On Thursday, a music video titled “F*** tha Police” called for revenge for the fatal police shooting of Ezell Ford in South Los Angeles on August 11. The video has prompted the LAPD’s union to issue a warning to officers to be on “heightened alert and pay extra attention to your tactics and surroundings.”
Breitbart News has received a copy of the safety alert letter and the video from the Los Angeles Police Department Protective league. The letter stated:
It has come to the League’s attention that a YouTube video has surfaced which raises safety concerns for all LAPD officers. The video refers to the officer-involved shooting of Ezell Ford and calls for revenge for this death. You can see the video titled “Fuck Tha Police” by a Los Angeles street gang here.
In light of the video and obvious threats against the police, ALL officers should be aware of this video and are advised to be on heightened alert and pay extra attention to your tactics and surroundings. Please share this information with your partners–print this alert and post it in your roll call rooms or workspace.
Police officer Drake Madison told KTLA that the LAPD has added more uniformed patrol and for the time being stopped using single-officer units in response to the current unrest.
Two conflicting stories emerged from the incident on August 11. The LAPD claims that Ford turned on two gang officers, grabbed one of them and then they both fell to the ground where Ford tried to take one of the officer’s handgun from its holster. This prompted him to fire a backup weapon while his partner also shot at Ford. Family members say Ford was shot in the back while lying on the ground and not resisting the officers.
League President Tyler Izen urged viewers of the video to reject its premise. “It’s not good for society, it’s not good for the community and it’s no way to avenge anybody’s death or pay tribute to somebody who’s been lost,” Izen said.