Florence Avenue and Hooper Avenue, via Google Street View.

May 15, 1947: About 3 a.m. on April 17, 1947, Louis V. Cole of the Sentinel advertising department was delivering tear sheets of that week’s ads when his car stalled.

Cole was standing at Florence and Hooper Avenues trying to hail a cab when a patrol car from Firestone substation of the Sheriff’s Department passed and apparently circled the block and stopped.

Deputy L.A. Thorne approached Cole and ordered him to take his hands out of his pockets.

“Cole’s compliance was apparently not quite rapid enough,” the Sentinel said. “Thorne ‘assisted’ him with a stunning blow on the arm” with the barrel of his pistol.

The Sentinel reported that Cole explained that he had been delivering papers when his car broke down and showed Thorne his credentials. Thorne asked “Why didn’t you take your hands out of your pocket?” the Sentinel said.

After a complaint to Los Angeles County Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz, the incident was turned over to internal affairs investigator Jim Pascoe and a reprimand was placed in Thorne’s personnel file.