Hawthorne Police Department
{{short description|Police department of Hawthorne, California, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
The Hawthone Police Department of Hawthorne, California in Los Angeles County, was established in 1922. The Hawthone Police Department serves a community of 84,293 people{{Cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0632548.html|title=Hawthorne (city) QuickFacts|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=November 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207111156/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0632548.html|archive-date=February 7, 2016|url-status=dead}} and employs 100 officers and 60 support staff.
History
The Hawthone Police Department was founded in 1922.{{Cite web| title = About| work = Hawthorne police| accessdate = 2019-06-10| url = https://hawthornepolice.com/about}}
Former Chiefs include Coleman E Young, Kenneth R. Stonebraker, Stephen R. Port, Michael Heffner, Robert Fager, and Michael Ishii.
= Officer shootings =
In 2016, a Hawthorne police officer with six years service was shot in the leg during a gunfight.{{Cite web| last = Kim| first = Victoria| title = Hawthorne police officer wounded in gunfight, authorities say| work = Los Angeles Times| accessdate = 2019-06-10| url = https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-hawthorne-officer-shot-20161119-story.html}}
On April 7, 2019, A Hawthorne police officer, with 15 years of service was shot in the leg near a shopping center in Manhattan Beach. Police arrived at the scene in response to reports of a man chasing a woman in a "domestic dispute at a Marriott hotel" on Sunday morning. Police exchanged gunfire with the shooter who dressed in military fatigues and used a "high-capacity weapon to shoot at officers." There were approximately "60 SWAT officers in full gear" responding to the incident.{{Cite web| last = Netburn| first = Deborah| title = Police officer wounded in wild shootout in Manhattan Beach| work = Los Angeles Times| accessdate = 2019-06-10| url = https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-shooting-rosecrans-aviation-20190407-story.html}}
= Criminal incidents =
{{Undue weight section|to=criminal incidents and controversies that are more a reflection of criminal behaviour and policing generally than specific to this police department|date=January 2025}}
In early April 2019, 30-year-old Jacob Ryan Munn allegedly fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, 28-year-old Brenda Renteria, during a custody exchange. As Renteria stepped outside the Hawthorne police station where she had dropped off their 17-month-old son, Munn shot Renteria with his shotgun.{{Cite web| last = Fry| first = Hannah| title = Man charged with murder after ex-girlfriend killed outside Hawthorne police station| work = Los Angeles Times| accessdate = 2019-06-10| url = https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-hawthorne-custody-exchange-shooting-charges-20190410-story.html}}
According to a Hawthorne PD June 9, 2019 press release, two of the three suspects in an alleged assault and robbery at a gas station on June 7 were arrested and booked.{{Cite web| title = Assault - Arrest| work = Hawthorne police| accessdate = 2019-06-10| url = https://hawthornepolice.com/press-releases-1/arrest-06-07-19}} A video of the arrest of one of the men, a 24-year old, was widely shared on social media.{{Cite web| title = A witness defends an unarmed black man from alleged excessive police force in viral video| work = USA TODAY| accessdate = 2019-06-10| url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/10/video-shows-hawthorne-calif-police-use-excessive-force-black-man/1407859001/}} The woman who uploaded the video of the arrest identified herself as the girlfriend of a man killed by police in 2015.{{Cite web| last = Marantos| first = Jeanette| title = Leroy Browning, 30 - The Homicide Report| work = homicide.latimes.com| accessdate = 2019-06-10| url = //homicide.latimes.com/post/leroy-browning/}}
== Viral video capturing the shooting of a dog while arresting owner ==
On June 30, 2013, a Hawthorne police officer named Christopher Hoffman shot and killed a dog in front of his owner during an arrest.{{Cite news |last1=Lowrey |first1=Brandon |last2=Lloyd |first2=Jonathan |date=July 1, 2013 |title=Video Shows Hawthorne Police Killing Dog While Arresting Owner |work=NBC Los Angeles |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/video-shows-hawthorne-police-killing-dog-while-arresting-its-owner/1954059/ |access-date=March 24, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Hamilton |first=Matt |date=July 2, 2013 |title=Police fatally shoot Rottweiler; dog's owner alleges retaliation |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-dog-shot-hawthorne-police-20130702-story.html |access-date=March 24, 2022}}{{Cite news |date=February 14, 2014 |title=Man Whose Rottweiler Was Shot By Hawthorne Police Sues City, Officers |work=CBS Los Angeles |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/owner-of-rottweiler-shot-by-hawthorne-police-sues-city-officers/ |access-date=March 24, 2022}} A graphic video of the shooting captured by a bystander went viral on Reddit,{{Cite news |last=Miles |first=Kathleen |date=July 1, 2013 |title=Police Shoot Dog, Gunshots Caught On Graphic Video (NSFW, UPDATES) |work=The Huffington Post |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/police-shoot-dog_n_3530990 |access-date=March 24, 2022}} sparking national outrage and protests against Hoffman's use of excessive lethal force against Max, the two-year-old Rottweiler belonging to Leon Rosby, 52, the owner under arrest.{{Cite news |last=Gallegos |first=Emma |date=July 6, 2013 |title=Protesters (And Their Dogs) Rally Against Hawthorne Police Dog Shooting |work=LAist, Southern California Public Radio |url=https://laist.com/news/dog-owners-protest-hawthorne-rottwe |access-date=March 24, 2022}} In the viral video, Rosby can be seen recording police officer activity with his cellphone and asking officers why there were no black officers present. As Rosby is approached by two Hawthorne police officers, Jeffrey Salmon and Michael Matson, he then puts his dog in a nearby car, and voluntarily puts his hands behind his back during the arrest. As he is being handcuffed, Rosby's dog starts barking and jumps out of the car through an open window. When the dog approaches the officers, barking, Hoffman shoots the dog shot four times, killing the dog.{{Cite news |last1=Keane |first1=Sean |last2=Goldstein |first2=Sasha |date=July 2, 2013 |title=EXTREMELY GRAPHIC VIDEO: Police gun down dog in front of owner |work=New York Daily News |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/graphic-video-police-shoot-dog-article-1.1387861#ixzz2Xtcx8R9o |access-date=March 24, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Chung |first=Jen |date=July 2, 2013 |title=Graphic Video: Cops Kill Dog While Arresting Owner Who Filmed Them |work=LAist, Southern California Public Radio |url=https://laist.com/news/graphic-video-police-officers-fa |access-date=March 23, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Altman |first=Larry |date=February 27, 2015 |title=Leon Rosby trial: Hawthorne police officer testifies he didn't want to see dog die |work=The Daily Breeze |url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/2015/02/27/leon-rosby-trial-hawthorne-police-officer-testifies-he-didnt-want-to-see-dog-die/ |access-date=March 24, 2022}}
In the days following the shooting and backlash, Rosby was charged with six felonies, including intimidation of a witness and making criminal threats, to which he pled not guilty.{{Cite news |date=August 13, 2013 |title=Leon Rosby, owner of dog killed by police, arraigned on felony charges |work=The Daily Breeze |url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/2013/08/13/leon-rosby-owner-of-dog-killed-by-police-arraigned-on-felony-charges-2/ |access-date=March 24, 2022}} After a two-week trial, a judge dismissed the remaining charges in 2015.{{Cite news |last=Hamilton |first=Matt |date=May 21, 2015 |title=Judge dismisses charges against owner of Rottweiler killed by Hawthorne police |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-judge-dismisses-charges-rottweiler-owner-20150520-story.html |access-date=March 24, 2022}} Rosby pursued a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Hawthorne, alleging violation of civil rights, negligence, and an intention to "humiliate and harm [Rosby] and to cause psychological trauma."
See also
References
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{{Police departments of California}}
{{California}}
{{LawByState}}