Los Angeles Webster Commission records, 1931-1992

Interview, Rodney Cato, 1992-07-20

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Interview, Rodney Cato, 1992-07-20

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Content I
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:
OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL ADVISOR
TO THE BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
MEMORANDUM
Richard J. Stone,
General Counsel
and Staff Director
cc: Terry Bird
Lois D. Thompson
Kenneth Katel
July 20, 1992
PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT
Interview Abstract of Senior Lead Officer Rodney Cato
(Wilshire Area)
Officer Cato is a Senior Lead Officer for the Wilshire
Area. Officer Cato, who is black, has very strong views
concerning the degree of racial tension in the department before
and after the King beating verdict. With specific reference to
the events of April 29, 1992, he notes that the Wilshire Area
still was being asked by the central command to send personnel to
assist in the 77th Division even as it had substantial problems
and the need for additional personnel within the Wilshire Area
itself.
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TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:
.OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL ADVISOR
TO THE BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
MEMORANDUM
Richard J. Stone,
General Counsel
and Staff Director
cc: Terry Bird
Lois D. Thompson
July 20, 1992
PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT
Interview Abstract of Police Officer Christine Pimes
(Wilshire Division}
=================================================================
Officer Christine Pimes is assigned to the morning
watch patrol in the Wilshire Area. She has been on the force for
four years. She was never shot at before April 29, 1992. She
was shot at twice during the first night of disturbances in the
aftermath of the King beating verdict. She views the lack of
adequate equipment as endemic in the department, and did not
identify it as a special problem during the King beating
aftermath. She was aware of how volatile the situation was
before the verdict and participated in a good deal of informal
discussion about the problems that might ensue if the defendants
were acquitted.
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PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:
MEMORANDUM
SUSAN SPIVAK, ESQ.
KEN HEITZ, ESQ.
JANET I. LEVINE, ESQ.
JULY 15, 1992
CULVER CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERVIEW
On July 15, 1992, my law clerk, Brenda Ligorsky, and I
appeared at Chief Cook's office (Culver City Police Department)
at the prearranged time.
As soon as I introduced myself to Chief Cook he asked
who the Webster Commission was representing. I stated that the
Webster Commission was appointed by the Los Angeles Police
Commission. Before I could make any further comments, Chief Cook
immediately stated that he would not meet with me. He said that
he had been led to understand that the committee was appointed by
the Governor's Office. Chief Cook stated that this Commission
did the Christopher report and it was "political." He refused to
talk with me and ushered me out.
RECORD NO.
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Richard J. Stone
General Counael and
Staff Director
Halen Jorda, counsel
Brad Pomerance, Counael
July 16, 1992
1nterv1u Abstract ot Joy Bhee
The interview of Jay Rhee provided insight into the Korean
comaunity'• perception of tha unrest following the Rodney King
verdict. Mr. Rhae armed hiasalf tor the firat time to protect
the store where he works, an electronics shop on Santa Monica and
Vermont called Hollytron. He and five or aix other u,aed
employ••• held hundred• of lootara at bay and protected the atora
while other• around them were looted and burned.
Mr. Rhee felt that the Los Angel•• Police Department could
not be relied on to protect the Korean comunity and that they
had to taka law enforcement into their own handa. The police ·
reapon•• was practically non-exi tent. Mr. Rh•• knew of no
preparation by the LAPD and no intelliganca within the Korean
community. The media played up tension between the Korean
cOllfflunity and Afrioan-American coP1unitie• which Nr. Rhee does
not think exiata. He atated based on hi• observations that 901
of the looters in Koreatown and Hollywood vare Bi panic.
Mr. Rbaa baa baooaa •oaewhat of a reluctant spokesperson tor
th• Korean colllllunity. Hi rec011J1endatione tor improvements are
more Korean-Allerican police orticer, a centralized polioe
station · 1n Koreatown, •ora communication• between the police and
the Korean community, aore ~orean rapreaentation in government
and the media, and a return to •family valuea."
3HUfd-W8W
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PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:
MEMORANDUM
SUSAN SPIVAK, ESQ.
KEN HEITZ, ESQ.
ALVIN S. MICHAELSON, ESQ.
JANET I. LEVINE, ESQ.
JULY 14, 1992
LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERVIEW
SUMMARY
This interview with W. c. Ellis, Chief of Police of
Long Beach focuses on the role and resources of the Long Beach
Police Department (LBPD) during the civil unrest. The interview
covered:
A. Long Beach's relationship with the Los Angeles
Police Department (LAPD), the Sheriff's Department and the law
enforcement agencies of surrounding cities;
B. The planning activities by Long Beach Police
Department; and
c. Reaction by LBPD during the unrest.
The interview took place on July 10, 1992, at 2:10 p.m~
at the Long Beach Police Department. The following is a summary
of our recollection of this meeting, including our questions and
comments, together with our mental impressions, conclusions and
opinions based upon the meeting.
RECORD NO.
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LAW OFFICES
IRELL & MANELLA
A Partnership Including Professional Corporations
MEMORANDUM
File: Webster Commission Study
Re: SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW WITH SGT. MICHAEL
HUBBARD, SGT. ANDREW ZUKOWSKI AND
SPECIALIST STEVEN H. SALAZAR OF THE
CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD
Date:
To:
From:
cc:
CONFIDENTIAL
July 7, 1992
Richard J. Stone,
General Counsel &
Staff Director
Arif Alikhan
Kenneth R. Heitz
PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY WORK-PRODUCT
SUMMARY
This interview with Sgt. Michael Hubbard, Sgt. Andrew Zukowski and
Specialist Steven H. Salazar refers to the role of the California National Guard
(CNG) during the civil disturbances in Los Angeles. All three of these CNG
soldiers were deployed into the streets of Los Angeles during Governor
Wilson's initial call up of CNG troops. This interview summary focuses on the
following areas: ( 1) the initial notification and deployment of troops; (2)
contact with the LAPD; and (3) the effects of federalizing the CNG.
Brian Hennigan and I interviewed Sgt. Hubbard, Sgt. Zukowski and
Spec. Salazar on July 2, 1992 at 12:00 p.m. This interview took place in the
office of Major General Daniel J. Hernandez at the Armed Forces Reserve
Center in Los Alamitos, California.
1
The following is a summary of this
interview which includes our questions, comments, mental impressions and
conclusions, based upon this meeting, regarding the CNG's response to the
civil disturbances in Los Angeles.
Gen. Hernandez arranged for this interview and remained in the office throughout our
questioning.
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Description

Interview abstract of Senior Lead Officer Rodney Cato, 1992 July 20.

Asset Metadata

Core Title Interview, Rodney Cato, 1992-07-20

Tag OAI-PMH Harvest

Format 6 p. (format), application/pdf (imt), Interviews (aat)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/webster-c100-42521

Unique identifier UC11410158

Identifier box 24 (box),web-box24-07_09-04.pdf (filename),folder 7 - folder 9 (folder),webster-c100-42521 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier web-box24-07_09/web-box24-07_09-04.pdf

Dmrecord 42521

Format 6 p. (format),application/pdf (imt),Interviews (aat)

Type texts

Tags

Folder test

Inherited Values

Title Los Angeles Webster Commission records, 1931-1992

Description Chaired by former federal judge and FBI and CIA Director William H. Webster, the Los Angeles Webster Commission assessed law enforcement's performance in connection with the April, 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest. The collection consists of materials collected and studied by the Commission over the course of its investigation. Materials pertain to both the Los Angeles incident specifically, and civil disturbance, civil unrest control, and policing tactics in general.

Included in the collection are the following: interviews with LAPD officers, law enforcement personnel, government officials, community leaders, and activists; articles, broadcasts, and press releases covering the civil unrest; various tactical and contingency plans created for disasters and emergencies; reports, studies, and manuals about civil unrest control and prevention; literature about community-based policing strategies; emergency plans and procedures developed by other cities; and after-action reports issued once the civil unrest had subsided. Also featured are items related to the internal operations of the LAPD both before and during the civil unrest, including activity reports, meeting agendas and minutes, arrest data, annual reports, curricula and educational materials, and personnel rosters.

See also the finding aid (https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/2266).

See also The Los Angeles Riots: The Independent and Webster Commissions Collections (https://scalar.usc.edu/works/the-los-angeles-riots-christopher-and-webster-commissions-collections/index).

Related collections in the USC Digital Library:

? Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, 1991 (see also the finding aid: https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/2251)
? Richard M. Mosk Christopher Commission records, 1988-2011 (see also the finding aid: https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/393)
? Kendall O. Price Los Angeles riots records, 1965-1967 (see also the finding aid: https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/979)
? Watts riots records, 1965 (see also the finding aid: https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/83)

Thanks to generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the USC Libraries are digitizing this collection for online public access.

Coverage Temporal 1931/1992