LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KERO) — A new report has found the Los Angeles bomb squad ignored warnings when it detonated a cache of illegal fireworks last year. Seventeen people were injured in the explosion and nearly two dozen homes were damaged.
The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore were presented with findings from the inspector general's investigation Tuesday.
The report found officers ignored one of their most experienced bomb technicians who raised concerns that the weight of the fireworks was too powerful for the vessel to handle.
"Based on our review, it appears there was ultimately no change to the plan or course of action despite the concerns raised by the one bomb technician," said John Garner with the Office of the Inspector General. "There was a lack of supervision of the bomb squad personnel at the scene of the incident."
The inspector general's report provides a list of recommendations for the department and the bomb squad including a change in culture where supervisors take an active role in planning and decision making.
