Los Angeles, Ca
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Crude details, including secret recordings, are emerging in a case of alleged racism and sexism by several male and female officers working in The Los Angeles Police Department’s Recruiting Employment Division.
In mid-February, news of the scandal broke after the Los Angeles Times learned of a written complaint outlining the accusations, which was filed anonymously on Jan. 5.
At the time, LAPD said four officers, including a lieutenant and a sergeant, had been assigned home with their police powers stripped amid the investigation. That number has reportedly increased by two additional officers.
The Times has since reviewed a copy of the complaint that details around 90 recordings between March and October in the department’s recruiting division where officers and supervisors reportedly hurled discriminatory remarks about colleagues and possible recruits based on race, sex and sexual orientation.
Some of the crude remarks include a Latina officer saying, “You hit Black people in the liver; I heard they got weak livers,” and referring to a Latina janitor as a “wetback.” A Latino officer reportedly said, “Black people enjoy watermelon in between basketball.”
An Asian sergeant is said to have criticized a civilian female supervisor to his subordinates for “looking like a man,” The Times reported, and then made jokes about the genitalia of Asian women.
Five of the six officers reportedly caught up in the scandal include Sgt. Denny Jong, who is Asian, Lt. Louis Lavender, who is Black, an officer identified only as McKay, Ofc. Shirley Burgos, a Latina and Ofc. Christian Flores, a Latino, according to The Times’ reporting.
The complaint alleges that Lavender, who oversaw the section, overheard and witnessed many of the conversations, though did nothing to stop them.
“Man, we’re going to end up in the L.A. Times the way you all talk in here,” he’s allegedly recorded saying. “You all can bring down the whole department.”
Jong, who reportedly ran the office day-to-day and is characterized in the complaint as leading the crude and prejudicial language, is also accused of allowing his officers to review the names of potential background investigators for the unit and then letting the officers veto them when they came up for hiring.
The allegations and investigation come at a time when LAPD is struggling to fill its ranks ahead of the Olympics and the World Cup.
Newly installed L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell has made it clear that the department faces staffing issues, saying that at the time of his appointment, there were 1,200 fewer officers than when he was last on the force 15 years ago, The Times reported.
While department officials have said the investigation into the matter is a top priority, the complaining officer, a Latino himself and a 10-year veteran of the department, is also likely to face an investigation into whether the recordings were made illegally.
His attorney, Greg Smith, told The Times, that officers should expect privacy from these types of recordings while in uniform and in a public building “ridiculing the very people they took an oath to serve.”
Smith added that his client, who has not been publicly identified, handed the recordings over to LAPD’s Inspector General.
As for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who was briefed on the complaint when it was filed in January, she referred to the allegations in a statement as “especially outrageous and unacceptable.”
“Growing LAPD’s ranks is a top priority of this Administration, and for our city’s safety,” she said.
The mayor added that she and Chief McDonnell are working together to “fix the recruiting and hiring process and make sure that officers stuck in the past don’t tarnish the badge for everyone else.”
A pair of earthquakes, including a 3.3 magnitude, shook the same area of Los Angeles early Monday morning where a 4.1 magnitude temblor hit Sunday afternoon.
The 3.3 magnitude quake struck at 2:23 a.m. Monday with its epicenter 6.7 miles northwest of Malibu and 7.7 miles southwest of Westlake Village, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A smaller 1.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded just three minutes later in the same area. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from either of the quakes.
The powerful 4.1 magnitude temblor that struck just after 1 p.m. Sunday was “widely felt in the L.A. region,” USGS said on X. Some of the strongest shakings were reported in areas of Malibu, Agoura Hills and Thousands Oaks.
“It causes a lot of shaking and maybe some fear but not any damage and that seems to be what we’re seeing in the sequence over the last year,” Caltech Dr. Lucy Jones said following Sunday’s quake.
Latest California Earthquakes. Please wait a moment for map to load.
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Thousands of earthquakes are recorded in California annually, but the vast majority are incredibly minor. Several hundred reach a magnitude of 3.0, and only about 15 to 20 reach a magnitude of 4.0 or greater, according to the USGS.
In North America, only Alaska records more quakes per year than California.
What to do in an earthquake
During an earthquake, knowing the proper steps to protect yourself and minimize injury is crucial. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) provides detailed guidelines on what to do during such events. Here are the key points:
Drop, Cover, and Hold On:
Drop: Immediately drop down onto your hands and knees. This position prevents you from being knocked over and allows you to stay low and crawl to safety if necessary.
Cover: Use one arm to protect your head and neck, and if possible, take shelter under a sturdy table or desk. If no shelter is available, get down next to an interior wall away from windows. Stay on your knees and bend over to protect vital organs.
Hold On: Hold on to your shelter until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if it shifts.
A 33-year-old man is facing the possibility of life in prison for an alleged violent rape attempt of a 63-year-old woman, attacking a toddler and residential burglary late last month, officials announced.
The terrifying Feb. 27 incident unfolded just before 12:30 p.m. in the West Los Angeles neighborhood of Sawtelle.
In a news release, prosecutors with L.A. County District Attorney’s Office said Ishmail Bangura attacked a 3-year-old child inside one apartment before entering the apartment of a 63-year-old woman who he reportedly sexually assaulted.
Bangura, who witnesses said was nude during the violent ordeal, was pulled off the woman by a group of construction workers working on a site in the 2400 block of Barry Avenue near the 10 Freeway who heard the victim’s screams for help.
“Part of you freezes and thinks, ‘Is this really happening right now?’ And then part of you just knows, ‘We gotta go help her,’” Rick Dreyfus, a general contractor who assisted in the rescue, told KTLA.
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A construction site is seen on the 2400 block of Barry Avenue next to the I-10 Freeway, near where a naked man attacked a 63-year-old woman on Feb. 27, 2025. (KTLA)
He added that when he and his crew reached the 63-year-old woman, Bangura, completely naked, had her pinned on her back and was attempting to rape her.
Responding LAPD officers took the alleged attacker into custody shortly thereafter.
Officials did not a provide a city of residence for the 33-year-old man, but witnesses told KTLA that they believe he came from a nearby homeless encampment.
The 63-year-old woman, who has not been identified was taken to the hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and released. The child was treated at the scene.
Bangura was charged with assault to commit forcible rape during the commission of a burglary that inflicted great bodily injury to the victim and child abuse with enhancements that the alleged attacks involve “great violence” and “a high degree of cruelty.”
“Violence against children and older adults — some of the most vulnerable members of our community — is beyond reprehensible,” District Attorney Hochman said while announcing the charges last week.
Bangura, who pleaded not guilty, is being held on $2 million bail.
If convicted as charged, the 33-year-old faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison plus 13 years and would be required to register as a sex offender for life, officials said.
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