LAPD chief responds after Nithya Raman targets him in campaign video

The war is on between socialist mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman and LA’s top cop — who fired back at the radical candidate over her controversial remarks appearing to call the city’s top cop a “fascist liar.”

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell called Raman’s comments “disappointing,” saying that 52 police officers were injured during last year’s violent immigration protests.

“I saw that, and I was disappointed that she would be associated with anything like that,” McDonnell told NBC Los Angeles.

The chief broke his silence a day after the California Post first reported on Raman’s remarks in since-deleted social media video featuring the city councilmember and left-wing influencer Ed Choi, which showed McDonnell’s face crossed out with a large red X.

McDonnell  defended his officers against Raman’s accusations that the LAPD protected federal immigration agents instead of protesters during the June 2025 unrest, revealing that cops suffered hearing damage and concussions while facing violent attacks.

“We had 52 officers injured during that period of time. The assaults on officers were like I’ve never seen before, with commercial-grade fireworks being shot directly at them,” McDonnell said.

“We had officers with hearing impairments as a result of this, we had concussive injuries,” he added.

The chief described officers being attacked with Molotov cocktails, all-terrain vehicles driven toward them and cars set ablaze in front of them.

“The officers were amazingly disciplined for what they were facing,” McDonnell said.

Raman’s video opened with Raman and Choi saying, “Only you can stop fascist liars,” as images of Mayor Karen Bass appeared on screen.

Later, McDonnell’s face appeared with a large red X across it.

Choi accused Los Angeles of becoming “extremely fascist” because Bass appointed McDonnell as police chief and asked Raman how she planned to change the city.

Raman responded by accusing the LAPD of protecting ICE agents instead of residents and pledged to replace McDonnell if elected mayor.

One LAPD member told The Post that putting a red X over McDonnell’s face effectively made him a target, calling the video “extremely dangerous.”

Raman’s campaign told The Post in a statement that the “fascist liars” remark referred to ICE and the Trump administration, not McDonnell, Bass or LAPD officers.

“The video was then edited by the creator to put Mayor Bass on screen during that moment, but Nithya never used that phrase to describe Mayor Bass, Chief McDonnell or LAPD officers,” Raman’s campaign said.

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