Bass orders independent review after LAPD releases video of two deaths
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday, after the LAPD released video footage from two separate incidents resulting in death, that she will issue an Executive Directive ordering an independent evaluation of officer-involved deaths and severe injuries, with particular focus on cases involving people experiencing mental health crises.
The first incident began July 13 in Chatsworth, when police responded to a report that 58-year-old Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz had stabbed two family members, leading to a standoff before he was taken into custody. He was later transferred to a Los Angeles jail, where LAPD officials said he became combative and uncooperative with detention officers during booking. Video released Friday showed officers using physical force, including strikes, while he was restrained and handcuffed. He was later found unconscious and not breathing in his cell and was pronounced dead at the scene, more than two weeks before LAPD made the footage public.
The second incident occurred July 29 in central Los Angeles, after a 911 caller reported 33-year-old Alejandro Garcia was walking through traffic near the 10 Freeway swinging a baseball bat and smashing car windows. Officers located Garcia, and the encounter ended when officers opened fire as he advanced toward them with the bat. He died after being taken to a hospital.
“These two videos were incredibly difficult to watch. People who experience behavioral or mental health crises often do not receive the proper care they desperately need. Without it, they can deteriorate into behavior that can result in severe injury or death,” said Bass.
“Decades of disinvestment in community-based mental and behavioral health services have left too many Angelenos without access to timely and appropriate care, increasing the likelihood that people in crisis will come into contact with law enforcement. LAPD officers do not enter the force to become first responders to mental health crises and are not equipped with the proper training to do so,” said Bass.
“Therefore, I will be issuing an Executive Directive calling for an independent evaluation of officer-involved deaths and severe injuries, with particular attention to injuries and deaths that might involve individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. This independent review will aim to identify systemic gaps, strengthen policies and training, and enhance public and officer safety. It will also examine what type of mental health support officers should receive following a critical incident,” the Mayor added.
“We must also expand civilian crisis response and co-response models that can support individuals in crisis who have not exhibited violent behavior, reducing the need for armed officers. Public safety cannot be achieved through law enforcement alone,” said Bass.
Gabriel’s bill protects Pride parades, community festivals from hate
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino, Canoga Park, Winnetka, Calabasas, Reseda, Northridge, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, West Hills, Hidden Hills, Bell Canyon, Lake Balboa, Van Nuys, Warner Center) announced this week that his legislation (AB 1836) expanding the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program to cover offsite events like Pride parades and cultural festivals, passed both houses of the Legislature with unanimous bipartisan support.
Gabriel authored the bill with Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego), chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. Since 2015, the grant program has helped hundreds of houses of worship, community centers and reproductive health clinics secure physical locations, but that funding has stopped at the front door, according to Gabriel’s office.
AB 1836 would let organizations use the grants for security at offsite gatherings as well, where the release cites recent deadly attacks at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney and a Pride parade in Berlin as examples of the risk. The bill is sponsored by Jewish California and Equality California and backed by more than 100 organizations representing LGBTQ+, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Latino and Asian American communities.
“California is stepping up to protect our communities, so that Californians of all faiths and backgrounds can gather together and celebrate without fear. This bill sends a powerful message that California will continue to stand with the LGBTQ+ community and all others targeted by hate. We will never let hate win,” said Gabriel, who chairs the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.
Gabriel authored the original 2019 legislation creating California’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the first state-funded program of its kind in the nation, following the deadly shooting at a synagogue in Poway. The state has committed more than $380 million to the program since, and Gabriel helped secure $80 million in ongoing annual funding in this year’s state budget. In the most recent funding cycle, more than 1,600 organizations applied, making it the most popular grant program administered by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, where he has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it.
Zbur’s hotel worker bill heads to the Governor’s desk
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Westwood Village) announced Sunday that his legislation (AB 2181) protecting hospitality jobs by preventing speculative development scenarios from inflating hotel and motel ground lease costs passed the state Senate and received final concurrence in the Assembly.
Many California hotels operate under long-term ground leases with rent resets tied to appraised land value, and those valuations have increasingly factored in hypothetical residential redevelopment scenarios based on density bonuses that were never actually pursued or approved, according to Zbur’s office.
“California’s density bonus laws are an important tool for encouraging more affordable housing, but they should not be used to inflate land values based on hypothetical projects that have never been pursued or approved. When speculative development scenarios drive up ground rents for operating hotels, the consequences are very real for the workers whose livelihoods depend on those businesses. AB 2181 establishes reasonable guardrails to protect hospitality jobs while preserving our important housing tools and future opportunities for redevelopment,” said Zbur.
Maria Espinoza, a housekeeper at the Sandbourne Santa Monica, said the bill matters directly to workers like her.
“Every day, I clean rooms, turn over beds, and make sure guests have a good experience. It’s hard work, and it’s work that keeps our hotels running. But too often, the people who do this work, the housekeepers, the servers, the front desk staff, don’t have a real voice in the decisions that affect our jobs and our workplaces. That’s why AB 2181 matters,” said Espinoza.
The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom for consideration.
Valladares says Senate Democrats blocked her DSA resolution
State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Lancaster, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, portions of the Antelope Valley) said Friday that Senate Democratic leadership refused to allow debate or a vote on her resolution condemning the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) platform, a measure she authored with six Republican colleagues.
Valladares characterized the DSA platform in her release as incompatible with American values, citing the group’s positions on private property, policing and government control of economic sectors, and drew a comparison to historical governments built on Marxist and socialist foundations.
Valladares tied the resolution to broader affordability concerns in California, including high gas prices and a state unemployment debt she put at $20 billion.
“If these ideas come from real desperation over the cost of living and fear about a fading American Dream, we owe Californians an honest conversation about why this agenda is a recipe for disaster, not a slogan. We have to lower costs and expand opportunities for working families. This agenda is not compatible with American values or the values of the families I represent. It should not be controversial for my colleagues to say so,” said Valladares.
“If the DSA agenda is so defensible, debate it. If affordability and public safety are priorities, prove it. Stop silencing the people’s representatives and start delivering results for the people you serve,” added Valladares.
