LAPD continues to harass Neighborhood Councilman, Arrests him once AGAIN!!!

April 24, 2013

To all,

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES- In what is more and more becoming blatant abuse of power, Los Angeles Police Department continued it’s unwarranted and unfounded aggressive actions towards outspoken Skid Row community activist General Jeff, who also is on the Board of Directors for the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) where he has served the Skid Row residents for three consecutive terms since 2008 by arresting him again late last night in Skid Row.

Since becoming a community activist in Skid Row in 2007, General Jeff has quite often spoken out against LAPD’s use of “bully” tactics against weak and vulnerable homeless residents and has constantly made a conscious effort to file complaints on “bad” officers with LAPD’s Internal Affairs (possibly in the hundreds by now) and also spoken many times before the LAPD Police Commission, whose meetings also include LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.

Last night’s arrest, happened at the same intersection (5th and San Julian street) as LAPD’s assault on General Jeff about two weeks ago. During that incident, Two LAPD Central Division officers jumped out of their patrol car, falsely accused Jeff of “loitering” in front of the Los Angeles Mission and for no reason attacked him. An LAPD supervisor arrived on scene moments later, and after the Sargent spoke with the officers, no arrest was made (assumably because their were no merits to the officer’s false loitering claims).

Last night, merely hours after attending a DLANC special Board meeting which ended around 8:30pm, General Jeff was being a positive presence in the community (as he has done for years), making himself available to his constituents in need when suddenly LAPD officers jumped out and arrested a female that just so happened to be standing on the same southeast corner as General Jeff. Jeff was at least 10 feet away from her and the other people around her, but LAPD officer’s suddenly moved past the others and focused directly on General Jeff shouting at him, “Turn around and put your hands behind your head”.

 

Obviously stunned, Jeff apparently moved too slow for LAPD officers and weapons were drawn. Multiple LAPD patrol cars rushed to the scene and quickly General Jeff was surrounded by as many as ten LAPD officers with at least 4 or 5 of them with what looked like taser’s pointing at his head. Jeff was aggressively placed in handcuffs and everything was removed out of his pockets and placed in a clear plastic evidence bag. An undercover officer who claimed to be a Sargent when General Jeff first requested a supervisor, started shouting at Jeff stating that he couldn’t read Jeff the Miranda rights and therefore was going to arrest him. “For what?”, General Jeff asked. No reply by the LAPD Central Division officer.

Without any explanation, several officers grabbed General Jeff and walked him to the back of one of the many LAPD patrol cars blocking the street. By this time, a crowd had gathered across the street once it was known that the LAPD were harassing General Jeff again. Several witnesses videotaped the incident with their cellphone cameras. (At this time it is not yet known what is on the footage). Concerned Skid Row residents shouted to Jeff asking “What are they arresting you for?”

General Jeff replied “I don’t know”. Suddenly, one of the LAPD officers whispered “Narcotics lookout”. Jeff heard this and shared this with the crowd to keep them from becoming further angered and possibly riotous.

Later at the police station, the officer that played many roles throughout this saga- LAPD supervisor/then-arresting officer/lead interrogator “Sargent Sevrens” interviewed General Jeff in a private room at Central Division. During said interrogation, Sargent Severns “painted a picture” of General Jeff watching out for the police while drug sales were being conducted. Sargent Severns stated that “We got you on videotape saying ‘backdoor'”. General Jeff replied, “I NEVER said anything to anyone like ‘watch out here comes the police’ or ‘LAPD’ or anything else that would indicate that I’m somehow assisting with drug sales “. Sargent Severns then said, “I’m arresting you for narco lookout and that’s it!”

According to Sargent Severns, it appears that now it is illegal if anyone says “backdoor” in Skid Row, whether they said it or not. And THAT was his ENTIRE basis for arresting General Jeff for narcotics lookout.

Are you kidding me?

 And because of this tomfoolery at the hands of LAPD Central Division, General Jeff had to come up with a thousand dollars for his bail. Upon his release, Jeff learned by looking at his arrest paperwork that Sargent Severns wasn’t even the arresting officer as he first claimed he would be.

Historically, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was revered for his efforts to “turn the other cheek”, but how much more LAPD abuse does General Jeff have to take before action is required and necessary?

General Jeff’s court date to appear on these lame and loose charges is May 15th.

Still representing the Skid Row residents,

 General Jeff

Skid Row community activist-
ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS (2007-present)

(3-Term) Resident Director- Central City East/ Skid Row
Board of Directors
Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (2008-Present)
Former VP, Outreach and Communications (2011-2012)

Co-Chair- Skid Row Community Advisory Board for the
Department of Mental Health (2012-2013)