Recent Streetsblog LA posts about defunding police

MacArthur Park Metro Station - photo by Joe Linton/Streetsblog

City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez on MacArthur Park Station, the Surrounding Community, and Metro’s Pilot Interventions

By Joe Linton | Apr 25, 2023 | No Comments

"We can’t and shouldn’t resort to hostile infrastructure. It lowers the quality of life for everyone who has to use that space, those who are housed and unhoused, who are riding the subway."

In the critical incident briefing video of the July 18 shooting of Jermaine Petit, LAPD juxtaposes the view from inside Sgt. Brett Hayhoe's vehicle with footage from the officers pursuing Petit on foot. Hayhoe opens fire from inside his vehicle, sparking contagious fire from Glover.

LAPD Sergeant Fired at Jermaine Petit from Inside Patrol Vehicle, Sparked Contagious Fire from Officer Who Knew Petit Was Unarmed

By Sahra Sulaiman | Sep 3, 2022 | No Comments

If the shooting had been committed by anyone else, it would have been labeled a drive-by.

During Tuesday's press briefing, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he would be sending Metro boardmembers helpful graphics like the one he is pointing at so they could learn the difference between transportation and housing.

As Election Nears, Embattled Sheriff Announces Plan to Expel 5700 Unhoused from Metro System, Acts Like April Ultimatum Never Happened

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jun 2, 2022 | No Comments

Step #1 of the "multi-layered" plan to remove unhoused people from trains and platforms is removing unhoused people from trains and platforms.

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

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.

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.

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