Jose Villa, who was arrested July 8 at an anti-Minutemen protest in Hollywoood, will not have charges filed against him for 2 months while LAPD conducts an internal investigation.
Villa and Christen Westberry were video’ing LAPD when they were clubbed to the sidewalk, then clubbed at least four more times while lying there motionless. The video speaks for itself.
Two things: 1) That LAPD is conducting an internal investigation means they are taking this seriously. 2) The criminal investigation has been transferred from Hollywood division to Robbery/Homicide (the most experienced) in the downtown division. It is unusual for investigations to be moved from where they happened, another signal LAPD is watching this from the highest levels.
The criminal investigation can not start until the internal investigation, which is being done by the Professional Standards Bureau of LAPD, has completed.
Villa was arrested on the ludicrous charge of “attempted lynching”, a felony, and his bail was $50,000. KPFK reporter Liliana Sunn was arrested on a misdemeanor after she stepped into the street and was clubbed to the ground. Her bail is $20,000, extremely high for a misdemeanor, and upon release she discovered her tapes had been erased.
All of the above is from conversations with Bill Paparian, Jose Villa’s lawyer.
Thank you for this update! I have been wondering how
our comrades were doing after that ugly day.
I wish them well.