Pipe bomb, L.A. County Sheriff's Department and the media

Photographer Raul Roa was at Pioneer High School last Friday to photograph what we had heard was a suspicious device on campus. There was word that the device was a pipebomb. Before I share the report that Raul filed with me, here is how the Los Angles County Sheriff's Department are instructed to deal with the media.

This is from the lasd.org Website

Incident/Crime Scene "Don'ts" for LASD Personnel

- Do not establish artificial barriers for the media. For example, do not cordon off the media a block from the incident/crime while allowing the general public to wander just beyond the incident / crime scene tape.
- Do not arbitrarily isolate the media outside the incident / crime scene, unless their presence inhibits the investigation or response by law enforcement or other emergency personnel.
- Do not prevent the media from photographing, filming or interviewing people in public areas. The media may interview, film or take photographs of whomever they wish in public
areas.
- Do not limit media access based on safety concerns. It is the responsibility of each individual member of the media whether to assume the risks involved.

Incident/Crime Scene Reminders for LASD Personnel

- While some incident / crime scenes may require a ban on any media vehicles, this restriction may not necessarily apply to media access on foot.
- A safety hazard to the media does not justify restriction; however, warning of potential danger before allowing access is LASD policy.
- If the general public has access to an area, the media can also be there.
- LASD personnel shall honor current media passes from other law enforcement agencies.
- NOTE: In the event of a dispute over access, contact the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.

This is Raul's account of what happened:

"A suspicious device was found at on school grounds and police responded.

"I arrived at the scene about 13:35 when some deputies were going door to door, attempting to evacuate residents across the street from the school. I spoke to two deputies at the northeast corner of the school who told me about the suspicious device and their attempt to evacuate residents. They also said the school would evacuate students to the northwest parking lot.

"Since I did not see any school evacuations and students milled around the campus within sight from the street in front of the school, I called Tim and asked if I should seek to speak with the principal. I needed to know if and when school evacuations would happen.

"Tim said to try my best so I walked towards the front gate, where a security guard is always posted. I intended to ask if I could see the principal to ask a few questions. No reporter was on scene at this time and none showed up until some 15 mins later.

"As I walked from the sidewalk towards the front gate of the school, I heard someone call to me from the teacher’s parking lot. I looked over and a person wearing a sheriff jacket gestured me to come over, which I did. The person told me I could not go that way (towards the front gate) and I asked “Isn’t this a public place?” At which his tone immediately changed to aggressive and belligerent and he said that under Sheriff Lee Baca's name, he could take my press pass if I continued to seek access to the school. He said the school was closed and that there were minors inside.

"I asked for his business card but said he did not have any on him and he wrote his name and phone number on the back of one of my cards. He did not take my business cad although I handed it to him. He wrote his name as Sgt. Scott Craig and a phone number. There was no yellow tape or anyone or anything that stated or implied the school was a closed campus. I had just spoken to the two other deputies who did not mention anything about the school being closed. I told him my intention was to see if I could speak with the principal of the school because our newspaper had a good rapport with the principal. His tone changed a little and he explained to me there was a suspicious device and that they were trying to handle the situation. He also said a media area would be made available by the shade in front of the school for us. This was never made available. While the sgt. was still next to me, I called Tim and told him my situation. I passed the phone over to the sgt. and I could hear a somewhat heated conversation. When the sgt. handed over the phone back to me, he said that I should not come to ask for his help ever again. I had never asked for any of his help and he was the one who approached me.

"After I spoke with Sgt. Craig, the school's SRO told me I could not speak to the principal or anyone else at the school, and that I needed to talk to her only.

"She could not have known that I wanted to speak to the principal unless Sgt. Craig spoke to her. This, I feel, created the conspiracy to stop me from speaking to anyone at the school.

"After I spoke with Sgt. Craig about my intentions to see if the school principal had any information about evacuations, the school's SRO came to me and told me I had five seconds to speak to her and that I could not speak to the principal of the school or anyone else there. Since I was on the telephone at the time leaving a message for the principal, I told her I did not need to speak to her. She began to walk away and I asked her for her name and title. She refused to give me her name and stated that the only thing I needed to know was that she was the school's SRO.

"The yellow tape was put up only after the female SRO spoke to me. While I was standing in front of the school on the sidewalk, she went to get yellow tape and began putting it up."

And according to the California Penal Code:

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department may close an area under the authority of:

409.5(a) P.C. ". ..a menace to the public health or safety is created by a calamity such as a flood, storm, fire, earthquake, explosion, accident, or other disaster. . ."

However, 409.5(d) P.C. states "Nothing in this section shall prevent a duly authorized representative of any news service from entering the area closed . . . "

If you wish to see the Media Guide for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, click here.