Nithya Raman Stumbles When Asked to Name Admired Police Chief

Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman was unable to name a police chief she admires when questioned by CNN's Elex Michaelson. The moment occurred during an interview where Raman was pressed on her previous comments praising former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates.

“I don’t know…I don’t know,” Raman responded when asked to name a police chief she respects or admires. This exchange follows recent blowback over her characterization of Gates as the “gold standard” for handling immigration enforcement during a debate.

Raman has since attempted to clarify her remarks, stating that she misspoke and did not intend to praise Gates. She explained that her reference to Gates was meant to highlight Special Order 40, a 1979 policy that prohibited LAPD officers from stopping or questioning individuals solely based on their immigration status. Raman argued that this policy, which she linked to former Mayor Tom Bradley and the groundwork for the Sanctuary City Ordinance she later authored, was the intended focus.

However, Gates' tenure as police chief is widely associated with controversial policing practices, including police brutality, the militarization of the LAPD, and aggressive sweeps. Critics point to his leadership during the era of the 1991 beating of Rodney King as evidence of his problematic legacy.

Mayor Karen Bass criticized Raman’s comments, stating that Raman’s remarks indicated a lack of understanding of the city’s history, particularly concerning Black and brown Angelenos. Raman has also stated her intention to replace current LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, though she has not publicly named a successor. Additional segments of the interview with Michaelson are scheduled to air on CNN.