LOS ANGELES, CA – Clifford “Skipp” Townsend, a South Los Angeles gang-intervention leader arrested last week on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and released after prosecutors declined to charge him, called Wednesday for an independent investigation into the Los Angeles Police Department over his arrest, he said at a news conference.
Townsend, 62, a co-founder of the nonprofit 2nd Call, spoke with community activists in South Los Angeles on Wednesday, Nov. 11. He said the arrest was a stunt by the LAPD meant to tarnish his standing, and he asked the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and the Office of the Inspector General to examine how it came about.
LAPD Robbery-Homicide detectives arrested Townsend and four others on Wednesday, Nov. 4, in connection with the Aug. 6 killing of Reginald Foreman, 51, a 2nd Call worker. Townsend was reportedly held on $2 million bail.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told reporters on Nov. 5 that it declined to file charges against Townsend because of insufficient evidence. He was released from jail Monday, Nov. 9.
Townsend calls the arrest an LAPD stunt
Townsend said authorities tried to portray him as “the leader of some corrupt organization” in order to create a scandal that would damage community intervention programs across the country. Those statements are his own claims and have not been independently established.
He also said the directives for the arrest came from the highest level of the department, under Chief Jim McDonnell. He accused department leadership of allowing officers to carry out the arrest and mislead the community.
Shamond Bennett, a 2nd Call employee who was arrested along with Townsend, was released without charges.
Supporters defend Townsend’s integrity
Activist Najee Ali said at the news conference that Townsend and Bennett were unjustly arrested by the LAPD. Ali said the community sees the arrests as a betrayal of trust.
Khalid Shah, who represents the Stop the Violence & Increase the Peace Foundation, defended Townsend’s character. Shah said he would bet his life and his reputation on Townsend’s integrity.
How the inspector general handles complaints
The Office of the Inspector General says on its complaint page that complaints about LAPD conduct may be filed with either the OIG or the LAPD, and that it accepts all complaints of misconduct, including anonymous ones. The LAPD’s Internal Affairs Group conducts the complaint investigations, which the OIG can oversee and review.
The Board of Police Commissioners is the civilian body that oversees the department. Townsend’s request asks both it and the inspector general to look into the circumstances of his arrest.
Prosecutors charge Kody Townsend in the killing
On Nov. 6, the district attorney’s office announced murder charges against Kody Townsend, 19, in a news release titled “Charges Filed Against Two Men in Gang-Motivated Murder in South Los Angeles.” He is charged with one count of murder, one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, with lying-in-wait and gang allegations. Kody Townsend is Skipp Townsend’s son, according to initial reports.
The release states that on Aug. 6, at about 3:13 p.m., Foreman was working with two other 2nd Call employees when Kody Townsend allegedly walked up to the group and shot and killed him. The shooting happened near Crenshaw Boulevard and 59th Place in the Hyde Park area.
Jeremiah James Abdelhameed, 25, was charged with one count of accessory after the fact. His arraignment was set for Nov. 6.
If convicted as charged, Kody Townsend faces life in prison and Abdelhameed faces seven years in prison, according to the release. The case is assigned to Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center under case number 26CJCF07162, and Deputy District Attorney Henry Truong of the Gang Homicide Division is the prosecutor.
District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in the release that gang violence robs entire communities of their sense of security and safety. An arrest is not a conviction, and the allegations remain subject to the criminal court process.
Charges and release for those arrested
Of the five people arrested on Nov. 4, the district attorney’s office charged only Abdelhameed. No charges were filed against Townsend, Bennett or two other people who were arrested.
2nd Call is a South Los Angeles nonprofit that supports formerly incarcerated people. Townsend has led violence-reduction and trauma-informed support programs there.
Violence trends in the city
The Office of Mayor Karen Bass reported in an announcement with community safety leaders that homicides in the neighborhoods most affected by violence declined 27% in 2025. The city recorded 230 homicides that year, according to LAPD data the mayor’s office cited.
The mayor’s announcement does not address the Foreman case or Townsend’s arrest.
Anyone with information is asked to come forward
Anyone with information about Kody Townsend’s whereabouts or the killing of Reginald Foreman is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.
Kody Townsend remains at large
An arrest warrant has been issued for Kody Townsend, and his arraignment will be scheduled at a later date. Hochman was unavailable for an interview, and the LAPD said it was unable to comment on Townsend’s call for an investigation.
The Foreman murder case remains active, and Townsend’s request for a review of his arrest is pending before the Police Commission and the inspector general.
