Hermosa Beach Police Beat
Flags up at station
A combination of officer deaths in other jurisdictions, inclement weather and oversight led to the temporary disappearance of the American flag from the Hermosa Beach Police Department last week.
The flag initially came down after Corporal Ronil Singh, of the Newman Police Department, was shot and killed after pulling over a vehicle in the early morning hours of Dec. 26. HBPD Lt. Landon Phillips said that it is department policy to fly the American and California state flags at half-mast when an officer in the state is killed in the line of duty. Then, on Jan. 10, Officer Natalie Corona, of the Davis Police Department, was shot and killed while investigating a traffic incident.
While the flag was flying at half-mast, several days of wind and rain damaged the American flag, as well the Prisoner of War flag, Phillips said. The department took those flags off the mast to dry, but left the California state flag up, at half-mast. Phillips said that department policy is that the flag is to remain at half-mast until the officer is laid to rest, which for Corona did not occur until Jan. 18. On Tuesday, when a resident pointed out the absence of the American flag, the department realized it had not returned it, and restored each of the flags.
“We fly the flags at half-mast to honor fallen officers in the state, out of respect. There was no intent to dishonor our American flag in any way,” Phillips said.