California Police Chief Demands “Light on Crime” L.A. District Attorney File Charges Against Armed Teen Who Threatened School

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George Gascon, District Attorney Of Los Angeles County during an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt in May 2021. Photo credit: NBC News, YouTube.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon has been long criticized during his tenure as Los Angeles District Attorney for his super-progressive stance on law enforcement and his unwillingness to charge criminals Photo credit: NBC News, YouTube.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Super-progressive and notoriously “light on crime” Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon was willing not to press any charges against a California teen who allegedly posted threats against his school on social media and was then subsequently caught by police with loaded guns, ammunition, and body armor. 

It took a heated phone call from the chief of the Bell Gardens Police Department to Gascon’s office demanding that the DA file the appropriate charges against the allegedly dangerous student to rectify the situation, instead of letting him off the hook with a slap on the wrist. 

“On March 21, 2023, the filing District Attorney at Downey Superior Court initially rejected the entire case, stating they needed additional information regarding the criminal threat,” Bell Gardens police said in a statement. 

The juvenile suspect, whose name is being withheld due to his age, was arrested after he was purportedly caught carrying two stolen pistols, body armor, high-capacity magazines, and an excessive amount of extra ammunition. 

However, Democratic DA Gascon refused to pursue any charges against suspect because representatives from the social media company he had allegedly posted threats against his school on had not yet turned over information that detectives investigating the case had requested. 

The proposed lack of any charges – despite the overwhelming evidence involved and a plague of mass school shootings across the country carried out by troubled students – prompted Bell Gardens Police Chief Scott Fairfield to directly contact the District Attorney’s Office and demanded that justice be brought in the case. 

“Upon receiving the temporary reject, Bell Gardens Police Chief Scott Fairfield contacted the District Attorney’s Office and demanded a second review of the case,” police said in a statement. “Inconsistencies and issues with the DA’s office were addressed.” 

Following Fairfield’s communication with Gascon’s office, the suspect was subsequently charged with three felonies: possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, having a concealed firearm in a vehicle and carrying a loaded handgun. 

Gascon has been long criticized during his tenure as Los Angeles District Attorney for his super-progressive stance on law enforcement and his unwillingness to charge criminals, leading to a spike in crime rates in his city, according to Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami. 

“George Gascon refuses to prosecute juveniles in possession of firearms,” he said. “We have no justice and no peace in L.A. under Gascon. It’s dangerous and a failure of the system.” 

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