Long Beach Police Department

SoCal Police's Blood Money

When the DA declines to prosecute bad cops, the only justice families can get is financial

[UPDATED with Jury Rules FOR Douglas Zerby Family:] Long Beach Police Officers Negligent

See the update at the end of this post about the jury ruling for the dead man's family.ORIGINAL POST, APRIL 3, 2:13 P.M.: A $21.5 million civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Long Beach over cops fatally shooting a guy holding a gardening water nozzle on a friend's Belmont Sho ... More >>

Sobriety Checkpoints are Set Tonight in the Beaches Newport and Long

The Newport Beach Police Department is holding a sobriety checkpoint tonight and--praise be--the cops are disclosing the location.It's at Newport Boulevard and Finley Avenue from 8:30 p.m. through 3 a.m. Saturday.That would put it near City Hall, councilman!

Sokha Hor Allowed Hospital Visit with Family, But Activists Vow to Keep Pressuring Police

Activists in Long Beach declared victory Sunday afternoon as the parents of 22-year-old man clinging to life were finally allowed to visit him in a hospital he's been in since an undercover police officer shot him Jan. 7.Thus, the focus of a rally Sunday outside St. Mary's Medical Center shifted fro ... More >>

Long Beach Pot Disensary Lawsuit Highlights Two Controversial Cops

Nine medical marijuana collectives that were raided by Long Beach Police officers in the past two years have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city. The case, which was filed in the U.S. District Courthouse in Los Angeles, alleges a total of 21 raids involving strong-arm tactics and m ... More >>

Blowing Smoke: OC Weekly's Top Ten Marijuana Stories of 2012

2012 was a busy year for marijuana. It began with what looked like the beginning of the end of the medical marijuana industry in California and ended with the legalization of recreational weed in both Colorado and Washington State. Looking back through the posts in Navel Gazing's Cannabis Chron ... More >>

Temple Israel Vandalized by Nazi Douchebags

Just a week ago, Temple Israel in Long Beach was rededicated after major improvements were made to the synagogue complex at 269 Loma Ave. "Improvements" added last night were not improvements at all but disgusting swastikas and slogans sprayed onto the place for worshipers from greater Long Beach an ... More >>

[UPDATED W/NEW INFO] DEA Raids Seven Pot Clubs In LBC!

*See bottom of post for update: ORIGINAL POST, Oct. 10, 2:44 p.m.: As we reported last month, an Ace Hardware store in Long Beach drew the ire of Long Beach pot activists when it began protesting against the nearby Fourth & Olive marijuana dispensary. Folks protested the store and threatene ... More >>

[UPDATED W/STATEMENT BY VICTIM'S MOTHER] Emmanuel Walker, Long Beach Police Snitch, Sentenced To Life In Prison

*See bottom of this post for a statement by Kathy Windom, mother of victim Stephen Brown, which she read during Walker's sentencing hearing.ORIGINAL POST, Sept. 18, 2:22 p.m.: Sixteen months after he allegedly murdered 32-year-old Long Beach resident Steven Brown, Emmanuel Walker was sentenced ... More >>

Hector Campos of Orange Dies After Being Kidnapped and Shot in Long Beach; 3 Held

A 24-year-old man from Orange who was kidnapped Friday in Long Beach, shot and left for dead passed away Monday, according to authorities, who have three suspects in custody. Hector Campos had been seen by witnesses being shoved into a car's trunk in the 1200 block of 10th Street just before noon. O ... More >>

Berth 55's Rights

Can community activists save two beloved Long Beach businesses from the wrecking ball of port progress?

Rafael Venegas and Luis Jose Cuevas, Catholic Priests, Accused of Sex Crimes Against Females

At least this can be said of the pending charges against two Roman Catholic priests from Southern California parishes--including St. Athanasus Church of Long Beach: only one of the four accusers is a child and all are female. The latest case involves Father Rafael Venegas, who is accused of sexual b ... More >>

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting ... to Stop Jewelry Store Robbery

Their hands were fast as lightning . . .They would be the three martial artists who helped an agitated owner of a jewelry store foil an attempted armed robbery in Long Beach's Cambodia Town.Thanks to the Good Samaritaninjas, one of three baddies is in custody.

We Check Up on the Long Beach Addresses in Sublime's Riot Song "April 29, 1992 (Miami)"

Yesterday marked 20 years since the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King incited several days of violence and looting in South Central Los Angeles. But it's also been 20 years since a similarly motivated uprising erupted in nearby Long Beach, resulting in numerous ... More >>

What We Learned, April 14-20

It's our weekly look back at the Weekly's week that was, with taglines indicating what this taught us.APRIL 14: Ron Thomas, the father of Kelly Thomas, the young man beaten to death by Fullerton cops in July 2011, participates in the Social Justice Summit at Cal State Fullerton. His topic is not ven ... More >>

Police Unveil Bullet Holes from Gunman Accused of Killing Man and Firing at Cop Car

With our poison pens, shit-smelling sneers and anti-authoritarian upbringings, we here at Weekly Central can be pretty hard on our local police, expecting the same kind of perfection we employ doing our jobs uncov-- . . .. . . Hey! Stop laughing !! . . . This does not mean that we do not acknowledge ... More >>

Joanna Ramos' Death After School Fight Brings No Charges

February's death of Joanna Ramos at the hands of one of the 10-year-old's Frances Willard Elementary School classmates was ruled a homicide, but authorities in Long Beach say no charges will be brought in the case.Long Beach Police released a statement today saying no crime occurred, calling th ... More >>

Emmanuel Walker Was the Snitch

His journey from Long Beach police informant on cannabis collectives to convicted murderer

[UPDATED with Widow's Comments:] Ezequiel Garcia is Killed and Kevin Kozak Wounded in Shootings at ICE Offices

​UPDATE, FEB. 20, 2:30 P.M.: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Ezequiel Garcia was asking for a transfer to be closer to his Murrieta home before Thursday evening's shootings that left Garcia dead and his supervisor Kevin Kozak wounded, the deceased's widow tells KCAL/Channel 9 News. ... More >>

[UPDATED with Plea:] Scott Evans Dekraai, Mass Murder Suspect, Indicted by Grand Jury

​UPDATE, JAN. 18, 3:38 P.M.: Accused mass killer Scott Evans Dekraai pleaded not guilty to eight murder counts at today's arraignment hearing in Santa Ana. If a feeling of deja vu just washed over you, fret not; Dekraai also pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing last year. Today's arraignme ... More >>

[UPDATED With Dispatches from the Port:] Occupy Converges on the Port of Long Beach; Over 200 Protestors Block Access to Pier

Brandon Ferguson​UPDATE DEC. 12, 1:15 P.M.: Though there were several incredibly tense moments at the Port of Long Beach this morning as protesters and police squared off, the day ended without any serious incidents. Between 200 and 300 Occupy activists from Irvine, Santa Ana, Los Angeles, La ... More >>

Woman Plunges to Her Death From Queen Mary

​A distraught 26-year-old woman who had been arguing with her boyfriend plunged 75 feet to her death from a Queen Mary walkway to the chilly waters of Long Beach Harbor Monday night. The unidentified woman's 40-year-old boyfriend and two police officers were reportedly treated for hypothermia afte ... More >>

[UPDATED: Zerby's Supporters Outraged, Demand Federal Investigation] Cops Cleared in The Fatal Shooting of Douglas Zerby

Zerby​UPDATE, NOV. 4, 1:11 P.M.: Family members, attorneys and community organizations are speaking out against the Long Beach Police Department and Los Angeles District Attorney, calling the DA's findings "a complete outrage." They're holding rally today at 3:30 p.m. at the LBPD headquarters ... More >>

[UPDATED with Dead Man's I.D.:] Santa Ana Man Held in Stabbing Death of One and Wounding of Another Outside Fourth Street Dive Bar

​UPDATE, OCT. 25, 12:42 P.M.: The 28-year-old man who was stabbed to death early Saturday outside Fern's Bar on Fourth Street in Long Beach has been identified as the incredibly named Tommy Buck Whitson IV of Long Beach. Police have yet to identify the other 28-year-old, who suffered non-life thre ... More >>

DA's Charges in Kelly Thomas Case Prompt Families of Two Long Beach Men Shot by Police to Ask for Same Results

​In the wake of Tony Rackauckas' decision to charge two on-duty policemen in the beating death of Kelly Thomas last week, families of two unarmed men who were fatally shot by Long Beach police officers within the past year are asking Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley to follow suit.Long B ... More >>

Maria Macias, Sister of Ismael Lopez, Who Died In An Officer-Involved Shooting in Long Beach, Vows To Be Her Brother's Voice

Ismael Lopez​It won't bring her brother back, but Maria Macias says she thinks she'll feel a little better if she gets to meet the Long Beach police officer who fatally shot her brother, look him in the eye and ask him a question."I want to meet the cop and ask him why. Why did he shoot? Did he ha ... More >>

ACLU Demands Data on Mobile-Phone Surveillance From Five Orange County Police Agencies

​Big Brother is not only watching you, he can answer in the affirmative, "Can you hear me now?" The American Civil Liberties Union would like to know how much he's listenening, and by "he," I mean "your local cop shop."The Communist Par . . . er, ACLU of California announced today that demands wer ... More >>

[UPDATED With $10,000 Award Offer:] Philip Victor Williamson, Long Beach Murder Victim, Killed Over Medical Marijuana?

​. UPDATED, AUG. 1, 1 P.M.: The Long Beach Police Department is offering $10,000 to anyone with information that leads to the arrest of whoever is responsible for the murder of Philip Victory Wiliamson. According to LBPost.com, the award was proposed by LA County Supervisor Don Knabe, and that inv ... More >>

Victims of Brutality Protest Awards Ceremony for Long Beach Cops

​The ANSWER Coalition is busy trying to sway public opinion against America going to war in Libya, let alone continuing to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. But a local off-shoot of the grass-roots national movement (which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) is not so preoccupied that it can ... More >>

[UPDATED: Relic Found, Suspect in Custody] Long Beach Catholic Church Is Missing The Relic of The Patron Saint of Missing Things

Long Beach Police DepartmentUPDATE, JUNE 17, 11:57 A.M.: Surveillance footage from a camera set up by a nearby business has led to the arrest of 41-year-old Maria Solis on the suspicion of grand theft and burglary, officials say. The video shows the Long Beach woman walking to St. Ant ... More >>

Long Beach Man Fatally Shot for Holding a Water Nozzle Had His Arms Outstretched As Though Pointing a Gun, Police Chief Says

Long Beach Police DepartmentThe garden hose nozzle that police thought was a gun. ​Last December, 35-year-old LBC resident Douglas Zerby was shot and killed by police while holding a "weapon" that turned out to be a garden-hose nozzle.Because there's been so much interest in the case, with rall ... More >>

Knock, Knock, Who's There? A Creeper Posing as a Long Beach Gas Utility Worker

Police are warning Long Beach residents to beware of a person impersonating a city gas utility employee to gain access to homes.Two such incidents were reported last Friday.A statement from the Long Beach Police Department says that all city employees should have identification with them at all time ... More >>

Rally Today For Long Beach Resident Douglas Zerby, Fatally Shot For Holding Water Nozzle

"Loving Memory of Douglas Zerby" Facebook Page​A month after the death of Douglas Zerby, the 35-year-old LBC native who was shot and killed by police while holding a water nozzle that looked like a gun, community organizations and family members are demanding a full investigation, along with ... More >>

Grateful Groper Grabs Girls

​You know, if you're going to be a disgusting groper of girls on the street, you don't have to lose your manners.Take the brazen and perverted chap who was walking with a limp near South Street and Paramount Boulevard in Long Beach this summer. He ended each grab of nubile flesh with a polite, "Th ... More >>

Long Beach Announces Injunction Targeting Gangs With Ties to Mexican Mafia

Wiki Commons​Targeting two of the largest and most violent street gangs in the area, the Long Beach Police Department and the city prosecutor's office announced a new type of injunction at a press conference today. This injunction, a civil order that prohibits documented gang members from partic ... More >>

Tagger in Long Beach Falls From Bridge

​Maybe this isn't funny, but ... ha ha! A tagger in Long Beach fell from a railroad bridge and injured his leg. He and an alleged accomplice were taken into custody.

Two More Long Beach Cops Arrested For Stealing Weapons

​It's a case of cops behaving badly. An officer and a former officer from the Long Beach Police Department have been arrested for grand theft of weapons in connection with the previous arrest of Officer Damian Ramos, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported.  Ramos had been arrested in August f ... More >>

Bicycling: So Hot Right Now

​Bikes are sooooo hot!In Long Beach, they are hot in the stolen property sense. More on that in a bit. First, we turn more positively to Orange County's LB.

[UPDATED:] Juri Julie Kibuishi and Samuel Eliezer Herr, OC Homicides No. 19 and 22: Both Executed, He Was Also Dismembered

UPDATE: They have found Sammy Herr's head (details after the jump) . . . Courtesy of Costa Mesa Police DepartmentDaniel Patrick Wozniak has been arrested for Juri Julie Kibuishi and Samuel Herr's murders.​Samuel Eliezer Herr's father went to his 26-year-old son's apartment in Costa Mesa Saturday ... More >>

FBI Boasts More Arrests in Largest Gang Case Ever

The FBI announced it made 11 additional arrests this morning tied to a Hawaiian Gardens gang, upping the number of defendants to 24 in the final phase of the nation's largest-ever gang investigation and prosecution that included the participation of Orange County law enforcement agencies and is cred ... More >>

Feds Indict Computer Tech for Long Beach Oil Rigs

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted an Upland IT contractor for allegedly sabotaging the offshore oil rig computer systems that he helped install for a Long Beach-based company. Mario Azar, 28, was charged Tuesday with a single count of unauthorized impairment of a protected computer, an al ... More >>

Diary of a Mad Year

Jan. 1-Dec. 13

Google Dolls

The other day, while getting the website that mirrors your favorite OC alt.-weekly pub ready for ya'all, Clockworken noticed something interesting upon opening Gustavo Arellano's popular column !Ask a Mexican! (Special Cesar Chavez Edition). Along the top of the virtual page was a Google advertiseme ... More >>

Diary of a Mad County

Jan. 11 - Jan. 17

I said, shotgun shoot em for he runs now

What the hell's going on at the Long Beach Police Department. Reports Nancy "Ride, Nancy" Wride, in today's LA "By God" Times, the LBC fuzz is missing more than a quarter of its shotguns and Lord knows how many revolvers. It just brings to mind a drab, cluttered squad room ala Barney Miller, only in ... More >>

A Deadly Game of Fetch

Long Beach cop shoots tennis-ball-wielding dog

American Girl

Screw Cheneyland! Homes where bold types dwell

Diary of a mad county

Cut and Paste

Hey! Its been a tough week!

The Year in Oval Office Bootie Calls