Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti Endorses Gascón Over Incumbent Jackie Lacey In DA Race
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti reversed his endorsement of current L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who is running for her third term this November, opting to support former LAPD officer George Gascón instead.
"I am proud to endorse George Gascón for District Attorney. He knows how to promote public safety through partnerships with and beyond law enforcement. George Gascón will help our county shift the burden from the criminal justice system and jails toward diversion, intervention, and re-entry programs that save money and save lives. He is a leader who I have known and trusted for nearly twenty years who can meet this moment," Garcetti said in a statement released on Sunday.
"I am honored to have the support of Mayor Garcetti, and if I'm fortunate to have the support of the voters, I'm excited to roll up my sleeves and work together once again to enhance the safety and livability of our communities," Gascón responded. "We have a tremendous opportunity to make deep, substantive changes in the largest county in America, and together I know we can, and we will."
Gascón was San Francisco's district attorney for eight years and was a member of the LAPD decades before taking on that role.
Mayor Garcetti first endorsed Lacey last year before Gascón entered the race.
Garcetti's reversal of his support for Lacey comes after weeks of protests calling her out for what opponents say is a record of not prosecuting enough officers involved in shooting civilians.
Black Lives Matter protesters gathered outside her office several times throughout the summer, urging her to step down, but Lacey said she will continue her campaign.
"As an African American woman, I'm always seeking justice," Lacey said previously. "But oftentimes, I look at the facts of the case and they are not prosecutable because maybe the person has a weapon or a gun or they shot someone or they knifed someone."
Lacey said that in her position as D.A., she has continued to be a victim of discrimination.
She has also said that police officers need better training across the board and specifically with de-escalation methods when interacting with people battling mental illness and drug addiction.
The L.A. County District Attorney's office is the largest prosecutor's office in the country.
