Freeway Shootings Rattle Los Angeles

John Atterberry had worked with Jessica Simpson, Michael Jackson

(NEWSER) - The record executive who was critically wounded in Friday's Hollywood shooting rampage died last night, the AP reports. John Atterberry, 40, had been a vice president of Death Row Records, then home to Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre, before going on to work with artists including Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, and Michael Jackson, the Los Angeles Times reports. More»

Thief opens fire near campus: cops

(NEWSER) - Two students from the University of Southern California were shot at a party near the USC campus yesterday. Several students confronted a man who appeared to be stealing items from an apartment complex where the party was taking place. He opened fire, shooting a male student in the chest and a female student in the hand, said police. The male student underwent surgery and is listed in critical but stable condition. There have been no arrests yet, reports the Los Angeles Times . More»

(NEWSER) - Every time a cop pulls someone over, he or she is liable to hear an excuse. And every so often, a driver manages to surprise even the most jaded ticket-writer, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Like the pair of Frenchmen one officer caught speeding on Highway 101. They’d studied US driving laws and were sure speed limits were posted on white signs with black numbers—like the one reading “101.” The cop let them off. More»

Cessna strays too close as Obama heads to LAX

(NEWSER) - What were they smoking? A four-seater Cessna plane hauling marijuana yesterday strayed into restricted airspace designed to protect President Obama, who was flying on Marine One; the small plane was intercepted by fighter jets. The incident occurred as the president was traveling in the helicopter from Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport, reports the Los Angeles Times . Authorities attempted repeatedly to contact the Cessna 182. When the pilot failed to respond, two F-16s forced the aircraft to land nearby at Long Beach Airport, where it was met by law enforcement. More»

California cops suspected him of sexual misconduct with teenager

(NEWSER) - A California policeman yesterday shot and killed a fellow officer suspected of sexual misconduct, the AP reports. Police in Santa Maria learned of his alleged relationship with a 17-year-old girl and confronted him in the wee hours yesterday morning on duty at a DUI checkpoint. The officer resisted arrest and fired his gun—at which point an 8-year veteran on the force shot him once in the chest. The officer later died on the operating table. More»