City Of Hermosa Beach: Press Release | FOUR HERMOSA POLICE OFFICERS INJURED DURING ARRESTS OF SUBJECTS BELIEVED TO BE INTOXICATED

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

11/02/2021 10:45 AM

Busy Halloween Weekend Resulted in 43 Citations for DUI, Public Intoxication and other Offenses

HERMOSA BEACH – Four Hermosa Beach Police Department (HBPD) officers were injured over a five-day period by suspects arrested in the Downtown area, who were believed to be intoxicated, and the busy four-day Halloween weekend resulted in 43 citations for driving under the influence (DUI), public intoxication and other offenses in the City, Police Chief Paul LeBaron said today.

The first officer was injured on Wednesday, when a driver who caused a head-on collision on Hermosa Avenue, tried to grab the officer’s gun. The suspect was believed to be intoxicated, but HBPD is awaiting toxicology results to determine that for certain. The officer suffered serious enough injuries that he is unable to work this week, the chief said.

In the second instance, two HBPD officers witnessed a vehicle collision in Parking Lot A Saturday night and arrested the driver on suspicion of DUI. The driver then assaulted the two officers in the HBPD jail. The driver was taken to the hospital where he assaulted a third HBPD officer. The suspect punched two of the officers in the face and kicked the other officer. The officers suffered injuries but not serious enough to require them to stay home from work.

On Thursday night, two suspects charged with public intoxication threatened two officers after the suspects had physical and verbal confrontations with other Downtown patrons in Parking Lot A.

“We are deeply concerned about the threats and assaults on our officers over a five-day period and the danger these suspects posed to the public,” said Chief LeBaron.  “The City is fortunate to have a City Prosecutor who is aggressive in holding law breakers accountable. We see that overconsumption of alcohol continues to create serious problems in our Downtown area and threaten the safety of the public and our officers. A comprehensive approach to changing the culture of late-night alcohol consumption must be a community effort.”

In another case on Saturday, a driver charged with DUI was also charged with a hit-and-run collision that sheared off a fire hydrant at the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and Pier Avenue near Downtown Hermosa Beach. 

“Our officers are being pro-active in their enforcement, resulting in more citations and arrests,” said Chief LeBaron. “In many cases, officers witness the incidents and respond before dispatchers contact them. We are helping to keep a lid on alcohol-related incidents, but we have stretched our enforcement as much as we can. In addition, the deployment of officers in the Downtown District also means fewer officers deployed in other areas of the City. We will continue to work with our Downtown businesses to encourage responsible alcohol consumption to help make Downtown a more welcoming retail, dining and entertainment destination and protect our officers, visitors and residents.”

From Thursday through Sunday, HBPD reported the following incidents citywide:

• Two DUI arrests.
• Five public intoxication arrests. HBPD officers also identified one juvenile who was publicly intoxicated and turned her over to her parents without filing charges.
• 21 alcohol-related citations (open container of alcohol and consuming alcohol in public) and six alcohol-related arrests (public nuisance and consuming alcohol in public).
• One arrest for bicycle theft Friday night. The suspect had multiple burglary tools.
• Arrest of a shoplifting suspect who had other outstanding warrants.
• Arrest of a suspect who was seen vandalizing a business property with graffiti.
• A suspect stole an electric bicycle at gunpoint from a teen walking along Ardmore Avenue on Sunday night. The suspect fled on the bicycle along Pacific Coast Avenue. HBPD is seeking the suspect and any information the public can provide regarding the theft.
• An assault in Lot A after both parties had been ejected from a bar for a verbal altercation.
• Two stolen vehicles.
• An unlocked vehicle was entered, credit cards were stolen and purchases made.
• A wallet was stolen from a purse in a shopping cart, and credit cards from the purse were used to make purchases.

About Hermosa Beach

Founded in 1907, Hermosa Beach is a thriving community of some 20,000 residents. Located on the southern end of the Santa Monica Bay in Los Angeles County, with beaches ranked among the best in the world, Hermosa Beach has been recognized for its work to highlight Southern California’s beach culture, foster a vibrant local economy and protect coastal and environmental resources.

This press release was produced by the City of Hermosa Beach. The views expressed here are the author’s own.