RL NEWS: May 2, 2013

Man Killed in Officer Involved Shooting Identified 
LONG BEACH — Long Beach Police Department identified 36-year-old Jason Conoscenti as the man who officers fatally shot April 27.
Sheriff officials in Compton said that a security guard at a Target in the 1600 block of South Alameda Street in Compton, tried to detain for stealing. Conoscenti got away entering in an SUV that was outside the store.
Police officials were called. The driver took the local city street at slow speeds, avoiding the spike strips that were placed in front of them.
The pursuit ended near Ocean Boulevard and 14th Place in Long Beach.
Officials said that Conoscenti refused to exit out of the vehicle when commanded by the authorities.
Conoscenti got out of the SUV 15 minutes later. Officials said that he brandished a wooden-like weapon in his hand. Police ordered Conoscenti to drop what was in his hand, but Conoscenti refused to comply.
Officers tried using a stunbag to detain him without consequence. Conoscenti ran off.
LBPD officer ended up shooting Conoscenti. He died at a local hospital later that afternoon.

Former POLB Employee Awarded $1.1 million
LONG BEACH — On April 29, the Los Angeles Superior Court ordered the Port of Long Beach to pay former employee Sharon Jordan $1.1 million related to a discrimination case that was filed against the city in 2010.
Jordan filed a lawsuit against POLB, citing retaliation for filling complaining about her job conditions.
Jordan served as the secretary of government affairs for the Port of Long Beach until her termination in 2010.
Although Jordan received nothing but positive job reviews for her time working for the city, her treatment changed once her husband became seriously ill in 2008. She was then asked by her supervisor for regular updates on her husband conditions. Criticism of Jordan’s work and job performance followed.
Jordan’s then-supervisor was unsuccessful in demoting her from her position as secretary. Sharon took a medical leave of absence in July 2009 through May 2010 because of issues at work with her supervisor.
Jordan asked her supervisor for a job transfer to the various open position in the city for accommodate the situation that were at hand. Jordan was denied the accommodation and was fired, thereafter.
Court documents cite that Jordan was fired because she did not drop a discrimination claim against the city in June 2010. She was let go July 22, 2010.
As a result of her termination, she lost her medical insurance and she was forced to relocate her comatose husband. Her husband died in January 2011.
Former employee Port of Long Beach Director of Human Resources Lisa Marin also recounted the same type of issues, received when she was working for the city. Marin was diagnosed with kidney failure. Long Beach denied her accommodations and fired her when she complained.