Things took a turn for the worse yesterday afternoon in Hollywood when multiple incidents occurred all in the same block in separate incidents. A few minutes before 3 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot while driving his car by a pedestrian who fled on foot. David Juarez, a Hollywood resident who was driving southbound on St. Andrews Place towards Santa Monica Boulevard, crashed into oncoming traffic before his vehicle came to a rest across the busy boulevard, according to police.

Two LAPD officers responding to the incident were struck by a vehicle as they headed to the scene. They, along with Juarez, were transported to the hospital. The officers sustained non-life threatening injuries — pain and cuts — but Juarez died.

Police say the incident was gang related.

One block away at Western and Virginia, a bicyclist, described as a male of around 25 years old, was hit by a car around 3:20 p.m. Police and fire department personnel did not immediately know the circumstances surrounding the crash when asked today.

[Update: According to one witness, the driver was going southbound on Western and apparently turned left (east) onto Virginia. The cyclist was traveling northbound when they collision occurred. The official cause will be determined by detectives. A photo showing the vehicle has been added above.]

The cyclist was transported to a local hospital. Both crashes were not hit and runs.

via LAist

July 01, 2010, 1:53pm

Claim Filed Against City Over LAPD Bicycle Incident Seen on YouTube

The videographer apparently tackled by police during a large bicycle ride last Friday today filed a claim against the city of Los Angeles, he and lawyers announced today. The claim is based on assault, battery, false arrest, false imprisonment and First, Fourth and 14th amendment civil rights violations, among other legal theories, his lawyer Hermez Moreno said.

June 10, 2010, 2:32pm

“I fully support LAPD Chief Charlie Beck’s efforts to improve the relationship between cyclists and police officers, and I was very disappointed  to hear about the confrontation in Hollywood on May 28,” the mayor said in the statement. ”The video from that night is disturbing. The LAPD is conducting a full investigation of this incident, and I have complete confidence in Chief Beck’s commitment to making the city’s streets safe for everyone.”

read at LA Times

June 09, 2010, 8:49am

Theft of Bicycles at Food Truck Leads to Shooting, Wounding 2 People

One man is in critical condition after he was shot by a suspect who stole his bicycle at a food truck, the LAPD said today. The incident happened in the early morning hours of April 4th after two men pulled up to a food truck at Pico and Westmoreland in the Harvard Heights area, west of Pico-Union.

They parked their bicycles near it and while buying food, two other men walked up and grabbed the bikes. The bicycle owners tried to stop them, but one of the suspects pulled out a gun, shooting both of them, and fled. The other victim was treated for non life-threatening injuries.

via tola via laist

Both suspects are described as Hispanic between 17 to 19 years old, around 5’5” to 5’6” and around 140 to 150 pounds.

Olympic gang detectives are seeking the public’s help. Any one with information is encouraged to call detectives at (213)-382-9430. During non-business hours or weekends, calls may be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7.

April 30, 2010, 2:21pm

Cop in Bike Bodyslam Video Claims Self-Defense

Former cop Patrick Pogan—who was caught on video slamming a cyclist off his bike during a 2008 Critical Mass ride—took the stand today to defend himself against charges of misdemeanor assault and falsifying a police report. At times, the testimony defied reality—at least, reality as it appears on the videotape, which depicts Pogan shoving cyclist Christopher Long to the pavement in a seemingly unprovoked attack. But Pogan insists he was just doing what he had to do to defend himself from Long

read @ gothamist

April 23, 2010, 2:18pm

‘Geezer Bandit’ hits seventh San Diego area bank

The San Diego County bank robber dubbed “the Geezer Bandit” by the FBI has struck again.

He is suspected of robbing the California Bank and Trust on Tuesday in suburban Vista — his seventh bank job since late August.

His age, estimated to be between 60 and 70 years, has given rise to the FBI nickname. He often wears headgear.

read @ latimes

April 22, 2010, 10:43am

The Last of the Asian Godfathers

Mr. Ma, a 40-year-old crime boss, had just arranged the murder of his longtime heroin supplier, who, on his orders, had been gunned down in a Los Angeles parking lot. He had recently found a new supplier: Golo Keung, a member of the Big Circle Boys, one of Hong Kong’s largest criminal triads.

The quandary was this, according to court records: Mr. Keung, in classic gangster fashion, had been asking for a favor. He believed his partner in Toronto had been cheating him. He wanted the partner dead. (read @ nytimes)

April 18, 2010, 1:13pm

Psycho cycler’s revenge

Attacks limo & driver who clipped him

A raging cyclist fed up with aggressive Manhattan drivers took matters into his own hands yesterday, jumping on the hood of a limo that clipped him and smashing in the windshield with his fists.

Bike messenger-gone-wild Perzeus Forte, 20, also ripped out the front passenger window, tore the shirt of driver Darr Mohammed, 49, and clocked him in the face during the savage road rage attack around 1 p.m., sources said.

“He hit me and kept going,” Forte later fumed to The Post. “I’m sick of this.”

April 09, 2010, 4:29pm

Pro Cyclist Struck, Killed by ‘Street Racing Teens’

Sheriff’s officials say the bicyclist was thrown into a nearby field and died at the scene.

story at ktla

a shame. a damn shame. visit his team’s site Bahati Foundation Pro Cycling Team

April 09, 2010, 2:07pm