UCLA Professor Who Said LAPD Must Protect Campus Protesters Backed Defunding Police

Just before law enforcement moved to dismantle an anti-Israel encampment Thursday at UCLA, a professor at the California school took to criticizing officers for purportedly failing to protect student activists supporting Gaza. But in 2020, as left-wing protesters swarmed cities in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, that same taxpayer-backed educator — Ananya Roy — publicly supported defunding the police. The student demonstrations at UCLA, like others at campuses taking aim against the Jewish state, are under the national spotlight as Israel continues its war against the Hamas terrorist faction. Police in riot gear early Thursday made over 130 arrests at UCLA — which came days after violent clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters. Roy, founding director of the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy and an urban planning professor who earned a salary of at least $375,708 in 2022, has emerged as a key voice at UCLA criticizing the school for “campus messaging” that she says penalizes anti-Israel student protesters. Roy, who has recently been quoted in stories about the UCLA protests by the Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Newsweek, the Guardian, and other media outlets, supports “divesting from whiteness” and “refusing patriarchy,” according to her X profile. She often reposts content on social media accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid for retaliating against Hamas.

Washington Examiner

LA Man Sentenced In Killings Of Estranged Wife's Teen Nephews

A Los Angeles man convicted of the bludgeoning deaths of his then-estranged wife's two teenage nephews in the boys' Arcadia home was sentenced Thursday to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole. Deyun Shi, 52, was sentenced for the Jan. 22, 2016, slayings of 15-year-old Anthony Lin, who was asleep when he was attacked with bolt cutters, and his 16-year-old brother, William, who was killed while studying in a separate room. As he imposed the sentence, Superior Court Judge Jared Moses called the killings "acts of stunning savagery and brutality." Shi was convicted March 13 of two counts of first-degree murder, with jurors finding true the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders and allegations that he personally used a deadly weapon – bolt cutters. The jury also convicted Shi of one count of corporal injury for an attack on his then-wife in La Cañada Flintridge with a wood-splitting tool the night before the killings. One day after the jury's verdict, Moses found that Shi was sane at the time of the crimes. The judge made the ruling at the prosecution's request during the sanity phase of Shi's trial after the testimony of a psychologist called on behalf of the defendant.

FOX 11

Hit-and-Run Driver Sought After Killing 74-Year-Old Woman In University Park

As police continue searching for the driver who struck two women Thursday in University Park, the loved ones of the woman who was killed in the crash gathered at the site of the hit-and-run to mourn her death. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the hit-and-run crash was reported at 1:18 p.m. on the 2600 block of Magnolia Avenue. There, a driver backing out of a private driveway hit two women and then fled the scene eastbound on 25th Street. The woman who was killed in the crash was described by the LAPD as an 80-year-old woman, but her relatives identified her as 74-year-old Estella Gomez. The mourners identified the surviving woman as 82-year-old Maria Ortiz, who was Gomez's cousin. "My mom pushed the other lady away so she wouldn’t get killed, but she still got hurt," said Miguel Gomez, Estella's son. "The lady is in the hospital; my mom’s cousin." Candles now lay at the site where Estella was killed. The woman was remembered as being a beloved grandmother. A detailed description of the driver in the hit-and-run was not immediately available, but police believe they may have been traveling in a white van.

NBC 4

Woman, 20, Suspected Of DUI In Death Of Transient Lying In Los Angeles Alley

A homeless man lying in an alley was struck and killed by a 20-year-old driver suspected of DUI in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles early Thursday. The incident was reported shortly after 1:30 a.m. in the area of South Alvarado and Maryland streets. The unidentified driver was traveling northbound in a nearby alley when she struck the 32-year-old man who a Los Angeles Department spokesperson said was lying down. The unidentified victim, who police said was homeless, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, who is not of legal drinking age, stayed at the scene but was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI.

KTLA 5

Cameras Catch Man Committing Sexual Assault On 81-Year-Old Woman With Dementia In Pacoima

Los Angeles Police Department detectives are searching for a man suspected of committing sexual acts on an elderly woman suffering from dementia. Family members of the 81-year-old woman tell Eyewitness News the man committed the acts Monday around 6:45 p.m. in the woman's apartment in Pacoima, and the encounter was caught on video. The woman's son-in-law says the video shows her letting the man into her apartment after he knocked, mentally unaware of what she was doing. After checking other rooms, he returned to the living room where the camera shows him sexually touching her and making her perform sexual acts upon him. "The video catches him doing things that I wouldn't wish on anyone," said the son-in-law. "There's a lot of elderly people in the community. This guy needs to be off the streets. It's probably not the first time and it won't be the last time he's done this, or will do this." LAPD describes the suspect as a man between 20-40 years old who stands 5'8" to 5'10" and weighs about 225 pounds with facial hair. He was wearing a gray hat, gray shirt and black shorts. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

ABC 7

Early Morning Raid At Los Angeles Site Seizes Thousands In Stolen Retail Goods

Before sunrise dozens of investigators move in to different locations near downtown Los Angeles. They are undercover members of the Organized Retail Crime Task Force. One location is a warehouse full to the ceiling. Officials say all of these items are stolen. "This is random because it's all stolen products so you see everything from food products, household products, everything you can think of that's stolen," says Captain Calvin Mah from the LA County Sheriff's department. The sheriff's department got information from investigators for CVS. The haul includes more than $100,000 in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics taken from stores in Arizona, Nevada and California. "Also part of it is cargo thefts, so things that are stolen off of train lines or trucks, freight, things of that nature, where they're just taking pallets with all the products in them," says Mah. Investigators say these items then go to places like this. The items, which still have security tags and stickers from the original stores, are cleaned up. The tags are removed and they are prepared for sale.

ABC 7

Over 100 Arrested In Southern California Drug Bust Operation

Over 100 people were arrested during a massive drug bust operation in Southern California. The undercover bust targeted the Magnolia Avenue corridor, between Van Buren Boulevard and Pierce Street in Riverside, according to the Riverside Police Department. The multi-day effort, called “Operation Street Sweeper,” stemmed from “increased criminal activity and complaints from community members and businesses,” police said. Over a three-week period, 46 people were seen buying a variety of illegal narcotics including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, PCP and Psilocybin mushrooms. In a three-day operation, 44 drug dealers were identified and 33 of them were arrested for narcotics sales violations. A total of 104 people were arrested during the large-scale bust. Most of the people arrested claimed to be homeless or living in various motels along Magnolia Avenue, officers said.

KTLA 5

Bystander Video, Dispatch Audio Captures N.C. Shootout That Killed 4 Officers, Wounded 4 Others

Video captured by a bystander and dispatch audio released by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department shed light on the shooting of eight officers, four of whom died. On April 29, a task force was trying to capture Terry Clark Hughes Jr., 39, who was wanted for possession of a firearm by an ex-felon and fleeing to elude. Those killed were identified as Sam Poloche and William Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer; and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks. Four other officers were wounded, and Hughes was also killed. Bystander video released by the Daily Mail shows officers crouched behind a vehicle at a neighboring home. The incident was livestreamed on Facebook by Saing Chhoeun. In the video he captured, two police officers are seen taking cover behind a vehicle, exchanging fire with the gunman. The footage starts with Chhoeun, apparently locked out of his house, pleading for someone to let him in, according to the report. Despite officers urging him to find safety inside, he explains that he is unable to enter as he does not have the keys. During the video, one officer can be seen quickly diving to the ground for cover. The officer can later be seen standing back up. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department also released dispatch audio from the incident, beginning from the moment U.S. Deputy Marshals called for backup.

PoliceOne

BWC: Man Falsely Reported Stabbing, Ran At Texas Officers With Knife Before Fatal OIS

 A man who was shot and killed by a police officer last week had a knife, failed to comply with orders and advanced toward officers with the weapon, according to portions of body-camera video released by Arlington police in a news conference Thursday. Michael Bassey, 31, was fatally shot by an Arlington officer on April 25 after he came out of an apartment with the knife. Police were dispatched to the apartment in the 2700 block of Lawrence Road after a 911 caller, later identified to be Bassey, reported that he stabbed and killed someone. In the 911 call audio released by police Thursday, Bassey told the dispatcher that he had a knife in his hand and that he was “going to kill him.” After the dispatcher asked him who he was going to kill, Bassey responded with, “You know what to do,” and ended the call shortly after. Bassey called 911 a second time and asked the dispatcher, “What is the response time?” The dispatcher asked if he was reporting an accident and he said, “It was not an accident.” “No. I did kill him,” Bassey is heard saying in the call. After the dispatcher asked what he did, Bassey replied with, ”I killed Michael,” and provided the address of the apartment complex.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Community Calls For Intersection Safety After 13-Year-Old Boy Is Killed By Car In LA

Local activists and community members gathered Thursday to call for safety improvements at a Los Angeles intersection where a 13-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car while walking home from school. Two weeks ago, Derick Serrano was killed by a vehicle at the intersection of Wadsworth and East Vernon avenues near Florence. The boy was walking home from George Washington Carver Middle School. "It is very tough not seeing him anymore," Derick's mother said through tears Thursday. Derick's mother and community advocates held a news conference to call for safety improvements at the intersection. They say the intersection currently has no crosswalk, crossing guard, signal light or signage. "I am outraged," said Estuardo Mazariegos, co-director of the ACCE LA office. "These are my neighbors. It's my family. It could've been my daughter." Activists want the city to install a crosswalk and traffic signal, and want a crossing guard assigned during school hours. 

CBS 2

Firefighters Extinguish Blaze At Commercial Building In Downtown LA After Roof Partially Collapses

A dramatic fire erupted Friday morning at a commercial building in downtown Los Angeles, causing the structure's roof to partially collapse before the flames were extinguished. The blaze was reported shortly before 4:30 a.m. at a two-story building in the 1600 block of East 8th Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The agency said 118 firefighters responded to the incident, and they were initially in a defensive position as massive flames emanated from the roof. No injuries were reported, and it was unclear if anyone was inside the building when the fire began. The fire was officially knocked down after about an hour and 45 minutes, the LAFD said, and it was prevented from spreading beyond the single structure. The cause of the fire was unknown.

ABC 7

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education.