LAPD Gets New Tactics Boss In Wake Of Clash Between Demonstrators, Police At Immigration Rally

Wednesday, May 30th 2007, 9:49 pm

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A police department member who has trained law enforcers to respond to civil unrest will lead a bureau created following the uproar about violence at a recent immigration rally, the police chief announced Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Michael Hillmann will head the new Critical Incident Management Bureau, Chief William J. Bratton told the City Council. The bureau will handle training and tactics for emergencies.

Hillmann developed the department's Mobile Field Force/Civil Disorder program and has provided training internationally ``on law enforcement response to unusual occurrences'' such as civil unrest, according to the department's Web site.

Reporters, demonstrators and others were pushed to the ground, struck with batons and targeted with nearly 150 ``non-lethal'' rounds _ including foam, sponge and bean bags _ as officers in riot gear swept through MacArthur Park to break up the May 1 immigration rally. Twenty-seven marchers, seven police officers and nine members of the media were hurt. Five people were arrested.

Bratton told the council that the chaos was prompted when a ``relatively small group of agitators seeking to provoke the police'' threw rocks and bottles at officers but that it escalated because of a ``breakdown'' in police command and control.

Bratton also promised more personnel changes.

Former Deputy Chief Cayler ``Lee'' Carter, who was the highest-ranking officer at the protest, was demoted and placed on home assignment after the incident and later resigned. Cmdr. Louis Gray, who was second-in-command at the park, was reassigned.