Anti-gang activist calls for investigation into LAPD

Prominent South L.A. anti-gang activist Skip Townsend is speaking out after he was recently arrested by police on allegations of conspiracy to commit murder, only to have the D.A. not file charges. The case involves the murder of his friend and fellow activist. The district attorney's office says it was Townsend's son who pulled the trigger. Fox 11's Nick Garcia is live in downtown L.A. with Townsend's demands. Right, Christine, well, the district attorney declining to file those charges. So Skip Townsend was released from jail on Monday, but he says the arrest itself was a stunt and he's accusing the LAPD of using that arrest to damage his reputation. Wednesday morning, Clifford Skip Townsend was joined by other community activists in South LA to amplify his calls for an investigation into his arrest last week. His employee, Shimon Bennett, was also arrested and released. We know for a fact they were unjustly arrested by LAPD. The community believes it's a betrayal of trust. I bet my life on his integrity. I bet my reputation on his integrity because this young man, I've seen it with my own eyes. Townsend is a well-known anti-gang activist who founded non-profit Second Call, which helps those formerly incarcerated. In August, Second Call co-founder Reginald Foreman was shot and killed. The L.A. County District Attorney is charging Townsend's 19-year-old son, Cody, with that murder as he's still on the run. It was painted a picture as if I'm the leader of some corrupt organization, a scandal, and because of that scandal, this goes to intervention across the United States. Townsend now wants the L.A. Board of Police Commissioners and the Inspector General to launch an investigation into his arrest and says the call for his arrest came from the top, Chief Jim McDonald. They got the instructions from people of the stars and bars. Our leadership and LAPD allowed them to do that to me and gaslight the community and put me out front so they could tear down intervention. NDA Nathan Hockman was not available for an interview on this today. LAPD says it's not able to comment. Again, Townsend's son Cody still wanted for the murder of Reginald Foreman. Live in downtown Los Angeles, I'm Nick Garcia, Fox 11 News.