Thread: LAPD officers won't be charged in MacArthur Park melee

LAPD officers won't be charged in MacArthur Park melee

Prosecutors say there is insufficient evidence to prove that any of the 30 officers who were investigated violated the law when using force during the 2007 May Day immigration rally.

By Richard Winton and Andrew Blankstein
October 31, 2009

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office will not file criminal charges against any of the LAPD officers who discharged rubberized bullets and wielded batons during the 2007 May Day melee at MacArthur Park, officials announced Friday.

After a lengthy review, prosecutors said there is insufficient evidence to prove that any of the 30 officers who were investigated violated the law when using force, although some might have used "questionable tactics."

The melee, which occurred at the conclusion of a pro- immigration rally and received national attention, resulted from poor police training, leadership and communication, prosecutors said. Their finding echoed the Los Angeles Police Department's own scathing report on the officers' actions.

Officers were videotaped wielding batons and shooting less-than-lethal rubberized bullets in an attempt to disperse the mostly peaceful crowd after a small group of agitators confronted police. Dozens of protesters and journalists were injured as officers cleared the park.

The department's "planning, tactical and command failures" were the backdrop for the officers' actions against "both violent protesters and nonviolent protesters and media personnel," prosecutors said in their report. "The media had innocently and unwittingly positioned themselves in an area directly in the path of officers attempting to clear the park."

In the immediate aftermath, Police Chief William J. Bratton removed a deputy chief and commander from their posts. Deputy Chief Caylor "Lee" Carter retired shortly thereafter.

Bratton also said he planned to discipline several officers and called for the termination of others for their roles in the melee. But internal disciplinary panels gave no officer more than a 20-day suspension. A small group of officers, however, were demoted, according to their attorney.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles City Council agreed to pay nearly $13 million to people injured or mistreated in the May Day melee.

Carol Sobel, a lawyer for some of the plaintiffs, said that although the LAPD admitted errors in the incident that the "the whole approach toward disciplining officers . . . has been a total whitewash. They could have filed charges against the officers that were seen repeatedly beating people."

But in their report, prosecutors concluded that "not every push or shove amounts to excessive force. We cannot establish that any particular officer's actions were unreasonable or without lawful necessity in light of the tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving circumstances."

They said that tactical gear worn by police made it difficult or impossible to identify specific officers, which is key to any prosecution.

Prosecutors noted that 20 officers and supervisors were subject to department punishment.

Los Angeles Police Protective League President Paul Weber praised the district attorney's review, saying that it "sought only truth and justice, and was not influenced by any political agenda."

richard.winton@latimes.com

andrew.blankstein @latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 2137.story

About time common sense prevailed! Now how do they get back the $13 million payout? Can those officers who were suspended sue the organizers of this "peaceful" march?

Amazes me that these same people that complain on how they are treated in America,have the right to protest ,but yet give way to a violence (said to be a small group).

And as you can see the million or so Americans that protested in Washington were very reserved and polite when it came to leaving any type of litter in the area.

Glad to hear they found the officers free of any charges

It seems obama is so fond of reparations, perhaps he should give the officers reparations for the false charges lodged against them. But make sure the reparations come from obama's bank account and not our tax dollars. smile

Originally Posted by miguelina

About time common sense prevailed! Now how do they get back the $13 million payout? Can those officers who were suspended sue the organizers of this "peaceful" :roll: march?

It was a deal.
The city gave them $13 million so that they wouldn't complain when the officers aren't prosecuted.
The officers and the union can sue the City/P.D. for back pay.

Added to the Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-4644--0-0.html

I wonder which cartel owns Bratton?...But after reading things like this I don't wonder why California is broke and begging. Anybody see those commercials they run all the time about vacationing in California? I laugh my butt off...but it's not funny when the cause of the problem is considered. Just that that moron thinks anyone really wants to visit that state. Might as well go to mexico and be kidnapped, tortured and murdered for my vaction! At least things'll be cheaper there until they get me. lol lol lol

Macarthur Park Mini riot -- The Other Side Of The Story!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XCWNe0pBTI

Originally Posted by PatrioticMe

I wonder which cartel owns Bratton?...But after reading things like this I don't wonder why California is broke and begging. Anybody see those commercials they run all the time about vacationing in California? I laugh my butt off...but it's not funny when the cause of the problem is considered. Just that that moron thinks anyone really wants to visit that state. Might as well go to mexico and be kidnapped, tortured and murdered for my vaction! At least things'll be cheaper there until they get me. lol lol lol

America's safest cities

These metros have the lowest rates of violent crime, workplace deaths, fatal crashes and natural disasters.


Rank Metro Area MSA Population Violent Crime Workplace Fatality Rates Traffic Death Rates Natural Disaster Risk Total
1 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,229,878 9 1 7 7 24
2 Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 1,549,308 24 11 4 1 40
3 Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA 2,207,462 1 10 5 25 41
4 Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH 4,522,858 10 5 1 28 44
4 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,344,813 3 2 8 31 44
6 Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA 1,596,611 6 7 11 28 52
7 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,819,198 2 8 6 38 54
8 New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA 19,006,798 11 15 2 27 55
9 Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN 2,155,137 8 27 20 2 57
10 Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 2,088,291 15 25 17 2 59
10 Denver-Aurora, CO 2,506,626 5 28 16 10 59
12 Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI 4,425,110 40 4 10 8 62
13 San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 3,001,072 14 6 19 26 65
14 Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 4,281,899 17 17 27 5 66
15 Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI 9,569,624 26 23 9 9 67
15 Austin-Round Rock, TX 1,652,602 4 14 34 15 67
15 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 6,300,006 19 12 18 18 67
18 Pittsburgh, PA 2,351,192 7 37 24 2 70
19 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA 12,872,808 21 3 12 35 71
20 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,358,130 16 24 13 20 73
21 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5,838,471 28 30 14 6 78
22 San Antonio, TX 2,031,445 25 16 30 12 83
23 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 5,376,285 20 20 32 14 86
24 Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA 2,109,832 22 18 15 33 88
25 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 4,274,531 29 22 3 39 93
26 Baltimore-Towson, MD 2,667,117 34 21 21 21 97
27 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 1,658,292 13 31 22 32 98
28 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 2,733,761 32 9 38 22 101
29 Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 1,865,746 39 26 29 11 105
29 Columbus, OH 1,773,120 12 36 23 34 105
31 Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC 1,701,799 31 29 25 22 107
32 Kansas City, MO-KS 2,002,047 27 32 33 16 108
32 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 4,115,871 18 19 36 35 108
34 St. Louis, MO-IL 2,816,710 23 39 31 16 109
35 Orlando-Kissimmee, FL 2,054,574 38 13 40 22 113
36 Indianapolis-Carmel, IN 1,715,459 30 40 26 19 115
37 Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 1,550,733 36 33 37 13 119
38 Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 5,728,143 33 38 28 37 136
39 Jacksonville, FL 1,313,228 37 35 39 30 141
40 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL 5,414,772 35 34 35 40 144

Full List: America's Safest Cities - Forbes.com
Oct 26, 2009 ... These metros have the lowest rates of violent crime, workplace deaths, fatal crashes and natural disasters.

www.forbes.com/.../safest-cities-ten-li ... chart.html

Originally Posted by PatrioticMe

Might as well go to mexico and be kidnapped, tortured and murdered for my vaction! At least things'll be cheaper there until they get me. lol lol lol

Reeling Mexico hopes travel deals bring back the tourists

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinat ... ound_N.htm