Inside the LAPD - Animal Cruelty Task Force raid

October 10, 2007 raid of Ron Mason by the Los Angeles Animal Cruelty Task Force. This video was created by the LAPD to air on public TV. I received permission to post this public video made by the City of Los Angeles.

The ACTF stated that Ron Mason's cats had panleukemia yet tests were actually negative. They said his cats were neglected yet Officer Troy Boswell states in this video that they have everything they need, food, water, shelter. They forgot to read Mason his rights. They forgot to give him a receipt for the cats. They destroyed the evidence without a judge's order. They killed his cats.

January 16, 2008 Ron Mason was cleared of all charges. He was told his remaining cats if any and property will be returned to him. Most of his cats were killed. They did not return his property. This was a gross injustice.

The Daily News ran this on January 17, 2008

No criminal charges for animal neglect
A Northridge man arrested last fall on suspicion of felony animal neglect for harboring up to 70 cats will not face criminal charges, the City Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
Ron Mason, whose Napa Street home was raided by the Animal Cruelty Task Force on Oct. 11, was cleared Wednesday before a Van Nuys Courthouse judge.
``We do not have any intention of filing charges,'' said Bob Ferber, supervising attorney for the city's Animal Protection Unit.
``In a nutshell, in that house he complied with all the building code violations. It's all cleaned up. And there's an agreement that he will keep only three cats and work with animal control.''
Mason maintains he was always innocent of any allegations of animal neglect.
``It was a bad bust,'' Mason, 59, said. ``They didn't read me my rights. There were no sick or ailing animals like they said there were.''

For the record, there were no building code violations ever filed. His home looks exactly as it did on the day of the raid. After this incident Officer Troy Boswell was transferred off the animal cruelty task force to the spay neuter task force.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• lapd
• animal
• cruelty
• task
• force
• los
• angeles
• police
• department

[justincase2]

The absurdity is beyond belief. They say Mr. Mason has a mental health problem? I beg to differ. The man has been giving food and water to animals, and getting them neutered to help control the population and alleviate future problems. Any person who has the outrageous nerve to define that as "cruelty" is the one with the mental health problem.

Is there intelligent life on earth? Maybe somewhere, not in LA Animal services.

[MaryCummins]

What is more absurd is the fact that the Department is for trap neuter return of feral cats to cat colonies. That is what Mason was doing. Catnippers, a TNR group from Best Friends actually dumped seven of the cats on Mason's property. The Department supports Catnippers. Why didn't the Dept bust Catnippers? and all the other TNR groups? They're doing the same thing Mason was doing.

[Lilmosey]

This is exactly why it will be impossible to get animal cruelty laws with any teeth on the books. These cops have no clue. Questionable situations should be handled by the local Humane Society, & those investigators should be given full police powers. THEY are the pros in all of this. Hoarding is a mental illness. If anything, the man should have been helped with counseling and education. The REAL abusers get away scott free while animals suffer & die, while time is wasted on this insanity.

[MaryCummins]

The current ACTF is made up of police officers and animal control officers. There are no humane officers. Humane officers receive police academy training and specific training on hoarders, dog fighters, abusers. Humane Officers have full police powers. SPCAs are made up of Humane Officers. The LA ACTF should have their people become Humane Officers to limit these mistakes. Mason never received any counseling or help from the City. Fortunately rescuers have been helping him.

[a40sgal]

Are you a moron ?!?!?!?

[thomaskirby169]

One other point about Ron Mason is that he is a target who won't harm them back after they have done so much dirt to him. He does not belong under the supervision of the psychos who arrested him, those psychos belong on the unemployment roles.

[MrBigoutlaw]

Having been trained by a sheriff's academy, I noticed the lack of Miranda rights as well. I recently saw an ad for an officer position in this unit and it requires a POST academy. These officers dont make the same as a police officer. I have been volunteering at an animal shelter for almost 2 years. I dont need to be a cop to recognize cruelty or dog fighting. Boswell is not doing anyone any good by being on the task force, needed to be transferred

[tybittz]

@zavalachris98 fuck u

[cptmuska]

wow stop buying and not wanting cats holy fucking christ 

[zavalachris98]

uuhhh.... FUCK CATS!!!!!!!!! lol

[UGot2BeKidin]

Just another example of the progressives trying to turn us into a nanny state. WE have to do what THEY say or there is something wrong with us. THEY always know better what we need that we do ourselves. This guy needed help from the county...I've been in his position and I called the humane society and told them if they didn't get me the name of a vet that performed sterlization at a reasonable amount, that I would start dropping them off on them. Got a name real fast that way & she is GR8!

[ThePOKOkitty]

Evil jerks.

the cats didn't really have it but they got killed anyways!?

someones going to burn.

[kaylor2008]

What idiots and jackasses!

LAPD....You people in LA allow this to go on? Shame on you. That "Mental Health" guy is a real number. Somebody should put him in a straitjacket.

[LosAngelesYogaNidra]

ugh....

[40Rtruss]

Let LAPD give them people the Rodney King beating

[Liberty9m]

Also note that Mr. Mason said that some foreign immigrants moved in next door and the guy didn't want the cats around because his wife was pregnant. Tough shit for her. It would have been simple - just tell the bitch to stay away from the poor cats.