Actress Anne-Marie Johnson Demands Apology from LA Mayoral Candidate Nithya Raman Over Daryl Gates Remarks

Veteran Hollywood actress Anne-Marie Johnson has called on Los Angeles mayoral challenger Nithya Raman to apologize for remarks made about former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates, labeling the comments a "historical error" and a "personal assault." Johnson, an ally of current Mayor Karen Bass, made the demand at a Thursday event hosted by Bass.

Raman, a socialist city councilmember, had invoked Gates' tenure during a recent mayoral debate while criticizing Bass's administration for reported LAPD cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Raman stated, "This city used to be the gold standard in terms of non-cooperation with immigration enforcement, years ago under the era of Daryl Gates." She added, "And now under this mayor, we’ve actually lost trust from our immigrant community in our city and in our law enforcement."

Mayor Bass responded by accusing Raman of overlooking the city's history of police abuse, particularly against Black and Latino residents during Gates' time as chief. "My opponent is not really familiar with L.A., especially the Black community," Bass said. "She doesn’t know us."

Daryl Gates, who led the LAPD from 1978 to 1992, became a controversial figure, with his tenure marked by incidents including the 1991 beating of Rodney King. The acquittal of officers involved in the beating in 1992 led to widespread riots in Los Angeles.

Johnson, whose father was a police officer, stated that Raman's remarks were personally offensive. "This is all very personal to me," Johnson said, referencing the difficult experiences of Black families in neighborhoods like Silver Lake during Gates' era. Johnson also brought up Gates' controversial remarks suggesting that Black men's veins and arteries did not open as quickly as those of "normal people," a comment she characterized as ignorance amplified by social media.

In response to the criticism, Raman released a video calling Gates an "abhorrent and racist police chief" and clarifying that her reference was to his Special Order 40. This policy aimed to encourage immigrants to report crimes or serve as witnesses without fear of deportation, though it did not prevent LAPD cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Raman accused Bass of twisting her words to avoid answering questions about LAPD cooperation with ICE under her leadership.

Gates resigned in 1992 amid growing criticism of police misconduct, with the Rodney King incident being a significant factor.