Inglewood police fatally shoot passenger-Policy Brutality!

Believing they were under fire, Inglewood police officers Sunday shot and killed a passenger in an approaching car and wounded the driver, but no weapons were found and no one has been charged, authorities said.

The passenger was identified as 19-year-old Michael Byoune of Los Angeles, who died at the scene from gunshot wounds to the torso, said Los Angeles County coroner’s investigator Jerry McKibben.

The officers were in their patrol car near Crenshaw Boulevard and 8th Avenue about 1:40 a.m. when they heard gunfire and pursued a man who was running, said Inglewood Police Sgt. Hector Ramirez.

The man jumped into a slow-moving car in the 3000 block of Manchester Boulevard, and the officers heard more shots and felt something hit their cruiser, Ramirez said.

The officers then fired several shots as the vehicle came toward them, according to police. The driver is in stable condition with a leg wound, and a third man in the car was not injured. He was taken into custody, questioned and released, police said.

Police Sgt. Dennis Brown later said the patrol car had not been hit by gunfire. Investigators initially indicated that the incident might have been gang-related, but later said the three men were not suspected gang members.

Reached at her home, Inglewood Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks declined to discuss the shooting. “This is not the time to call,” she said, adding that it was not a business day.

LA TImes: Share your thoughts on this story

 

1. i can’t believe she said that its not a business day. If your a police chief and one of your officers killed an unarmed citizen then you better get your rear and handle the situation, especially right now when racial tensions are extremely high and there is hardly any respect of law enforcement for reasons like this. When your the chief your on call 7 days a week, thats the job. She should be terminated or just resign. I wanted to be a cop, but with all of the politics involved and the fact the majority of the public doesn’t respect law enforcement anymore, its just not worth it.
Submitted by: steven
10:39 AM PDT, May 12, 2008

 

2. And they arrest Dennis Farina? Dad used to say, “If nothing else, California cops are great for starting riots”.
Submitted by: Hair Trigger
10:33 AM PDT, May 12, 2008

 

3. Just lovely. The police murder an innocent man and the police chief can’t be bothered. It is the “I don’t care attitude” of Chief Seabrooks that creates the atmosphere that makes the murder of innocents ok.
Submitted by: chris
10:30 AM PDT, May 12, 2008

Enough Said

High School Brawls, Revert to 2005

FYI Via LA Times: Locke High School in South Los Angeles is on lockdown after a major brawl involving hundreds of students. Another brawl was reported at nearby Washington High School.

Police in riot gear are searching through classrooms at Locke High. Several students have been taken into custody for questioning. At least four students suffered minor injuries.

The fight reportedly broke out during the lunch hour. Police have surrounded the school are trying to restore order before students are let out for the weekend.

Hundreds of parents have arrived to pick up their children after learning about the disturbance.

Check back for more details on this developing story

Baja Woes Continue

On Sunday, following one of the bloodiest days in Tijuana’s history, authorities held no news conferences. The death toll in the gangland-style shootings early Saturday between rival drug traffickers increased to 15 from 13, after two men died of their injuries.

Official silence is common in Mexico, where thousands have been killed in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006. But many analysts believe that Calderon’s decision to send thousands of army troops to Baja California, Veracruz, Michoacan and other states to crack down on the drug trade is reaping a type of dividend.

The government’s efforts have disrupted agreements between trafficking organizations and corrupt officials, setting off turf wars among weakened organizations, analysts and government officials say.

Read more here.

Injustice with NYPD-same old song

All three NYPD officers charged with homicide in the tragic murder of Sean Bell and the brutal injuries suffered by his acquaintances have been acquitted of all charges.

Assistant DA Charles A. Testagrossa said in his closing argument: “We ask police to risk their lives to protect ours, not to risk our lives to protect their own.”

Despite the organized protest and public outcry over the 50 bullets aimed at Sean Bell, the tune of police brutality and communities of color repeats itself like an old record on both coasts, east and west.