Sahra Sulaiman

Sahra is Communities Editor for Streetsblog L.A., covering the intersection of mobility with race, class, history, representation, policing, housing, health, culture, community, and access to the public space in Boyle Heights and South Central Los Angeles.

Recent Posts

Cyclists at CicLAvia in front of L.A. City Hall. Photo by Joe Linton/Streetsblog

L.A. Mayoral Candidates on Transportation

By Joe Linton and Sahra Sulaiman | May 13, 2022 | No Comments

Candidates Bass, Buscaino, Caruso, de de León, Feuer, Greiwe, Viola, and Wilson in their own words

Mayoral Candidates’ Thoughts about Metro Given Only Brief Moment to Shine in Cal State L.A. Forum

By Sahra Sulaiman | May 2, 2022 | No Comments

In between some weird questions and the sparring matches with Caruso, candidates were asked when they last rode Metro

Sheriff Alex Villanueva points at a slide on his power point presentation during a press conference Wednesday, April 13.

Villanueva Threatens to Pull LASD Out of Metro’s Multi-Agency Policing Contract this July in Grievance-Laced Press Conference

By Joe Linton and Sahra Sulaiman | Apr 14, 2022 | No Comments

In which the sheriff neglected to explain why Metro had moved to a multi-agency contract in the first place

The February 9 encounter near Manchester and Figueroa began with officers telling Travis Elster he was illegally parked in a private parking lot, but the placement of the officer's hand inside the vehicle was one of several forms of escalation. Elster ultimately fled the scene and was shot at eight times by LAPD officer Carlos Tovar. Tovar managed to hit Elster's vehicle as well as the vehicle of a passing Lyft driver, but thankfully no one was injured. Screenshot from the critical incident video released by LAPD.

LAPD Shooting at Manchester/Fig Ruled Out of Policy, but Officer’s False Claim About Threatening Finger Guns Allowed to Stand

By Sahra Sulaiman | Mar 22, 2022 | No Comments

Officer Carlos Tovar also managed to hit a passing Lyft driver's vehicle with two rounds. Part I in a series on pretextual stops.

A vendor sells salvaged bikes along Manchester Avenue. Under the ordinance proposed by councilmember Joe Buscaino, this kind of activity would be criminalized. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog L.A.

Broad Motion by Homelessness Hardliner Takes Aim at Streetside Bike Sales and Repairs; Council Critics Call Out Political Theater

By Sahra Sulaiman | Feb 9, 2022 | No Comments

In which CM Krekorian details how annoyed he was when police asked him why he believed the bikes he saw at an encampment were stolen.

Although LAPD claims they shot 22-year-old Margarito "Junior" López because he "advanced" toward officers while holding a knife, an examination of the body cam footage shows the standby warning for a "less lethal" projectile went unheeded, resulting in contagious fire. The warning (in green) is added by Streetsblog; LAPD elected not to include it in their transcription.

Officers Who Killed Margarito López Didn’t Heed Standby Warning for “Less Lethal” Fire

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jan 26, 2022 | No Comments

Half a second after the projectile is fired at López – who is in the midst of turning away from officers – a burst of contagious fire erupts.

Figueroa Street red bus lane markings next to green bike lane markings give. Photo by Joe Linton/Streetsblog

Looking Back at Some Stories that Shaped 2021

By Joe Linton and Sahra Sulaiman | Dec 29, 2021 | No Comments

COVID, new Metro leadership, resistance to freeway widening, new bus lanes, unsuccessful recall campaigns, and police accountability

This Week in Livable Streets

By Joe Linton and Sahra Sulaiman | Oct 4, 2021 | No Comments

CicLAvia, N. Hollywood to Pasadena BRT, Metro's Public Safety Advisory Committee, Council taking steps on streamlining aff. housing and the formation of a public bank, Metro's budget town halls, and more

The LADWP-owned vacant lot at Figueroa and Slauson is slated to become a park. Join the Department of Recreation and Parks and the office of Councilmember Curren Price this Saturday to provide input on the amenities you would like to see there.

Saturday: Help Plan Senator Bill Greene Memorial Park at Figueroa and Slauson

By Sahra Sulaiman | Aug 27, 2021 | No Comments

The lot at 5800 S. Figueroa has sat vacant since 1959

Despite having given press statements regarding the imminent detonation at 716 E. 27th St., called in the fire department to be on standby, placed the last of the explosive materials in the TCV ten minutes prior to detonation as helicopters from local TV stations hovered overhead, and yelled “Fire in the hole!” to warn observers they were about to set off the counter charges, LAPD’s very first public step after the blast was to take to twitter and launch an active disinformation campaign.

Anatomy of an Officer-Involved Explosion: a Post-Mortem on LAPD’s E. 27th Street Fireworks Blast

By Sahra Sulaiman | Aug 11, 2021 | No Comments

A year ago, a councilmember co-authored a motion to shift $150mil from LAPD's budget. A month ago, LAPD called everyone but his office to watch them detonate fireworks in his district. The botched operation rocked the city.

About that Bus Shelter Tweet: Street Services’ Demo Draws Attention to Sorry State of L.A. Bus Stops

By Damien Newton and Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 22, 2021 | No Comments

Earlier today, a tweet from Metro in support of the Bureau of Street Services’ pop-ups on potential bus shelter designs featuring the above image quickly drew a lot of, er, shade. What about when more than two people are waiting for the bus? https://t.co/nwzwnm9zCM — TransitCenter (@TransitCenter) July 22, 2021 People across the twittersphere dunked […]

The 911 call made by Isaias Cervantes sister: she immediately announces the emergency is a mental health crisis but a Mental Evaluation Team is not dispatched nor do the responding deputies call one to the scene.

Autistic Man Shot Within 83 Seconds of First Contact by LASD: Why Is this Still Happening?

By Sahra Sulaiman | May 7, 2021 | No Comments

Eighty-three seconds. That’s how much time passed between the moment deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) first stood at the door of the Cudahy home of Isaias Cervantes, a 25-year-old autistic man who is hard of hearing and suffering from depression and anxiety, and the firing of the shot that may have […]

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