Adrian Kempe, Kings dismiss Ducks in regular-season finale, will face Edmonton in playoffs

• April 14, 2023

ANAHEIM — On the final night of the regular season for the Kings and Ducks – teams occupying wildly different ends of the spectrum – they found a form of common ground on Thursday night at Honda Center.

Their fates and fortunes were, in part, determined elsewhere.

In short:

By losing 5-3 to the Kings, the defeat ensured that the Ducks will finish last overall in the NHL, thereby securing the best odds (25.5%) in the draft lottery on May 8 and the chance to win the right to select Connor Bedard, who is widely considered the best prospect in hockey since Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid. But they received some late ‘help’ in the race to the bottom a little more than half an hour before their own game started when the Columbus Blue Jackets tied the Pittsburgh Penguins with 3:25 remaining in regulation and went on to win in overtime.

That win gave the Blue Jackets 59 points, one more than the last-place Ducks, who have missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons but can fall no lower than third in the lottery, which means they will get a premium prospect in a top-heavy field headlined by forwards Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and Matvei Michkov.

“Long year, a challenging year,” Ducks goalie John Gibson said. “It was the circumstances that we were in. I’m not going to sit here and tell you it was fun. It was a long year. It was growing pains. I wish I had an answer.

“That’s the most frustrating part. Sometimes we looked good. Sometimes we looked bad. The only thing we were consistent at was being inconsistent.”

As for the Kings, there was the question of a playoff opponent. Heading into the game, there were two possibilities – Edmonton or the Vegas Golden Knights and the Kings left the ice still awaiting the Vegas result that would decide their foe. The Golden Knights’ 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken assured the Kings and Oilers will meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year. Game 1 is Monday night in Edmonton.

A year ago, the Oilers trailed 3-2 in the best-of-seven series but went on to win, taking Game 7, 2-0, in Canada. The Kings were without defenseman Drew Doughty and forward Viktor Arvidsson.

This time around there are other injury concerns for the Kings. They are still without forwards Kevin Fiala and Gabe Vilardi and defenseman Alex Edler, who is getting closer to returning, did not play against the Ducks.

Adrian Kempe’s four-point night – three goals and one assist – paced the Kings. Kempe’s fourth career hat trick included his 39th, 40th goals and 41st goals of the season, another impressive campaign after his breakthrough season a year ago. His 41 goals – making him the first King with a 40-goal season since Luc Robitaille in 1993-1994 – are six more than last season – and his 67 points are 13 more than last season.

“The fact that he’s been able to elevate his play almost on a weekly basis – he just keeps getting better – is a real good sign for him as an individual and us as an organization for a long time,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Less streaky than he was in the past. Scores big goals. Scores them from all over the place. While he’s doing that, he’s physical and defending well.

“Hell of a year. Hell of a player.”

Two of Kempe’s goals came on the power play as the Kings went 3 for 8 with the man advantage and his hat trick came on an empty-netter with 1:38 remaining in regulation.

“I probably didn’t think about it before the season,” Kempe said of hitting the 40-goal plateau. “But obviously throughout the year, I just tried to stay with my game and not focus too much of where I’m at in terms of goals and stuff like that. Playing with some really good players.

“They were looking for me all night. I’m just very happy I’m out there with those guys. My linemates helped me all year to score, to get there.”

Kings goalie Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves, making his second start in as many games. The last time he started in back-to-back games was March 28 and March 30, both losses.

Arvidsson had three assists and Doughty had two assists. Captain Anze Kopitar (No. 28) and Trevor Moore (No. 10) scored the Kings’ other goals.

Shaking off a 2-5-0 skid that killed their chances at the division title, the Kings won their final two games to finish with 104 points, the second-most in franchise history behind the 1974-75 squad (105).

Kempe and Moore scored goals in quick succession in the second period to turn a 1-1 game into a 3-1 lead.

Troy Terry (No. 23) scored in the first period for the Ducks, and Max Jones (No. 9) and Trevor Zegras (No. 23) scored in what was a fight-filled third period. Gibson, who made 31 saves, made his first start since April 1.

The Ducks were running the gamut of emotions after finishing the season on a 13-game winless streak. Their power play was ranked 30th, the penalty kill was 31st and their goals allowed (338) was the most since the San Jose Sharks gave up 357 in the 1995-96 season. The Ducks ranked last in the NHL in goal differential (minus-129) – the league’s worst since the 1999-2000 Atlanta Thrashers (minus-143).

“I think it’s a lot,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “It’s sadness. It’s frustration. There’s a number of things that we’re very proud of. There’s a lot that, it just comes in waves. I am proud that in a game like this – where it’s our last game – and we know it is totally over, that they still had some rage in them.

“They went out and battled hard and really kept the love of the rivalry between us and the Kings.”

There were three Ducks players making their NHL debut in the waning days of the season, including defensemen Jackson LaCombe and Drew Helleson, who both drew in against the Kings. Rookie Mason McTavish missed the finale with an upper-body injury but played in 80 of 82 games and was in the Calder Trophy conversation for most of the season.

Terry knows what it is like to have endured tough times early in his career.

“I never wanted Mac (McTavish) to go through that but some of those guys get to see what it’s like,” Terry said of a losing season. “To have that feeling that we all have right now. And we never want to feel like this again.”

​ Orange County Register 

Sunny Hills softball holds off Fullerton to stay undefeated in Freeway League

• April 14, 2023

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FULLERTON — Sunny Hills softball pitcher Alexis Perez encountered one jam after another during the final three innings at Fullerton on Thursday.

The Indians had runners at second and third with one in the fifth, and loaded the bases with one out in the sixth and seventh.

And if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, Perez also dealt with nausea, especially in the last inning. Lancers coach Elise Laws visited the sophomore in the circle and the game was briefly stopped.

Sunny Hills stuck with Perez, and she rewarded the first-place Lancers by escaping a final bases-loaded jam en route to a 3-2 victory in the Freeway League.

Perez sealed Sunny Hills’ sixth league victory in as many games by forcing a groundout to freshman first baseman Elayna Marquez with two outs and bases loaded.

One batter earlier, Sunny Hills third baseman Gabby Flores threw out the potential tying-run at home plate after she dropped a fly ball behind the bag with the bases loaded. The senior alertly fired a strike to catcher Riley Gonzalez for the second out.

Perez credited Flores — who also hit a home run in the third — for her encouragement throughout the game — but Flores praised her pitcher.

“It’s going to come down to who wants it more, and Alexis wanted it more,” Flores said. “She threw a great game.”

Sunny Hills (9-5-1, 6-0), ranked No. 23 in Orange County, has struggled with pitching depth this season because Perez and junior Maddie Moreno have dealt with injures. But the Lancers have opened a two-game lead over No. 24 Fullerton (18-3, 4-2) as they pursue the league title.

“She powered through,” Laws said of Perez. “I’m proud of her. It’s not easy to come out for a game like this when you’re not feeling well and you almost want to throw-up. That takes character and it takes heart.”

“That’s a huge win for us today,” the coach added.

End of 4th @SoftballSunny 3 Fullerton 0 Alexis Perez helping her cause by starting a slick double play @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/4AHA49fSJl

— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) April 14, 2023

The Indians scored twice in the seventh. Freshman ace Malaya Majam-Finch drew a bases-loaded walk with one out to bring in one run and catcher Maiah Rodriguez followed with an infield single to drive in another.

Flores led off the third by launching the first pitch over the fence in left for second home run. The solo shot gave Sunny Hills a 3-0 lead against Majam-Finch (11-2), who entered with a 0.29 ERA.

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The Lancers scored two unearned runs in the first by capitalizing on three errors and a passed ball.

In the teams’ first meeting in league, Sunny Hills scored six runs — one earned — in the first inning en route to a 6-0 victory.

Fullerton coach Trevor Holton was pleased how his team recovered from its shaky first inning, especially considering he started five freshmen. The Indians finished with eight hits, including two from freshman Abby Galvan.

“They just haven’t been tested the way Sunny Hills has,” Holton said of his young squad. “They’re starting to figure (it) out.”

​ Orange County Register 

Jordan Chiles wins 2 national titles, but UCLA gymnastics ousted in NCAA semifinals

• April 14, 2023

The UCLA gymnastics team made its first appearance in the NCAA championships since 2019 on Thursday night and received a dominant outing from Olympian Jordan Chiles, but the Bruins did not advance to the finals, finishing behind Pac-12 rival Utah and defending national champion Oklahoma in its four-team semifinal.

The rivalry between UCLA and Utah has only grown this season, with the Red Rocks getting the better of the Bruins no matter the venue. No. 5 Utah topped No. 4 UCLA four times this season, adding the latest chapter at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

UCLA bounced back from a low-scoring vault rotation to move into second place going into the final rotation. Chiles scored a perfect 10.0 on uneven bars to boost the Bruins to a team score of 197.9125, but Utah was still in the midst of its balance beam performances and proved again why it is the best team in the nation in that event. The Red Rocks’ Maile O’Keefe scored a perfect 10, which dropped UCLA into third place.

Utah and No. 1 Oklahoma advanced to the four-team finals with scores of 198.225 and 198.1625, respectively. Utah, in the finals for the third straight year, and Oklahoma, making its 10th consecutive trip to the finals, were the only programs in either semifinal to score 198 or better. UCLA finished ahead of Kentucky, which scored 197.125.

Chiles won individual national titles on the uneven bars with her perfect score and the floor exercise (9.9875), then came in second in the all-around to O’Keefe, who became the first Red Rock to win the all-around title since 1999. Selena Harris and Margzetta Frazier tied for second place on the floor at 9.95 and Chiles and Chae Campbell tied for third on the vault at 9.9.

“I’m very proud of the girls … the love, the trust that we have in each other,” Chiles said on the ESPN broadcast. “Just seeing the emotional-ness coming out of them at the end of this like, yes it’s hard. It’s really really hard knowing you were that close. But it’s only going to make them stronger.”

The Bruins seized first place after the balance beam, their first rotation of the evening. Emily Lee and Ciena Alipio both hit 9.9 as the first two competitors in the event and Emma Malabuyo ended the group with a 9.950 – her second-highest beam score of the season.

The highest-ever postseason floor exercise score kept UCLA in first place after two events. Harris scored a career-high 9.95 and Frazier tied her career-best with another 9.95. Emma Malabuyo posted a 9.8875 even though her music cut out midway through the routine.

UCLA dropped to third after scoring 49.1750 on vault, which was its lowest score in the event since the Pac-12 Championships in mid-March. Chiles’ 9.9 in the anchor position wasn’t enough to lift the Bruins.

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Utah’s other star, Olympic silver medalist Grace McCallum, competed for the first time since Feb. 11 due to a knee injury and scored a 9.95 on the uneven bars in an emotional return. She helped put Utah in the final with a good showing on the beam following O’Keefe’s 10.

No. 3 Florida, which received a lift from the return of defending NCAA all-around champion Trinity Thomas, and No. 6 LSU advanced from the early session and will join Oklahoma and Utah in the finals, which are Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. LSU posted the top score (197.4750) of the first session and Florida outpaced Cal and Denver.

McDonald brought the Bruins back to national prominence in her first season as head coach. In addition to getting them back to the NCAA Championships, she guided the team to three meet scores above 198 and all-time best team scores in multiple events throughout the season.

“This team believed they could build something special this season and were intentional every step of the way to make it happen,” McDonald said prior to the meet. “The thing I am most proud of is how they have shown up each weekend to compete for each other with joy and gratitude for the opportunities in front of them.”

JORDAN CHILES WITH A PERFECT 10 ON BARS #ThatsaW I @uclagymnastics pic.twitter.com/siyllcYgkE

— ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2023

Jordan Chiles’ floor routine at Nationals hits different

ESPN2#Pac12Gym | @uclagymnastics pic.twitter.com/tF1a9N9YhE

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) April 14, 2023

The way @EmmaMalabuyo kept going despite the technical difficulties (music cutting off) a true pro @uclagymnastics pic.twitter.com/d0Vi2Obxnq

— Arielle (Ari) Chambers (@ariivory) April 14, 2023

The beam of our dreams! @EmmaMalabuyo ties the top score on BB with a 9.950!@uclagymnastics | @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/mWL5WCtiWY

— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) April 14, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

NAMM Show 2023: Here’s a look at the first opening day

• April 14, 2023

The NAMM show kicked off Thursday morning, April 13, with its annual Breakfast of Champions event and a changing of the guard.

The session offered attendees breakfast, live music and was hosted by Joe Lamond, the president and CEO of NAMM, who had a message about his retirement.

“This is bittersweet for me because, as some of you may know, this is my final Breakfast of Champions as president and CEO, and I can’t tell you how much I am going to miss all of you,” Lamond said.

Lamond’s first NAMM Show was in its heyday in 1983 before assuming his leadership roles in 2001 and he assured the crowd that the new CEO John Mlynczak leaves NAMM in good hands.

Mlynczak was announced as CEO in February and will officially take the leadership mantle on May 1.

In the event’s final moments, Mlynczak and the previous CEO to Lamond, Larry Linkin, joined on stage to present a NAMM Music for Life Award to Lamond.

The morning event closed out with singer, songwriter and guitarist John Fogerty, a founder of Creedence Clearwater Revival, being honored with his own NAMM Music for Life Award.

Fogerty spoke about his time in the Army during the Vietnam War and the impact that it had on its on him and his path to music.

“There was such a sense of we’re all in this together during my generation, and the first thing we got vocal about was our displeasure of the Vietnam War,” he said. “I couldn’t help myself. I had to talk about it.”

The musician gave an anecdote about his need to organize his songwriting after leaving the Army, prompting him to buy a pocket-sized vinyl binder where he would write down titles and ideas for songs. Fogerty brought the binder with him and showed the audience that his first entry was “Proud Mary.”

When Fogerty was honorably discharged in the late 1960s, he said he happily went home and started writing lyrics that involved a river but didn’t quite know where it was going, so he opened his binder and realized the words “Proud Mary” could be the name of a boat and everything started falling into place.

“For the very first time, the process worked,” Fogerty said.

As the first session was closing it was abruptly stopped when emergency alarms sounded and event organizers ordered attendees to evacuate the building. Badge-holders received a message on the NAMM Show+ app which said it was a false alarm.

The event quickly bounced back, and attendees made their way to their scheduled programming, which included several classes, live performances, seminars, workshops and plenty of shiny new gear.

Although there were a few vacant vendor spaces this year, most of the convention’s marketplace featured sleek guitars, ukuleles, drum sets, and a selection of brass equipment from the major name brands, including Yamaha, Fender and Ernie Ball. The electronic section of lights and speakers had a layer of slight fog from display fog machines accompanied by blasting EDM beats.

Jon Gilutin, a presenter for Audio Modeling, showcased the latest studio software that mimics authentic string and brass instruments.

The software allows users who may not have access to musicians or a high-end studio to produce music by themselves on their computers. It’s similar to how plugins and synthetic instruments are used to produce electronic music, but users can add different controls that allow them to alter the sound.

Gilutin wore a device around his neck that he put into his mouth that acted like the mouthpiece of a flute and demonstrated how it works along with the computer program, which adds a range of sounds that can enhance the sounds of the flute. He said he uses the program to make music as a producer and musician when he wants to add another layer to his music.

“It just makes it more real,” Gilutin said.

A notable topic on the event schedule was social media and its relation to music sharing and audience growth. One of the sessions focused on TikTok strategies — with good reason, given its popularity with a new generation of content and music consumers.

According to Luminate’s 2022 U.S. End of Year Report, Generation Z users spend 21% more time weekly with music than listeners from any other generation and are 13% more likely to discover music on streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube and 19% more likely to do so on apps such as TikTok.

With the looming decision by the U.S. government to ban TikTok, many influencers, users and musicians are worried about their audiences disappearing if the ban takes effect.

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Jessica Muñiz-Collado, assistant professor of music business at the University of North Texas, hosted a seminar for a sizable younger audience on how TikTok creators could protect their fanbase and grow.

She said TikTokers should aim to create a relationship with their fans that moves them into a more direct line of communication, such as email list services, text message marketing and surveys.

“The main thing I’m trying to encourage all of you to do is not to put all your eggs in one basket and think social media is the only No. 1 source for engagement,” said Muñiz-Collado.

The first day of the NAMM Show will wrap with the TEC Awards, the Hip-Hop 50 celebration, which will honor Chuck D, the leader and founder of the rap group Public Enemy, who will receive NAMM’s Impact Music & Culture Award.

​ Orange County Register 

Federal officials get up-close look at coastal erosion threats to key rail line

• April 14, 2023

A $4 million request for federal funding has been made to help the Orange County Transportation Authority with a study on relocating coastal sections of a key rail line further inland, U.S. Representative Mike Levin announced Thursday, May 13, during a tour of ocean threats to the stretch of tracks.

He was in San Clemente with U.S. Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose and other transportation officials to highlight the challenges facing the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor, or LOSSAN Corridor, because of coastal erosion and rising sea levels.

Daily commuter rail service between south Orange County and San Diego has been halted for half a year because of track damage – it is set to resume Monday. The various officials gathered on a bluff at San Clemente State Beach Thursday afternoon to talk about the coastal section of the rail line, where $13 million in emergency repairs have been underway since a September hurricane swell paired with a landslide to shift the tracks.

Earlier in the morning they were in San Diego, along the Del Mar bluffs, where another section of the line passes just a few feet from the edge overlooking the ocean.

“It’s just a matter of time before the tracks will be over the cliff’s edge,” Levin said. “That’s where our train ride had to stop, the rail tracks have been closed.”

In San Clemente, big rock boulders have been dumped by the truckload along the ocean side of the tracks to keep waves from inflicting further damage and the last of some 200 ground anchors have been drilled into the hillside’s bedrock on the other side of the 700 feet of track.

“We know climate change is making these problems worse,” Levin said. “Rising sea levels, stronger storm surges will continue to pummel our coastline and recently we’ve experienced devastating landslides right here in the city of San Clemente that caused grave damage.”  .

Bose called the tour “very revealing and informative” and said a key takeaway is how all the stakeholders – from the state, the county, the transit agencies and the service operators – are taking the need to protect the corridor seriously.

“To see the effort, thought and planning already going into this is a big statement to me, to see the local solutions being sought here are very important,” Bose said. “When we see that on the federal level, that makes it a very positive signal to us that if there’s an ability to contribute from the federal government those dollars will go further.”

Bose and Levin both talked about tapping into the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding that is still available for projects. The law earmarked $550 billion over the five years through 2026 for infrastructure needs.

“Having those billions of dollars in place, we know when those solutions do come up, there will be federal funding available,” Bose said.

OCTA leaders approved last month a set of studies on the impacts of erosion and sea-level rise and ways to protect the rail infrastructure in the future; they will be detailing both short- and long-term phases, including looking at the costly solution of moving the rail line away from the shore.

More studies and planning are needed before Bose said he could comment on the need to move the tracks inland, saying such a judgment is “premature.”

Mayor Chris Duncan said the meeting shows the collaborative effort needed to help the coastal town as it battles the effects of climate change. For the town, the damage to the tracks is just one of several examples of the coastal erosion being seen.

“San Clemente is a beach city,” he said. “It’s existential for us to keep our beaches not just for our way of life, but our local small businesses. It’s crucial for our economy that we have beaches and it’s great to see this group coming together today to talk about how we are going to do that.”

There is also new task force being created that will bring the scientific community together with lawmakers, Orange County Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley announced Thursday.

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The group will be chaired by Brett Sanders, professor of civil and environmental engineering at  UC Irvine, to coordinate local, state and federal efforts to plan for long-term solutions. Levin and California District 38 Sen. Catherine Blakespear, who chairs a new Senate Transportation Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor Resiliency, will participate.

“It is imperative that all governmental and academic experts are at the table as we begin the long and challenging work to find sustainable and practical solutions for ongoing challenges along our coast,” Foley said.

Sanders, who joined the train tour with the dignitaries, talked about the growing threat of coastal erosion to the region’s economy, recreation and infrastructure.

While he’s optimistic with longer-term solutions being discussed, Sanders said more steps need to be taken sooner rather than later while studies are conducted to protect the coastal resources. What is needed immediately, he said, is the importing of sand to act as a buffer between the ocean and the tracks, before more damage occurs.

“We could be more aggressive in our sand, we could try and fund sand locally,” he said, rather than wait years, even decades, for the traditional process to play out through the Army Corps of Engineers.  “Especially in places we know we’ve had sand in the past, we could try to restore those more aggressively.

“That would certainly buy us time,” he said, “and also bring so much value to people who live here and enjoy going to the beach and bring more safety to the houses and infrastructure being impacted.”

​ Orange County Register 

Thunder Thursday gets party started ahead of Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

• April 14, 2023

The party has begun.

Motorcycles flew threw the air, race car drivers signed autographs and classic automobiles lined The Paseo on Thursday evening, April 13, during the annual event at The Pike Outlets intended to kick off the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The Grand Prix, Long Beach’s biggest annual event, begins on Friday and runs through Sunday.

But Thunder Thursday, a free event hosted by the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, revved things up.

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The event featured freestyle motocross demonstrations, an IndyCar Series pit stop competition, live music and a beer garden.

There was also food, interactive photo booths, and the chance to get autographs from IMSA and Porsche drivers.

​ Orange County Register 

2 Torrance officers indicted in 2018 fatal shooting of Black man

• April 14, 2023

Two Torrance police officers were indicted Thursday, April 13, in the fatal shooting of a Black man sitting in a suspected stolen car in 2018, a killing that sparked months of protests in the community by Black Lives Matter activists, according to a defense attorney for one of the officers.

Attorney Tom Yu confirmed that a Los Angeles County grand jury returned the indictments, but he said he wasn’t aware of the specific charges against Officers Anthony Chavez and Matthew Concannon in the killing of Christopher DeAndre Mitchell.

Yu, who represents Chavez, said both men are scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles.

The grand jury convened in March to consider evidence against Chavez and Concannon presented by special prosecutor Lawrence Middleton.

Former Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey previously found that the officers acted legally and in self-defense in the Mitchell shooting. However, the investigation was reopened in 2021 by her successor, progressive District Attorney George Gascon, who vowed during his campaign to aggressively reexamine shootings and use-of-force cases involving police officers.

The District Attorney’s Office declined Thursday to confirm the indictment against Chavez and Concannon. “We cannot comment on the existence of an indictment,” the office said in a statement.

Sgt. Ron Salary, a spokesperson for the Torrance Police Department, said he could not disclose the employment status of Chavez and Concannon. Instead, he told the Southern California News Group it would have to file a public records request with the city to obtain that information.

Mitchell, 23, was confronted in the parking lot of a Carson Street supermarket in Old Torrance as he sat behind the wheel of a car that had been reported stolen. Between his legs was what appeared to be a firearm, but was actually a modified air rifle, reports said.

As officers approached the car, they told Mitchell to keep his hands on the steering wheel, but he instead moved them toward his lap, according to the previous report by prosecutors who cleared police. Officers also told Mitchell to get out of the car, but he refused, the report said.

Officers fired three times at Mitchell. The shooting was captured on video by Concannon’s body-worn camera. Just 12 seconds passed from the time the officer activated his camera as he opened Mitchell’s car door to the time of the first shot.

“Based on Mitchell’s failure to follow the officers’ directions, his continued efforts to conceal the object in his lap, the physical appearance of the object, and the movement of his hands toward the object, it was reasonable for the officers to believe that the object was a firearm and to respond with deadly force,” the report said.

Black Lives Matter activists protest the fatal shooting of Christopher DeAndre Mitchell at a May 2019 Torrance City Council meeting .(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

The shooting drew widespread protests at City Council meetings from Black Lives Matter activists who demanded that police release the video of the deadly encounter and, later, that the officers be held accountable. Mitchell’s mother, Sherlyn Haynes, publicly accused the officers of murdering her son, insisting that the video showed he was being cooperative.

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Concannon and Chavez have been tied to other on-duty shootings as well.

Concannon was involved in the 2011 nonfatal shooting of Jeremiah Banks during a vehicle pursuit. Banks received a 15-year prison sentence after he was subsequently convicted on two counts of robbery and one count of felony evading, but also received a $100,000 settlement from the city after filing a lawsuit while incarcerated.

Chavez was one of five Torrance officers exonerated by the District Attorney’s Office for their roles in the fatal 2017 shooting of a San Gabriel man shot 23 times in the wake of a high-speed pursuit.

Chavez and Concannon also are reportedly linked to racist and homophobic text messages sent among Torrance officers and under investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office. At least four Torrance officers involved in the texting scandal have been terminated by the department.

​ Orange County Register 

USC LB Tackett Curtis showing signs of leadership as freshman

• April 14, 2023

LOS ANGELES — When Shane Lee came to USC last winter, he was immediately heralded by his new teammates for his leadership. He was an important piece of Lincoln Riley’s efforts to change the culture at USC, and he was rewarded by being elected team captain in his first year in L.A.

Given Lee’s standing in the Trojans’ locker room, he paid the ultimate compliment to freshman linebacker Tackett Curtis after Thursday’s spring practice.

“He’s definitely a leader, man,” Lee said. “He’ll be an emerging guy that people look to for encouragement, for leadership, for everything. He’s going to be one of those guys for sure.”

When Curtis signed with USC in December out of Louisiana, Riley could not have been more effusive in his praise. The head coach declared Curtis the top linebacker prospect in the 2023 class, saying he would not have taken any graduating senior over him.

A four-star prospect, Curtis had 112 tackles and 16 for losses as a senior at Many High, which he led to a state championship while winning MVP honors. At USC, he joined a position group that needed depth, but also talented young players who would stay with the program for several years after a run of restocking the position through the transfer portal.

As bullish as USC was on Curtis when he arrived for spring camp, he’s only reinforced that notion for linebackers coach Brian Odom over the last 14 practices with his physicality, toughness and eye for the ball.

“The thing that you learn about Tackett that’s pretty unique is, you had a pretty good idea of what his best was; but how consistently he’s close to his best, that’s the one thing that separates him from a lot of other people,” Odom said. “He doesn’t have a lot of bad days. And his bad days aren’t very far off from all of his good days.”

It’s this level of consistent performance and consistent effort that has caught the attention of veterans like Lee.

“He’s a hard worker, man. He doesn’t say too much, he just gets to work,” Lee said. “He just works. He doesn’t say anything, he just does what he’s supposed to do, that’s it.”

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Back in December, Riley spoke about the possibility of Tackett being a Day 1 contributor at USC. Since then, USC has added Oklahoma State transfer Mason Cobb to the inside linebackers room. Junior Raesjon Davis has stood out this spring, and the Trojans will add Eric Gentry, a starter from last season, to the mix as soon as he recovers from ankle surgery.

Riley has praised the inside linebacker room as one of the deepest position groups on the USC roster this spring. So Curtis will have a lot of work to do to contribute as a true freshman.

But no one’s ruling out the possibility.

“If he continues to make plays, you’re gonna see a lot of him,” Odom said. “He’s gotta absorb the playbook. With any freshman that comes in, that’s gonna be something they’ve got to do. … But as long as he’s as physical as he’s been showing in these practices, and as fast as he is on the field – his game speed’s really, really fast, he’s got great closing speed – he cares about it, he plays hard, there’s a great chance you’re gonna see him on the field.”

​ Orange County Register