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Did Karen Bass 'prevent' LAPD from assisting 'overwhelmed' FBI? Alleged leak on LA riots sparks outrage
A whistleblower has claimed that amid the Los Angeles riots, LA Karen Bass blocked the LAPD from assisting authorities during a violent protest.
A whistleblower has claimed that amid the Los Angeles riots, LA Mayor Karen Bass blocked the LAPD from assisting authorities during a violent protest. The alleged leak was shared by an Instagram handle titled defendthelapd, and was later widely shared on X.
The post reads, “Last night, when DHS and FBI requested assistance because they were overwhelmed by rioters, LAPD sat idle waiting for direction. Instead of allowing the Incident Commander to act, Mayor Karen Bass bypassed established protocol - she called the IC for a briefing, then called the Chief of Police to tell him what to do. By personally directing operations, Bass functioned as a de facto Incident Commander, in direct conflict with the City’s Emergency Operations Plan and National Incident Management System (NIMS) protocols. This breach of the chain of command prevented the Incident Commander from making crucial operational decisions, put DHS officers, FBI agents, and community members at risk, and delayed immediate LAPD support.”
The post adds, “This unprecedented political interference demands a federal investigation into potential endangerment of federal personnel and obstruction of emergency response.”
The leak has now prompted outrage online.
Karen Bass shares a statement
An update in the comment section of the above post stated Bass put out a statement shortly after this leak became public. She wrote on X, “We will always protect the constitutional right for Angelenos to peacefully protest. However, violence, destruction and vandalism will not be tolerated in our City and those responsible will be held fully accountable.”
Bass has been heavily criticized for her response to the anti-ICE riots, including by Donald Trump, who slammed both her and Gavin Newsom. The President wrote on Truth Social, “Governor Gavin Newscum and “Mayor” Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!”
