Morning Briefing: LAPD Under Fire

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At yesterday’s police commission meeting, Angelenos turned out by the hundreds to condemn what they described as LAPD’s heavy-handed response to peaceful demonstrations, particularly its liberal use of tear gas and rubber bullets. Many called for LAPD Chief Michael Moore to be fired.

Moore also came under fire for equating looting with murder, although he quickly walked those remarks back.

In other policing news, police often describe the crowd control methods they’ve been using – like rubber bullets, tear gas bombs and pepper spray projectiles – as non-lethal, but in reality, they can cause permanent bodily harm or death. At least one reporter has been permanently blinded by a rubber bullet in the course of reporting on the recent uprisings.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.

— Jessica P. Ogilvie

Coming Up Today, June 3

Efforts to keep children from falling behind during the COVID-19 pandemic have been massive, expensive and unprecedented. Still, officials – including local school district leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom – admit these efforts likely won’t be enough to prevent a crisis of “learning loss” in California schools, reports Kyle Stokes.

Robert Garrova talks to people in various communities around the city to hear how they feel about their relationship with the police.

Marina Peña has stories from three protestors, two of whom were arrested.

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The Past 24 Hours In LA

L.A. Protests: On day seven of nationwide demonstrations sparked by the killing of George Floyd, Angelenos continued showing up to protest racism and police brutality. A few hundred protesters set up outside Mayor Eric Garcetti's official residence in Hancock Park.

Safeguarding Black Lives: A bill that quietly advanced in Sacramento before the nation erupted in protest proposes reparations and education to help remedy generations of inequality and discrimination. The focus in this moment, UCLA's Isaac Bryan told us, should be "the movement for black lives."

LAPD Chief Under Fire: In a statement issued late Monday, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said of his earlier remarks that equated murder and looting: "I deeply regret and humbly apologize for my characterization." Moore came under intense heat, as dozens of citizens publicly called for him to be fired over the department's response to the protests.

Policing The Protests: Law enforcement officers across the country are using supposedly “non-lethal” crowd-control methods, but rubber bullets, tear gas bombs and pepper-spray projectiles can kill, blind or maim for life. There’s not much research about whether government-enforced curfews accomplish anything, but some experts worry that, in communities of color, curfews will encourage aggressive policing.

Talking To Kids: Tips from L.A. parenting experts and parents themselves on how they're coping with current events and starting conversations with their children about race and injustice.

Turning The Tables: Compared with 1992, L.A.'s unrest has flipped geographically: the protests and looting have been in affluent areas, while South L.A. has been absolutely quiet.

The D.A. Weighs In: L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey said of the officer charged with George Floyd's murder: “That's somebody that shouldn't have been in the policing to begin with,” and added that she is "angry that so many African American men have been murdered by police."

Coronavirus In Numbers: There are now 57,222 coronavirus cases and 2,448 deaths in L.A. County, and at least 117,214 cases and 4,305 deaths in California. Worldwide, there are more than 6.3 million cases and over 380,000 deaths.

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