LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass today issued the following statement:
“What happened in Tarzana yesterday morning was a devastating tragedy. Adequate and appropriate mental health services should prevent individuals from deteriorating to inflicting harm to themselves and to others. This tragedy resulted in the death of someone undergoing a mental health crisis after violent assaults on several members of our community that sent 4 people to the hospital for severe injuries. In January, Chief Moore and I agreed to work together to expand the capabilities of the Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) and the System-wide Mental Assessment Team (SMART) and articulate a commitment to reforming the way police officers engage people with mental illness. We have taken concrete steps towards these goals but clearly as made evident over the weekend, more must be done. It is always a tragedy when Angelenos are attacked and when a life is lost. I will continue to work with LAPD to minimize both instances in all circumstances.”