Jessica P. Ogilvie

A San Diego police officer who was being charged with a DUI hit-and-run has apparently taken his own life, reports NBC San Diego. Police discovered Christopher Hall slumped against a wall behind his house after receiving a call from his wife at around 10 a.m. this morning. He had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

This kind of artistic reworking of the message on a stop sign isn't exactly new -- many date back to 2007 or even earlier. But the trend seems to be having a second or third wind. This pic was snapped at the corner of Rosewood and Genesee in the Fairfax area, and as you can see it reads STOP: Hammertime.

Seems like authorities are really cracking down on marijuana this season. Earlier this month, officials announced that they had busted the largest pot-growing facility in Ventura's history. Now, federal agents, sheriffs and the CA narcotics bureau have uprooted 460,000 pot plants being grown in Mendecino National Forest, reports the Huffington Post.

In tonight's Extra, Extra, a city official rides a bike, there's a blight in Echo Park, "Thundercats" makes a comeback, and where to cool off over the hot weekend. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

In tonight's Extra, Extra, meet the leisure dive, Gaga fans fill Hollywood streets, X Games begin, and we learn about the sexual funny bone. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

As James "Whitey" Bulger faces trial in Boston on charges of racketeering, his west coast neighbors who had no idea that the "grandfatherly" man who lived next door was in fact a a known fugitive say he was beloved in the Santa Monica 'hood, friendly and even gentle. Fox 11 interviewed some of them, from a woman who cut his hair to a neighbor who says he came out of his apartment at night to hand her a flashlight.

It's hard out there for a Vespa. A young man riding his scooter in Long Beach was struck by a car and died, reports the Long Beach Press-Telegram. The 18-year-old man, Zachary Kurzawinski of Hawthorne, was driving past the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Fe Avenue yesterday at 8:30 a.m. when a 43-year-old man driving a Toyota hit him as the car switched lanes to get into a parking lot.

If you're under 18, steer clear of downtown late at night this weekend -- the law will be looking for you, reports KCBS. Because of X Games 17, happening at the Staples Center and LA Live, officers will be on the lookout for kids breaking the city's curfew laws...

In tonight's Extra, Extra, a rat causes a power outage (literally), the LA Times beings another round of layoffs, LA's tech scene thrives, and independent grocery stores make their mark. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

LA Ink star Kat Von D has, as you know, broken up with Jesse James. In the wake of the break-up, she walked off the set of Good Day LA when they reportedly aired a segment of her tattooing James' face on her torso, after she asked them not to.

After a rash of coyote attacks on local pets -- some fatal -- the Laguna Woods City Council is considering allowing licensed personnel to carry firearms, so they could shoot potentially dangerous animals. The proposed ordinance comes after several dogs were attacked and two killed in recent weeks, reports KCBS.

For those of you still mourning the soon-to-be loss of the bachelor drama "Entourage," another nail has, we regret to inform you, been placed in the show's coffin. The Encino house that served as the boys' television pad has been sold, according to AOL Real Estate.