February 6, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

UCLA Police Chief John Thomas Departs Amid Fallout From Campus Protest Response

Departure Follows Criticism of UCLA’s Handling of Violent Attack on Students

UCLA Police Chief John Thomas has officially left his position, according to a brief social media statement from the UCLA Police Department. His last day was December 10, 2024. Captain Scott Scheffler has been appointed interim police chief while the university searches for a permanent replacement.

Chief Thomas’ departure comes seven months after a night of vigilante violence on April 30, when a mob of approximately 100 people attacked the Palestine Solidarity Encampment on campus. The incident, which stretched into the early hours of May 1, left students, faculty, and journalists on their own and without any protection during an attack where pepper spray, fireworks, and blunt instruments were used to attempt to break into the encampment. 

During the four-hour assault, neither the UCLA administrators, the UCLA Police Department, private security, nor the Los Angeles Police Department intervened until Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered LAPD to respond at 1:47 a.m. 

The night’s events seem out of the ordinary because nearly any time a group of protesters gathered since 2020 in Los Angeles, police are immediately dispatched with riot gear, “less lethal” weapons, and shields in short order, usually in under an hour. 

Thomas was also criticized for the LAPD and CHP raid on the encampment on the night of May 1 during which 200 students and others were arrested. Students were shot with rubber bullets from “less lethal” weapons, tear gas, batons, and flash bangs after enduring the previous night’s attack. During a CAIR question and answer session, Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt, a Vice-Chancellor at the time, refused to answer student questions about who made the decision, implying that the decision was out of his hands.

Thomas was “temporarily reassigned” after the attack but up until this week, no other information had been released by UCPD regarding Thomas’ employment. 

In the wake of Chief Thomas’ departure, Wade Stern, president of the Federated University Peace Officers Association (FUPOA), issued a statement criticizing UCLA leadership and defending Thomas’ record. Stern argued that UCLA administrators failed to provide clear directives or involve the police department in planning for campus protests, resulting in disorganized and ineffective responses.

“The departure of former UCLA Police Chief John Thomas underscores the glaring lack of accountability among UCLA administrators for the disorganized and ineffective response to last spring’s campus protests,” Stern said.

Stern added, “As we have said since May, the UCLA administration owns the failure of any protest response, and the public should reject their attempts to shift blame to law enforcement. The recently released “Independent Investigation & After-Action Review” on the UCLA response to the protests in April-May is a damming indictment of the UCLA campus leadership. Issuing reports and making empty promises of corrective action without holding any administrators accountable is both unacceptable and emblematic of systemic negligence. Chief Thomas, a dedicated leader, deserves far better than to be scapegoated for the administration’s repeated failures and poor decision-making. This situation demands accountability and meaningful reform, not deflection.”

Rick Braziel and UCLA have not released any statements or a response to the FUPOA statement.

in News
Related Posts

Best Spots to Celebrate Valentines, Galentines, or Have a Super Bowl Party on the Westside

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Cocktails, Game Day Grub, Valentine’s Pasta, and a Lonely Heart’s Tea Service You will find many excellent ways to celebrate...

FDA Issues High-Risk Recall for Pre-Packaged Broccoli Florets Sold at Walmart

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Recall Is Now Classified as Class I Due to Seriousness Of Contamination The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified...

Matū Kai Brings Its Signature Wagyu and Famous Cheesesteak to Brentwood

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Team Behind Beverly Hills’ Acclaimed Matū Is Opening a Second Location One of Beverly Hills’s newest and most popular restaurants,...

Pan African Film and Arts Festival Returns for 2025 with Global Black Storytelling

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Largest Black Film Festival in the U.S. Expands to Culver City With Over 150 Films The Pan African Film and...

Brentwood Has the Highest Priced Contract Among Increases in Luxury Home Sales

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2025

High-End Real Estate Rebounds With $186.8 Million in Contracts Signed Last Week Sales for luxury homes in Brentwood began to...

Influencer Florence Mirsky Responds After Her Racist Rant Is Caught in Video Footage

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2025

Viral Footage Shows Mirsky Using Slurs and Berating Valet Workers in Beverly Hills Influencer and cannabis entrepreneur Florence Mirsky, who...

 State Farm Seeks Emergency Rate Hike, Citing Wildfire Losses—Consumer Advocates Push Back

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2025

Insurer Requests up to a 38% Rate Increase, but Critics Call It an Unjustified Cash Grab In a press release...

(Video) Los Angeles Marathon Returns For 40th Anniversary

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2025

Register at mccourtfoundation.org Register at https://t.co/BSdsenmYSF pic.twitter.com/qsm2jMdDL8 — BrentwoodNewsLA (@BrentwoodNewsLA) February 4, 2025

CCPD Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing Elderly Man with Dementia Last Seen in Culver City

February 3, 2025

February 3, 2025

Resident Last Seen on Washington Boulevard, Public Urged to Report Any Sightings Culver City’s Police Department is asking for the...

Los Angeles County Ramps Up Storm Protections in Fire Burn Areas As Two Storms Approach

February 3, 2025

February 3, 2025

Officials Install Flood Barriers and Urge Residents To Prepare As a storm system approaches California this week, Los Angeles County...

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar Make History at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards

February 3, 2025

February 3, 2025

Beyoncé Wins Album of the Year, Kendrick Lamar Sweeps Five Categories The 2025 GRAMMY Awards delivered a night of historic...

Pacific Palisades Farmers Market Finds New Temporary Home in Brentwood After Fire

February 3, 2025

February 3, 2025

Displaced Vendors and Shoppers Reunite at the Brentwood Farmers Market. The Pacific Palisades Farmers Market, displaced by the recent Palisades...

High-End Beverly Hills Watch Dealer Sentenced to Over 5 Years for $5.6M Fraud

February 3, 2025

February 3, 2025

“The Timepiece Gentleman” Ran Luxury Watch Scheme, Defrauded Clients “The Timepiece Gentleman” was sentenced Wednesday to 70 months in federal...

Former Beverly Hills Mansion of Hollywood’s Most Private Star Now for Rent for $45K

February 2, 2025

February 2, 2025

Iconic Estate in Beverly Crest Is Now Available for Purchase and Lease Old Hollywood’s most mysterious star’s home is back...

Los Angeles Fire Department Puts Out Chimney Blaze in 25 Minutes in Brentwood

February 2, 2025

February 2, 2025

Firefighters Quickly Extinguishes Flames From a Residential Chimney Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters quickly contained a chimney fire at a...