Report on May Day Melee Faults LAPD

Forty-two cops, reporters and peaceful protesters were injured in LA’s MacArthur Park on May 1st of this year. The blame lies with errors by senior commanders of the LAPD. That’s according to the department’s much-awaited report to the Police Commission made public today. It says that top officers on the scene “underestimated the size and significance” of a rally for immigrants; that confusion over who was in charge led to conflicting orders; that officers “appeared to use more force” than policy allows, including baton strikes to cause people to move even when they were just standing around.