Dozens of residents used the City Council’s public‑comment period on Oct. 24 to accuse the Los Angeles Police Department of excessive force at recent demonstrations, to report injuries to journalists and protesters, and to urge the council to remove the department’s chief, whom speakers identified as "Jim McDonald's." Council members did not take formal action during the meeting.

"I have been shot and arrested," said Mario Sorvino during public comment, recounting an encounter with officers and saying he had been detained while exercising his First Amendment rights. Other speakers described mounted police, projectiles, injuries to journalists and what they said was police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. "They are helping ICE," one commenter said, adding the conduct had created fear in immigrant communities.

Several speakers named the police chief and explicitly called for his removal. "We have to remove Jim McDonald's," one speaker said. Another asked council members to use their authority to replace police leadership with officials who "protect Angelenos, not federal mandates." Commenters also referenced a recent temporary restraining order and said they had recorded what they described as unlawful force and arrests of peaceful demonstrators.

Speakers described specific incidents they said the LAPD carried out during protests on Oct. 18 and in other recent gatherings: mounted officers dispersing crowds, officers firing projectiles, and journalists struck while reporting. A number of commenters said they or people they knew had been arrested or wounded; one speaker said seven journalists were injured. Commenters repeatedly called the council to act, while also noting legal remedies pursued in federal court by some who said they were detained.

Council staff and the presiding officer did not announce any investigation, vote or staff direction in response to the public comments during the meeting. The council’s agenda that day contained no recorded vote on police leadership. The meeting was later suspended for loss of quorum and no formal motion regarding police leadership was made on the record.

What councilmembers did address at the start of the session were procedural matters: roll call, agenda housekeeping and a continuance of agenda item 5 to Oct. 29, 2025. Speakers asked the council to consider their testimony in any future oversight or disciplinary proceedings.

The claims recounted to the council are the commenters’ statements. The council did not make findings of fact on the record during the Oct. 24 session, and the LAPD did not provide a statement during the meeting.