DOJ Steps in to Prosecute Murder of LAPD Officer

LAPD Officer Fernando Arroyos-R.I.P.

Once again, the Los Angeles Police Department, like so many other departments across the county, is mourning one of their own. Fernando Arroyos (27), an off-duty LAPD officer, was shot and killed Monday as he and his girlfriend were house hunting in the Florence-Firestone area of Los Angeles. Four men, members of the Florencia 13 street gang, are charged with his murder. The full story is below.

 https://news.yahoo.com/federal-prosecutors-charge-alleged-gang-033354839.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall

Aside from the obvious loss of an officer's life, it is so significant that the Department of Justice-even under a liberal Democrat administration- has seen it necessary to step in and take over the case when murders, including cop-killings, are normally handled by the local district attorney.

But in this case, the LA district attorney is a radical leftist named George Gascon, who doesn't believe in treating criminals harshly. In this case, Gascon's office reportedly declined to use any enhancements to the murder charge against the 4 men. So the police have chosen to refer this to the federal government for prosecution using whatever charges the federal law has at its disposal against organized street gangs. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Mr. Gascon. 

One would think that this would be a wake-up call to the city and its residents, who voted Gascon into office even though he had already shown he was not fit for the job after his dismal performance as DA in San Francisco. But LA and San Francisco are in two worlds of their own.