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Morning Briefing: A First Person Account Of Police Use Of Force
A screenshot shows the crowd reaction as Long Beach police fired foam launchers on May 31, 2020. LAist reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez was hit in the throat by a round police say ricocheted off of something or someone. Courtesy LBPD
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While covering anti-racism protests in Long Beach at the end of May, our reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez was hit in the throat by a foam round fired by a city police officer. In an essay, Adolfo reflects on what the experience taught him.
“I believe that examining our stories will help answer this question: how much force should police officers be empowered to use?” he writes. “Police use of force ... breaks the person up physically and psychologically.”
Meanwhile, the Long Beach Police Department provided its side of the story as well. According to Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, two police officers fired so-called “less lethal” projectiles at protesters who they say had thrown bottles towards officers, and Adolfo was “inadvertently hit with a round that ricocheted either off something or somebody.”
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Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.
Coming Up Today, July 24
Microgrids enable a small group of power users to isolate themselves from possible power shut-offs, and to generate and store their own electricity. Sharon McNary visits a solar+battery microgrid at San Jacinto High School and a hydrogen fuel cell microgrid in Pico Rivera.
Months into the pandemic, many renters have fallen far behind on rent, setting the stage for a potential crisis in the coming months. Some are predicting mass evictions; others are calling for missed rent payments to be canceled. Matt Tinoco reports.
The chefs who own Bell’s Casita Mexicana are battling to save their restaurant after California’s two statewide shutdowns. Erick Galindo says it's a case study for the frustrations experienced by homegrown local businesses in the stop-start-stop again pandemic climate.
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A new UCLA report looks at pandemic-related job losses among Asian Americans, in part due to xenophobia early on that led to diminished business for Asian American entrepreneurs. Caroline Champlin has the story.
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The Past 24 Hours In LA
Policing The Police: Reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez provides a first person account of being struck in the throat by a foam round fired by police while covering recent protests in Long Beach. The Long Beach Police Department also provided its side of the story.
Coronavirus Updates: Starting at the end of August, L.A. County businesses that don't comply with coronavirus protection protocols will be fined between $100 and $500, and multiple offenses will result in a 30-day permit suspension.
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California’s National Voice: Researchers are predicting that California could lose two seats in Congress, according to new population estimates.
Healing Resources: In South L.A., a healer, an artist and a chef are each taking different approaches to fighting food insecurity and sowing the seeds of a Black food sovereignty. Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act, which allocates substantial money for the upkeep and expansion of public natural areas across the country, including California.
First Person: In Episode 4 of LAist Studio’s podcast, California Love, host Walter Thompson-Hernández dives deep into what Kobe Bryant meant to him, and how the icon’s death spurred collective mourning throughout the city. In the second installment of our Unheard LA series on Race in LA, Bruce Lemon Jr. hosted a virtual event featuring the stories of Cheryl Farrell, Aeden K, and the duo Eddy M. Gana Jr. and Stephanie Sajor.
Here’s What To Do: Electronic music artists rave the vote, a new doc examines bias in facial recognition software, Mario Curie gets a "radioactive" biopic and more in this week’s best online and IRL events.
Photo Of The Day
Tak's Coffee Shop in Crenshaw, with full coronavirus protections in place.
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