LA 'Super-Spreader Task Force' detains over 900, arrests and fines nearly 100 revelers during NYE raids



The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department cracked down on New Year's Eve parties by deploying its "Super-Spreader Task Force." The strict clampdown resulted in hundreds of partygoers being detained, arrested, and fined.

The Superspreader Task Force was comprised of "hundreds of detectives, patrol deputies, and Specialized Response Teams." The coronavirus lockdown enforcers crashed five large NYE parties in Los Angeles, Malibu, Hawthorne, and Pomona. The "illegal" celebrations were held in speakeasy locations such as upscale homes, vacant warehouses, a DoubleTree hotel, and shuttered businesses.


*COVID PARTY ALERT* Influencers hosted & attended HUGE Covid Super Spreader events all over Los Angeles. The DripCr… https://t.co/XeLN79ZrlJ
— Def Noodles (@Def Noodles)1609558250.0

Los Angeles news station KTTV-TV was on the scene on many of the parties that were broken up by police. Based on the footage, most of the offenders appeared to be in their late teens and early 20s.

Over 900 people were detained, 90 were arrested and/or given citations. Law enforcement announced that they recovered at least six guns.

The @LASDHQ COVID-19 Super-Spreader Task Force conducted operations in 5 separate locations last night.  90 adult… https://t.co/W1vO1p267L
— Alex Villanueva (@Alex Villanueva)1609543311.0

"I have made it clear that we will seek out and take law enforcement action against all 'Super-Spreader' events occurring anywhere within Los Angeles County," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. "The goal of these enforcement actions is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the risk to our vulnerable populations."

LASD Captain Holly Francisco said, "We are actively enforcing the superspreaders to protect against COVID. Once we confirmed there was a party here, we had our super spreader task force respond and detain the occupants."

Lt. John Satterfield stated, "We're going ahead and writing citations to the people that knowingly placed others in jeopardy by having a large gathering. There was no social distancing, there were no masks, it was unsafe and irresponsible."

One frustrated New Year's Eve reveler told KTTV, "We're tired of closing this sh** down, my people have lost businesses and all that sh**, and we really just wanted some fresh air, man, that's what's going on we wanted some fresh air, they come out with the tanks and all man, sh** is crazy."

Last month, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) told his constituents to expect more COVID-19 lockdowns, going so far as to say, "It's time to cancel everything."

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department offers massive reward for information leading to the arrest of the Compton ambush shooter



The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of an individual who was caught on video ambushing and shooting two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies as they sat in a patrol car.

According to Fox News, the department announced the reward late Sunday night. Individuals with information can contact the Sheriff's Department directly at (323) 890-5500 or can leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).

$100K REWARD OFFER in Manhunt for Suspect in Ambush Shooting of 2 LA Sheriff’s Deputies #Compton #LASDCall invest… https://t.co/a7G1f28xfP
— LA County Sheriffs (@LA County Sheriffs)1600029025.0

The suspect is described as a black male whose age is estimated to be between 28 and 30. He was wearing dark clothes in the now widely circulated surveillance video. Unfortunately, the low quality of that video makes further description of the suspect virtually impossible at this time.

The ambush attack occurred at approximately 7 p.m. local time on Saturday. The two deputies, a 24-year-old male and a 31-year-old female, both have less than two years' service with the department. According to the department, the female deputy has a 6-year-old daughter. Both were rushed to a hospital in critical condition, where protesters reportedly blocked the entrance and chanted "let them die."

The condition of both deputies has since been upgraded to stable, which Sheriff Alex Villanueva described as a "miracle" since both were shot in the head.

According to the Los Angeles Times, at a Sunday press conference, Villanueva said, "There is no rhyme or reason to it; it is an act of a coward. Obviously tensions were running high in the neighborhood with the deputy-involved shooting. But there is no nexus to it at this time. We are chasing all leads."

Black man killed by sheriff's deputies in Los Angeles after they confront him for riding bike illegally



Protests broke out in south Los Angeles on Monday after Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies shot and killed a black man they stopped for riding a bike illegally, ABC News reported.

The speed with which anti-police protests mobilized after the shooting highlight the extreme tension surrounding the issue of police violence against minorities. A day later, there are still few details available on the incident, and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is urging the public to be patient with the investigation.

"Give us time to conduct our investigation," Lt. Brandon Dean said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "We will get all of the facts of this case and eventually present them."

What happened?

According to Dean, two deputies saw a man riding a bike in violation of vehicle codes Monday afternoon. Dean said he doesn't know what the specific violation was.

The deputies confronted the man, who has been identified as 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee. Dean said that Kizzee dropped his bike and fled when the deputies attempted to make contact with him.

They caught up to Kizzee after about a block, and Kizzee allegedly punched one of them in the face. During the altercation, Kizzee dropped a bundle of clothes he was carrying, and the deputies spotted a gun on the ground in the clothes. Both deputies shot Kizzee, killing him.

A witness video posted to social media shows a clip of the deputies chasing Kizzee down the street, and a subsequent clip shows the moments after they shot him.

Content warning: vulgar language and potentially disturbing imagery:

Shooting by police on 109th/Normandie in Los Angeles. Killed with 27 shots. And then they handcuffed him dead. https://t.co/YG20VaqKTI
— lovinglynn (@lovinglynn)1598924046.0

What we still don't know

There are crucial details missing at this time, as authorities continue to investigate the shooting. We don't know what the initial violation was that caused the deputies to pursue Kizzee. We don't know whether Kizzee was in legal possession of the weapon he was carrying. We don't know whether Kizzee was attempting to reach for or use his weapon against the deputies when they shot him or whether he simply dropped it on the ground.

Still, a large group of protesters marched on the sheriff's department Monday evening and night, chanting and protesting what they believe was another unjust killing of a black man. In the past six months, the police killings of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and George Floyd in Minneapolis and most recently the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, have spurred a perpetual state of protest and rioting in some parts of the United States.