Church Gets Apology for Raid

Before a crowd of about 1,000, LAPD Deputy Chief Margaret York apologized Tuesday night for disrupting a church’s Good Friday services by choosing that time to crack down on illegal vendors outside.

The April 13 incident occurred in front of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Pico-Union.

“Enforcement at the church on Good Friday was inopportune,” said York, who read in English from a script that was translated into Spanish. “It was a very regrettable reason for which I apologize,” she said.

The church had arranged for the 90-minute meeting to allow the LAPD to explain the incident and discuss how police and the community can work together. The meeting also was attended by Chief Bernard C. Parks, and two officers and the captain from the Rampart Division, several religious leaders and members of seven local churches.

“We will be more considerate in the future,” but the LAPD is also concerned about vendors without permits, Parks said after the meeting.

The incident on Good Friday ruined services for about 2,000 people, said Father Jarlath Cunnane. It began when six inspectors from the city’s Department of Building and Safety, assisted by two officers, arrived at St. Thomas to begin issuing citations to sidewalk vendors in response to complaints from the community.

After 15 citations were given, a bottle was thrown from the direction of the church at a police officer. Because an officer was attacked, as many as 30 more officers in riot gear from the Rampart, Wilshire and Southwest divisions and a helicopter arrived, said Rampart Capt. Mike Moore.

About 800 church members were hearing the service from the parking lot because of the overflow inside. After the bottle was thrown, police asked them to leave. Then, realizing that trying to find the bottle thrower might incite trouble, the police decided to leave.

Cunnane said the service had also been disrupted by the noise of the helicopter, by vending carts being dumped into a truck and by vendors running onto church property to escape police.

On Tuesday night, Parks and others helped finish the Good Friday service that had been disrupted. He and York, joined by two bishops and Cunnane, draped a white cloth over the cross to symbolize new hope and life.

The gesture was met with a standing ovation and whistles.

“We’re here tonight to remember Good Friday with its pain and grief but to also look beyond that,” Cunnane said.

The meeting, church member Arturo Escalona said, “was a very important union, because police came and apologized. It was very satisfying to hear the reasons why they were there on Good Friday. This is the beginning of new, better relationship.”