Civil disorder, 1992

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Content EXHIBIT B
..
CIVIL DISORDER 1992
WEDNESDAY - APRIL 29, 1992
On Wednesday, April 29, 1992, at approximately 1300 hours the Sheriff's
Department was alerted that a verdict in the Rodney King trial was imminent.
The Emergency Operations Bureau was advised to put Field Operations Region
stations on tactical alert and to begin iaentifying the_ number of.personnel that
would be available for deployment (50% of the on-duty field force) in
confonnance with tactical plan •Operation Monarch•. This tactical plan was
developed to address anticipated mass demonstrations which we expected to
· occur, whatever the verdict, guilty or innocent.
Shortly after the verdict was broadcast over various news media, several south
Los Angeles County Sheriff's stations began receiving phone threats of bombs
planted at their stations, threats to kill deputies, and generally to disrupt service.
During the afternoon and early evening hours escalating acts of civil disorder
including vandalism, fires, assaults, etc., occurred in Sheriff's station areas of
Firestone, Lennox, Carson, Lynwood and West Hollywood. Due to the
increasing violence and the need to coordinate personnel and resources, the
Sheriff's E~ergency Operations Center was activated, a department-wide tactical
alert institute.cl, and all Field Operations units placed on 12-hour shifts.
As the number of incidents of violence increased, tactical units in platoon and
squad configuration from unaffected station areas were sent to predetermined
staging areas at Carson and Crescenta Valley Stations for deployment as needed.
At 1950 hours Transit Service Bureau deputies came under attack and were
pelted with rocks and bottles at Mona and Imperial Highway, Willowbrook.
Deputies withdrew from the confrontation. Similar incidents occurred in the
Lynwood, Lennox, West Hollywood, and Firestone areas. Fires and looting
throughout the affected area were being reported with increasing frequency.
Between 2045 and 2205 hours three tactical units were deployed as needed.
•'
After consultation with me and other key county officials, a state of emergency
was declared by Chief Administrative Officer Richard Dixon. Emergency
orders were prepared restricting the sale of gasoline and ammunition in the
affected areas and establishing a curfew. The curlew encompassed Vernon
Avenue on the north, Lomita Boulevard on ~e south, the Long Beach Freeway
on the east, and Crenshaw Boulevard to the west.
After demonstrators were dispersed from Parker Center at about 2100 hours, the
crowd moved to the Hall of Justice and broke into the lobby area. A request for
immediate assistance was made by personnel at the location. Units from several
staging areas responded. The crowd was dispersed and the building secured.
,r
J
CIVIL DISORDER 1992 2 May 6, 1992
Some vehicles in the parking lot and entrance doors to the building were slightly
- damaged during the incident The crowd of several hundred were mostly
young, racially mixed, very noisy, and bent on destruction.
This same group of demonstrators broke windows in the Federal Courthouse and
the County Criminal Courts Building. The shrubbery around the Criminal
Courthouse at Temple and Spring Streets was set on fire. The Los Angeles City
Fire Department would not respond without Los Angeles Police Department
escort. At that time I directed a squad of deputies from the Hall of Justice Jail
to respond with fire extinguishers and they put out the fire. I then directed that
we patrol the other county buildings in the Civic Center to prevent similar
incidents.
Due to the level of viole.nce in and around the Metro Blue Line, a decision was
made to shut down service beginning at 2218 hours.
The number of structure and vehicle fires continued to escalate throughout the
· evening, with numerous reports of fire department units coming under attack by
rioters, necessitating law enforcement escort.
Incidents of looting and violent confrontations with deputies occurred at several
points through the late evening and into the early '.morning hours of Thursday.
Fire Department stations in the Willowbrook-Florence area came under sniper
fire. No one was injured. ·
After consultation with Governor Wilson at 221 S hours regarding the state of
emergency, the Governor ordered the mobili7.ation of 2000 National Guard and
750 State Highway Patrolmen. It was estimated that the Guard would begin
arriving in staging areas about 0600 hours on Thursday, April 30, 1992.
Peter J. Pitcbess South jail facility was engulfed in rioting between inmates at
2340 hours. Approximately 1000 of the 1800 inmates were involved. Local
Sheriff's stations along with Custody emergency response teams and 100
California Highway Patrolmen responded to the location and secured the
perimeter. After the riot was brought under control, 400 inmates were ~ved to
other facilities.
Presiding Judge Richard Torres advised the department be was ordering
cancellation of court proceedings for Thursday, April 30, 1992.
CIVIL DISORDER 1992 3 May 6, 1992
. THURSDAY - APRU, 30, 1992
During the early morning hours, deputies continued to provide escort security
for fire department units. Looting incidents continued to increase even though
significant numbers of arrests had been made.
The level of violence continued to increase in most areas.
The number of deputies tactically deployed to augment patrol personnel levels
reached 320 during the evening and early morning hours of April 29 and 30.
By 0600 hours on April 30, 400 relief deputies were deploye.d in the Carson,
Firestone, Lennox, Lynwood, West Hollywood and Civic Center areas. In
addition, mutual aid was requested by Culver City, South Gate, Pasadena, Long
Beach and Los Angeles Police Departments.
At 1000 hours on Thursday, two 56-man platoons responded to the City of Los
Angeles to assist in securing the Crenshaw Shopping Center at two locations
where massive looting was occurring. A total of 74 looters were arrested at the
location. One platoon was redeployed to another shopping center at Vernon and
Figueroa Streets where another 43 looters were taken into custody.
At 1000 hours I was advise.cf by General Thrasher that the 2000 Guards were
staged at Los Alamitos and re.ady for deployment. Requests to deploy were
initiate.cl at 1145 hours and again · at 1230 hours by Undersheriff Edmonds.
When questioned regarding the delay in deployment of their personnel, it was
learned from their liaison in the EOC that the delay was due to problems in
obtaining· ammunitfon from central storage areas at C.amp Roberts, the lack of
flak vests which were arriving from decentralized locations, the unavailability of
locking devices to retrofit rifles making them semi--automatic, and insufficient
numbers of face shields to fit newly acquired helmets.
1be Sheriff's Department was escalated to phase four mobiliz.ation and all sworn
members placed on 12-hour shifts to maximize tactical deployment.
At 1300 hours we contacted General Thrasher and requested an additional 2000
California National Guard to be deployed to the Los Angeles UQ.
At 1530 hours the First California National Guard troops, a Milituy Police unit
consisting of 85 personnel, was deployed to the location at Vernon and Figueroa
Streets, Los Angeles, to maintain security and prevent further looting. Once
ready for deployment, the National Guard provided outstanding assistance.
CIVIL DISORDER 1992 4 May 6, 1992
The speed with which fires and looting escalated had significantly taxed
deployed forces. As deputies secured one area and moved to another fully
involved area, the looters would return to the first location.
At 1800 hours tactical deployment of deputies increased to 560 during the hours
of darkness.
At 1847 hours curfew boundaries were expanded to include 23 cities and the
unincolporated community of East Los Angeles.
At the request of Culver City Police Department, two platoons of deputies were
bussed to the Fox Hills Mall, Culver City to provide security. Several areas
requested National Guard units. ·
The C.alif ornia National Guard arrived at Firestone Station at 1945 with 78
personnel. They were immediately deployed to the Firestone Boulevard business
district to assist in securing the area from looters.
The Cities of South Gate and ~dena requested mutual aid as of 2100 hours.
Assistance was dispatched from Carson and Crescenta Valley command centers.
FRIDAY - MAY 1, 1992
Eighteen hundred National Guard'troops left San Jose at 0100 hours on Friday
en route to staging areas at the Peter J. Pitcbess Equestrian Center.
Disturbance-related" activity began to decrease during the early morning hours
and became relatively calm by daybreak.
Sheriff's Academy Class #279 attended graduation ceremonies at 1000 hours.
By 1430 hours they (61 new deputies) were deployed to fixed posts in the
Firestone area. There were scattered incidents of violence in Sheriff's are&.
At the 1800-hour shift change 867 deputies were tactically deployed to various
locations throughout the affected area.
Several police departments requested m~ aid response, including the City of
Los Angeles. Mutual aid agencies were deployed from the staging area at Los
Alamitos. At 080S hours, 130 San Diego County peace officers were deployed
to the Compton area. Several cities asked for National Guard assistance.
At this point, these requests were precautionary rather than in response to an
immediate need.
CIVIL DISORDER 1992 s May 6, 1992
At 1820 hours President Bush announced that he was sending Federal troops and
Federal law enforcement personnel to Los Angeles and Federalized the National
Guard. It should be noted that I opposed the deployment of regular military
personnel and the resultant federaliz.ation of the National Guard.
The result bas been a slowdown in getting decisions through the chain of
command and the refusal, because of •Posse Comitatus• considerations, of
missions which the National Guard would have accepted routinely. As a result,
a large number of the National Guard remained on standby at times when they
could have assisted in security missions at fire stations and on inmate
transportati. oo buses. Command and control became far more complex.
At 1830 hours the California National Guard advised that they bad 6900
personnel activated and 5700 who bad reported for duty. Three hundred and
forty-three were deployed with 314 awaiting a mission. An additional 1952
were in staging areas.
Due to the high number of riot-related arrests that were awaiting processing, the
filing and arraignment procedures were modified to afford extended prOCCSsing
time.
SATURDAY - MAY 2, 1992
As of Saturday, May 2, SIS mutual aid persQnnel from 32 police or sheriff's
departments had deployed in six cities: Compton, Carson, Long Beach, Los
Angeles, Inglew~, and Hawthorne. An additional 458 personnel from 53
agencies were available for deployment from the Los Alamitos staging area.
Incidents of civil disorder had decreased significantly and incidents of violence
were widely scattered. Units continued to make numerous arrests and curfew
sweeps during the night.
SUNDAY - MAY 3, 1993
As of Sunday, May 3, at 0230 hours, the Sheriff's Department bad made 2789
arrests. All Field Operations Regions and Custody Division remained
mobilized, but due to the decreasing activity level, support and administrative
units were returned to regular schedules.
At the request of Public Works, deputies provide'1 escort security for workmen
repairing traffic signals.
CIVIL DISORDER 1992 6 May 6, 1992
Some incidents involving attacks on military personnel occurred. Two male
Hispanics were taken into custody by U.S. Marines after they attempted to run
them over at a fixed post in the Firestone area. U.S. Marines at 71st and
Compton also in Firestone were fired on by several male blacks in an off-road
vehicle. There were no injuries and no return fire.
Military personnel (U.S. Marines and CNG) deployed in Sheriff's areas totaled
925. .
CURRENT STAffiS
The numerous areas affected by civil disorder continue to return to a more
normal state. As a result, the department has further demobilized. Field
Operations Region II (Southwest area) remains fully mobilized, along with
selected units dealing with Court Services and Transportation. All other units
remain in a state of tactical alert should conditions change. Augmentation of
Court Services and Transportation personnel bas occurred to assist the
processing of large numbers of prisoners and to provide security to the court
environment.
Detectives throughout the county are assisting personnel at stations in the
affected area with investigative follow-up to identify arson, looting, and assault
suspects. An example of follow-up arrests and property recovery occurred as a
result of information obtained from deputies at the scene of large scale looting
on Thursday in the North u,ng Beach area. Outnumbered deputies took down
license numbers of looter vehicles. Later, as t21m returned to the community,
armed with search warrants deputies arrested fourteen suspects and recovered
approximately $35,000 in merchandise.
Sheriff's Reserve Search and Rescue teams are working with the Coroner's
Office searching burned-out buildings for additional victims.· ,.
ST A TISTICAL RECAP
MAY 4, 1992, 1800 HOURS TO MAY 5 1992, 0600 HOURS
TOTALS TO-DATE - MAY 6, 1992, 0530 HOURS
TOTAL ARRESTS:
L.A.S.D. ARRESTS:
L.A.P.D. ARRESTS:
OTHER ARRESTS:
INJURIES:
L.A.S.D. INJURIES:
DEATHS:
14,615
4,526
6,164
3,864
2,383
14
58 (12 IN SHERIFF'S JURISDICTION)
ESTIMATED $ LOSS (ENTIRE COUNTY MINUS CITY OF LONG BEACH):
$735,056,800
ESTIMATED$ LOSS IN LOS ANGELES CITY:
$500,000,000
FEDERAL MILITARY JOINT TASK FORCE INCLUDES:
DEPLOYED: 3,716
STANDING BY:.· 9,791
TOTAL MILITARY 13,487
TOTAL IN L.A.~.D. CUSTODY FACILITIES (AS OF 1400 HOURS):
26,229
CIVIl., DISORDER
LOS ANGELES 1992
ARRESTSUMMARY
The Automated Justice Information System (AJIS) was not designed to
provide statistical breakdowns, so search criteria had to be designed to
provide data on arrests related to the disturbance. Reporting Districts
(RD's) were identified by each of the involved stations wherein the
majority (if not all) of the arrests made in the time period would be
· related to the disturbance. The time period selected was ~om 1800,
April 29, 1992 (Wednesday) until OH>O, May 4, 1992 (Monday). There
may, therefore, be some arrests involved in this breakdown that are not
riot-related and others that were missed because they fell outside the
criteria selected. The arrests made outside county area (Los Angeles
City) are not included.. With that disclaimer, the breakdown of arrests is
as follows:
A review of arrests made in Sheriff's Station areas of Carson, F.ast
Los Angeles, Firestone, Lakewood, Lennox, Lynwood, Norwalk,
and West Hotlywood involved 1,628 suspects. The highest
number of arrests were in the Firestone area with 603 and then in
·decreasing order, Lennox 372, Lynwood 259, Carson ~68,
Lakewood 154, West Hollywood 52, Norwalk 11, and F.ast Los
Angeles 9. A further analysis reveals 810 (SO~) were Blacks,
728 ( 45 S) Hispanics, 72 Caucasians, 16 others, I Chinese, and I
Pacifi~ Islander. Arrest by age showed 1,329 or 82 S were
between the ages ·of 16 and 35. The majority (SSS) were between
the ages of 17 and 27. The oldest was 74, the youngest less than
2 years. Two hundred eleven (13S) were juveniles and 1417
(87 S) were adults.

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