March 30, 2017 

By Charlene Muhammad 

Contributing Writer 

Wakeisha Wilson’s mother Lisa Hines and family, Black Lives Matter, One United Bank, and others marked the one year anniversary of her death in police custody with a march, rally, and big announcements in Watts on March 27.

Participants marched from the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) to the Watts Towers and back.  Poetry readings, music and artistic expressions enhanced the activities honoring Wilson.

Kevin Cohee, chairman and CEO Black-owned One United Bank, announced the opening of a $10,000 trust account for Wilson’s son, 13 at the time she was killed.

That same day, Congress­woman Karen Bass proposed a new bill named “Wakiesha’s Law,” which would mandate police notify families when there is a death in custody, said Dr. Melina Abdullah of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles told media during a press conference.

“Never again will we have a situation where a mother is sitting in court, waiting for her daughter, who’d been killed days ago,” said Abdullah as she reiterated Black Lives Matters demand that Mayor Eric Garcetti fire LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.

From day one, he said his officers had nothing to do with Wilson’s death, despite their not being an investigation, said Abdullah.

Wilson, who'd been arrested for a minor crime, was found in her cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center.   According to police, the young mother committed suicide.  However, she died from strangulation and was found lying on the floor, according to the family’s attorney.

Hines, overcome with emotion, wept during the press conference. But her sister, Shiela Hines Brim spoke on their family’s behalf.  She displayed a report she said Beck issued during a Police Commission.  The report noted 20 minutes of video footage is missing, according to Hines Brim.

“After a whole year, we have to seen a video. They won’t answer our questions … What happened during those 20 minutes that they had to edit, that they had to take out,” she said. 

She’s bitter, Hines Brim said, as she noted her niece was killed on her birthday.  “We’re not going to give up.  We’re not going to let this go down,” she said.

“I have no words, really.  My sister just said it all.  She said everything I’m feeling, but it’s one thing for sure, that was my only child.  My only child. ” said Lisa Hines after she regained composure.

With conviction she stated she, too, was bitter and angry.  “I’m a mad, Black woman … They killed my baby and then they lied about it.  They tried to hide behind it.  They didn’t want to tell me,” Hines said.

The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled this Jan. 31 that no officers were involved.

“We will not accept that.  The people, the community and the family will continue to struggle for justice for Wakiesha Wilson, and we will do everything that we can to summon the energy and resources that we can to lift up the family to surround the family and to say that Wakiesha’s life matters, Wakiesha’s life will have a long standing impact on the justice that comes for all of the rest of us,” said Abdullah, who is also chair of the Pan African Studies Department at Cal State University L.A.

She expressed gratitude for the role of Wilson’s mother, aunt, and entire family and community.

Cohen said One United’s mission is one of economic and social justice. That’s why it partnered with Wilson’s family, Abdullah, and Black Lives Matter in their journey to repair injuries that have occurred in their lives, he said.

“As a community, we have the resources to do anything we want. We don’t need anybody’s help to do anything … We don’t need the government.  We don’t need anybody to do anything for us.  We can do for ourselves,” Cohee stated.

“It’s just a matter of changing our mindset.  It’s just a matter of coming to believe and understand who we are as a people and who we have supporting us as a people.  We’re not alone in this journey,” he said.

Abdullah emphasized that just because One United established a fund for Wilson’s son, the city, state, and public are not off the hook. 

“We need a reparations policy that is funded by the state.  We don’t want four percent of our tax dollars in the City of L.A. to continue to fund police and neglect and deprive families,” she said.

March 30, 2017 

By Charlene Muhammad 

Contributing Writer 

The Los Angeles Police Com­mission has begun evaluating policies for release of video footage of critical incidents with broad-based community input.

The public is specifically being asked to help decide:  1) what should happen if a police officer’s body-worn camera records an officer-involved shooting or other serious use of force incident; 2) should the video be made public; and, 3) if so, when?

The first of four scheduled sessions kicked off on the evening of March 23, the same day Police Commission president Matthew Johnson detailed plans during a press conference at LAPD headquarters. 

Barry Friedman, director of the Policing Project at New York University School of Law, and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck also addressed reporters.

Johnson began by stating increasing accountability and transparency were his top goals as president.

“Our current policy as it relates to the release of the footage captured by these cameras provides that we do not release the footage absent a court order or a significant public safety issue,” Johnson said.  Now, they’re evaluating that policy with the community’s help, he went on.

“Why the public input? Why not just release the tapes in full transparency - all of them,” this writer asked Johnson and Beck during a Q&A concluding the media event? Johnson replied he felt there should be a well thought out policy that takes into consideration all of the competing interests. 

“There’s a reason why you don’t see a lot of consistency on this across the country.  There’s a reason why you’re seeing policies change as time moves on, as body cameras are deployed more broadly across the country. … I don’t think that benefits anyone by just making unilateral decisions,” he continued.

Friedman said the country’s going through a learning experience about how to engage the community in policing matters.  They’re lucky to have in part UCLA School of Law and UC Irvine School of Law to give guidance about the community, he stated.

“We’re talking to everybody that we possibly can, and right now the focus is just getting that outreach, getting out to people and letting them know they can participate,” Friedman added.

According to the Policing Project, people can also participate via online LAPD Video Policy Questionnaires available in English and Spanish at www.LAPDVideoPolicy.org.  Paper copies will be provided upon request, and there will be focus groups to gather the view of LAPD officers and command staff.

The public comment period ends on May 7, and the Policing Project plans to issue a report on feedback in June.  Johnson said he hopes the  Commission will have a draft policy 60 days after, a comment period on that draft, and then be able to vote on a final policy.

Beck labeled the issue a balance of competing interests or stakeholders, such as rank-and-file police officers, command staff, the district attorney, victims’ rights groups, and many more.

He stated the media has tremendous interest in the topic because it fills airwaves and newspapers, and is of great interest to their reading and viewing public.  “And we think that’s important, but we also respect victims’ rights.  We also believe in due process, and we don’t want to affect due process, so we want to make sure that we hear from everybody,” Beck said.

Maybe the fantastic technology could be used to build community trust and not only increase transparency, he added.

Jody Armour, USC Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law, told the Sentinel the LAPD shouldn't be requesting a kind of referendum or popular vote on the release of body camera footage.

It should strive to promote transparency and accountability by releasing such footage when incidents arise, not because doing so is popular, but because it’s right, he argued.

“Police should release such footage because in many minority communities, there is a crisis of confidence in police departments, a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul of the moral credibility and moral legitimacy of law enforcement, a crisis that can only be addressed by greater transparency and accountability, not by public relations stunts or popular votes on whether there should be greater transparency in police departments,” said Armour.

March 23, 2017 

Staff Report 

On Saturday, March 25, the free Community Clean Up is back at the Sentinel from 9:00am-3:00pm. This is the community’s one-stop event to dispose of unwanted materials around the house. The event is a drive-thru, allowing the community the chance to drop of items without leaving their cars. Mothers In Action is happy to assist in providing the services to the community this year.

This community event is made possible by partners and representatives including Mothers In Action, Los Angeles Sentinel, Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson, Assembly Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Los Angeles Sanitation, Copy City, Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce, Public Works, Shred-It USA, Empowerment Congress West Area and SoCal Gas.

Partners have said this this about the community clean up event…

“Recycling and properly disposing of materials is an important first step in keeping our communities healthy. I am pleased to partner with so many trusted organizations to bring these types of green services directly to our residents.”—L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson

“With this event, we’ve made it easy for you to dispose of hazardous household waste and confidential documents. I urge you all to take advantage of this opportunity to clean and beautify our community, and make it safer as well.”—Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas

“We are proud to be a part of this community event that contributes to the well-being of our community through safe and secure disposal of hazardous waste as well as sensitive and personal documents,”—Armen D. Ross, Crenshaw Chamber President

“LASAN welcomes the opportunity to serve city residents and our customers by hosting community events such as this Household Hazardous Waste & Electronic Waste Collection event.  We look forward to this year’s event and a continuing environmental partnership with the residents of the Crenshaw community in the great Council District 10.”—Enrique C. Zaldivar Director, Los Angeles Sanitation

Some of the items you can bring include: paints, automotive fluids, cleaning products, pool and garden chemicals, aerosol cans, unused medicine, auto and household batteries, fluorescent tubes and bulbs, mercury- containing gadgets and SHARPS (needles, syringes, carpules, lancets, endo files, prefiled pens, etc.) Electronic materials will be accepted as well including: computers, printers, cables, telephones, televisions, microwaves, video games, cell phones, radios, VCRs and electronic toys.

There are some materials that will not be accepted at the event such as: business waste, containers over 5 gallons in size, ammunition, explosives, asbestos, construction waste, fireworks, furniture, radioactive material, biological waste or tires, refrigerators, washing machines/ dryers, conventional ovens, paper or computer software.

Shredding confidential documents will only take place between 9am-12:30pm and only 2 (33 gallon) trash bags per customer is allowed. Please have papers loose in bags and ready to be shredded.  Shredding services are sponsored by Empowerment Congress west Area.

This is a chance to get rid of all those items that required specialized disposal and recycling. The drive-thru line for the free Community Clean Up starts at Bronson and Coliseum.

For more information, call (323) 290-0456 or email Tracy Mitchell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .