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Lexis-Olivier Ray

Lexis-Olivier Ray is an award-winning staff investigative reporter for L.A. TACO known for holding powerful people in Los Angeles accountable and his reporting on Los Angeles culture. As well as an artist and filmmaker. In 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists’ Los Angeles chapter named Ray one of their “distinguished journalists.” This year, Ray won a second place Anthem Award in their Health Innovation category for a texting service geared towards the unhoused community and service providers that he launched in 2021 with L.A. TACO and Subtext. Ray was a 2020 USC Center For Health Journalism (CHJ) Data Fellow. As well as a 2022 CHJ Impact Fellow. As a freelancer, Ray has contributed to the L.A. Times, Men’s Health Magazine, KCET and SFGATE.

Westlake’s 61-Year-Old Gay Bar Forced to Close, Set to Be Replaced With An Apartment Complex

The Silver Platter first opened in the early 60s and for decades has been known as a “safe haven” for the neighborhood's immigrant and queer communities. Six of the 55 units will be set aside for “extremely low-income” households, according to plans submitted to the city planning department.

July 10, 2024

Concealed Carry Firearm Permits Soar More Than 42,000% in Los Angeles, These are The Neighborhoods With The Most Permit Holders

More Angelenos are now permitted to carry concealed firearms in public than ever before. With more people licensed to carry firearms in public than ever before, will L.A. see a rise in shootings and violent crime?

June 5, 2024

LAPD Buys Its K9s From Breeder That Shares The Name of Hitler’s Bunker

Each canine ranges in price from $9,800 for a “single purpose detection dog” to nearly $13,000 for a “dual purpose police service dog” of European descent, before tax. The specially trained dogs come with names such as Diesel, Rico, and Benny.

June 5, 2024

VIDEO: LAPD Officers Punch and Choke Handcuffed Man in South L.A. For Spitting

Following the murder of George Floyd, in 2020 the LAPD banned “choke holds,” which they define as “any defensive tactic or force option in which direct pressure is applied to a person’s trachea or windpipe.”

May 30, 2024

VIDEO: LAPD Officer Runs Red Light for Non-Emergency Call, Kills Pedestrian in Marked Crosswalk in Hollywood

This tragic death is a reminder of the dangers of being a pedestrian in Los Angeles. In 2023, for the first time in two decades, there were more than 300 traffic fatalities, according to an analysis. Meaning there were more traffic deaths than homicides in the city.

May 29, 2024

LAPD Officer Released on $30,000 Bond Following Arrest For Assault With a Deadly Weapon

A day after the incident the LAPD said in a statement that they were prompted to respond to the 8600 block of Belford Avenue after “a community member generated a radio call of an Assault with a Deadly Weapon.” Police later identified the suspect as “off-duty Officer Richard Podkowski.”

Protester Whose Testicle Exploded After LAPD Officer Shot Him with ‘Less Lethal’ Firearm Receives $1.5 Million Settlement

Benjamin Montemayor had been protesting on Hollywood Boulevard for several hours on June 2, 2020, when at least 50 police officers descended upon his group and began firing munitions at the crowd, according to his civil rights lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court.

May 17, 2024

Westlake’s Oldest Gay Bar Set to be Demolished

Opened in the early 1960s, the Silver Platter has long been known as a safe space for immigrant gay and transgender communities in Westlake. The building dates back to the 1920s.

Nug Report: Three Infused Pre-Rolls for the Cannabis Connoisseur 

These infused pre-rolls are a great way to take cannabis consumption to a level that borders on a psychedelic experience. One of these puffs like a cigar and another is inspired by the 90s, and the other one is a reminder of how hashish is forever.

May 10, 2024

Annual Cinco de Mayo Lowrider Cruise Shutdown by LAPD Before Sold-Out Dodger Game, Causing Confusion and Frustration

"Was really bummed to see a dead park with cops standing by today,” an Elysian Park resident told L.A. TACO. “Like, what’s the point of the park?? Also, why do the Dodgers call the shots? They made the calls [to] shut it down,” the resident speculated.