Joey Scott
LightNews LightNews
banner
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Joey Scott
@joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
7.8K followers 770 following 2.5K posts
LA-based investigative journalist covering policing, injustice, and inequality. Creator of public records custodian’s job security in California.

Signal: joeyscott.05
Venmo: @joeyneverjoe
Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/joeyneverjoe
www.joeyscott.xyz/bylines/
Posts Replies Media Videos
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell released a statement about the dept’s opposition to the injunction that protects journalists at protests. Their biggest hang-up is not being able to freely use less-lethals on people to “de-escalate” protests.
Chief of Police Response to Preliminary Injunction Involving Media at Protests Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) remains firmly committed to upholding the most vital principle of our democracy: the right to a free press and an informed public. Protections for members of the media during First Amendment assemblies constitute a vital component of our policies and training and are a critical focus in our crowd management, intervention, and control strategies. The LAPD's policies and procedures are consistent with both state and federal law and have been modified since the protests in 2020 in a continued effort to improve the LAPD's efficiency in crowd management, protect all peaceful demonstrators, and ensure their ability to demonstrate lawfully are preserved and protected. However, when a peaceful demonstration is threatened by people intent on unlawful and violent behavior, the risk of harm to everyone involved increases substantially. In these moments, the LAPD must declare an unlawful assembly, and issue dispersal orders, to ensure the safety of the public and restore order. Recently, a preliminary injunction was issued that negatively affected the LAPD's ability to manage the complexities of unlawful assemblies and unruly crowds. These events are often volatile and can escalate rapidly. Individuals frequently carry dangerous weapons and use violent tactics to obstruct law enforcement operations. Amid these emotionally charged and hazardous conditions, our officers trained to the highest standards make every effort to identify duly authorized members of the media and support their constitutional right to report safely and freely. The LAPD has several key concerns with the injunction, including: • Ambiguity in defining "duly authorized" media personnel, which may allow individuals with ill intent who are not duly authorized media personnel to gain access to areas behind the officers' skirmish lines, increasin • Uncertainty surrounding mutual aid operations, including the LAPD's potential liability for actions taken by partnering agencies that may operate under different protocols and tactical guidelines. • Setting an impossible standard for LAPD officers, and potentially holding the City in contempt and liable for financial sanctions for actions of LAPD officers that are lawful under both state and federal law, and appropriate for all other law enforcement agencies except the LAPD. While we remain committed to fostering professional and respectful relationships with our medi partners, and will comply with the injunction as required, its broad scope and ambiguous provisions may compromise officer safety, hinder effective crowd management, and negatively impact the wider community. For this reason, the LAPD fully supports the City Attorney's efforts to correct the problems created by the injunction. The LAPD remains committed to upholding the safety and constitutional rights of all Angelenos residents, demonstrators, officers, and legitimate members of the press without exception.
November 10, 2025 at 7:57 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Lemmy requires constant attention from strangers. People are more than happy to oblige even when he doesn’t give them the choice.
A big headed pitball sits looking up at one person petting his head, while another sits behind while petting him.
November 10, 2025 at 3:23 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Throwback
ATTACK AND DETHRONE GOD
November 9, 2025 at 12:01 AM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
I threatened to sue UCLA for taking over a year to release records related to the school’s response to the Palestinian solidarity camp. They provided me with arrest records (already public) and photos of the encampment the day after it was swept. Total BS. (I redacted the PII on the arrest log)
An email to me from UCLA records department. Hello, I am seeking UCLA Police communications from April 22, 2024 to May 2, 2024 about the encampment that include: - Presentations - Incident Reports and Event Action Plans - Information collected and disseminated about the encampment - Use of Force records Thank you, Joey Scott VIA EMAIL November 7, 2025 Joey Scott Email: joey1scott@gmail.com Re: Public Records Request - PRR # 24-3835 Dear Joey Scott: This is a response to your request for public records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA), dated June 26, 2024, herein enclosed. UCLA departments have completed the search for responsive documents and, pursuant to Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.525-7922.545, we are making the requested records/data available to you. Please find enclosed all such records that were found to be responsive to your request. A portion of the responsive records are available via the following link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/MhxRTkBvagogMw7Z8. Although the CPRA authorizes UCLA to charge for reproduction costs and/or programming services,' as a courtesy these fees have been waived. Any subsequent requests may be subject to copying and/or programming fees. Should you have any questions, please contact me at (310) 794-8741 or via email at rpounds@iprecords.ucla.edu and reference the PRR number found above in the subject line. Photo of an arrest log. Shows case numbers, race of arrestees, eye colors, and other personal information. Names and DOB redacted by me.
November 8, 2025 at 5:53 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
ACAB includes editors. But on a serious note, I work as a server at a nice restaurant right now because it pays more than journalism at the moment, and echo Luke here about the job radicalizing you.

www.welcometohellworld.com/you-have-to-...
I have read that. You can do writing for work to make a living and you can do writing for your passion or whatever you want to do. And I think it's important to keep those two things separate. One thing I always told people about trying to be a writer is to not have some bullshit writing job. People will say I'm going to write ad copy or whatever. And those people are rich now. I probably should have done that. But I feel like it saps or takes away some of your creativity. So if anyone's trying to be a writer, I highly recommend doing any other job in the world besides writing for your living. I waited tables for like 20 years and that was so much of a better education on what humanity is like than being some editorial assistant at... Slate. How about a story that didn't get you released from the Boston Globe? I honestly miss waiting tables so much. Like, it really was my radicalizing moment. Just seeing the disparity between the front of the house and the back of the house, and the ways that the owners never give a shit about anyone. And you're not really an employee. You can be fired at any time. If you're a waiter you can be there for eight hours and walk away with $30 if nobody comes in. My accent just came out. Thirty dollars. I'm trying. How am I doing on the accent?
November 8, 2025 at 5:30 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
The frustration was palpable. In large part because the department failed to identify any way of covering the overages. "The budget has to mean something," said Councilmember Tim McOsker.
The department apparently took the “it's better to ask for forgiveness than it is permission” route for going over budget, but the councilmembers weren't in a forgiving mood. Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky was seemingly baffled about the decision made by the LAPD and pointed out the city and mayor agreed on 240 officers, not more. Frustrated, she continued and pressed both officers from the department's Fiscal Group and City Administrative Officer Szabo about whether funds had been identified to cover the costs. The answer was: nope! Councilmember Tim McOsker joined in on the dressing down of the department's bold hiring move. “We have to be grown-ups here. Every dollar has 100 pennies, and the budget has to mean something.”
November 7, 2025 at 9:39 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Echo Park. 10am.
November 7, 2025 at 2:25 AM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
I am head at an LA Forward/Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez policy summit about unarmed response in Los Angeles. City, county, and state officials are here to discuss alternative responses not involving police to mental health and crisis calls.
A group in a conference room, TVs show a powerpoint titled: Policy Strategy Summit on Unarmed Crisis Response Presented by. LA FORNARD
November 6, 2025 at 5:24 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
The better of the motions headed to the public safety committee is this one from Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, which requests the City Attorney w/ the Council to draft “substantive limitations” on non-lethal use of force. It references a previous injunction from 2021
www.latimes.com/california/s...
MOTION I MOVE that the Council request the City Attorney, with the assistance of the Police Department, to draft an ordinance that establishes the substantive limitations on LAPD use of non-lethal force included in the BLM preliminary injunction, or otherwise create a policy that ensures that those restrictions remain in place unless modified by the Council and Mayor. Her ruling allows the LAPD to fire 37-millimeter projectiles - which are launched five at a time - at the ground in front of protesters after declaring a gathering unlawful and issuing a dispersal order, but forbids officers from targeting individuals with the weapons "unless absolutely necessary to prevent imminent serious bodily injury to the officer or others." It allows officers to target individuals with 40-millimeter rounds "only when the officer reasonably believes that a suspect is violently resisting arrest or poses an immediate threat of violence or physical harm," and forbids officers from targeting the head, neck, face, eyes, kidneys, chest, groin or spine.
November 6, 2025 at 3:26 AM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
The motion comes after a federal injunction against the department for violating press rights at protests, including assaulting and arresting them. Right now, the city is trying to fight the injunction. This seems like an attempt to find a resolution to it.
In June 2025, the Los Angeles Press Club and Status Coup filed a federal lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), citing multiple instances where officers fired less-lethal projectiles at journalists covering the protests. Soon after, Judge Hernan D. Vera issued a Temporary Restraining Order barring LAPD from targeting journalists with projectiles or excluding them from protest areas closed to the public while they are gathering information. This ruling emphasizes the role that the press serves as the eyes and ears of the public, enabling Angelenos to participate as informed residents and exercise democratic freedoms. Under SB 98, no specific press credential is required by law, and current LAPD and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department policy reflects this principle. LAPD's Media Guidelines clarify that identification such as press badges or IDs are "optional tools," and when status cannot be immediately confirmed, officers should consult the LAPD Media Team or a Public Information Officer. But in certain instances, such as when officers are enforcing a scrimmage line, this identification process can take up to an hour. The procedural ambiguity of Press identification in California has resulted in constitutional violations, costly settlements, and federal court intervention. Clarifying and standardizing guidelines for press identification not only upholds constitutional rights, but it also is an urgent matter of fiscal responsibility. By reducing obscurity, the City can prevent repeated violations, limit costly lawsuits, and safeguard taxpayer dollars. I MOVE the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to create a public campaign proposal to promote how Press can obtain an LAPD press badge. This proposal should include potential funding sources within
November 5, 2025 at 11:32 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Councilmember Ysabel Jurado has introduced a motion to protect journalists covering protests. The motion: LAPD will create a public campaign on how to obtain LAPD-issued press passes along w/ signing MoUs between press groups and the city to create an agreement on conduct at protests.
Councilmember Ysabel Jurado Introduces Motion to Bolster Protections for Journalists Covering Protests LOS ANGELES – Today, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion to bolster protections for journalists covering protests and other public demonstrations in Los Angeles, ensuring they can report freely and safely. The motion follows a federal lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department, citing multiple instances in which officers fired less-lethal projectiles at journalists covering protests. A judge subsequently issued a Temporary Restraining Order prohibiting such targeting, reaffirming the critical role of the press in keeping the public informed and enabling civic participation. “When the press can freely and safely do its job, the public can participate fully in our democracy,” said Councilmember Ysabel Jurado. “Our responsibility as a City is to make sure those who report the truth are protected, not punished, for doing their jobs.” State law does not require specific press credentials for journalists covering protests. LAPD Media Guidelines note that press badges are “optional tools,” but ambiguity in verifying press status has led to constitutional violations, costly settlements, and federal court intervention, highlighting the urgent need for clear, standardized guidelines to protect members of the press and safeguard taxpayer dollars. Councilmember Jurado’s motion calls on the LAPD to develop a public campaign explaining how members of the press can obtain an LAPD press badge. It also calls for collaboration with several City departments to create a Memorandum of Understanding between the LAPD, the Los Angeles Press Club, and the Radio & Television News Association of Southern California. The MOU would establish a shared code of conduct for First Amendment demonstrations, setting clear, operational standards for how LAPD engages with journalists. The motion also calls on the City Attorney, CLA, and CAO to develop
November 5, 2025 at 11:27 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
10,000 steps later, here’s what I picked up today walking up and down Sunset Blvd.
November 5, 2025 at 1:24 AM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Via Lincoln Heights Tenants Union: ICE abducted workers and a child in a carseat today at a Home Depot in LA.
A screenshot from Lincoln Heights Tenants Union: text Reids across the top saying ice kidnapping a baby at Cypress Park Home Depot. The the photo shows two mask, men driving and in in the passenger seat and the backseat is a child and a car seat. A screenshot from the same account with text that says ice rated Cypress Park Home Depot this morning, November 2 along with day laborers they kidnapped a small child in her car seat. The photo shows three masked men in a parking lot with helmets and bulletproof vest on behind them a white SUV.
November 4, 2025 at 7:28 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
I went back out and picked up what I could find walking up and down Sunset. More to come!
November 4, 2025 at 6:58 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
The green gun pictured below is what fires the 40mm rubber bullet. The officer in the right photo is too close to the person to fire it at someone without severely injuring them.
An officer and Ryanne gear stands next to a tree pointing a green gun into the distance. Below him are spent silver rubber, bullet shells, and a cardboard box. Four officers in riot gear stand facing a group behind a yellow police line one of them pointing a green gun at a person flipping them off
November 4, 2025 at 3:55 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
This is what a 40mm round can do to a person’s stomach. Aimed at the head and it can cause brain damage or take out a person’s eye. In 2020, LAPD caused a person’s testicle to explode when LAPD shot them in the groin.
A person lifts up his shirt and exposes his stomach, which has a big circular red welt on it and around it bruising
November 4, 2025 at 3:49 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Hey LAPD, come pickup your shit off the streets of Echo Park. Sunset Blvd is littered w/ spent munitions.

- 40mm foam rounds are the blue ones.

- the black one is 37mm rubber bullet comes from a baton munition (seen below). Three rounds skip off the ground and hit people.

(hand for reference)
A hand holds five various spent less lethal munitions. The top row has two blue foam tipped bullets with the plastic attached at the bottom. The second row has a black rubber bullet with the circle in it next to it is a foam blue round without a plastic bottom and then below that is a mangled silver tube.
November 4, 2025 at 3:44 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
5:00pm Los Angeles.
Train tracks in the middle. One side in the background shows a woman sitting on a bench. A light up sign stands next to her. Behind her is a hillside with palm trees on top. The sky is a mix of bright orange and yellows.
November 4, 2025 at 12:59 AM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
@sergioperez.bsky.social quote that didn’t make it: “[the LAPD] it's the only government agency that has the authority to kill on behalf of the city of Los Angeles. And it's firmly firmly protected and insulated from consequences that flow out of that authority to kill.”
The real issue that needs to be solved, said Perez, is to reduce the harm the department causes, and to change structurally how the department holds officers accountable. Less harm means fewer payouts. The problem doesn't rest solely in the hands of the police department. "It's a city attorney question. It's a mayor question. It's a city council question," he said.
November 3, 2025 at 6:55 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
UCLA law professor Joanna Schwartz said tying the payouts to the department’s budget won’t solve the issue. They’ll just ask for more money.
In a 2016 study Schwartz evaluated how cities, counties, and states pay and budget for liability settlements involving police officers. Her analysis found that requiring police departments to pay settlement costs out of their budget does little to punish them financially. Departments that go over budget can simply ask the government for more money to cover the costs of litigation.
November 3, 2025 at 6:49 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
$48 million already taken out of the budgeted $187 million this fiscal year. LAPD refused to answer my questions about what they are doing to lessen the settlements and instead said, “The department is always looking at ways to reduce risk and liability.”
November 3, 2025 at 6:47 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
LAPD is going to start gassing people tonight. The dept rarely ever deployed tear gas at protests in the past and now does on a regular basis.
Tweet from LAPD: CS gas has been authorized by the Incident Commander in the area of Sunset and Logan. Stay away from the area.
November 2, 2025 at 5:52 AM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Via: LA Press Club rebuttal to the 2021 Echo Park after action report.
At Echo Park in 2021, "These individuals claimed to be members of the press and oftentimes wore clothing, helmets, and other accessories with the word 'PRESS' affixed to them. Some of these community members engaged in unlawful and disruptive behavior, apparently using their self-identified press status to access restricted areas to commit crimes." [Page 4] This appears to be an unsubstantiated and misleading claim that LAPD persists in making. For more than a year and on dozens of occasions, our coalition has asked LAPD for evidence of such crimes or even of false claims about being "press." None has been produced The only vaguely related example the Department has produced is a single video clip showing a person yelling an expletive toward officers from a substantial distance. This might not be considered professional journalistic behavior, but it's not a crime. This individual is known by both police and professional press. They regularly attend protests with intent to inform the public without participating in the event, and to our knowledge have every right to do so - especially now under PC §409.7. We're unaware of any other evidence to support the department's bewildering claims.
November 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
LA City Attorney making the same argument as DHS in their Chicago lawsuit about “fake press.” LAPD’s then-Chief Moore told me and other journo’s to our faces multiple times people were pretending to be press to commit crimes. He never provided evidence to us.

www.latimes.com/california/n...
"The problem with this vague definition is that anyone can claim they are a Journalist under the court's definition, Supervising Assistant City Atty. Shaun Dabby Jacobs wrote in the memo. "All a person needs to do is print out a badge that says 'Press, or carry a camera... and they can go behind police line or into other restricted areas." The memo asks what clothing might identify a person as a journalist. "Is it simply that the person is wearing a suit or professional work dress? ... It would be very easy for someone who is not a member of the media and is intent on causing trouble or harm to other peaceful protesters or to the LAPD, to pose as a journalist since they have some of these 'indicia of being a Journalist!"
November 1, 2025 at 4:38 PM
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
Happy Fall Drive Day to those who celebrate.
A man in glasses, wind breaker, and khakis sits a top and between two tree trunks. Below and behind him is a river with choppy water. He’s staring at the water below, ready to drop a pumpkin in his hands into the river.
November 1, 2025 at 4:10 PM