Man Is Shot/ Wounded At MLK Park (CD 6/Saro) (1950 Lemon Ave.)

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Man Is Shot/ Wounded At MLK Park (CD 6/Saro) (1950 Lemon Ave.)

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(Oct. 11, 2021, 11:55 p.m., updated Oct. 12, 9:10 a.m.) -- In LB's second shooting in less than two hours (Oct. 11), a man (adult) was shot/wounded in the area of MLK Park (1950 Lemon Ave.) (CD6/Saro).

LBPD Watch Commander Lt. Stephanie Hall says that at roughly 8:45 p.m., officers responded to the park, located a crime scene and learned that a man (adult) showed up at a hospital with a non-life-threatening wound.

[Oct. 12 UPDATE] LBPD PIO Allison Gallagher says a verbal dispute between the victim and man (adult) escalated to the shuspect shooting the victim. The suspecct fled prior to officers' arrival. Officers located casings further confirming the shooting. [end UPDATE]

A little over an hour earlier, gunfire flew in the area of 69th St./Downey Ave. (CD 9/Richardson) officers found a crime scene but no peson(s) appear to have been hit.

[UPDATE] PIO Gallagher says officers located a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description and contacted the occupants, found evidence including casings, and arrested a 28 year old Carson resident on suspicion of being a prohibited possessor in possession ammunition (held on zero dollar bail.) [end UPDATE]

Since Jan. 1, 2021, CD 6/Saro has LB's second highest level of shootings (fatal + persons struck/wounded + casings found), exceeded only by neighboring CD 1/Zendejas.

On Aug 10, the City Council adopted a Mayor-recommended/Council approved FY 22 spending budget that doesn't restore any of roughly 230 officers (over 20% of LB's previous police level) defunded by previous and present Councils. The Council action leaves LB with a budgeted officer level significantly thinner per capita police level than LA, Santa Monica, Signal Hill. Among the officers defunded by a prior Council (that included then Vice Mayor/Councilman Robert Garcia) and not restored in budgets recommended by now-Mayor Garcia and approved by the current Council was LBPD's former field anti-gang unit (twenty officers + two sergeants.)

Chart shows LB police level before Sept. 2020 defunding of 48 additional officers.

In July 2021, the Council adopted an $8.6 million "Safety Recovery Plan" with roughly $4 million for non-police items it described as "prevention."