L.A. gang interventionist Skipp Townsend arrested in alleged murder conspiracy

Los Angeles gang intervention advocate Skipp Townsend was among five people arrested on Thursday, November 5, in connection with a murder investigation, according to the Los Angeles Times.

LAPD homicide detectives arrested Townsend, 62, in South Los Angeles on Thursday morning. He is the executive director of 2nd Call, an organisation that works to resolve disputes among gang members and promote alternatives to violence.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Townsend was arrested “on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder”. A Los Angeles County Jail representative told TMZ that he was booked into the LAPD Valley Jail under the description “conspiracy to commit any crime”. His bail was set at $2 million.

Townsend, a former gang member, is a prominent figure in Los Angeles’s violence prevention community. He has frequently appeared in media reports and alongside city leaders. Four other people were arrested in connection with the investigation, according to the report. Two were reportedly detained on suspicion of being accessories after the fact.

Authorities have not released details of the alleged conspiracy or the roles investigators believe the five individuals played. The arrests follow the fatal shooting of 51-year-old Reginald Foreman in August while he was working for 2nd Call in Hyde Park. The report did not establish whether the arrests were connected to Foreman’s case.