Responding to violence in Baltimore over the death of a man who suffered a spinal injury while in police custody, the Los Angeles Police Department issued an alert Monday requiring its officers to work strictly in two-person teams.
“We are aware of the incident (in Baltimore), so we’re not going to have one-man cars today,” LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera said.
The so-called “blue alert” will remain in effect throughout the day, Herrera said.
The move came in response to violence that broke out in Baltimore hours after the funeral of Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody. Protesters took to the streets of Baltimore, shattering car windows, looting a pharmacy and setting fire to at least one police cruiser. Seven police officers suffered injuries, including broken bones, and one officer was knocked unconscious, police said.
There have not been any reports of unrest in Los Angeles stemming from the Baltimore unrest. Multiple protests have been held locally in recent months over the deaths of black suspects in confrontations with police, both in Los Angeles and across the country.
— City News Service