True Crime Blog
Death. It’s part of life. And for those of us fortunate enough remain healthy as we negotiate the “golden years,” there is a price to be paid: the pain and heartbreak of losing loved ones, partners, and friends. This has been a difficult few days for me and many of my friends and former colleagues.…
L.A. Sheriff’s Homicide, April 2000. Joe Martinez and I were paired up in the rotation when a remarkably brazen murder occurred in the City of Carson. City of Carson It happened during broad daylight at arguably the busiest intersection in the city. Dozens of people arrived on a city bus just as the shooting occurred,…
The lines have been drawn and it’s time to pick a side. Either you stand for law and order, or you are advocating for anarchy, chaos, and the destruction of civil society. Two L.A. County Deputies Ambushed Before I continue, you should know that I am writing this just hours after two Los Angeles County…
NOTHING LEFT TO PROVE is a law enforcement memoir to be published sometime in the near future. It is the story of my career as a deputy sheriff with Los Angeles County, but it isn’t just a collection of war stories; rather, it is a compelling story of pain and healing, self-doubt and certainty, love…
The Fox TV Series, Deputy, has sparked some strong opinions from many of my colleagues from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the agency which is portrayed. Deputy: The Television Series Before the premiere episode, a trailer was circulating on Facebook, especially in some of our LASD groups. Many were upset by the way our…
There are daily examples in the news or on the internet of the ineffective policing that now plagues many law enforcement agencies throughout our country. Anarchy in the Cities In some cities, police are ordered to stand down while terrorist groups like ANTIFA destroy property and assault citizens. In New York, police were seen turning…
“The Plymouth Speech” came about one night in Chinatown over gin and tonics while I sat with two of my best friends, Mac and Johnny B., lamenting a failed weekend with a high school sweetheart I’ll call Linda. “Sweetheart” might be a bit of an exaggeration, but there were obvious feelings each of us had…
As a teenager, I was no fan of the cops. That was nothing unusual for a hot-rodder who liked to street race and cruise and maybe partake in adult libations at times.
Mike Griffin was my first patrol training officer at Firestone Station. In the first three months, he and I would handle half a dozen murders and assist on many others. The first happened in broad daylight on a populated sidewalk of Florence Avenue in South Los Angeles. The call came out as a 245 (assault…
The late eighties and early nineties saw the height of the crack cocaine epidemic. South Los Angeles, the epicenter of it all, experienced a colossal rise in violent crime. Gang members controlled the street level sales, and they were willing to kill for their piece of the pie.