With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Cooley declines to file charges against LAPD officers in MacArthur Park melee
In this May 1, 2007 file photo, Los Angeles Police Metro Division officers advance on a crowd during an immigration rally in MacArthur Park.
(
AP Photo/Chad K. Uyeno, File
)
Listen
0:59
Cooley declines to file charges against LAPD officers in MacArthur Park melee
Cooley declines to file charges against LAPD officers in MacArthur Park melee
Los Angeles County prosecutors Friday announced they will not file criminal charges against the officers who hit non-violent immigrant rights demonstrators in MacArthur Park two years ago.
The so-called May Day Melee angered many civil rights activists and Latinos, who saw it as an example of police abuse of minorities.
Elite LAPD cops in riot gear, responding to a handful of people who’d thrown bottles at police, swept through MacArthur Park firing rubber bullets and swinging batons at hundreds of peaceful demonstrators. Officers also hit journalists covering the event, including KPCC's Patricia Nazario.
In a statement, the office of District Attorney Steve Cooley, a former reserve LAPD officer, said that while the officers’ tactics may have been “questionable,” there was insufficient evidence to prove they’d broken any laws.
Sponsor
The statement called the incident “unfortunate and preventable.”
The decision arrives a day before Police Chief Bill Bratton leaves office. At the time of the incident, Bratton criticized officers for their actions, and he’s sought to fire four of them. He said police officers "go out of control faster than any human being in the world."
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles City Council agreed to pay $13 million to the more than 200 people injured that day.
Press release (View full screen to read documents):
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
