Month: April 2021

Jurors on Tuesday found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd last May.  The jurors came to their decision after 10 hours of deliberations and some three weeks of testimony, which included dozens of witnesses. Chauvin, 44, was taken away in handcuffs and will go directly to jail. He will be sentenced in eight weeks. The recommended sentence in Minnesota for a first-time offender found guilty is 12-and-a-half years in prison for either second- or third-degree murder, and four years for second-degree manslaughter.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis for allegedly spending a counterfeit $20 bill, died facedown on the ground with his hands cuffed behind him as the white officer pinned his knee to Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes. Millions around the world saw the video of Chauvin, his hands in his pockets and his sunglasses atop his head, with Floyd underneath him crying out for his dead mother and repeatedly gasping, “I can’t breathe.”The tragedy sparked worldwide protests against racial bias and police brutality and forced many law enforcement agencies to review and reform their policies on use of force.

Three other now-former officers on the scene with Chauvin — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — all were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and will be tried apart from Chauvin this summer. All have pleaded not guilty.

Watch: Chauvin declared guilty on all counts in death of George Floyd

Via www.nbcnews.com

Derek Chauvin has been convicted of second- and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree…

04/20/2021 5:12 PM

 

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On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a controversial bill that increases penalties for crimes committed during a “riot,” which civil rights groups have denounced as unconstitutional. DeSantis at the bill’s signing: “We wanted to make sure that we were able to protect the people of our great state, people’s businesses and property against any type of mob activity or violent assemblies.”

The bill, effective immediately, would allow authorities to hold protesters arrested for misdemeanors without bail until their first court appearance. The law also establishes new felonies for organizing or participating in a violent demonstration and offers “civil legal immunity to people who drive through protesters blocking a road” and creates protections for Confederate monuments and other historical memorials, and makes it more difficult for local governments to decrease their law enforcement budgets.

Opponents of the bill say it curtails citizens’ First Amendment rights to peaceful assembly and free speech. Micah Kubic, the executive director of ACLU of Florida, previously called the bill “racist, unconstitutional, and anti-democratic.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs ‘anti-riot’ bill into law

Via www.upi.com

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an “anti-riot” bill into law Monday that increases penalties…

04/19/2021 6:12 PM

 

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A medical examiner ruled on Monday that the U.S. Capitol Police officer who died a day after supporters of former President Donald Trump rioted had succumbed to fatal strokes. The District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the officer, Brian Sicknick, died of natural causes in the hours after the attack on the Capitol rather than as a direct result of injuries inflicted by Trump’s supporters during the Jan. 6 siege.

D.C. Medical Examiner Francisco Diaz said an autopsy conducted on Sicknick revealed he had suffered two strokes caused by a clot in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Diaz also said he found no evidence that the 42-year-old officer died from having chemical irritants sprayed on him by protesters, or from any other internal or external injuries. Capitol Police said Sicknick collapsed upon his return to headquarters after the riot and died at a hospital about eight hours later. Julian Elie Khater, 32, of State College, Penn., and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, W.Va., are accused of using bear spray to attack Sicknick during the riot. They are charged with conspiracy to injure an officer, assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, civil disorder as well as other charges.

Police officer died of ‘natural’ causes day after Capitol riot: Medical examiner

Via abcnews.go.com

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died of “natural” causes one day after a violent mob…

04/19/2021 6:55 PM

 

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Three people were killed in a shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, which authorities say appear to be domestic-related. Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services reported the 3 victims died at the scene at Arboretum Oaks Apartments near Great Hills Plaza office building and Arboretum shopping center in north Austin.

Police identified the suspect as Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41, a black man standing 5 feet and 7 inches tall. As of press time, the suspect was still at large, and he was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, sunglasses and a baseball cap. During a news conference Sunday the police said they no longer consider the incident an active shooting as it was believed he knew the victims and targeted them in the shooting but added that “danger remains high” as there were concerns he may take hostages in the area.

3 dead in Texas shooting, suspect at large, considered armed and dangerous: Police

Via abcnews.go.com

Three people are dead after a shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.

04/18/2021 6:02 PM

 

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Authorities have arrested a suspect in the early Sunday morning shooting at a tavern in Wisconsin which left three dead and at least three others injured.  The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday afternoon that the suspect is expected to be charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide, and additional charges are possible. There is no threat to the community at this time, the sheriff’s department said.

The three injured men have been hospitalized, and there is at least one possible additional shooting victim, authorities said. Investigators have asked local hospitals to notify them of any additional gunshot victims. The suspected shooter was a patron who “wasn’t cooperating with the management” at the tavern, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said at a news conference. The man left the bar and returned a short time later, about 12:45 a.m., and began shooting, he said. The suspect “knew who the victims were” and targeted them, Beth said.  Beth said the bar was “very busy” at the time of the shooting but did not know how many people were there.

The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with information about the shooting and the suspects to call them at 262-605-5100 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 262-656-7333.

Person arrested in Wisconsin bar shooting that left 3 dead

Via www.nbcnews.com

“We believe our suspect knew who he was targeting,” the Kenosha County sheriff said.

04/18/2021 6:22 PM