LOS ANGELES (KABC) — FBI agents on Tuesday raided the home of Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Brian Williams in connection with a bomb threat he allegedly made against City Hall earlier this year, a spokesperson for Mayor Karen Bass said.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department statement, the agency’s initial investigation determined Williams was likely the “source of the threat.”
“My number one job as Mayor is to keep Angelenos safe,” Bass said in a statement at the time.
In February 2023, Bass announced Williams’s appointment as deputy mayor of public safety, a role overseeing the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Port of Los Angeles Police, the Los Angeles World Airport Police and the city’s Emergency Management Department.
Before coming to work for the city, Williams was the executive director of the Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission, which oversees the Sheriff’s Department.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — According to a spokesperson for Mayor Karen Bass, FBI agents raided Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Brian Williams’ residence on Tuesday in relation to a bomb threat he allegedly made against City Hall earlier this year.
Bass’s spokesperson, Zach Seidl, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that the search was reported to the mayor’s office.
Williams “was placed on administrative leave immediately,” according to the statement. “The mayor takes this issue very seriously. Following a report of the threat, LAPD conducted an investigation and concluded that there was no immediate threat. The LAPD referred this case to the FBI for additional investigation after conducting additional research. “,”.
An initial investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department concluded that Williams was most likely the “source of the threat,” the department said. “,”.
The news shocked the council members, who were still trying to figure out why someone so close to Mayor Bass and powerful in City Hall would do what he is accused of, so they chose not to comment to Eyewitness News on the subject.
In a statement at the time, Bass stated, “As Mayor, keeping Angelenos safe is my top priority.”. “Holding criminals accountable and taking concrete action to stop crime before it starts are the only ways to achieve that. “.
The city’s Emergency Management Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Port of Los Angeles Police, and the Los Angeles World Airport Police are all under Bass’s jurisdiction as deputy mayor of public safety, which he announced in February 2023.
Because of Williams’ close ties to the LAPD, the FBI took over the investigation.
The Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission, which is in charge of the Sheriff’s Department, had Williams as its executive director prior to joining the city.
Part of this report was produced by City News Service.
