The Brief

A state board has warned Los Angeles County probation authorities once again that Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey is at risk of being shut down after inspectors found insufficient staffing at the facility.

How we got here

Earlier this year, the Board of State and Community Corrections deemed Los Padrinos unsuitable to house hundreds of youths because of low staffing, failure to conduct safety checks at the proper times, as well as being out of compliance with use-of-force training requirements.

The county Probation Department avoided having to shut down Los Padrinos in April after the board determined minimum requirements on staffing levels and safety checks had been met.

In an Oct. 14 letter to Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa, the board said inspections revealed Los Padrinos was out of compliance with staffing requirements yet again.

The move comes about a year after L.A. County was forced to transfer hundreds of incarcerated youths out of two other facilities the board deemed unsuitable and into Los Padrinos.

The issue

According to the board’s letter, Los Padrinos facility reports from July show that 17% of shifts did not meet the minimum staffing required by the state.

The letter said the lack of staffing leads to several issues at Los Padrinos, including:

• Some medical appointments being canceled
• Youths being late to their education programs
• Outdoor recreation time canceled

Probation response

The Probation Department said in a statement Wednesday that it was disappointed by the board’s finding. The department said that the unsuitability finding would have “no immediate impact to families” and that the department will continue to provide services.

“The Probation Department has, in fact, increased staffing levels at the facility by actively recruiting new personnel, conducting training academies, reallocating officers from field assignments, and utilizing overtime,” the department said in an email.

What's next

According to the board, the Probation Department has until Dec. 12 to comply with the staffing requirements or move some 300 youths out of the facility.

Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a man who appeared to be armed with a rifle outside the California Science Center in Exposition Park on Thursday morning, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Marc Reina.

Reina said police do not yet know the identity of man, who they estimate was about 35 years old.

No police or other community members were injured in the incident, Reina said. The science center was placed briefly on lockdown but reopened. The north side of the museum remains closed, the deputy chief said.

Reina said a motorcycle cop initially spotted the man around 9:30 a.m. carrying what appeared to be a rifle and walking west down State Drive, a small road that runs between the science center and Exposition Park Rose Garden.

Multiple cops responded to the scene and faced off with the man. The subject continued down State Drive, Reina said, before police opened fire.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene and pronounced the man dead, Reina said.

The incident will be investigated by department use-of-force investigators, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the LAPD’s inspector general, the deputy chief said.

Investigators have not yet determined what prompted police to open fire, Reina said. Police do not believe the man fired his weapon.

Here's what witnesses saw

Stacey Hutchinson said he was sitting on a bench along State Drive drinking a cup of coffee when the incident unfolded.

He said the man appeared in good spirits and greeted him nonchalantly as he walked up the street before taking a seat. Hutchinson said he saw the man carrying what appeared to be a long gun.

Police initially responded with bean bag guns, Hutchinson said, but drew firearms when the man picked up the weapon.

Police opened fire after the man pointed the apparent rifle in their direction, Hutchinson said.

The man did not appear to be trying to enter the science center, Hutchinson said, and appeared to remain calm until police asked him to drop his weapon.