LAPD chief slams ‘vile’ mob that shuts down police meetings and silences free speech — and admits there’s nothing they can do

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell has slammed the mob responsible for hijacking Tuesday’s Police Commission for poisoning the process that’s meant to hold his own department accountable to the public.

A group of roughly 40 anti-police agitators led by Jason Reedy stormed Tuesday’s commission meeting, screaming obscenities, hurling slurs, and turning their fury on a California Post reporter.

McDonnell fired back Thursday, calling the conduct “vile,” intimidating, and corrosive to public oversight.

“Very frustrating,” McDonnell said when The Post asked for his reaction to the chaos during a press conference Thursday on city crime statistics.

“It has a chilling effect on people from the community who want to come and be heard.

‘They’re afraid to come. They’re intimidated by some of the agitators who show up every week.”

That intimidation was on full display Tuesday.

The agitators wearing medical masks and keffiyeh scarves chanted “F–k the police,” called officers “pigs,” and accused the department of murder, forcing the meeting to stop and leading to the commissioners being escorted out.

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McDonnell said what makes the situation worse is police powerless to intervene.

“We’re told by legal counsel that they’re protected by the First Amendment,” he said.

“They’re exploiting that — but at the expense of the residents of Los Angeles and the process that was designed to provide civilian oversight.”

The California Post has contacted the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office seeking clarification as to why their hands are tied — and whether their conduct crosses legal or procedural lines. They are yet to respond.

“If people from the community are fearful of coming forward because of the behavior at these meetings, we’re defeating our purpose.”

City Hall has experienced the same breakdown.

Councilmember John Lee, chair of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, said disruptive activists routinely derail council meetings using profanity, racial slurs, and intimidation — until the meetings are shut down.

“When disruptors create a scene so severe we have to close meetings,” he said, “business doesn’t get done.”

“They’re there to disrupt,” Lee said. “Even if they have a message, the language they use causes it to get lost. And it intimidates people who actually want to be part of the democratic process.”

Lee said supporting law enforcement must remain a core responsibility of city leaders, particularly as officers face mounting hostility at public meetings.

“If your number one priority isn’t the health and safety of your constituents, I really don’t know what is,” Lee said, adding that he will “always be a supporter” of the men and women who put on the uniform.

The remarks came during a press conference highlighting a starkly different reality for Los Angeles: violent crime is now at historic lows.

LAPD data released on Thursday shows the city recorded 230 homicides in 2025, the fewest since 1966 and a 19% drop from 2024.

The homicide rate fell to 5.9 per 100,000 residents, the lowest per capita rate since 1959.

But McDonnell made clear that despite the good news, oversight and transparency don’t survive when public forums devolve into mob rule.

“These meetings are supposed to let the community be heard,” he said. “When that doesn’t happen, everyone loses.”