Fallout of "May Day Melee" Continues

Intersections is a Los Angeles-based blog by Daniel Hernandez which I discovered recently. He has been covering the events and repercussions surrounding the violent police actions at an immigration rights march in MacArthur Park last Tuesday which local television stations are calling the "May Day melee."

KNBC-TV is reporting that the LAPD Deputy Chief who was the highest-ranking officer on duty during the melee has been demoted to commander and another high-ranking commander has been reassigned.

In addition to the reduction in rank, Cayler "Lee" Carter was placed on home assignment while a series of investigations continue into the rally last Tuesday that ended with officers firing foam-rubber bullets and using batons to strike some demonstrators and media gathered in the park.

Carter, a 33-year veteran of the LAPD, is commanding officer of operations at the department's Central Bureau.

Meanwhile, Cmdr. Louis Gray -- the second-in-command during the rally and assistant commander of the Central Bureau -- was reassigned to the Office of the Chief of Operations, Bratton said. Gray is a 39-year department veteran.

In addition, the Los Angeles Times has a story up on its website entitled "Bratton moves to address morale of officers following harsh words" in which a "high-level city official" offers up a juicy quote to the city's paper of record:

[...]

At 6:15 p.m. on May 1, about the time that officers began advancing on the crowd to drive them from the park, Bratton was arriving at the Sheraton hotel in Universal City to attend a political fundraising reception for Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, officials said.

Bratton stayed at the Cooley reception only briefly, a spokeswoman said, but it meant he was not in MacArthur Park when the melee broke out.

"It raises grave concerns about our city's commitment to public safety when, during the largest and most controversial demonstration of the year, our mayor is out of the country and our police chief is schmoozing with political donors at a fundraiser," said one high-level city official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid hurting relations with the powerful chief.

Dayum! This is the second time the Times has been the conduit for the Establishment to communicate reasons for why the LAPD should not to be blamed for the events in the Park on may 1. First it was the idea that "elite officers" had left the scene before the instigators started throwing "missiles" at police officers. Now, they're trying to throw the fecal matter on Bratton himself.

Are you sure you want another five years at the head of this Police Force, Chief?