Woman Allegedly Throws Niece's Ashes At LAPD Chief Charlie Beck

LOS ANGELES, CA — An unknown substance, purportedly the ashes of a young woman who died in LAPD custody, was thrown on Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck during a Police Commission at LAPD headquarters Tuesday morning.

Los Angeles police and fire hazmat personnel are on the scene investigating. Two women have been taken into custody. Members of the activist group Californians for Progress said the detained women were Melina Abdullah, a leader of the Los Angeles arm of Black Lives Matter, and Sheila Hines-Brim, an aunt of Wakiesha Wilson, who died while in LAPD custody in 2016. Hines-Brim allegedly threw some of Wilson's ashes at Beck during the meeting, according to some witnesses. However other witnesses contend the ashes were thrown or merely placed in front of the chief. As she was walking away, Hines-Brim shouted, "That's Wakiesha."

She was detained and later arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery on a police officer. Abdullah was detained and later arrested on suspicion of committing the same offense after she allegedly made contact with another officer.

The incident happened at 10:30 a.m., said Los Angeles Police Officer Chris No.

"A substance was thrown at Chief Bech by an individual attending the meeting," No said.

The room was evacuated, and Beck was examined at the scene.

"Today's assault was not only disrespectful to the Office of the Chief of Police, but more importantly to a process of community engagement that has been recognized across the nation," Beck said in a statement.

"Our police commission is the model for civilian oversight in every major city across the country, and is designed to invite productive discourse in a public setting. This only created chaos and fear for any Angelinos who wanted to voice their opinion about policing in our city."

The origin of the substance was not immediately determined pending further testing, Aguilar said.

Beck, who is retiring this year, has been the target of police brutality protesters at commission meetings and LAPD headquarters for the last two years.

Wilson died while in LAPD custody in March 2016. Police said Wilson was found hanging in her jail cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center, and the coroner's office ruled her death to be a suicide. Activists disputed the ruling, arguing that Wilson was not suicidal. They also faulted the LAPD for failing to notify Wilson's family of her death.

The city agreed late last year to pay Wilson's family nearly $300,000 to settle a lawsuit they filed over her death

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City News Service contributed to this report. Photo by Patch Staffer Renee Schiavone.