Georgia trooper notices car traveling with no license plates. When the deputy lights the suspect up he sped up and the pursuit was on! During the chase, the …
Posts Tagged ‘ deputy ’
July 4th DUI Checkpoint
Reserve Deputy Who Apprehended Arson Suspect Thanks Community
West Hollywood Sheriff’s reserve Deputy Shervin Lalezary thanked citizen responders at a Tuesday afternoon news conference for their help in leading authorities to the man suspected of starting more than 50 fires in the area. “Once the fires started occurring, the city of West Hollywood called with every suspicious person they thought they saw,” said Lalezary, a full-time attorney whose office is located at 9454 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. “And that came a long way with the investigation.” The volunteer deputy’s traffic stop at Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue early Monday morning led to the arrest of Harry Burkhart , a 24-year-old Hollywood resident and German national . Burkhart is being held without bail in downtown Los Angeles on suspicion of arson of an inhabited dwelling and is tentatively scheduled to make a court appearance in Van Nuys on Wednesday. “The information that I had—basically what was out in the media—was a male, white adult, short ponytail, receding hairline,” Lalezary said. “There was a call of a vehicle fire right when I was about to initiate the traffic stop. Our radio communication was pretty tied up.” The Associated Press reported that Lalezary, who has a law degree from the University of Southern California, became a reserve deputy in 2007. His certification as a Level 3 reserve with the sheriff’s station allows him to perform traffic duties. “I saw that there was an LAPD [Los Angeles Police Department] unit that saw me turn on my lights,” Lalezary said. “They rolled up right behind me … to basically cover me while I searched the vehicle.” West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Prang, who worked as a senior adviser to L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca for nine years, told reporters that he could not have been more pleased. “We are very proud that it was one of our deputies who tracked the case,” Prang told Patch after the conference. “This is obviously a case that transcended municipal counties … God knows how many potential lives and damaged properties were saved.” As a volunteer reserve deputy, Lalezary puts in a minimum of 1,064 hours for $1 each year, said Capt. Phil Hansen, who is in charge of the Reserve Forces Bureau. “Reserves work on patrol, investigative capacities, work on community problems,” Hansen said at the conference. “They have spent quite a great deal in West Hollywood this past year.” Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . See the original post here: Reserve Deputy Who Apprehended Arson Suspect Thanks Community
Horace Mann Renovations Could Include Public Parking
As the city searches for ways to revitalize southeast Beverly Hills, a proposal to add public parking under Horace Mann School for local shoppers has elicited concerns from parents. The Board of Education voted Nov. 22 to formally approve plans to spend $55 million of Measure E funds to rebuild and modernize the Horace Mann campus. The proposal includes a two-story building on the corner of Robertson and Charleville boulevards that will house the middle school, a new multipurpose room and a new library. There would be 100 underground parking spaces for school staff and visitors. “Parking is key to upgrading the neighborhood, which will benefit everyone who lives here or attends school here,” Councilman John Mirisch told the Horace Mann Parent Teacher Association on Thursday. Mirisch and Deputy City Manager David Lightner raised the idea of adding a second level of underground parking at Horace Mann at a Nov. 9 Board of Education study session. The city already leases space at Horace Mann through the Joint Powers Agreement , so offering public parking there could be seen as an extension of the JPA, said Mirisch. The councilman is looking at ways to bring parking to the area as part of his role leading the city’s task force to develop the southeast part of town. “With more parking, our section of Robertson Boulevard could become like Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood,” he told parents. Mirisch noted that the Beverly Hills section of the street hosts small businesses like nail salons and massage parlors while the West Hollywood section hosts The Ivy and other high-end restaurants and retailers. If more upscale businesses opened near Horace Mann, the city would collect additional property taxes, the councilman said. This could directly benefit the Beverly Hills Unified School District, which became a basic aid district in 2010. (Under basic aid, the schools are funded through local property taxes rather than a per-pupil allotment from the state.) Many Horace Mann parents, however, expressed concerns about the idea. Some noted increased traffic flow, safety worries and the general philosophy that commercial and education interests should not be mixed. Mirisch himself said that environmental concerns may preclude the city from moving forward with his plan. There are subterranean toxins on the Horace Mann grounds from a gas station that used to be located across the street. The process of digging up the soil to clean it might be too costly to add any underground parking to the school. “The contamination is probably the biggest stumbling block to the [parking] idea, so I don’t know if it will make financial sense to move forward,” Mirisch told Patch in an email. “We need to…get additional information before there’s anything more to talk about.” Mirisch is continuing to look at other ways to provide more parking on or near Robertson, Olympic and Wilshire boulevards. Additional parking and bike lanes in the area could help create the “right mix of stores, boutique restaurants and most importantly, a sense of community,” he told Patch. Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . Read the original: Horace Mann Renovations Could Include Public Parking
Jury Begins Deliberating Case Against Ex-BHUSD Superintendent
Jury deliberations began Thursday in the case against former Beverly Hills Unified School District Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard , who is facing three felony misappropriation of public funds charges. Hubbard, 54, allegedly approved $20,000 in stipends and a $500 car allowance raise for former BHUSD facilities director Karen Christiansen without school board consent. He is also charged with authorizing a pay increase to former district employee Nora Roque in May 2005 without the board’s approval. “He was arrogant,” Deputy District Attorney Max Huntsman told the seven-man, five-woman jury during his closing arguments. “He felt that as superintendent he could do whatever he wanted and he didn’t care what the rules were.” Christiansen’s contract included a $150 monthly car allowance, and all changes to the contract were supposed to be made in writing, Huntsman said. Defense attorney Salvatore P. Ciulla countered during his closing arguments that although mistakes were made, Hubbard did not commit a crime. He also said Hubbard gave Roque a pay bump with the intent to put her on a salary schedule under which she would receive annual increases—something Hubbard said Roque was told would happen when she was hired. “He’s going to put his job on the line and possibly go to jail?” Ciulla asked. “It makes no sense.” Hubbard has pleaded not guilty to all three charges. He served as BHUSD superintendent from 2004-6. In July 2006, he took over the superintendent position at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Huntsman also alleged that Hubbard and Christiansen had a “special relationship” because the two exchanged intimate emails with one another. “It was certainly not the average employer-employee relationship,” he said. Christiansen, 53, was sentenced this month to four years and four months in prison. She was found guilty in November of four felony conflict of interest charges for secretly negotiating to be an independent BHUSD contractor while performing her duties for the district. Christiansen was hired by the district in 2004 and reportedly received a total of $5.2 million from BHUSD between 2006 and 2009. Ciulla described the emails between Hubbard and Christiansen as “tongue-in-cheek inappropriate comments.” But he said the communications do not demonstrate a romantic relationship existed. This report was compiled with information from City News Service. Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . More: Jury Begins Deliberating Case Against Ex-BHUSD Superintendent
Video Captures Sheriff’s Deputy Punching Out Woman Who Called Him a ‘Big Shot’
A video captures a sheriff’s deputy punching out a woman on a bus in Bellflower. The video shows the woman yelling at deputies, but she doesn’t seem to be violent. One of the deputies punches her in the face, causing her to topple over. more › Read the original post: Video Captures Sheriff’s Deputy Punching Out Woman Who Called Him a ‘Big Shot’
Kourtney Kardashian & Scott Disick: Nate & Al’s Lunch Date
It’s no secret they’ve had their ups and downs, but it looks like Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick are making things worka for now. See more here: Kourtney Kardashian & Scott Disick: Nate & Al’s Lunch Date
Extra, Extra: San Bernardino Wants to Be Hip, Lucky the Treehouse-Dwelling ‘Occupy’ Dog is Found & ‘Sergeant to the Stars’ Retires
In tonight’s Extra, Extra, San Bernardino wants to be cool, the deputy to the stars retires and the Wildlife Waystation is on the brink of financial collapse. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook , and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports . more › Read the rest here: Extra, Extra: San Bernardino Wants to Be Hip, Lucky the Treehouse-Dwelling ‘Occupy’ Dog is Found & ‘Sergeant to the Stars’ Retires
Manson Follower Seeks Parole In California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The self-described right-hand man of cult leader Charles Manson, who was convicted of orchestrating the Tate-LaBianca slayings 42 years ago, has his latest parole hearing scheduled Wednesday in a California prison. Charles “Tex” Watson, 65, has been denied parole 13 times but will try again during a hearing at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, in the Sierra foothills 50 miles southeast of Sacramento. Four relatives of Watson’s victims plan to ask that his parole be denied for killing actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, and four others at her Beverly Hills home on Aug. 9, 1969. The next night, he helped kill grocery owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. “There’s no question these were some of the most horrific crimes in California history in terms of the brutality, the multiple stab wounds, the gunshots, the large number of victims over a two-day period,” said Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Patrick Sequeira. “For a group of people to just slaughter strangers in hopes of igniting a race war is extremely horrifying.” Watson’s attorney, Cheryl Montgomery, did not return repeated telephone messages. The website says he was raised in Copeville, Texas, north of Dallas, and headed to California in 1967 after dropping out of college. A brief biographical sketch on the site said Watson believed Manson “offered utopia, but in reality, he had a destructive world view, which Charles ended up believing in and acting upon. His participation in the 1969 Manson murders is a part of history that he deeply regrets.” A book he wrote while in prison is titled, “Manson’s Right-Hand Man Speaks Out!” In the past, Watson has argued that he is a changed man who has been a model prisoner and no longer is a danger to the public. He did not attend his last parole hearing in 2006 but was portrayed in a psychiatric evaluation at the time as “a very devout fundamentalist Christian … a young, naive and gullible man (who) got into drugs and bizarre company without appreciating the deviance of the company he was keeping.” Anthony DiMaria, a nephew of victim Jay Sebring, planned to contest that view of Watson and other Manson disciples. “They’ve often been portrayed as these victims of Manson, and they are killers. They’re mass murderers,” DiMaria said in a telephone interview before the hearing. He planned to attend the hearing with his mother and sister. Debra Tate also was expected to speak to the two-member panel of the California Board of Parole Hearings on behalf of her late sister, Sharon, who at the time was married to film director Roman Polanski. Watson was convicted in a separate trial after Manson and three female followers were found guilty of the seven murders. Their death sentences were commuted to life when the U.S. Supreme Court briefly outlawed the death penalty in 1972. DiMaria said his mother has considered it her mission to speak out on behalf of her brother. “I know that our family, myself included, feel no hatred, anger or vengeance toward them. We actually go out of love for the victims, and we also go out of justice. This is calculated, cold-blooded mass murder in which bodies were desecrated,” DiMaria said. “We want to bring the memories of the victims into the room as the commissioners deliberate on whether to parole the inmate.” Go here to see the original: Manson Follower Seeks Parole In California
Pressure For Shutdown Rises After Deaths At Multiple Occupy Wall Street Camps
OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland police handed out eviction notices at an anti-Wall Street encampment and officials elsewhere urged an end to similar gatherings as pressures against Occupy protest sites mounted in the wake of three deaths in different cities, including two by gunfire. Police first pleaded with and then ordered Occupy Oakland protesters to leave their encampment at the City Hall plaza where a man was shot and killed Thursday. Officers acting at the direction of Mayor Jean Quan distributed fliers to protesters late Friday afternoon warning that the camp violates the law and must be disbanded immediately. The notices warned campers they would face arrest if tents and other materials were not removed, although the warnings did not say by when. The city issued similar written warnings before officers raided the encampment before dawn on Oct. 25 with tear gas and bean bags projectiles before arresting 85 people. A day later, Quan allowed protesters to reclaim the disbanded site and the camp has grown substantially since then. Earlier, the Oakland Police Officer’s Association issued an open letter saying the camp is pulling officers away from crime-plagued neighborhoods. “With last night’s homicide, in broad daylight, in the middle of rush hour, Frank Ogawa Plaza is no longer safe,” the letter said. “Please leave peacefully, with your heads held high, so we can get police officers back to work fighting crime in Oakland neighborhoods.” City Council President Larry Reid said outside City Hall on Friday that the shooting was further proof the tents must come down. He was confronted by a protester who said he wouldn’t be in office much longer. “You didn’t elect me,” Reid snapped back. “You probably ain’t even registered to vote!” The Oakland shooting occurred the same day a 35-year-old military veteran apparently shot himself to death in a tent at a Burlington, Vt., Occupy encampment. In Vermont, police said a preliminary investigation showed the veteran fatally shot himself in the head in a tent in City Hall Park. The death of the Chittenden County man raised questions about whether the protest would be allowed to continue, said Burlington police Deputy Chief Andi Higbee. “Our responsibility is to keep the public safe. When there is a discharge of a firearm in a public place like this it’s good cause to be concerned, greatly concerned,” Higbee said. On Friday, a man believed to be in his 40s was found dead inside a tent at the Occupy Salt Lake City encampment, from what police said was a combination of drug use and carbon monoxide. The discovery led police to order all protesters to leave the park where they have camped for weeks. The man has not been identified. Group organizers said many of the roughly 150 protesters plan to go to jail rather than abandon the encampment. “We don’t even know if this is a tragedy or just natural,” protest organizer Jesse Fruhwirth said. “They’re scapegoating Occupy.” Salt Lake City police Chief Chris Burbank said officers have made 91 arrests at the camp, roughly the same number seen in the area during all of the last year. A preliminary investigation into the Oakland shooting suggested it resulted from a fight between two groups of men at or near the encampment, police Chief Howard Jordan said. Investigators do not know if the men in the fight were associated with Occupy Oakland, he said. Protesters said there was no connection between the shooting and the camp. The coroner’s office said it was using fingerprints to identify the victim and that a positive identification was not likely to be released before Monday. Protesters have been girding for another police raid as several City Council members have said the Oakland camp must go. After police cleared the camp last month, Quan changed course and allowed protesters to return. Tensions were also high at the 300-tent encampment in Portland, Ore., which has become a hub for the city’s homeless people and addicts. Mayor Sam Adams ordered the camp shut down by midnight Saturday, saying the tipping point came this week with the arrest of a camper on suspicion of setting off a Molotov cocktail outside an office building, as well as two non-fatal drug overdoses at the camp. “I cannot wait for someone to die,” he said. “I cannot wait for someone to use the camp as camouflage to inflict bodily harm on others.” Many at the camp said they would resist any effort to remove them. “There will be a variety of tactics used,” said organizer Adriane DeJerk, 26. “No social movement has ever been successful while being completely peaceful.” Police said some elements inside the camp may be building shields and makeshift weapons, including nails hammered into wood, while trying to gather gas masks. “If there are anarchists, if there are weapons, if there is an intention to engage in violence and confrontation, that obviously raises our concerns,” Portland police Lt. Robert King said. ___ Associated Press writers Dave Gram in Burlington, Vt., Nigel Duara in Portland, Ore., Josh Loftin and Brian Skoloff in Salt Lake City and Sudhin Thanawala and Marcus Wohlsen in San Francisco contributed to this report. Link: Pressure For Shutdown Rises After Deaths At Multiple Occupy Wall Street Camps