Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Lions and Tigers and Coyotes....oh my?

Been scanning bits and pieces the last week or so. Best call, by far, was the reported mountain lion in the backyard of a Beverly Hills manse on Sunday night. BHPD took the call and sent a few patrol units, a Sgt., a K9 unit and a detective with a long rifle up to Tower Road to search for the wayward cat.

Things never really got tense, as the alleged lion was likely a mile away by the time the cops began their "search" of the backyard and an adjacent yard of a house that fronted Benedict Canyon. At one point early in the drama, a sergeant suggested requesting an LAPD airship--a smart move since the helo could have used its FLIR to spot the heat signature of the cat. But somebody dropped the ball and no helo was requested.

Needless to say, lion was UTL, but the cops were riled up by the KCAL9/CBS2 news helo that was orbiting low and shining their own spotlight uselessly on the scene.

Otherwise, run of the mill shootings, stabbings and fire fatals in the past week.

Two interesting tids: Coyotes appear to be roaming the Fairfax district, largely scaring the mainly Orthodox Jewish denizens of the neighborhood.

A veteran LAPD beat cop got shot in the Rampart district by a handcuffed suspect in a domestic violence caper. Apparently, a rookie copper searched and cuffed the susp. but failed to find the gun in one of his pockets. Officer Andy Taylor took two to the upper body, but his vest saved him. Suspect = not so lucky; return fire from the LAPD killed him.

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