by Dan Blackburn
A City of Hermosa Beach press release issued after the Halloween weekend, and headlined, “Four Hermosa Police Officers Injured During Arrests of Subjects Believed To Be Intoxicated,” was “purposely deceptive and intended to smear the downtown business community,” contends Greg Newman, owner of Sharkeez, Palmilla and Tower 12, all on Pier Plaza.
The city press release quoted Police Chief Paul LeBaron as saying, “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 an interview Wednesday, Newman attributed a campaign against downtown bars to Mayor Justin Massey, Council Member Stacey Armatto and City Manager Suja Lowenthal
Newman said of the injury to the first officer referred to in the press release “Not only did the driver have absolutely zero to do with downtown businesses, we don’t even know if alcohol played a role.”
That officer injury occurred last Wednesday morning, north of downtown, at 16th Street, and Hermosa Avenue, when a suspect involved in a head on collision attempted to grab an officer’s gun. The city press release says, “The suspect was believed to be intoxicated, but the HBPD is awaiting toxicology results to determine that for certain.”
“In the second instance,” the city press release states, ‘two HBPD officers witnessed a vehicle collision in Parking Lot A [behind Bank of America] 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.”
Louie Castillo, 25, of Chino was charged following the attacks.
“It is unfortunate that these officers were injured, however all three were injured by a single bad actor in a single incident,” Newman said.
Newman further noted that the city press release does not indicate if the Halloweeen weekend alcohol related offenses were committed by downtown bar customers or partiers from Halloween house parties.
Hermosa Beach officers logged 43 citations or arrests over the Halloween weekend, according to the city press release.
Among them were:
— Two DUI arrests.
— Five public intoxication arrests.
— 21 alcohol-related citations (open container of 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 seen graffiting a business.
— Theft of an electric bicycle at gunpoint from a teen walking along Ardmore Avenue on Sunday night.
— An assault in Parking Lot A after both parties had been ejected.
— Two stolen vehicles.
— Theft from an unlocked vehicle
— Theft of a purse in a shopping cart. Credit cards from the purse were used to make purchases. ER
