May 28, 2020

City News Service

Some of the protesters demonstrating against police brutality and demanding justice for George Floyd shattered the windows of two California Highway Patrol cruisers on the Hollywood (101) Freeway in downtown Los Angeles today.

The mostly peaceful protest, which started about 4 p.m. outside the Hall of Justice turned violent about 6 p.m., when hundreds of protesters entered the Hollywood Freeway, near Alameda Street, and some demonstrators shattered the windows of two CHP cruisers.

One demonstrator, who was sitting on a cruiser while its windows were being shattered, was injured by falling onto the ground when the cruiser sped off to avoid further damage. Personnel with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to take the victim to a hospital.

“We hear your anger and your pain. We will always facilitate freedom of speech. Period,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement on Twitter. “All we ask is that protests are held in a safe and legal manner.”

The protest was organized by Black Lives Matter's Los Angeles chapter to demand justice for Floyd, who was killed Monday at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, and to demand that all officers who use excessive force be prosecuted.

“The actions I watched in the video were incredibly disturbing and go against the basic law enforcement principle of preservation of life,” Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said regarding the video of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck.

“Knowing that we have experienced our own high-profile incidents here in Los Angeles, I can assure you the LAPD strives each day to build trust and these events are sobering reminders of how quickly that can be lost.”

Black Lives Matter's Los Angeles chapter reminded followers on Twitter of those who were killed in recent years by police in Los Angeles County.

About 6:30 p.m., hundreds of protesters left the freeway and continued the protest near Alameda Street and Aliso Street. It was not immediately clear if anyone was arrested.

“Peaceful demonstrations are a hallmark of our country. Violence is unwarranted and takes away from the message,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a statement released on Twitter.

“I urge all of us to protest peacefully for the sake of everyone's public safety.”

City News Service contacted Black Lives Matter for comment on the protest, but there was no immediate response.

May 28, 2020

LAWT News Service

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) issued a statement on the murder of George Floyd of Minneapolis, MN. George Floyd was an unarmed African American man who died in police custody after Minneapolis police officers forced him to the ground and one officer pinned his knee on George Floyd’s neck for five minutes.

Floyd was recorded on video pleading for help and repeatedly telling the police “I cannot breathe” to no avail. Her statement follows:

“George Floyd is yet another unarmed African American man who has been killed at the hands of the police. George Floyd’s murder is a painful and tragic indication that we have, in fact, entered into an era where some law enforcement officers, white supremacists, and other radical extremists are feeling empowered to target, brutalize, and kill unarmed African Americans with impunity. I

extend my sincere condolences to George Floyd’s family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

“As our community reflects on the actions by police officers that led to George Floyd’s death, we cannot help but be reminded of Eric Garner, another unarmed Black man who, like George Floyd, cried out ‘I can’t breathe’ but was ignored by New York City police offices and died as a result of their negligence and excessive use of force.

We think of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Breonna Taylor, and countless other African Americans who have been killed at the hands of officers who swore an oath to protect and serve their communities.

“I am grateful to those who captured video footage of the inhumane and unconscionable treatment that George Floyd was subjected to by law enforcement officers.

Just as we have witnessed with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery by armed white vigilantes who were not arrested until video footage was released publicly, were it not for the video footage of George Floyd being pinned to the ground by the knee of a police officer for five minutes, the swift action by the City of Minneapolis to remove the four officers from the police department may not have occurred.

“While I am pleased with the firing of the officers involved in this incident, George Floyd’s death must be properly investigated by an independent counsel, and all who were involved must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Such injustice at the hands of the police must not be tolerated.

Unfortunately, African Americans cannot trust the current U.S. attorney general or the current president of the United States to provide leadership and use the power of their offices to confront the racial bias, targeting, and use of excessive force by police officers across the country. In the absence of leadership from our nation’s highest office, I will be in contact with the nation’s leading civil rights organizations and criminal justice reform advocacy groups as we unite and confront this epidemic of violence head on, and with one strong voice.”

May 28, 2020

By Amy Forliti and Jeff Baenen

Associated Press

To the general public, the video of a white police officer pressing his knee into the neck of a Black man prone on the street, crying out for help until he finally stopped moving, was horrifying.

Four officers were fired a day after George Floyd’s death, a stunning and swift move by the Minneapolis chief with the mayor’s full backing. But despite their dismissal, whether the incident will be considered criminal, or even excessive force, is a more complicated question that will likely take months to investigate.

The officers were dismissed soon after a bystander’s video taken outside a south Minneapolis grocery store Monday night showed an officer kneeling on the handcuffed man’s neck, even after he pleaded that he could not breathe and stopped moving. Floyd’s death prompted protests Tuesday, with thousands taking to the streets at the intersection where he died.

Many protesters marched more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) to the police precinct station in that part of the city, with some damaging the building’s windows and squad cars and spraying graffiti. Police in riot gear eventually confronted them with tear gas and projectiles, with tense skirmishes stretching late into the evening.

Bridgett Floyd told NBC’s “Today” show in an interview Wednesday morning that the officers involved in her brother’s death should be charged with murder because “that’s exactly what they did.” She said she hadn’t watched the bystander’s video, but told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that “I don’t understand how someone could possibly let an individual go out like that.”

The FBI and state law enforcement were investigating Floyd’s death, which immediately drew comparisons to the case of Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man who died in 2014 in New York after he was placed in a chokehold by police and pleaded for his life, saying he could not breathe.

But in the Garner case, local prosecutors, the NYPD’s internal affairs unit, and the Justice Department all finished investigations into the case before the officer was ultimately fired. Garner’s family and activists spent years begging for the officer to be removed.

The officers in the Minneapolis incident haven’t even been publicly identified, though one defense attorney has confirmed he is representing Derek Chauvin, the officer seen with his knee on Floyd’s neck. The attorney, Tom Kelly, declined to comment further.

The police union asked the public to wait for the investigation to take its course and not to “rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers.” Messages left with the union after the firings were not returned.

During Tuesday’s protests, some chanted and carried banners that read, “I can’t breathe” and “Jail killer KKKops.” And some stacked shopping carts to make a barricade at a Target store across the street from the station.

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the department would conduct a full internal investigation, and prosecutors will decide whether to file criminal charges against the officers involved. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it was “shocked and saddened” by the video and pledged to handle the case fairly. Part of that investigation will likely focus on the intent of the officers, whether they meant to harm Floyd or whether it was a death that happened in the course of police work. The FBI was investigating whether the officers willfully deprived Floyd of his civil rights.

News accounts show Chauvin was one of six officers who fired their weapons in the 2006 death of Wayne Reyes, who police said pointed a sawed-off shotgun at officers after stabbing two people. Chauvin also shot and wounded a man in 2008 during a struggle after Chauvin and his partner responded to a reported domestic assault. Police did not immediately respond to a request for Chauvin’s service record.

In Minneapolis, kneeling on a suspect’s neck is allowed under the department’s use-of-force policy for officers who have received training in how to compress a neck without applying direct pressure to the airway. It is considered a “non-deadly force option,” according to the department’s policy handbook.

A chokehold is considered a deadly force option and involves someone obstructing the airway. According to the department’s use-of-force policy, officers are to use only an amount of force necessary that would be objectively reasonable.

But two use-of-force experts told The Associated Press that the officer clearly restrained the man too long, noting that the man was under control and no longer fighting. Andrew Scott, a former Boca Raton, Florida, police chief who now testifies as an expert witness in use-of-force cases, called Floyd’s death “a combination of not being trained properly or disregarding their training.”

“He couldn’t move. He was telling them he couldn’t breathe, and they ignored him,” Scott said. “I can’t even describe it. It was difficult to watch.”

In a post on his Facebook page, the mayor, who is White, apologized Tuesday to the black community for the officer’s treatment of Floyd, 46, who worked security at a restaurant.

“Being Black in America should not be a death sentence. For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black man’s neck. Five minutes. When you hear someone calling for help, you’re supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense,” Frey posted.

Police said the man matched the description of a suspect in a forgery case at a grocery store, and that he resisted arrest.

The video starts with the man on the ground, and does not show what happened in the moments prior. The unidentified officer is kneeling on his neck, ignoring his pleas. “Please, please, please, I can’t breathe. Please, man,” said Floyd, who has his face against the pavement.

Even in the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. and prompted police departments around the country to change how they’re doing work, the officers in the video aren’t wearing masks. In some cities, low-level arrests such as attempted forgery are skipped right now.

Floyd also moans. One of the officers tells him to “relax.” Floyd calls for his mother and says: “My stomach hurts, my neck hurts, everything hurts ... I can’t breathe.” As bystanders shout their concern, one officer says, “He’s talking, so he’s breathing.”

But Floyd slowly becomes motionless under the officer’s restraint. The officer does not remove his knee until the man is loaded onto a gurney by paramedics.

Several witnesses had gathered on a nearby sidewalk, some recording the scene on their phones. The bystanders become increasingly agitated. One man yells repeatedly. “He’s not responsive right now!” Two witnesses, including one woman who said she was a Minneapolis firefighter, yell at the officers to check the man’s pulse. “Check his pulse right now and tell me what it is!” she said.

At one point, an officer says: “Don’t do drugs, guys.” And one man yells, “Don’t do drugs, bro? What is that? What do you think this is?”

The Hennepin County medical examiner identified Floyd but said the cause of death was pending.

Floyd had worked security for five years at a restaurant called Conga Latin Bistro and rented a home from the restaurant’s owner, Jovanni Thunstrom.

He was “a good friend, person and a good tenant,” the restaurateur told the Star Tribune. “He was family. His co-workers and friends loved him.”

Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights and personal injury attorney, said he had been hired by Floyd’s family.

The death came amid outrage over the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was fatally shot Feb. 23 in Georgia after a White father and son pursued the 25-year-old black man they had spotted running in their subdivision. More than two months passed before charges were brought. Crump also represents Arbery’s father.

May 21, 2020

Special to L.A. Watts Times

On April 29, 1992, Ward Economic Development Corp (WEDC) had just completed its first housing development – Ward Villas (WV).  In the first month, neighbors – even those who were skeptical about who  would move into affordable housing – came to help us protect the newly completed 90,000 + square ft. state of the art complex from being burned or looted. 

People of good will provided staples, helped to “man” the fire hoses, stood guard, help residents feel comfortable, setting in place a close community relatedness that has lasted over these last 29 years.

In this season of COVID-19, our community has again moved into survival mode, requiring the assistance of people of good will to help the Elders who call Ward Vilas home survive with dignity, and thrive physically, emotionally, economically, and environmentally.  “How do you say thanks?”  is a popular song but its query is real. 

WEDC believes that after we express gratitude, we must share the good news and evidence of neighbor-to-neighbor relatedness that makes our community whole.    Yes, their story of sharing love must be told!

In March, when Mayor Eric Garcetti sounded the alarm that we needed to be #SaferAtHome, WEDC understood that the policy, though challenging was in the best interest of its residents’ health and safety. 

WEDC knew that the residents in its housing communities would need more from us. 

The daily lunch program for seniors would be suspended, the opportunities to grocery shop would be more challenging, the basic trips for personal hygiene, recreation and other outings would be curtailed, exercise and wellness sessions would be paused, even gathering in the lobby, game afternoon and Monday movies would be stopped. – yes, life would be different. Since all residents are not only on fixed incomes, but fall in the low and very low-income strata, the stress and strain would be felt more deeply.

Ironically, we had just mapped out a plan to help our elders, physically challenged and others move from isolation to more socialization, now we had to reverse the message and say – stay home please.

Some came without being asked, others responded to a mere suggestion of help needed, but all represent a host of angels who have made “Safer at Home” work.  Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson was first on deck helping to maintain that “at least one hot meal per day” standard by providing a hot lunch from restaurants in Council district #8 to all residents of Ward Villas, a 120-unit housing community for Elders.  What a win-win – helping small businesses and neighborhood restaurants while helping residents. 

Next, Councilmember Herb Wesson reached out to the residents of Rosa Parks Villas, another senior community for 60 families to offer produce boxes that included at least one month of fresh produce, fruit and fixings. He added catered dinners, again supporting small caterers whose livelihoods were being threatened.  Councilmembers Harris-Dawson and Wesson also responded to residents in scattered sites with limited incomes offering the same support. 

Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer remembered the Elders who he helps to serve annually at Thanksgiving. His office checked on them, which followed with an offer to grocery shop for those who had the greatest need. Those Elders developed a shopping list valued up to fifty dollars to help sustain them.  To their surprise their assembly member shopped and delivered the “goods” to their door.

In the month of April, WEDC heard from a community corporation, Mr. Marcus Reese Westfield and Ms. Natasha dick of Westfield Culver City who offered the gift of lunch from two of its retail tenants, Lucille’s and the Olive Garden. 

For the month of April, the 180 residents of RPV, WV and our second chance housing community, Tuelyn Terrace received delicious lunches Monday through Friday. 

An early partner with WEDC was Mrs. Brenda Marsh Mitchell, founding president of Mothers In Action (MIA).  Her legacy continues as MIA joined with Councilmember Herb Wesson to honor Brenda’s memory of giving by delivering survival package with a catered meal to each resident of RPV along with the L.A. Sentinel for their reading pleasure.

Mother’s Day weekend 2020 was unforgettable for the residents in WEDC housing communities.  After a mere conversation about wanting to have a serenade to make the day memorable since many women would be away from their families, CoMerica Bank’s Sr. VP of External Relations simply checked out the venue and said, “very few people know that I sing, but I do, and will come to RPV.” 

So, on Saturday prior to Mother’s Day, Mr. Larry Reed was presented in concert and residents sang along from their doorways and balconies, and ended with a standing ovation for the singing banker.

While physical nourishment is important, mental well-being is a close second and the song medley was a “bright light” for the Elders who because of the COVID-19 guidelines would very likely be away from family gatherings.  

 That was followed with a Mother’s Day gifting for every woman and man at WV, RPV, and Tuelyn Terrace.  The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) led by its founding president, Ms. Sandra Evers-Manly arrived with a meal catered by Gwen’s Pastries and Catering for each resident and a gift basket for each female resident.  BHERC including the cast of “Black Lightening” and a group of volunteers joined with WEDC managers for door-to-door delivery on Mother’s Day.

To round out the blessings, Ward AME Church partnered with National Action Network and World Central Kitchen along with #Chefs to offer restaurant quality meals, simply by driving by or walking up.   What an additional blessing.

As we look forward to the end of the #SaferAtHome period and planned to welcome the residents back into other sections of their homes, Andrew Hall, regional manager of Orkin West L.A. called to offer a special complimentary treatment, VitalClean which is a powerful disinfectant service for businesses.  Now we can be assured that the common areas are ready for residents to safely enjoy again, when the sheltering order is lifted.  

Finally, we are thankful for another survival gift for the seniors.  The Elders are receiving facial masks, donated by the Lucas Museum.  It is a great coming out gift.

WEDC is proud of the diversity in its housing communities where no fewer than 10 cultures live harmoniously and often work to find common ground in any situation.  All of the angel neighbors have added to the viability of this community by giving unselfishly.  This is so important because a majority who are elders age 62+ who are vulnerable and advised the shelter-in-place. 

Not enough can be said about the willingness of the WEDC team to go the extra mile in serving the residents and partnering with community efforts.  In order to encourage our residents to remain in their apartments, the team insures that the meals in professionally sealed containers are appropriately delivered to the doors, observing social distance standards and with proper personal equipment – mask and gloves.  They assist with distribution of other gifts and resources.

Finally, the work of our US Congressmembers en­ables WEDC to keep its operations at a standard which the community needs and deserves.  Thanks must be extended to Congresswoman Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, whose webinars keep us informed so that we can pay that knowledge forward to serve our community.  And Congresswoman Maxine Waters, as chair of the House Financial Services Committee oversees the work that led to the CARES Act and its equitable distribution.