latimes--2020-06-01--Looting in Van Nuys, Hollywood, as curfew begins in L.A. County

As a 6 p.m. curfew took effect Monday in Los Angeles County , the number of police officers swelled in Hollywood near multiple protests and in Van Nuys , where looters were ransacking businesses along a major commercial corridor .
Looting began in Van Nuys about 4 p.m. , blocks away from a peaceful protest started by college students that lasted much of the day .
Los Angeles Police Department officers fired bean bags at the crowd after looters ransacked a shoe store , a pharmacy , a watch repair stand and other small businesses on Van Nuys Boulevard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a strip mall .
Earlier Monday afternoon , three separate protests moved through Hollywood , including a group that marched down Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of the tourist district .
Other protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles and in Anaheim .
Demonstrators also briefly shut down the northbound 405 Freeway in Westwood by walking onto the Wilshire Boulevard on-ramp .
Some drivers honked in solidarity , and others stopped their cars to join .
The third night of countywide curfews followed days of massive , mostly peaceful protests to decry George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Minneapolis .
Nearly 1,200 people were arrested Sunday after police officers clashed with demonstrators and looters shattered windows and emptied stores in Santa Monica and Long Beach .
County officials sparked confusion by sending an emergency alert at 3:30 p.m. announcing a 6 p.m. curfew .
A second alert , sent minutes later , announced a 5 p.m. curfew .
The second message was intended for Glendale residents and was sent in error , officials said .
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Monday evening that people who looted and vandalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this weekend were “ capitalizing ” on the death of George Floyd .
About 700 people were arrested Sunday during mass protests over Floyd ’ s death and police brutality .
Of those arrests , 10 % were connected to burglary or looting , Moore said .
“ We didn ’ t have protests last night — we had criminal acts , ” Moore said during a news conference with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti .
“ We didn ’ t have people mourning the death of this man , George Floyd — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on their hands as much as it is those officers.
” Moore apologized minutes later , saying he “ misspoke when I said his blood is on their hands ” and that he regretted “ that characterization.
” “ But I don ’ t regret , nor will I apologize , to those who are out there today committing violence , destroying lives and livelihoods and creating this destruction , ” Moore said .
“ His memory deserves reform .
His memory deserves a better Los Angeles , a better United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nuys , protesters began to disperse just before 5 p.m. , saying they had received the county ’ s erroneous 5 p.m. curfew alert and did not want to be outside .
Others said they didn ’ t want to be near the looting that had started .
Several business owners stood outside their storefronts , drilling plywood over their windows .
A few blocks away , looters were smashing store windows , including retailers that sold shoes , watches and cell phones .
Eva Bandikian , the manager at Kovac ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lock on the door and stole “ everything , ” including money , the cash register and medicine .
Bandikian watched a feed from the store ’ s surveillance camera on her phone as about 10 young people stormed in .
“ It doesn ’ t have anything to do with us , ” she said .
“ They ’ re angry with the police and with the government.
” One looter in Van Nuys , who wore a purple face mask and a gray hooded sweatshirt , said that calls for peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother , had not solved the systemic racism facing black residents .
“ We ’ re just trying to find peace and justice , ” said the man , who declined to give his name .
“ All the stuff they did didn ’ t bring peace to us .
So we ’ re just trying to survive.
” In Hollywood , meanwhile , a growing group of protesters gathered next to Greenblatt ’ s Deli and the Laugh Factory at Sunset Boulevard and Laurel Avenue .
Late Monday afternoon , LAPD Cmdr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators , urging them to protest in peace , abide by the county ’ s 6 p.m. curfew and leave nearby businesses untouched .
“ If I take a knee with you guys , will you give me your verbal acknowledgement that this is a peaceful matter ?
” Palka yelled .
The crowd screamed in approval .
Someone yelled : “ Lead by example !
” Palka knelt on Sunset Boulevard .
After resting his left elbow on his folded knee , he moved to stand up .
“ We stand together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They all stood .
Protester Nathaniel Johnson , 30 of Hollywood , said the police department ’ s commitment to kneeling with demonstrators would have to be borne out with change .
He wondered : “ They took a knee now , but are they kneeling on us later ?
” Sean Welch , who attended the West Hollywood protest , had scrawled “ dying breed ” on his white T-shirt with black and red Sharpie .
As a black man in America , he said , that ’ s what he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years , ” Welch said .
“ What makes them believe it ’ s OK ?
” Behind him , a crew of men worked to board up the exterior and doors of a CB2 furniture store .
They had been busy this weekend , boarding up parts of the Beverly Center , a Trader Joe ’ s and a MedMen marijuana dispensary .
On Saturday , nearly 400 people were arrested when looters targeted the Fairfax shopping district , including on Melrose Avenue .
The city “ lost 88 buildings on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , 500 people were arrested when protesters shut down several freeways in downtown L.A. , Moore said .
California ’ s new policy that eliminates bail for most misdemeanor arrests — an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19 in jails — does not apply to looters , L.A. County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey said .
She urged victims to preserve video clips of crimes .
“ If you are a victim of a crime , if your business was in fact looted , vandalized , please do not erase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We need that .
In court , we ’ ll be able to use that of course to get justice for you.
” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia blamed looting and nearly 100 small fires in his city on organized criminals who were unaffiliated with peaceful protests .
The groups have been “ hitting cities across the state , ” he said , pointing to a similar pattern of peaceful marches , then mayhem , in Santa Monica .
“ It ’ s pretty clear given the type of activity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a strategy going city to city and doing this criminal work , ” Garcia said .
The damage to small business owners , he said , was “ unacceptable.
” Luna said he agreed with the spirit of the protests , and was “ offended and appalled ” by Floyd ’ s death .
Floyd died in handcuffs after police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for more than eight minutes , while Floyd yelled that he could not breathe .
All Long Beach police officers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
He said the idea that officers were “ just standing around ” and allowed unimpeded looting is “ complete BS.
” “ If you were looting and we have your license plate number and your face , we ’ re gon na come after you , ” Luna said .
“ Sunday was one of the most distressing days in Santa Monica history , ” Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown said on Monday .
More than 400 people were arrested on suspicion of crimes that included looting , burglary , assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police officer and curfew violations , Santa Monica Police Chief Cynthia Renaud said .
She estimated that 95 % of those arrested did not live in the city .
Demonstrators and looters were often just a few blocks apart .
Looters in the 4th Street shopping district appeared organized , smashing windows with crowbars and skateboards and loading stolen goods into waiting cars .
At least two police cars burned .
Several blocks away , police fired rubber bullets at demonstrators on Ocean Avenue after protesters threw eggs and water bottles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach .
At the Pike Outlets on Shoreline Drive , the crowd used hammers and threw trash can lids to smash windows .
Some protesters yelled at them to leave the stores alone .
Riot police moved in after 6 p.m. and the crowd fled .
On Monday , more than 100 masked volunteers flocked to Long Beach ’ s Harvey Milk Plaza with brooms , buckets and dustpans to clean up broken glass and scrub graffiti from walls .
Times staff writers Alejandra Reyes-Velarde , Melissa Etehad , Faith Pinho , Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ruben Vives , Brittny Mejia , Leila Miller , Matthew Ormseth and Andrew Campa contributed to this report .

Matt Hamilton, Alene Tchekmedyian, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Julia Wick, Matthew Ormseth, Laura J. Nelson

An injured man gets up with the help of emergency workers during a protest May 27 in downtown L.A. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
A protester lies hurt on the 101 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles on May 27. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
During a May 29 protest, Los Angeles police patrol the 110 after having moved protesters off the freeway. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Police officers assume a defensive stance as a protester approaches them on the 110 Freeway on May 29. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters climb over a barrier during the May 29 protest in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters are arrested by Los Angeles police in front of City Hall on Saturday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
A protester remains defiant after being pushed to the ground by police on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Police fire percussion rounds to clear protesters from Grand Avenue in in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters gather around a fire in the middle of a downtown L.A. street on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Cecelia Rosales, who said she was homeless, walks past a line of police officers in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Sake House employee Jared Settles can’t bear to watch as the restaurant burns in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Gilbert Haro and sons Richard, 8, and James, 6, help clean up in Santa Monica. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Volunteers help clean up the mess left by looters in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
People out after curfew are arrested Monday at Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Arrests are made of those out after curfew in Hollywood. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
AJ Lovelace, director and writer, tries to stop looters from breaking into a Walgreens in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A demonstrator, injured while trying to flee the firing of nonlethal rounds, lies on the ground in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Demonstrators in Riverside retreat as county sheriff’s deputies fire nonlethal rounds on Monday after law enforcement announced an unlawful assembly. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
AJ Lovelace, a director and writer, and others keep potential looters from entering a dry cleaning store as they attempt to march peacefully. “We need peace and we need someone to talk to each other,” he said after the looters fled the scene. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Khalil Mitchell speaks to protesters kneeling near a police line, preaching calm and working to preserve a peaceful protest on Monday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
LAPD Cmdr. Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with protesters and L.A. clergy during a march in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles Wednesday night to demonstrate for justice in the killing of George Floyd. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A protester confronts National Guardsmen as thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles to demonstrate for justice in the George Floyd murder by cop case Wednesday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Protestors turn on their cell phone flashlights at Los Angeles City Hall at 9 pm on Wednesday as part of a silent protest against the death of George Floyd. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters stand on top of a bus stop at the Los Angeles Civic Center to demonstrate for justice Wednesday night. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
As a 6 p.m. curfew took effect Monday in Los Angeles County, the number of police officers swelled in Hollywood near multiple protests and in Van Nuys, where looters were ransacking businesses along a major commercial corridor.
Looting began in Van Nuys about 4 p.m., blocks away from a peaceful protest started by college students that lasted much of the day. Los Angeles Police Department officers fired bean bags at the crowd after looters ransacked a shoe store, a pharmacy, a watch repair stand and other small businesses on Van Nuys Boulevard. Authorities were also responding to a fire at a strip mall.
Earlier Monday afternoon, three separate protests moved through Hollywood, including a group that marched down Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of the tourist district. Other protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles and in Anaheim.
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Demonstrators also briefly shut down the northbound 405 Freeway in Westwood by walking onto the Wilshire Boulevard on-ramp. Some drivers honked in solidarity, and others stopped their cars to join.
The third night of countywide curfews followed days of massive, mostly peaceful protests to decry George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis. Nearly 1,200 people were arrested Sunday after police officers clashed with demonstrators and looters shattered windows and emptied stores in Santa Monica and Long Beach.
County officials sparked confusion by sending an emergency alert at 3:30 p.m. announcing a 6 p.m. curfew. A second alert, sent minutes later, announced a 5 p.m. curfew. The second message was intended for Glendale residents and was sent in error, officials said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Monday evening that people who looted and vandalized during largely peaceful protests across Southern California this weekend were “capitalizing” on the death of George Floyd.
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About 700 people were arrested Sunday during mass protests over Floyd’s death and police brutality. Of those arrests, 10% were connected to burglary or looting, Moore said.
“We didn’t have protests last night — we had criminal acts,” Moore said during a news conference with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “We didn’t have people mourning the death of this man, George Floyd — we had people capitalizing. His death is on their hands as much as it is those officers.”
Moore apologized minutes later, saying he “misspoke when I said his blood is on their hands” and that he regretted “that characterization.”
“But I don’t regret, nor will I apologize, to those who are out there today committing violence, destroying lives and livelihoods and creating this destruction,” Moore said. “His memory deserves reform. His memory deserves a better Los Angeles, a better United States and a better world.”
In Van Nuys, protesters began to disperse just before 5 p.m., saying they had received the county’s erroneous 5 p.m. curfew alert and did not want to be outside. Others said they didn’t want to be near the looting that had started.
Several business owners stood outside their storefronts, drilling plywood over their windows. A few blocks away, looters were smashing store windows, including retailers that sold shoes, watches and cell phones.
https://twitter.com/jaclyncosgrove/status/1267620162196275201/photo/1
Eva Bandikian, the manager at Kovac’s Care Pharmacy, said looters broke the lock on the door and stole “everything,” including money, the cash register and medicine.
Bandikian watched a feed from the store’s surveillance camera on her phone as about 10 young people stormed in.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with us,” she said. “They’re angry with the police and with the government.”
One looter in Van Nuys, who wore a purple face mask and a gray hooded sweatshirt, said that calls for peaceful protest, including from Floyd’s brother, had not solved the systemic racism facing black residents.
“We’re just trying to find peace and justice,” said the man, who declined to give his name. “All the stuff they did didn’t bring peace to us. So we’re just trying to survive.”
In Hollywood, meanwhile, a growing group of protesters gathered next to Greenblatt’s Deli and the Laugh Factory at Sunset Boulevard and Laurel Avenue.
Late Monday afternoon, LAPD Cmdr. Cory Palka took the megaphone from demonstrators, urging them to protest in peace, abide by the county’s 6 p.m. curfew and leave nearby businesses untouched.
“If I take a knee with you guys, will you give me your verbal acknowledgement that this is a peaceful matter?” Palka yelled. The crowd screamed in approval. Someone yelled: “Lead by example!”
Palka knelt on Sunset Boulevard. After resting his left elbow on his folded knee, he moved to stand up. “We stand together,” he told the crowd. They all stood.
Protester Nathaniel Johnson, 30 of Hollywood, said the police department’s commitment to kneeling with demonstrators would have to be borne out with change. He wondered: “They took a knee now, but are they kneeling on us later?”
Sean Welch, who attended the West Hollywood protest, had scrawled “dying breed” on his white T-shirt with black and red Sharpie. As a black man in America, he said, that’s what he was.
“Cops have been killing us for years,” Welch said. “What makes them believe it’s OK?”
Behind him, a crew of men worked to board up the exterior and doors of a CB2 furniture store. They had been busy this weekend, boarding up parts of the Beverly Center, a Trader Joe’s and a MedMen marijuana dispensary.
On Saturday, nearly 400 people were arrested when looters targeted the Fairfax shopping district, including on Melrose Avenue. The city “lost 88 buildings on Melrose,” Moore said.
On Friday, 500 people were arrested when protesters shut down several freeways in downtown L.A., Moore said.
California’s new policy that eliminates bail for most misdemeanor arrests — an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19 in jails — does not apply to looters, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey said. She urged victims to preserve video clips of crimes.
“If you are a victim of a crime, if your business was in fact looted, vandalized, please do not erase any video tapes,” she said. “We need that. In court, we’ll be able to use that of course to get justice for you.”
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia blamed looting and nearly 100 small fires in his city on organized criminals who were unaffiliated with peaceful protests. The groups have been “hitting cities across the state,” he said, pointing to a similar pattern of peaceful marches, then mayhem, in Santa Monica.
California LAPD focused on peaceful protesters while ignoring looting, business owners say Despite efforts by the mayor and police chief to strike the right tone in their response to the protests over the death of George Floyd, many in Los Angeles say they missed the mark.
“It’s pretty clear given the type of activity and how organized the activity was, there is a strategy going city to city and doing this criminal work,” Garcia said. The damage to small business owners, he said, was “unacceptable.”
Luna said he agreed with the spirit of the protests, and was “offended and appalled” by Floyd’s death. Floyd died in handcuffs after police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, while Floyd yelled that he could not breathe.
All Long Beach police officers have been called back from vacation, Luna said. He said the idea that officers were “just standing around” and allowed unimpeded looting is “complete BS.”
“If you were looting and we have your license plate number and your face, we’re gonna come after you,” Luna said.
“Sunday was one of the most distressing days in Santa Monica history,” Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown said on Monday.
More than 400 people were arrested on suspicion of crimes that included looting, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a police officer and curfew violations, Santa Monica Police Chief Cynthia Renaud said. She estimated that 95% of those arrested did not live in the city.
Demonstrators and looters were often just a few blocks apart. Looters in the 4th Street shopping district appeared organized, smashing windows with crowbars and skateboards and loading stolen goods into waiting cars. At least two police cars burned.
Several blocks away, police fired rubber bullets at demonstrators on Ocean Avenue after protesters threw eggs and water bottles.
A similar dynamic developed in downtown Long Beach. At the Pike Outlets on Shoreline Drive, the crowd used hammers and threw trash can lids to smash windows. Some protesters yelled at them to leave the stores alone. Riot police moved in after 6 p.m. and the crowd fled.
On Monday, more than 100 masked volunteers flocked to Long Beach’s Harvey Milk Plaza with brooms, buckets and dustpans to clean up broken glass and scrub graffiti from walls.
Times staff writers Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Melissa Etehad, Faith Pinho, Joe Mozingo, Richard Winton, Joseph Serna, Ruben Vives, Brittny Mejia, Leila Miller, Matthew Ormseth and Andrew Campa contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-02--Mayor Garcetti takes a knee amid chants of 'Defund police!' at downtown L.A. protest

It was the kind of scene that , it seems , only this tumultuous year of 2020 could produce .
With the National Guard patrolling the streets of Los Angeles after several nights of looting , violence and fires , hundreds of people gathered downtown to protest the death of George Floyd and police brutality against so many other black people .
After weeks of calls for strict social distancing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , Mayor Eric Garcetti pulled down his blue Los Angeles Dodgers face mask , joined the crowd and took a knee .
As he spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police !
” Los Angeles County was , yet again , under a sweeping overnight curfew , and the nation was on edge after seven nights of chaotic protests and threats by President Trump to deploy “ thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers , military personnel and law enforcement officials ” to American cities .
At the protests downtown , many of those gathered Tuesday decried comments made by Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore , who said looters across Southern California over the weekend were “ capitalizing ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We didn ’ t have protests last night — we had criminal acts , ” Moore said during a news conference with Garcetti on Monday night .
“ We didn ’ t have people mourning the death of this man , George Floyd — we had people capitalizing .
His death is on their hands as much as it is those officers.
” Moore apologized minutes later , saying he “ misspoke when I said his blood is on their hands ” and that he regretted “ that characterization.
” “ But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I apologize , to those who are out there today committing violence , destroying lives and livelihoods and creating this destruction , ” Moore said .
“ His memory deserves reform .
His memory deserves a better Los Angeles , a better United States and a better world.
” On Tuesday , the chants rang out outside the LAPD ’ s glass headquarters : “ Fire Michel Moore !
Fire Michel Moore !
” And : “ Hey , hey , ho , ho !
Michel Moore has got to go !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As one group of people marching approached a line of police officers near 8th and Figueroa , a man asked them to step back , shouting , “ Everyone go home safe tonight !
” The young man , who declined to give his name but said he was from Glendale , said this is the first march he has attended .
“ I just couldn ’ t sit there and not do anything anymore , ” he said .
“ All four of those cops should have been arrested , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present for Floyd ’ s death .
Floyd last week died after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds .
Chauvin was fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in George ’ s death .
He is now out of jail on $ 500,000 bail .
The other officers at the scene when Floyd died — Thomas Lane , Tou Thao , and J Alexander Kueng — are being investigated for their roles .
On Tuesday morning , Boby Rudd , 34 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch the bus for his ride to work at a downtown warehouse as protesters passed .
He thanked them repeatedly .
“ I believe all lives matter , but my people keep getting hurt the most , ” said Rudd , who is black .
“ I just want to thank the people who aren ’ t black , thank them for their love and support.
” Lauren Skillen , 26 , of Los Angeles , and her sister Taylor , 28 , woke up Tuesday and wanted to do something to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office , a production company , had let everyone off work for Blackout Tuesday , in which people posted black boxes to their social media feeds to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement .
The sisters asked for donations on social media and got $ 160 in two hours .
They went to two stores and bought Gatorade , water , bandages , alcohol wipes and tissues .
After assembling 60 care packages in Ziplock bags , they headed downtown to distribute to protesters .
“ Sometimes it feels hollow to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not right thinking — but I wanted to be able to do something , ” Lauren Skillen said .
Many parents brought their children to experience this moment in history .
Khalil Bass , 30 , who is black , brought his 6-month-old son .
“ I don ’ t want him , when he gets his driver ’ s license , to be pulled over for no reason and have guns drawn on him , ” Bass said .
When Bass was a football player in high school and college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he drove his teammates around and officers saw a car full of men of color , he said .
Bass also played football in Canada and said the police are remarkably different .
“ When you come home , it ’ s that feeling like you did something wrong when you know you didn ’ t , ” he said .
Bass was laid off from his job as a trainer at a gym in Beverly Hills in mid-March .
He said it seems like people have more time to pay attention and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not working amid the pandemic .
“ There ’ s a feeling of being a part of history , ” he said .
“ Everyone feels like we can make a change , and more people are jumping on the bandwagon .
This is the first time it is not all black people at a protest .
”

Jaclyn Cosgrove, Tania Ganguli, Hailey Branson-Potts, Kent Nishimura

Mayor Eric Garcetti takes a knee with protesters and clergy members during a peaceful protest outside of L.A. City Hall.
It was the kind of scene that, it seems, only this tumultuous year of 2020 could produce.
With the National Guard patrolling the streets of Los Angeles after several nights of looting, violence and fires, hundreds of people gathered downtown to protest the death of George Floyd and police brutality against so many other black people. After weeks of calls for strict social distancing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Eric Garcetti joined the crowd, took a knee and pulled down his blue Los Angeles Dodgers face mask to speak.
As he spoke, chants rang out: “Defund the police!”
Los Angeles County was, yet again, under a sweeping overnight curfew, and the nation was on edge after seven nights of chaotic protests and threats by President Trump to deploy “thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers” to American cities.
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At the protests downtown, many of those gathered Tuesday decried comments made by Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore, who said looters across Southern California over the weekend were “capitalizing” on the death of George Floyd.
“We didn’t have protests last night — we had criminal acts,” Moore said during a news conference with Garcetti on Monday night. “We didn’t have people mourning the death of this man, George Floyd — we had people capitalizing. His death is on their hands as much as it is those officers.”
Moore apologized minutes later, saying he “misspoke when I said his blood is on their hands” and that he regretted “that characterization.”
“But I don’t regret, nor will I apologize, to those who are out there today committing violence, destroying lives and livelihoods and creating this destruction,” Moore said. “His memory deserves reform. His memory deserves a better Los Angeles, a better United States and a better world.”
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)
On Tuesday, protesters’ chants rang out outside the LAPD’s glass headquarters: “Fire Michel Moore! Fire Michel Moore!”
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And: “Hey, hey, ho, ho! Michel Moore has got to go!”
Garcetti on Tuesday night defended Moore, saying he was glad the chief apologized.
“I’m glad he quickly corrected it, and I’m glad that he further apologized, as well,” Garcetti said. “I want to be very, very clear about that. If I believed for a moment that the chief believed that in his heart, he would no longer be our chief of police. I can’t say that any stronger.”
Nearly 3,000 demonstrators in Southern California have found themselves in handcuffs after taking to the streets since Friday. Booking records reviewed by The Times show the vast majority of those arrested in Los Angeles County for looting, vandalism and burglary offenses are from here, seeming to refute perceptions of “outside agitators” coming in to fuel unrest.
A man with a sidearm and assault rifle impersonating a National Guard member was arrested Tuesday by the LAPD on suspicion of illegal possession of an assault weapon near a protest at City Hall.
Police said the man was confronted by real members of the National Guard at First and Main streets. Greg Wong, 31, was taken into custody after Guardsmen confronted him after noticing the decals on his uniform were incorrect.
Demonstrators on Tuesday were intent on keeping it peaceful. As one group of people marching approached a line of police officers near 8th and Figueroa, a man asked them to step back, shouting, “Everyone go home safe tonight!”
The young man, who declined to give his name but said he was from Glendale, said this is the first march he has attended.
“I just couldn’t sit there and not do anything anymore. All four of those cops should have been arrested,” he said of the Minneapolis police officers present for Floyd’s death.
Floyd last week died after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Chauvin was fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in George’s death. He is now out of jail on $500,000 bail. The other officers at the scene when Floyd died — Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng — are being investigated for their roles.
On the steps of City Hall on Tuesday, protesters urged each other to stay back from a barricade placed between them and rows of police and National Guard troops.
A black woman with a megaphone stood before the crowd and them to show gratitude for each other. She asked people to look around and thank people of different races who were with them.
“We have Caucasian people here, we have Asian people here, we have Hispanic people here,” she said. “We have Americans here. We have non-citizens here. … We need to thank everyone for standing united because, guess what? We are standing together.”
Nearby, Raynard Sterling, a nurse practitioner and former combat medic, stood in a white coat and teal surgical mask, taking in the scene.
“I think individuals like me, African Americans that have seen this happen routinely and even in other states, in urban America, we’re angry,” said Sterling, 52. “The underlying emotion is anger. We’re also hurt for [Floyd] and his family, but we’re very angry.”
Lauren Skillen, 26, of Los Angeles, and her sister Taylor, 28, woke up Tuesday and wanted to do something to help the protest efforts.
Skillen’s office, a production company, had let everyone off work for Blackout Tuesday, in which people posted black boxes to their social media feeds to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
The sisters asked for donations on social media and got $160 in two hours. They went to two stores and bought Gatorade, water, bandages, alcohol wipes and tissues. After assembling 60 care packages in Ziplock bags, they headed downtown to distribute to protesters.
“Sometimes it feels hollow to be another body — I know that’s not right thinking — but I wanted to be able to do something,” Skillen said.
Many parents brought their children to experience this moment in history. Khalil Bass, 30, who is black, brought his 6-month-old son.
“I don’t want him, when he gets his driver’s license, to be pulled over for no reason and have guns drawn on him,” Bass said.
When Bass was a football player in high school and college, he was repeatedly pulled over as he drove his teammates around and officers saw a car full of men of color, he said. Bass also played football in Canada and said the police are remarkably different.
“When you come home, it’s that feeling like you did something wrong when you know you didn’t,” he said.
Bass was laid off from his job as a trainer at a gym in Beverly Hills in mid-March. He said it seems like people have more time to pay attention and read the news because so many millions are not working amid the pandemic.
“There’s a feeling of being a part of history,” he said. “Everyone feels like we can make a change, and more people are jumping on the bandwagon. This is the first time it is not all black people at a protest.”
Standing in front of several National Guard troops on Spring Street, a 6-year-old boy named Quentin, who is black, wore a Spider-man face mask and held up a handwritten sign: “PLEASE LET ME LIVE!!! MY LIFE MATTERS!!”
Quentin had seen videos of burning buildings in the news and worried about his mom, who had been protesting since Saturday. He asked her to bring him along “to show me” what a peaceful protest looks like.
Wearing a short-sleeve shirt covered with photos of cats and a pink-hued, leopard print mask, 8-year-old Gianna Garcia said people needed to know that the protesters were strong and powerful.
“It’s going to be a good army,” she said.
Sitting atop a slow-moving black Jetta on Spring Street with her legs dangling through the sunroof, Gianna held her small, clenched fist aloft. She clutched a sign reading: #ChargeAllFour.
Her mother, Maureen Maldonado, was in the back seat, holding another sign with the words “I can’t breathe.”
Maldonado, a Latina, said that she and her daughter had been protesting for four days. Coronavirus had “removed all types of childcare” from the 38-year-old office manager’s life, but she believed that her daughter needed to be here.
“At least for me, the only change I can make is that I shape my daughter the right way,” Maldonado said.
Hundreds of people remained downtown after the 6 p.m. curfew passed.
One 37-year-old man, who stood outside City Hall half an hour past curfew, said that if the coronavirus pandemic had not forced the closure of so many businesses, “most of us wouldn’t be here. We’d be at work.”
“I’m out of work right now; most of us are, I bet you,” said the man, who declined to provide his name but said he lives in Hawaiian Gardens. He lost his job as a motor coach bus driver in March because of the stay-at-home orders.
As the clock struck 6 p.m., crowds remained downtown despite the curfew.
About 120 to 150 people were arrested Tuesday evening on Broadway north of Fifth Street. At 8:15 p.m., several were lined up near the boarded-up windows of Mattress Central and Planet Fitness, their hands zip-tied.
LAPD Sgt. Rex Ingram said all of them were arrested for curfew violations. Ingram said there had been no reports of looting downtown Tuesday evening.
Andy Freeland, 29, was walking with a crowd of people around 7 p.m. when, he said, officers charged at them near 5th and Broadway.
He scurried down Broadway, and someone opened a door in a boarded up residential building. A few dozen people ran inside. About an hour later, Freeland was hiding the building’s parking garage, hoping not to get arrested but expecting police to come in.
“We’re in the trash room and left the lights on and are sitting silently to hopefully not appear threatening if the LAPD opens it,” he told a Times reporter in a text message.
Eventually, police officers entered the building and told Freeland and others to go home. He was not arrested.
More than 1,000 people gathered outside Garcetti’s residence in Windsor Square Tuesday evening, chanting “defund police!” as an LAPD helicopter circled overhead. The crowd did yoga, deep breathing and stretching exercises. Someone burned sage.
To Whitney Peterson, 35, of Los Angeles, the chant was not a call for abolishing law enforcement but limiting it and steering resources elsewhere.
“When...people are getting killed by police, and yet we have schools and lower income communities struggling, it’s hard to swallow,” she said of public spending for police. “These communities are not being protected, and that needs to change.”
Speaking Tuesday evening, Garcetti said he had directed LAPD to “minimize” their use of rubber bullets when dealing with peaceful protesters.
“I think that we’ve seen less of any of those tactics, and I hope that we can see the most minimal if not zero of those tactics,” he said. He mentioned that an officer had their skull fractured and that officers needed to make peaceful protesting possible.
Garcetti said there needed to be more national leadership “to bring this moment to a calmer place.”
“The political pyromania of this moment that we see coming out of Washington right now — it’s not only not bringing us together, it is fanning the fuel of this fire.”
Times staff writers Benjamin Oreskes and Richard Winton and photographer Kent Nishimura contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-02--Man with assault rifle impersonating National Guard arrested at downtown protest

A man with a sidearm and assault rifle impersonating a National Guard member was arrested by the Los Angeles Police @ @ @ @ @ possession of an assault weapon near a City Hall protest .
Police said he was @ @ @ @ @ the National Guard at First and Main streets on Tuesday .
Greg Wong , 31 @ @ @ @ @ after Guardsmen confronted him after noticing the decals on his uniform were incorrect .
Wong @ @ @ @ @ out of an Uber car near First and Main streets .
Wong had a night @ @ @ @ @ the correct sidearm and a rifle , but patches he wore suggested service far beyond @ @ @ @ @ a source familiar with the arrest .
It ’ s unclear why he was wearing @ @ @

California National Guard troops at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday.
A man with a sidearm and assault rifle impersonating a National Guard member was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on suspicion of illegal possession of an assault weapon near a City Hall protest.
Police said he was confronted by real members of the National Guard at 1st and Main streets on Tuesday.
Greg Wong, 31, was taken into custody after Guardsmen confronted him after noticing the decals on his uniform were incorrect.
Wong had also been seen getting out of an Uber car near 1st and Main streets.
Wong had a night scope on his helmet, the correct sidearm and a rifle, but patches he wore suggested service far beyond his years, according to a source familiar with the arrest.
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It’s unclear why he was wearing the outfit.


latimes--2020-06-02--By firing rubber bullets at protesters, police risk killing, blinding or maiming them

In Los Angeles and cities across the country , police departments have attempted to quell unrest spurred by the death of George Floyd by firing rubber bullets into crowds , even though five decades of evidence shows such weapons can In addition to rubber bullets — which often have a metal core — police have used tear gas , flash grenades , pepper spray gas and projectiles to control crowds of demonstrators demanding justice for 46-year-old George Floyd , who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck , while other officers restrained his body .
Some peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smashing windows , setting buildings afire and looting stores .
The use by police of rubber bullets has provoked outrage , as graphic images have flashed on social media showing people who have lost an eye or suffered other injuries after being hit .
A published in 2017 in the BMJ found that 3 % of people hit by rubber bullets died of the injury .
Fifteen percent of the 1,984 people studied were permanently injured by the rubber bullets , also known as “ kinetic impact projectiles.
” Rubber bullets should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous crowd , ” said Brian Higgins , the former police chief of Bergen County , N.J. “ Shooting them into open crowds is reckless and dangerous , ” said Dr. Douglas Lazzaro , a professor and expert in eye trauma at NYU Langone Health .
In the past week , a was hospitalized in an intensive care unit after being hit between the eyes with a rubber bullet .
Actor said he was hit by rubber bullets seven times at a Los Angeles protest .
In Washington , D.C. , the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disperse a historic church where President Donald Trump was subsequently photographed .
Atty .
Gen. William Barr defended the actions of local and federal law enforcement officers in Washington , saying they had “ made significant progress in restoring order to the nation ’ s capital.
” Barr did not mention the use of tear gas or rubber bullets .
Freelance photographer Linda Tirado said she was at a protest in Minneapolis .
In an email , Minneapolis Police Dept .
spokesperson John Elder said , “ We use 40 mm less-lethal foam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rubber bullets.
” No one knows how often police use rubber bullets , or how many people are harmed every year , said Dr. Rohini Haar , a lecturer at the University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health and medical expert with Physicians for Human Rights .
Many victims don ’ t go to the hospital .
Police are not required to document their use of rubber bullets , so there is no national data to show how often they ’ re used , said Higgins , now an adjunct professor at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York .
There are no nationally agreed-upon standards for their use .
When aimed at the legs , rubber bullets can stop a dangerous person or crowd from getting closer to a police officer , Lazzaro said .
But when fired at close range , rubber bullets can penetrate the skin , break bones , fracture the skull and explode the eyeball , he said .
Rubber bullets can cause traumatic brain injuries and “ serious abdominal injury , including injuries to the spleen and bowel along with major blood vessels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency physician at New York ’ s Lenox Hill Hospital and a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians .
Firing rubber bullets from a distance decreases both their force and their accuracy , increasing the risk of shooting people in the face or hitting bystanders , Lazzaro said .
Physicians for Human Rights , a nonprofit advocacy group based in New York , has called for rubber bullets to be banned .
The British military developed rubber bullets 50 years ago to control nationalist rioters in although the United Kingdom stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are used by Israeli security forces against Palestinian demonstrators .
were criticized for using rubber bullets last year after dozens of “ yellow jacket ” demonstrators were blinded and .
“ Rubber bullets are used almost every day somewhere in the world , ” Haar said .
“ Using them against unarmed civilians is a huge violation of human rights.
” Many “ less than lethal ” police weapons can cause serious harm , according to • Acoustic weapons , such as sound cannons that make painfully loud noises , can damage hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult to see and breathe .
• Pepper spray , while painful and irritating , doesn ’ t cause permanent damage , Lazzaro said .
• Pepper spray balls , which have been used to quell recent protests , can be deadly when used incorrectly .
In 2004 , a 21-year-old Boston woman was hit in the eye and killed by a pepper spray pellet fired by police to disperse crowds celebrating the city ’ s World Series win .
• Disorientation devices that create loud noises and bright lights , known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe burns and blast injuries , including damage to the ear drum .
Panicked crowds can cause crush injuries .
• Water cannons can cause internal injuries , falls and even frostbite during cold weather .
• Physical force , such as hitting someone to subdue them , causes about 1 in 3 people to be hospitalized , said Dr. Howie Mell , a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians and former tactical physician , who worked with SWAT teams .
Rubber bullets are less harmful than subduing people by “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mell said .
“ But we ’ re firing a lot more of them this week than we usually do.
” This story was produced by Kaiser Health News , an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation .

A protester is treated for a wound after being struck by a rubber bullet and before being arrested for unlawful assembly on 5th Street in Santa Monica on Sunday.
In Los Angeles and cities across the country, police departments have attempted to quell unrest spurred by the death of George Floyd by firing rubber bullets into crowds, even though five decades of evidence shows such weapons can disable, disfigure and even kill.
In addition to rubber bullets — which often have a metal core — police have used tear gas, flash grenades, pepper spray gas and projectiles to control crowds of demonstrators demanding justice for 46-year-old George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, while other officers restrained his body. Some peaceful demonstrations have turned violent, with people smashing windows, setting buildings afire and looting stores.
The use by police of rubber bullets has provoked outrage, as graphic images have flashed on social media showing people who have lost an eye or suffered other injuries after being hit.
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I just got hit by a rubber bullet near the bottom of my throat. I had just interviewed a man with my phone at 3rd and Pine and a police officer aimed and shot me in the throat, I saw the bullet bounce onto the street @LAist @kpcc OK, that’s one way to stop me, for a while pic.twitter.com/9C2u5KmscG — Adolfo Guzman-Lopez (@AGuzmanLopez) June 1, 2020
A study published in 2017 in the BMJ found that 3% of people hit by rubber bullets died of the injury. Fifteen percent of the 1,984 people studied were permanently injured by the rubber bullets, also known as “kinetic impact projectiles.”
Rubber bullets should be used only to control “an extremely dangerous crowd,” said Brian Higgins, the former police chief of Bergen County, N.J.
“Shooting them into open crowds is reckless and dangerous,” said Dr. Douglas Lazzaro, a professor and expert in eye trauma at NYU Langone Health.
In the past week, a grandmother in La Mesa, Calif., was hospitalized in an intensive care unit after being hit between the eyes with a rubber bullet. Actor Kendrick Sampson said he was hit by rubber bullets seven times at a Los Angeles protest.
In Washington, D.C., the National Guard allegedly fired rubber bullets Monday to disperse peaceful protesters near a historic church where President Donald Trump was subsequently photographed.
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In a statement, Atty. Gen. William Barr defended the actions of local and federal law enforcement officers in Washington, saying they had “made significant progress in restoring order to the nation’s capital.”
Barr did not mention the use of tear gas or rubber bullets.
In case you are wondering, this is the size of a rubber bullet. I saw these all over the ground in LA. pic.twitter.com/hbHX33WBIO — Tamara Dhia (@tamaradhia) June 1, 2020
Freelance photographer Linda Tirado said she was blinded by a rubber bullet at a protest in Minneapolis.
In an email, Minneapolis Police Dept. spokesperson John Elder said, “We use 40 mm less-lethal foam marking rounds. We do not use rubber bullets.”
No one knows how often police use rubber bullets, or how many people are harmed every year, said Dr. Rohini Haar, a lecturer at the University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health and medical expert with Physicians for Human Rights. Many victims don’t go to the hospital.
Police are not required to document their use of rubber bullets, so there is no national data to show how often they’re used, said Higgins, now an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. There are no nationally agreed-upon standards for their use.
When aimed at the legs, rubber bullets can stop a dangerous person or crowd from getting closer to a police officer, Lazzaro said.
But when fired at close range, rubber bullets can penetrate the skin, break bones, fracture the skull and explode the eyeball, he said. Rubber bullets can cause traumatic brain injuries and “serious abdominal injury, including injuries to the spleen and bowel along with major blood vessels,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital and a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Firing rubber bullets from a distance decreases both their force and their accuracy, increasing the risk of shooting people in the face or hitting bystanders, Lazzaro said.
Physicians for Human Rights, a nonprofit advocacy group based in New York, has called for rubber bullets to be banned.
The British military developed rubber bullets 50 years ago to control nationalist rioters in Northern Ireland, although the United Kingdom stopped using them decades ago. Rubber bullets are used by Israeli security forces against Palestinian demonstrators. French police were criticized for using rubber bullets last year after dozens of “yellow jacket” demonstrators were blinded and hundreds were injured .
“Rubber bullets are used almost every day somewhere in the world,” Haar said. “Using them against unarmed civilians is a huge violation of human rights.”
Many “less than lethal” police weapons can cause serious harm, according to Physicians for Human Rights.
Acoustic weapons, such as sound cannons that make painfully loud noises, can damage hearing.
Tear gas can make it difficult to see and breathe.
Pepper spray, while painful and irritating, doesn’t cause permanent damage, Lazzaro said.
Pepper spray balls, which have been used to quell recent protests, can be deadly when used incorrectly. In 2004, a 21-year-old Boston woman was hit in the eye and killed by a pepper spray pellet fired by police to disperse crowds celebrating the city’s World Series win.
Disorientation devices that create loud noises and bright lights, known as concussion grenade or flash-bangs, can cause severe burns and blast injuries, including damage to the ear drum. Panicked crowds can cause crush injuries.
Water cannons can cause internal injuries, falls and even frostbite during cold weather.
Physical force, such as hitting someone to subdue them, causes about 1 in 3 people to be hospitalized, said Dr. Howie Mell, a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians and former tactical physician, who worked with SWAT teams.
Rubber bullets are less harmful than subduing people by “physical force or regular bullets,” Mell said. “But we’re firing a lot more of them this week than we usually do.”
This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.


latimes--2020-06-02--L.A. Police Commission, Chief Moore hear from outraged residents

The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday got an update on the police response to days of protests — but also faced deep anger from residents about the Los Angeles Police Department ’ s handling of the situation .
Many people were initially shut out of an L.A. Police Commission meeting because the Zoom meeting had been limited to 500 participants .
After the settings were adjusted to allow more to attend , many speakers called on Police Chief Michel Moore to resign because of his remark that looters were as responsible for George Floyd ’ s death as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walked back the remark and apologized for it .
Jocelyn Tucker said she appreciated the apology , but his words were telling .
“ If that was your knee-jerk reaction , you ’ re not in the right job , ” she said .
State Sen. Holly Mitchell also responded to his comments .
“ I want you to know that we have every right to be outraged and that our voices deserve to be heard and not hijacked by outside agitators nor by a police chief who infers that our actions can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnessed and experienced , ” she wrote in a statement .
“ These type of distractions want to turn this discussion away from the main point — which is ending structural racism.
” Many speakers also said they had witnessed LAPD officers shooting rubber bullets at protesters and blamed the officers for escalating the tensions .
“ I ’ m terrified of the LAPD .
You have shown your true colors , ” David Spencer said .
After about 80 people spoke , hundreds still were still in line for a turn to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police commission that when he saw the video of police killing George Floyd , he and others at the LAPD “ were greatly disturbed by it and troubled by the images and we sought to community clearly — those images we witnessed along with the rest of America , they were horrible .
It was disgusting and without justification.
” Moore said the LAPD originally hoped to work with peaceful protesters .
But while many demonstrators were peaceful , looting began Saturday night and changed the dynamics .
“ When violence escalates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread looting in Fairfax area Saturday , and we see officers sustain injuries , the loss of property , the department needs to resort to a stronger message , ” he said .
“ We increased our deployment .
We began blocking protesters , communicating with protests .
We began to convey to them the need for peace .
...
But we could not allow the safety of our officers or the public to be jeopardized.
” Moore said he is continuing to evaluate the department and strategies .
As to allegations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want to assure you we will investigate each complaint , and I promise to hold accountable anyone who violates our policy or commits other misconduct .
”

The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday got an update on the police response to days of protests — but also faced deep anger from residents about the Los Angeles Police Department’s handling of the situation.
Many people were initially shut out of an L.A. Police Commission meeting because the Zoom meeting had been limited to 500 participants.
After the settings were adjusted to allow more to attend, many speakers called on Police Chief Michel Moore to resign because of his remark that looters were as responsible for George Floyd’s death as the Minneapolis police officers were.
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Moore later walked back the remark and apologized for it.
Jocelyn Tucker said she appreciated the apology, but his words were telling.
“If that was your knee-jerk reaction, you’re not in the right job,” she said.
State Sen. Holly Mitchell also responded to his comments.
“I want you to know that we have every right to be outraged and that our voices deserve to be heard and not hijacked by outside agitators nor by a police chief who infers that our actions can be compared to the murders we have witnessed and experienced,” she wrote in a statement. “These type of distractions want to turn this discussion away from the main point — which is ending structural racism.”
Many speakers also said they had witnessed LAPD officers shooting rubber bullets at protesters and blamed the officers for escalating the tensions.
“I’m terrified of the LAPD. You have shown your true colors,” David Spencer said.
After about 80 people spoke, hundreds still were still in line for a turn to address the commission. Speakers were still calling for Moore’s resignation, as the chief listened, when Mayor Eric Garcetti began public remarks on Facebook Live at 6 p.m.
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Asked whether he still has confidence in Moore, Garcetti said he has known the chief for decades and that the apology was sufficient.
“If I believed for a moment that the chief believed that in his heart, he would no longer be the chief,” Garcetti said.
Garcetti also said he has instructed the LAPD to minimize the use of rubber bullets and batons, and “if we can, to not use them at all.”
Moore told the police commission that when he saw the video of police killing Floyd, he and others at the LAPD “were greatly disturbed by it and troubled by the images and we sought to communicate clearly — those images we witnessed along with the rest of America, they were horrible. It was disgusting and without justification.”
Moore said the LAPD originally hoped to work with peaceful protesters. But while many demonstrators were peaceful, looting began Saturday night and changed the dynamics.
“When violence escalates, including assaults on officers, arson, widespread looting in Fairfax area Saturday, and we see officers sustain injuries, the loss of property, the department needs to resort to a stronger message,” he said. “We increased our deployment. We began blocking protesters, communicating with protests. We began to convey to them the need for peace. ... But we could not allow the safety of our officers or the public to be jeopardized.”
Moore said he is continuing to evaluate the department and strategies. As to allegations of officer misconduct, he said, “I want to assure you we will investigate each complaint, and I promise to hold accountable anyone who violates our policy or commits other misconduct.”


latimes--2020-06-02--Shopkeepers board businesses in Van Nuys following night of looting

On Tuesday afternoon , Anastasia Azaryan was painting the words “ we are open , ” along with her family restaurant ’ s phone number , in big lilac letters on the wooden boards covering the front of Kebab and Pizza Time on Van Nuys Boulevard .
Azaryan , 39 , said the protests in Van Nuys on Monday , which started peacefully , had left her shaken .
Some had come to her asking if they could have drinks .
“ Are you a protester ?
” she asked .
When they said yes , she gave them free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But then , the interactions got more aggressive .
One group took almost her entire inventory .
“ They grabbed drinks and left .
I was afraid , ” she said .
“ I removed everything I could from [ the restaurant ] .
I was afraid they would put it on fire.
” When another crowd came by minutes later and found nothing in the fridge , they grew angry and shoved tables and chairs , breaking some items .
Peaceful protests began in the city at 7:30 a.m. , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asking for justice .
The majority who spent the day at the intersection of Van Nuys and Sylvan Street left just before a countywide curfew went into effect in the evening .
But by 5 p.m. , looting had begun to mar the scene .
Several business owners stood outside their storefronts , and some put up plywood over their windows .
Multiple shops hung signs reading “ BLM , ” expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement .
On Tuesday , many of the signs remained .
Some , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open and asked patrons to enter through rear doors .
Passersby offered to help Azaryan and other store owners clean up the mess left behind from protesters .
But many businesses were closed .
Azaryan said she ’ d had no orders by early afternoon .
She patted her phone in her pocket , signaling she was waiting for customers while she painted .
She said hoped that people driving in Van Nuys would see the sign and call in for food .
She had delivered five boxes of hamburgers to police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the day .
“ The police did excellent job , ” she said .
“ We are all proud of them.
” Azaryan hasn ’ t been able to take out any loans to help pay her rent , and the few orders she does get each week hardly pay for her utilities .
Making kebabs and other meals is also becoming more expensive as the price of meat increases , she said .
And now , to add to the hardship , she fears protesters are scaring even more customers away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We lost 90 % of money .
Our landlord wants full money for rent .
It seems like no one cares about small businesses , ” she said .
“ I just sit here because there ’ s no customers .
This is my last hope .
”

Anastasia Azaryan paints a sign on her boarded-up restaurant in Van Nuys after a night of looting scared shopkeepers. (Alejandra Reyes-Velarde / Los Angeles Times)
Volunteers remove graffiti from the exterior of a U.S. Post Office on Van Nuys Blvd at Haynes Street in Van Nuys in the aftermath of the protest and looting of businesses along Van Nuys Blvd. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
David Mejia, right, with L.A. City Sanitation Department gets shovel full of broken glass swept from a volunteer as teams of people roamed the Van Nuys Blvd shopping district Tuesday morning to clean up and remove debris in the aftermath of the protest and looting of businesses along Van Nuys Blvd. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Alejandro Gaytan, right, and Alejandra Medrano join volunteers as they remove graffiti from the exterior of a U.S. Post Office on Van Nuys Blvd at Haynes Street in Van Nuys in the aftermath of the protest and looting Monday night. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Randy Johnson brought his two children, Carter, 13, and Caeli, 10, as the nearby residents are among volunteers helping to remove graffiti from the Skechers Outlet store on Van Nuys Blvd. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
From left: Marvin Reyes, Alva Vasquez and Mildred Monterrosa help as volunteers sort through cases of jewelry inventory in the Don Larry Watch & Jewelry Repair store on Hamlin Street just off Van Nuys Blvd. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Ibn Kadalim breaks down with emotion as he is among volunteers helping shop owner Larry Contreras sort through his damaged store and cases of jewelry at the Don Larry Watch & Jewelry Repair store on Hamlin Street just off Van Nuys Blvd. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Volunteers work to sort through cases of inventory in the Don Larry Watch & Jewelry Repair store on Hamlin Street just off Van Nuys Blvd. following a night of protest and looting of businesses along Van Nuys Blvd. (Al Seib/Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
On Tuesday afternoon, Anastasia Azaryan was painting the words “we are open,” along with her family restaurant’s phone number, in big lilac letters on the wooden boards covering the front of Kebab and Pizza Time on Van Nuys Boulevard.
Azaryan, 39, said the protests in Van Nuys on Monday, which started peacefully, had left her shaken.
Some had come to her asking if they could have drinks.
“Are you a protester?” she asked. When they said yes, she gave them free drinks from the restaurant’s refrigerator.
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But then, the interactions got more aggressive. One group took almost her entire inventory.
“They grabbed drinks and left. I was afraid,” she said. “I removed everything I could from [the restaurant]. I was afraid they would put it on fire.”
When another crowd came by minutes later and found nothing in the fridge, they grew angry and shoved tables and chairs, breaking some items.
Peaceful protests began in the city at 7:30 a.m., with demonstrators chanting the name of George Floyd and asking for justice. The majority who spent the day at the intersection of Van Nuys and Sylvan Street left just before a countywide curfew went into effect in the evening.
But by 5 p.m., looting had begun to mar the scene.
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Several business owners stood outside their storefronts, and some put up plywood over their windows. Multiple shops hung signs reading “BLM,” expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
On Tuesday, many of the signs remained. Some, like Azaryan’s, announced they were open and asked patrons to enter through rear doors. Passersby offered to help Azaryan and other store owners clean up the mess left behind from protesters. But many businesses were closed.
Azaryan said she’d had no orders by early afternoon. She patted her phone in her pocket, signaling she was waiting for customers while she painted.
She said hoped that people driving in Van Nuys would see the sign and call in for food.
She had delivered five boxes of hamburgers to police officers in Van Nuys and North Hollywood earlier in the day.
“The police did excellent job,” she said. “We are all proud of them.”
Azaryan hasn’t been able to take out any loans to help pay her rent, and the few orders she does get each week hardly pay for her utilities.
Making kebabs and other meals is also becoming more expensive as the price of meat increases, she said. And now, to add to the hardship, she fears protesters are scaring even more customers away.
“There’s no business. We lost 90% of money. Our landlord wants full money for rent. It seems like no one cares about small businesses,” she said.
“I just sit here because there’s no customers. This is my last hope.”