the tool kit.”
Times staff writers Phil Willon, Hannah Fry and Melody Gutierrez contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-21--Antelope Valley high school's decision to drop Rebels mascot is long overdue, some say

George Murdoch was a celebrated athlete at Quartz Hill High School in the Antelope Valley in the late 1980s and early 1990s .
He competed in football , basketball and track as a Rebel , a nickname the school celebrated with a cartoon Confederate soldier and the Confederate flag as its mascot .
“ I hated it , ” said Murdoch , who is biracial and is better known by his stage name “ Tyrus ” on Fox Nation ’ s streaming talk show “ Nuff Said With Tyrus.
” “ Being called a Rebel didn ’ t make sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the South .
We ’ re in California .
We just didn ’ t get it.
” Now those in authority agree with him .
Last week , officials announced that after 56 years the school is ditching the mascot , known as Johnny Rebel .
Earlier this month Flintridge Prep , a small private school in , quietly dumped its Rebel mascot as well , renaming its sports team the Wolves .
Quartz Hill hasn ’ t chosen a new nickname , but the fact that it ’ s axing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising racial tensions in the Antelope Valley .
Earlier this month the body of Robert Fuller , a 24-year-old Black man , was found hanging from a tree outside the Palmdale City Hall , about 12 miles from the high school .
The cause of death is still under investigation .
The following night the Rebel logo was brought up at an Antelope Valley Union High School District board meeting , and an online petition supporting the name change drew more than 5,400 signatures , the latest move in a years-long campaign to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has undergone several revisions through the years .
Last Thursday , Principal Zach Mercier relented .
A committee will be formed , he told teachers , to choose a new mascot for the school .
“ That , to me , felt like a new day , ” said English teacher Carmen Wisdom , who joined students in a four-mile Black Lives Matter march Saturday in scorching temperatures .
“ Now I will finally be able to wear spirit gear , ” she added .
“ I haven ’ t ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the five years I ’ ve taught here.
” Not everyone was in a celebratory mood , however , since the mascot change has already provoked a backlash against those who campaigned for it .
“ It ’ s a bittersweet moment , ” said Joshua Collier , the former Black Student Union president who has been working to get Johnny Rebel removed for two years .
“ We got something changed , not only for myself but for more students of color .
But the sour part is people are defending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change.
” Collier said his group ’ s email account has received numerous racist messages in recent days .
“ People just want to immediately attack us , ” he said .
Students and teachers say racial tensions are prevalent at the school , which once handed out Confederate flags at football games and assemblies .
Three years ago , 80 % of students surveyed said they wanted keep the Rebel mascot , and last summer a video surfaced on social media of a white teenager , identified as a Quartz Hill student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students repeated racial slurs in the background .
Replacing the Rebel mascot , some students hope , will soften some of those views .
“ The [ mascot ] change is a really good start to a better place at Quartz Hill , ” said Mia Ogebe , a sophomore tennis player .
“ The environment we have right now is unacceptable .
Obviously it won ’ t end all racism .
But it will show that we do have a voice and we want to be heard.
” The Antelope Valley ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to school there , and with that has come repeated allegations of racist policies , including a U.S. Justice Department finding that officials worked to drive Black people out of public housing .
Five years ago , the Los Angeles County Housing Authority of alleged discrimination , and some families who lost their housing assistance will have the chance to get it back .
At the same time , the sheriff ’ s department agreed to pay $ 700,000 and implement policies aimed at preventing racial bias .
The Justice Department launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of color — particularly Black people — living in federally subsidized housing in Lancaster and Palmdale were being harassed and discriminated against by sheriff ’ s deputies and county housing agency officials .
Then last week Fuller ’ s body was found .
“ Historically the Palmdale-Lancaster area has had many complaints from Black residents who feel they ’ ve been the victim of racism and destruction .
It ’ s been problematic for decades , ” said Najee Ali , a community organizer and activist from South L.A. who is among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fuller ’ s death .
Given that background , Murdoch , the Fox Nation talk show host and one of Quartz Hill ’ s best-known graduates , said the school ’ s association with Confederate symbolism was never appropriate and should have been changed long ago .
“ I never understood supporting the losing team , ” said Murdoch , who favors a bovine-related nickname given the fact the high school abuts a farm .
“ I never understood why there was so much emphasis on the most un-American thing you could possibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
“ Most young African Americans , when we see that flag we don ’ t usually associate it with a good time , ” he said .
“ So I don ’ t think it has any place in high school .
Now people are starting to take responsibility and you ’ re starting to see changes .
There ’ s never a better time to start.
” Staff writer Hailey Branson and assistant sports editor Dan Loumena contributed to this report .

Quartz Hill High School in the Antelope Valley is dropping “Rebels” as its mascot.
George Murdoch was a celebrated athlete at Quartz Hill High School in the Antelope Valley in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He competed in football, basketball and track as a Rebel, a nickname the school celebrated with a cartoon Confederate soldier and the Confederate flag as its mascot.
“I hated it,” said Murdoch, who is biracial and is better known by his stage name “Tyrus” on Fox Nation’s streaming talk show “Nuff Said With Tyrus.” “Being called a Rebel didn’t make sense to us. We’re not in the South. We’re in California. We just didn’t get it.”
George Murdoch, known as Tyrus of Fox Nation. (Fox Nation)
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Now those in authority agree with him. Last week, officials announced that after 56 years the school is ditching the mascot, known as Johnny Rebel. Earlier this month Flintridge Prep, a small private school in La Cañada Flintridge , quietly dumped its Rebel mascot as well, renaming its sports team the Wolves.
Quartz Hill hasn’t chosen a new nickname, but the fact that it’s axing the old one comes at a time of rising racial tensions in the Antelope Valley. On June 10, the body of Robert Fuller, a 24-year-old Black man, was found hanging from a tree outside the Palmdale City Hall, about 12 miles from the high school. The cause of death is still under investigation.
The following night the Rebel logo was brought up at an Antelope Valley Union High School District board meeting, and an online petition supporting the name change drew more than 5,400 signatures, the latest move in a years-long campaign to pressure the school to change the mascot, which has undergone several revisions through the years.
Last Thursday, Principal Zach Mercier relented. A committee will be formed, he told teachers, to choose a new mascot for the school.
“That, to me, felt like a new day,” said English teacher Carmen Wisdom, who joined students in a four-mile Black Lives Matter march Saturday in scorching temperatures.
“Now I will finally be able to wear spirit gear,” she added. “I haven’t ever even uttered ‘Quartz Hill Rebels’ in the five years I’ve taught here.”
Not everyone was in a celebratory mood, however, since the mascot change has already provoked a backlash against those who campaigned for it.
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“It’s a bittersweet moment,” said Joshua Collier, the former Black Student Union president who has been working to get Johnny Rebel removed for two years. “We got something changed, not only for myself but for more students of color. But the sour part is people are defending the mascot and are not open to change.”
Collier said his group’s email account has received numerous racist messages in recent days.
“People just want to immediately attack us,” he said.
Students and teachers say racial tensions are prevalent at the school, which once handed out Confederate flags at football games and assemblies. Three years ago, 80% of students surveyed said they wanted to keep the Rebel mascot, and last summer a video surfaced on social media of a white teenager, identified as a Quartz Hill student, getting painted in blackface as other students repeated racial slurs in the background.
Replacing the Rebel mascot, some students hope, will soften some of those views.
“The [mascot] change is a really good start to a better place at Quartz Hill,” said Mia Ogebe, a sophomore tennis player. “The environment we have right now is unacceptable. Obviously it won’t end all racism. But it will show that we do have a voice and we want to be heard.”
The Antelope Valley’s Black population has tripled since Murdoch went to school there, and with that has come repeated allegations of racist policies, including a U.S. Justice Department finding that officials worked to drive Black people out of public housing.
Five years ago, the Los Angeles County Housing Authority agreed to pay $2 million to victims of alleged discrimination, and some families who lost their housing assistance will have the chance to get it back.
At the same time, the Sheriff’s Department agreed to pay $700,000 and implement policies aimed at preventing racial bias. The Justice Department launched an investigation in 2011 into allegations that people of color — particularly Black people — living in federally subsidized housing in Lancaster and Palmdale were being harassed and discriminated against by sheriff’s deputies and county housing agency officials.
At Quartz Hill High School in the Antelope Valley, the “Rebels” mascot is out. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Then Fuller’s body was found this month.
“Historically the Palmdale-Lancaster area has had many complaints from Black residents who feel they’ve been the victim of racism and destruction. It’s been problematic for decades,” said Najee Ali, a community organizer and activist from South L.A. who is among those calling for an independent investigation into Fuller’s death.
Given that background, Murdoch, the Fox Nation talk show host and one of Quartz Hill’s best-known graduates, said the school’s association with Confederate symbolism was never appropriate and should have been changed long ago.
“I never understood supporting the losing team,” said Murdoch, who favors a bovine-related nickname given the fact the high school abuts a farm. “I never understood why there was so much emphasis on the most un-American thing you could possibility do, which is leave the United States.
“Most young African Americans, when we see that flag we don’t usually associate it with a good time,” he said. “So I don’t think it has any place in high school. Now people are starting to take responsibility and you’re starting to see changes. There’s never a better time to start.”
Staff writer Hailey Branson and assistant sports editor Dan Loumena contributed to this report.