Thousands expected to mourn fallen LAPD officer today

Thousands are expected to converge on downtown Los Angeles to honor LAPD Officer Robert J. Cottle, killed March 24 in Afghanistan while on Marine Reserve duty. Cottle, 45, was traveling with three other Marines in the Marja region of the country, which has been the focus of an intense U.S.-led offensive against Taliban forces in recent weeks. Their armored vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, killing Cottle and another Marine and seriously wounding the two others, said LAPD Capt. John Incontro, who oversees SWAT operations.