Disruption at Los Angeles Police Commission Meeting
On Tuesday, a well-known provocateur caused a stir during a meeting of the Los Angeles Police Commission. Armando Herman, holding up a large swastika, interrupted officials discussing the city’s anti-crime strategies by repeatedly gesturing at them.
The 59-year-old from Hacienda Heights sat facing the front as the commission and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell spoke during their weekly meeting at the department’s downtown headquarters.
Herman, notorious for his erratic and offensive remarks in public, previously received a restraining order preventing him from attending meetings for three years due to threatening emails sent to the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in 2023.
Despite this order, Herman attended the Police Commission meeting, making obscene gestures from his seat and displaying a crudely drawn black swastika around his neck. He fidgeted continuously and made other inappropriate gestures towards committee members.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department declined to provide comments on the incident.
Earlier, on Friday, Herman disrupted a City Council meeting, where he directed anti-gay slurs at councilors, ultimately leading to his removal by police.
Speaking to the California Post on Tuesday, Herman declared himself an activist, insisting he would keep returning to advocate for his views. He referred to the swastika as “my Thunderbird” and stated he wore it to protest in favor of First Amendment rights.
“Some people find this language offensive. I know the boundaries of First Amendment rights,” he added.
Meetings of the police commission often face interruptions, sometimes forcing complete shutdowns as agitators yell out at officials. On Tuesday, new chair Rasha Gerges Shields struggled to maintain order, especially during the public comment segment, as multiple people seized microphones to curse at officers.
Shields acknowledged, “Please understand that this is a public meeting. Even if we don’t agree with what’s being said, we have to allow it. Unfortunately, that includes hate speech.”
After about an hour, Herman left before the public comment section commenced.
His history includes being ejected from various public meetings and pursuing legal action against the city. He mentioned being thrown out of a neighborhood association meeting last week and subsequently seeking a court ruling regarding his dismissal.
Last year, his disruptive behavior prompted the City Council to propose new regulations allowing the removal of audience members who repeatedly use hate speech.
