"It was planned as a peaceful day of mourning for a Watts neighborhood matriarch many knew simply as "Mama Curtis." Instead, attendees said, a memorial in Watts over the weekend for 94-year-old Earlene Curtis descended into chaos when Los Angeles police officers swarmed the block where the gathering took place. Cellphone video showed the officers wielding batons and shoving people down before hauling someone away on what the LAPD later said was a felony arrest warrant."
"Dantzler said her grandmother - who died the night before at a hospital - was a fixture in the area for decades, known for doting on the neighborhood's children as though they were her own. She was also an advocate for peace in her community, serving for years on the Watts gang task force, a volunteer group of residents, police officers and faith leaders."
"Expecting a lot of mourners and family members, Dantzler said she shared details about the memorial with Councilmember Tim McOsker's office, which alerted the LAPD to what was going on. So it came as a shock, she said, when police showed up at the event. She said she tried to approach some of the officers for an explanation, but was ignored. Instead, she said, they gathered on the sidewalk outside the Curtis home and began pushing people back."
A peaceful memorial for 94-year-old Earlene Curtis, known locally as "Mama Curtis," became chaotic when Los Angeles police officers swarmed the block and intervened. Cellphone video shows officers wielding batons, shoving people and detaining someone on what the LAPD later described as a felony arrest warrant. Curtis was a longtime community fixture, caregiver to neighborhood children and a volunteer on the Watts gang task force. Her granddaughter had shared memorial details with a councilmember's office, which notified the LAPD; family members and residents said officers pushed mourners back and ignored requests for explanation. Two internal LAPD reviews are underway.
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