INDIANAPOLIS, August 6, 2026 — On June 22, 1987, Los Angeles Police Department Officer III James Hartley Pagliotti made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the people of Los Angeles. Nearly forty years later, the man convicted of murdering him is again seeking parole.
The National Police Association urges every supporter of law enforcement to contact the California Board of Parole Hearings and ask that parole once again be denied.
Officer Pagliotti was only 28 years old. A member of the LAPD’s elite Metropolitan Division, he had already distinguished himself as a dedicated officer. Outside of work, he was planning his future. He was engaged to be married in October 1987, just months after his murder.
That future never happened.
On that fateful evening Officer Pagliotti and fellow officers were conducting surveillance on a burglary suspect when they observed what appeared to be a narcotics transaction. As the officers approached, Louis Belvin, Jr. immediately opened fire with a semiautomatic handgun, mortally wounding Officer Pagliotti. Officer Pagliotti returned fire before collapsing.
Officer Pagliotti’s parents lost their son. His fiancée lost the man she was preparing to marry. The community lost a protector who had devoted his life to public service.
Belvin has been denied parole before. Each denial recognizes the gravity of murdering a police officer. Yet Officer Pagliotti’s loved ones and fellow officers are forced to relive the tragedy every time another parole hearing is granted.
”The passage of time cannot erase the deliberate murder of a peace officer or undo the devastating impact that crime has had on Officer Pagliotti’s family, friends, fellow officers, and the citizens he served”, said Eddie Hutchison, President of the National Police Association. “Please take a few moments to respectfully contact the California Board of Parole Hearings before the October 2026 hearing. Tell the Board that Officer James Hartley Pagliotti’s sacrifice will never be forgotten and that justice requires one clear decision”, Hutchison added.
Tell them to deny parole to Louis Belvin, Jr. Inmate #H33133.
Emails may be submitted to BPH.CorrespondenceUnit@cdcr.ca.gov Emailed statements should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document, PDF, or compatible format. Don’t submit documents as images. The writer’s contact information (address, phone number, and email address) should not be included on the written statement.
Mail a letter:
Board of Parole Hearings
Post Office Box 4036
Sacramento, CA 95812-4036
About: The National Police Association (NPA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit fighting for law enforcement through education, advocacy, and the courts. For more information, visit NationalPolice.org.
###