Karen Bass under fire as leak shows she ordered LAPD stand down, stalling federal help amid violent LA riots

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing mounting backlash after a leaked report revealed she had ordered the LAPD to stand down during violent riots, leaving federal officers without critical backup as the situation spiraled out of control, as per the Citizen Watch report.

Viral Post Alleges Mayor Took Over Command Chain During LA Protests

The alleged leaked post, which was shared on an Instagram account with the username 'defendthelapd' and later went viral on other social media platforms as well, including X (previously Twitter).

The whistleblower 'defendthelapd' wrote that, “Last night, when DHS and FBI requested assistance because they were overwhelmed by rioters, LAPD sat idle waiting for direction. Instead of allowing the Incident Commander to act, Mayor Karen Bass bypassed established protocol - she called the IC for a briefing, then called the Chief of Police to tell him what to do," as per the post published online.


The leaked report pointed out that, "By personally directing operations, Bass functioned as a de facto Incident Commander, in direct conflict with the City’s Emergency Operations Plan and National Incident Management System (NIMS) protocols. This breach of the chain of command prevented the Incident Commander from making crucial operational decisions, put DHS officers, FBI agents, and community members at risk, and delayed immediate LAPD support.”

The post also mentioned, “This unprecedented political interference demands a federal investigation into potential endangerment of federal personnel and obstruction of emergency response.”

Defend the LAPD just tagged me in this on Instagram. This is SERIOUS. @HarmeetKDhillon @MichaelGatesESQ @FBIDirectorKash pic.twitter.com/xPrMiXtIjZ

— Cece Woods (@ceceswoods) June 8, 2025

LA Mayor Karen Bass Responds

While, Bass responded to the leaked report on X, saying, “We will always protect the constitutional right for Angelenos to peacefully protest. However, violence, destruction and vandalism will not be tolerated in our City and those responsible will be held fully accountable,” as per her X post.

FAQs

What exactly did Mayor Karen Bass do?
According to the leaked report, she stepped into the LAPD’s chain of command during violent riots and told the Chief of Police what to do, overriding normal emergency procedures.

Where did this report come from?
It was first posted by an Instagram account called @defendthelapd, and has since gone viral on X and other social media platforms.