[CRIME NEWS] Family Of 3, Including Toddler, Slashed Near Battery Park, NYC

By artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 2:32am |

PAROLE thing just NOT WORKING; even kumbaya DeBlasio willing to say so straight out.

NEW YORK — A young family is recovering after being randomly slashed near Battery Park. Police say the suspect was out on parole. The youngest victim was in a stroller.

City officials told CBS2’s Ali Bauman on Thursday there is a pattern with these recent random assaults and hate crimes. Many of the suspects are homeless, mentally ill or recently incarcerated. Experts say the revolving door between prison and the shelter system is getting worse and finding solutions would make all of us safer.

Surveillance video shows a Hasidic couple walking near Battery Park with their 1-year-old on Wednesday evening when a man attacks from behind, slashing all three.

Police arrested 30-year-old Darryl Jones. He has 12 priors and was just released on parole in February after serving time for attempted murder.

One day earlier, police arrested Brandon Elliot for stomping on a 65-year-old Asian woman in Hell’s Kitchen. He was living in a nearby homeless shelter after being released from prison on lifetime parole in 2019 for murdering his own mother.

“The parole system in New York state does not work. It takes people coming out of prison, dumps them in New York City with no plan, no housing, no job, no mental health support,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Right now, there are about 1,500 state parolees living in New York City shelters [....]

Previous Crime News thread HERE, starting with "AFTER A VIOLENT YEAR, A SEARCH FOR ANSWERS" on 3/19 and continuing with articles & discussion thru early 4/1.

URL:

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/04/01/battery-park-slashing-nypd-darryl-jones/

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Why is it so hard to believe that some people are just truly dangerous and are not fit to be free in society, for whatever reason? We haven't been able to solve that, so until we do, they need to be locked up or supervised 24/7, whether in a jail, halfway house, mental institution or whatever? One wouldn't let the toddler run around free without supervision, why do these guys get that benefit? Yeah, it's a problem that they are wandering around homeless, but sorry, I just don't believe that getting them an apartment is going to keep them from slashing toddlers or kicking Filipino-American ladies in the stomach while they are walking down the street. They need to be watched 24/7.

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 2:44am

I'm reading comments on George Floyd in Chauvin's trial, and i don't know what to make if it. Here's a huge guy with 8 priors, some quite violent, who's hanging out across from a shop where he just passed a fake twenty, and when police arrive acts all loopy, crying, freaked - apparently from a literal buttload of fentanyl plus amphetamines - enoughh that it takes him minutes to show his hands, get out of the car, can't get handcuffs on him, won't sit in the squad car...

put this in context of "broken windows" - where picking up people for urinating, yet passing counterfeits is a step above. This isn't stop-and-frisk either - it's a known con being questioned for an actual crime. People say "George Floyd's not on trial here", but kinda yeah - he's sitting in a car with his dealer and his junkie girlfriend acting all crazy after passing fake money across the street - that is the backdrop to Chauvin's actions.

I thought the cop was too aggressive in having his gun out and cursing at him, but at the same time we have the case of Reishard at Wendy's where what was a calm encounter turned into the guy flipping 2 cops, stealing their taser, and taking off running when they tried to cuff him. (and the cops guilty if "overreacting" after 40 mins talking a drugged up convict/parolee down). During a gun murder spike nationally, the cops don't know who's carrying guns until they search them (there was a mass knife killing recently as well, so be prepared...).

What are the procedures for cleaning up the streets, for apprehending and questioning? If the police follow those, are they still guilty? I can agree that the cops should've checked on Floyds breathing more*, even tho i doubt it was just neck compression - but most of the comments assume Floyd shouldn't even be questioned. It's easy to go from a death and roll backwards, but what happens next week when a guy hooping goes off and beats an Asian (or black or white) or shoots someone will we hold a protest for Asians or complain about too many guns and then move on? Hold dual conflicting but somehow merged protests?

*Based on comments, i can also believe 9 of 10 observers will blame cops knowing no further info, so having an EMT-trained firewoman is rather an exception. Yet there's the video of the security guard and the black guy beating an Asian woman out front - within seconds people jump to conclusions, fault the security officer (black as well, i believe) who seems to have acted responsibly outside the misleading clip, and still, what do we expect police and security to do, and how will the crowd react?

Should they have tased Floyd to avoid 15 minutes of wrestling, drama, and finally death? Will they then be called out for using tasers too quick? Would the taser have killed a guy raving on fentanyl and meth (and lungs apparently full of fluid)? Who exactly is responsible for all these pre- and post-encounter rules and expectations, and who actually takes responsibility for them? Or let Floyd or similar go, hoping he's not one who kills, and if he does, tut-tut over the 314th anonymous uncommemorated murder this year and why "someone doesn't do something" , or blame Republicans for their pro-gun policies and be satisfied with ourselves?, We think it's clever to take down Al Capone for tax evasion, but when is it clever to get a serial criminal off the streets?

We have these "legalize drugs" movements, but I'm reading about brilliant Wayne Kramer of MC5 who wasted a decade hooked on heroin, of guitarist Jesse Ed Davis who went on 1 tour with Rod Stewart and came back a hopeless (for a decade) junkie, George Floyd & his girlfriend who are trying to hide their addictions from each other, all these terrible tales. While i start to get pissed at this glorification of killing et al in rap music - which is of course worse killing others than yourself - my own culture or peers are guilty of downplaying the dangers of harder drugs over the last 60 years, from that amazing piece* on the wasted drug-laden waistrel babylon in Haight-Ashbury, there for the "free love, good vibes", stay for the addiction, prostitution & overdose (look at San Francisco now - oddly Covid may have started a "solution" for the unsolvable, or just made it worse).

*Joan Didion, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/24/out-of-bethlehem

Speaking of which, what will New York do with legal recreational grass - will it turn people on to harder drugs, what we laughed at our parents for believing, or will it be a buzz to get back to coding or listening to music...? The culture in NY and LA are different from hippietown, so we might expect more gangbanging or other adverse effects, or we may get lucky. But i bet few have thought about what it means for policing in other types of crimes - a relief or makes more difficult?

by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 3:29am

I really appreciated you writing up and sharing your thoughts at length on this. In a way it does get at the main thing that bothers me, which I was just refocused on by seeing this news from the Chauvin trial:

NEW: Derek Chauvin putting his knee on George Floyd's neck was "totally unnecessary," Minneapolis' most senior police officer testified Friday during Chauvin's murder trial. https://t.co/8qiaBDQ2BP pic.twitter.com/osn1P0RAnA
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) April 2, 2021

Which is: I DON'T THINK POLICE BRUTALITY IS A MAJOR PROBLEM! Most police are good! The brutality is by outliers, it is a minor problem. We have been fooled into thinking it is a major problem.

The fooling, now that on the other hand, is not a minor thing because we have been fooled WORLDWIDE! It is a major hysteria for the history books that went on during a pandemic. I swear, it's going to be in the history books, no different than Savonarola type nuts preaching after the Black Death.

The fooling, it was fueled by social media, by people becoming police and reporters at the same time, with their cell phone videos. During a pandemic, people have these new tools to record and post the evil they see around them. And then we all hear about it, day after day after day. Videos of police doing good, if taken at all, those don't get posted much and don't go viral.

It is mass hysteria created out of narratives about outliers, "reported" by amateur journalists. Just that simple. Or that complicated. Why did the hysteria happen? Perfect storm of "justice millennial" generation, and journalists not doing their job but following the audience along, where it wanted to go, and a frightening world-changing pandemic with massive deaths where basically everyone alive has PTSD from incompetents in charge worldwide (most notably Trump in the position formally held by leader of the free world.)

Nobody was keeping us safe. We all can't face reality, it's too horrible. Police got to be the scapegoat.

Can we go back to reality now? And back to judging with perspective and not knee-jerk emotions and fear.

Chauvin is being tried. Good police are testifying against his innocence. Even if he is acquitted, the system is working as it is supposed to! Bad things sometimes happen to good people, that is reality too. This kind of death is horrible and unfair, but so are massive deaths from Covid and from gun violence.

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 4:12pm

I didn't see his whole testimony - did he explain what he would have done with Floyd freaking out, how he would have secured Floyd when he refused to get in the police car and instead chose to go to ground. No restraint needed, tho he seemed inclined to get up, continue thrashing about. "Totally unnecessary"? All of it? Seriously?

by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 4:39pm

I see no problem with police behavior until Chavin puts his knee on Floyd's neck for over 8 minutes. Floyd was handcuffed and not a danger to the police. He simply wouldn't cooperate in getting into the police car. He could have been subdued on the ground in other ways without the knee on his neck. Four cops could have held him down by his arms and legs. Or perhaps if the knee on his neck was needed 2 minutes would have been sufficient. This is a type of relatively extreme torture not for protection or to restrain but to make the situation so unpleasant for Floyd that he would become totally docile and completely submissive and do what he was told.

Perhaps there is pressure on cops to resolve situations quickly so they can be reassigned to the next situation. Perhaps their pay or promotions is contingent on the number of situations resolved in a day. Perhaps this type of extrajudicial punishment is ordinarily effective in gaining compliance. But clearly some situations require more patience.

by ocean-kat on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 5:48pm

I assumed the knee was unnecessary until I saw a police training video with it. Yes, 9 mins seems long, but then again what's duration of a typical encounter.

But what are those other ways to subdue him on the ground? Are they dangerous too? And again, what's the most definitive autopsy say cause of death was?

by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 6:03pm

I'd have to see that video or some sort of definitive proof that 4 full grown men couldn't hold one handcuffed man on the ground without putting a knee on his neck. They were able to get him face down onto the ground without putting their knee on his neck. They couldn't hold him there without it? Until I see that proof I'll continue to believe it was punishment designed to coerce submission.

by ocean-kat on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 8:51pm

The video i posted claimed the knee on the neck is standard police procedure, and showed a person flat down with handcuffs on. You don't change procedures in the field, though you do check that they're working right. Considering how much wiggling and twisting Floyd did when officers tried putting him in the back seat, all while screaming "i can't breath", i do not know that Floyd would have stayed down if 3 cops weren't pinning him. Note it was also Floyd who screamed he wanted to lie on the ground.

Undoubtedly the number of times Floyd screamed "I can't breath" when standing being pushed into the car decreased how seriously the cops took his "i can't breath" while on the ground. The video does show the cop's knee moving up when Floyd twisted - whether the knee was applied wrong to block blood or air, i don't know, though presumably an autopsy would show that. Similarly an autopsy should show if his lungs were full of fluid. To me it seems like he had a medical emergency tied to freaking out on being apprehended, whether some kind of additional drug+addrenalin influenced ti, etc.

I don't have the original full video, so I don't know if Chauvin's pressure on his neck was sustained for several minutes, presuming a hard 1 1/2-2 minutes is enough to make someone unconscious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJlQvOgEx58

[this article notes training using the neck method stopped in 2016, and there were other methods preferred by 2020.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/knee-neck-george-floyd-death.html

Note i still think it misleading to say whether 3 cops were "needed" to pin Floyd - once they have a suspect pinned, they reduce risk to keep the suspect from doing something unexpected. Yes, less likely to be dangerous with handcuffs on, but still a consideration. If Floyd got up and smashed a cop into the car, who's going to show sympathy for the cop?

by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 11:59pm

The video i posted claimed the knee on the neck is standard police procedure

Then that standard needs to change. Nothing you've said convinces me otherwise.

so I don't know if Chauvin's pressure on his neck was sustained for several minutes

Then you haven't been following the story as every reputable source claims Chavin's knee was on his neck for over 8 minutes.

by ocean-kat on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 12:47am

1) the standard has changed, as i noted with the 2nd link

2) even if the standard has changed, that procedure may be needed (if still approved in certain cases), but if shown to be sometimes dangerous, needs to be monitored carefully - not 5 minutes without checking.

3) as someone noted, almost every arrest will have screams of too much physical force, and for observers any bump, bruise, scratch or more serious will be proof that "abuse" is taking place. This will likely distract from the needed attention and intensity when serious abuse *is* taking place.

by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 12:51am

I don't care if he was screaming or not. The knee was on his neck for over 8 minutes. He died while handcuffed. Clearly it's not appropriate police procedure. Perhaps if it was the only way to get the handcuffs on him but otherwise I just can't see it. He was controlled, even man handled, directed and pushed around, enough for them to attempt to put him in the police car. He was placed face down on the ground. I don't see how anyone could think he couldn't be restrained on the ground without putting a knee on his neck but you're entitled to your opinion.

by ocean-kat on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 1:06am

I'm not a cop. If the police have knee on neck as a common approved procedure, it's been vetted and that's what they do. Could they do it another way? Who cares if it's an accepted way and the cops chose to use that, unless it has been shown to be dangerous and they were advised not to do it, or to do it with specific care - i.e. prescribed precautions X, Y, and Z.

There have been videos of cops surrounding a suspect on the ground, hands behind his head - maybe 10 cops, weapons drawn - it seems like overkill to me, but maybe that's the procedure to avoid cases like Rodney King, the appearance of ridiculous is a small price to pay.

I don't know that Floyd with apparently 3 1/2 times a lethal dose of fentanyl up his bum and an adrenalin rush would have survived lying on his side on the ground for 9 minutes. And then there would be complaints that no suspect should ever be put on the ground (which Floyd asked for).

Did Chauvin etc all choose the wrong police procedure for the situation? Did he apply too much pressure to the carotid artery (if he did) for too long for an already subdued non-threatening situation? Did he and the other officers ignore obvious signs they were doing these procedures wrong or not taking required precautions (e.g. health/breathing/consciousness check)? Did they seem to do it maliciously, as per physical signs or comments? Even if Floyd overdosed, how much should the police have been aware of that possibility and taken more urgent and alternative measures? These are the types of questions i would like to see resolved, not whether they did things the way I'd like them done.

by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 1:21am

Full video - screaming thru being put in car, dropped on ground (per his request) then 4 1/2 more minutes complain couldn't breath while cops noting he's doing a lot of talking + kicking from the outset). At 5 mins Lane asks if they should turn him on side, other cop says he's fine. At 7 mins cop appears to check his pulse, feels a couple more times, so I don't know at that point why they don't get him up then at the latest.

He's screaming from around 40, 40:30 that he can't breath while they're putting him in the car, he says he's claustrophobic. At 42 they out him on the ground, and he's screaming heavy and raspy plus kicking for the next 4 1/2 minutes (while the cops note if he stops screaming he might be able to breath)

At 47:40 (5:40 on ground) i think a cop says he's passing out - can still hear him a bit, maybe one last kick?

https://youtu.be/0gQYMBALDXc

by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 10:14am

Police dispatcher contacted a police supervisor because something wasn't right

Mixed martial arts participant called the police on the police

Firefighter rejected after offering help

Police officers say Chauvin was not following training

Edit to add:

It is likely that the prosecution will bring in training officers to verify that choking is not taught at the academy.

If the prosecution does not bring in training officers, the defense likely will press the training officers on how they would have dealt with the situation.

by rmrd0000 on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 10:46pm

"Something wasn't right" - well no shit - a huge grown man was crying and hysterically screaming "Mama! Mama!" before the police even opened the door. He had trouble walking on his own, was staggering, falling. He was shouting "I can't breath!" as they tried to get him into the back seat when he wouldn't go on his own (yelling he's claustrophobic) and he instead yelled "Put me on the ground!" but still wiggling all around when they did this.

Now, if he's acting like this, the cops should take extra precautions that he's not having a medical emergency - which could have been triggered by adrenalin - that would seem common in an arrest - along with the meth and fentanyl he said he'd been "hooping" (inserting rectally). The same hysteria and weirdness that made it hard to control him should also signal a need to be careful - not just of him getting away, but also of him passing away.

But people are making a lot of Chauvin's supposed "cold" look, as if he was supposed to be having fun with wrestling around with a suspect and then having a crowd say how horrid he is. Too much psychoanalyzing.

Note that Lang asked about putting Floyd on his side, and Chauvin calmly said no, he's good where he is. Was his calm "no" hiding some hidden hatred, feeling of cold blooded murder? Was Lang playing Pontius Pilate and washing his hands?

by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 1:04am

9-Year-Old Boy Identified as 1 of 4 Victims in Brutal Shooting in Orange County https://t.co/VvkSMuilRo pic.twitter.com/CEimkqxlKA
— The San Francisco Times (@SF_Times) April 2, 2021

Police identify Orange County mass shooting suspect: Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez https://t.co/4j64KMNxCT
— FitzFlyer83 (@fitzflyer83) April 2, 2021

Orange County shooting: Video captures moment suspect is dragged out by cops https://t.co/fEz7trWzCJ pic.twitter.com/J8bl5Qaqpf
— New York Post (@nypost) April 2, 2021

Senator Cory Booker:

Last night, 4 people including a child were killed in Orange County in another mass shooting—that’s nearly 2 dozen mass shootings in the last 2 weeks alone. My heart aches for these families. Congress must act to stop this. Enough is enough. https://t.co/naHN9U7h0S
— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) April 1, 2021

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 2:58am

One really sad thing is that he feels he needs to say this! Why do some deaths rate so much more attention than others?

36 people were shot and 4 were killed in Chicago this weekend.

It should not matter if a shooting happens on the south side of Chicago or in Boulder, Colorado.

We must be OUTRAGED by both. #FixIt
— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) March 29, 2021

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 3:11am

Police Say They Shot and Killed ‘Armed’ 13-Year-Old Boy in Chicagohttps://t.co/2H6od0YGUj
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) April 2, 2021

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 3:13am

updates on Chicago case of the cop shooting the 13 yr. old (note Chicago Tribune link at bottom of his tweet after his summary):

NEW FROM COPA: Chicago cop who shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo fired his gun only once.

The shooting was captured by the officer’s body-worn camera — but COPA says it can’t publicly release the video barring a court order under state law because Toledo’s is a child. https://t.co/LDY7FmE3h7 pic.twitter.com/NKwxC57YJv
— Carlos (@ballesteros_312) April 1, 2021

Chicago police killed a 13-year-old boy on Monday, say officials.

Police chased #AdamToledo in an “armed confrontation” and shot him in the chest. A gun was found but it is unclear if the boy used it. Police refuse to release video without court order.

(Photo: Elizabeth Toledo) pic.twitter.com/LQ9feuPvqN
— AJ+ (@ajplus) April 2, 2021

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 8:09pm

Suspect in Road Rage Murder of Mother of Six Julie Eberly Has Finally Been Arrestedhttps://t.co/LBrdmN1Aok
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) April 2, 2021

He shot right into their car driven by her husband while he was driving around them! She was in the passenger seat and it killed her! Just didn't care what happened, felt entitled to use his gun because he was mad? Watched too many Diehard movies, doesn't take guns seriously or what?

Meanwhile I keep hearing in news commentary about the Chauvin trial that police officers don't have "respect for life" anymore. Like so many gun wielding civilians do? It ain't one-sided, this respect for life thing. (So many shootings at crowded parties lately! If that doesn't show a lack of respect for life, I don't know what does; Just start shooting into a crowd because you're mad at two people in it, right.)

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 3:30am

Columbia Journalism Review is totally aware of a "the narrative" problem regarding gun violence, not only admits it but is using it to advertise a virtual summit to work on solving it!

It’s time to rethink how journalism covers guns and mass shootings

By Kyle Pope, March 29

THE LAST TWO WEEKS brought new rounds of horror in America, as two mass shootings—one in Atlanta, and one in Boulder—claimed the lives of 18 people.

Some media outlets portrayed the carnage as a departure from a gun-violence calm brought about by the covid lockdown. In fact, 2020 was the deadliest year for gun violence in two decades, with nearly 20,000 Americans killed, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The majority of the victims were people of color.

If it seemed like gun violence had ebbed during covid and the final year of Trump, it is only because the press lost interest. Gun deaths, it would seem, simply couldn’t compete with lies about a stolen election and debates about whether we should be wearing masks.

It is time to radically reconsider how guns and gun deaths are covered by the press in America. On April 6, CJR, in partnership with our Columbia Journalism School colleagues at the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, is convening a virtual summit to rewrite how we think about gun coverage. We’re gathering journalists, academics, and activists to find ways to keep this unique American tragedy in the spotlight, to explore why it continues unabated, and to brainstorm new ways to tell the story of possible solutions. We’ll be joined by colleagues from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Trace, and The Guardian, and others.

Please join us by signing up here. We will share more details on speakers and schedules in the days ahead.

To bring home the need for a new approach, starting today we’ve placed news boxes around New York featuring broadsheets we’re calling “The Inevitable News.” The papers are 14 pages of fill-in-the-blanks news stories, featuring details from a selection of mass shootings since the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Each article is identical; only the victims’ names and locations are changed.

Those newspapers, created with our pro bono ad partners at Area 23/An FCB Health Network Company, show how gun violence has been treated as rote, and inevitable, by the nation’s media.

That is an approach that no longer works. Join us as we begin the conversation to start again.

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 10:57am

^ this does get at my own query about why one kind of death gets so much more public interest than another kind of death, even to the point where people get irrational emotional obsessions about telling narratives about one kind that is very rare and totally inured themselves to not feeling anything about and no interest in deaths that have vastly more commonality, have become everyday boring.

It really does point to an opening! In the age of everyone taking a video on their cell phone and posting it on the internet and transferring their own personal emotional reaction reaction to the internet to go viral, which can cause hysteria, a virtual variant of the forming of a mob of fear, the media could, should somehow make rational, not emotional reaction interesting.

The old lighting strike metaphor used to work well: i.e., the possibility of this happening is as rare as being struck by lightning, vs. the possibility of this happening to you is very likely.

this is at the heart of the job of "the fourth estate" in a democracy. If voters don't have a realistic picture of what actual dangers are, how can it be fixed? Yes, emotional illogical reactions are natural for people, but isn't it the whole idea of the media to be informed about the reality of situation, not to stoke those emotions more ? It's the whole "click bait" thing, the sleazy tabloid problem, and how do you make real problems more interesting?

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 11:15am

There is a narrative problem in America? No shit, Columbia. Here is one is a one narrative I have used as an example before. This scene pissed me off when I first saw it with my kids and it pisses me off still. Though the movie makers intent was just to make a buck, I see that coming of age movie as "effectively" the same as deliberate "propaganda" the derogatory sense of that word. People loved that movie.

by A Guy Called LULU on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 11:39am

There were a string of horrible shootings in DC this week, barely covered outside local media and no attention from politicians. Assailants and victims who don't fit political narratives create disposable communities sadly.
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 2, 2021

Another one occurred today I wasn't even aware of when tweeting this. Won't be covered on CNN today, the victims are not given the same consideration. https://t.co/mXX49nVtKD
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 2, 2021

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 7:11pm

We live in a sick timeline. pic.twitter.com/dJF72AjeE3
— Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) April 2, 2021

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/02/2021 - 7:14pm

S.O.S. Bronx: stop shooting, start living.

https://www.courtinnovation.org/programs/save-our-streets-sos

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 4:04am

NEW report on rise of violent crime in 2020; includes suggested BLM protest effect in some cities:

“Sixty-three of the 66 largest police jurisdictions saw increases in at least one category of violent crimes in 2020, which include homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, according to a report produced by the Major Cities Chiefs Association”https://t.co/LvXLCQQSkL
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) April 3, 2021

“In the wake of several protest movements...there was a deliberate drawback of policing in some communities. Both Ferguson and Baltimore are case studies in examining the influence of de-policing on crime rates” https://t.co/9ctxasLqDc
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) April 3, 2021

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 5:12pm

Note there is this section of stats on gun violence at the end:

Almost 40 million firearm background checks were processed last year, which is the highest number on record in a single year, according to a report by the FBI. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that 21 million of those background checks were strictly associated with gun sales.

Research compiled by the Gun Violence Archive found that nearly 20,000 people were killed by gun violence last year. Additionally, 2020 saw almost 200 more mass shootings over 2019, according to the GVA.

Wexler of PERF noted that despite more people buying guns and more guns on the street, there is less risk of being caught and prosecuted for gun possession.

"You've got people carrying guns but (police) are not stopping them to the degree they had been," Wexler said. "The risk of being caught with a gun is less."

Eddie Bocanegra, the senior director of Heartland Alliance's READI Chicago gun safety initiative, said the decision to carry a gun depends on how an individual defines their own safety. "The same institutions that were intended to create peace and harmony haven't existed for some communities in our cities," he said. "These individuals have seen the negative sides of police, coupled with their own victimization of gun violence." [....]

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 5:51pm

I know how cops in Portland spent a lot of their time last year:

An Armed Encounter Between Warring Political Factions Shows How Close Oregon’s Protests Come to Deadly Violence

Someone among the leftists maced the driver. He winced, then pulled a Beretta M9 pistol from the waistband of his trousers.

By Justin Yau @ Williamette Week, March 30, PHOTOS AT LINK

On March 28, the streets around Oregon's Capitol hosted the latest altercation between dueling protesters as anti-fascist demonstrators hurled rocks and flags at a right-wing truck parade passing in front of the building. One incident stood out: A man driving a red-white-and-blue-striped Ford pickup pulled a pistol on protesters attacking his vehicle.

This reporter was on scene. What happened shows how violent the encounters between opposing political groups have become, and how closely they skirt disaster.

3:39 pm Sunday, March 28

Oregon State Police chase leftist protesters north from the Oregon Capitol. The protesters walk toward the Safeway at the corner of 12th and Marion streets, where they suspect the right wing motorcade is stopped. After a minor clash with one right-wing vehicle involving an exchange of mace and paint in a nearby parking lot, the protesters return to the Capitol.

4:03 pm

The returning crowd spots a white-haired man in a heavily decorated silver Ford F-150 at a stop light. (The same silver truck was spotted earlier driving by the Capitol; witnesses say the driver flipped off leftist protesters as he drove past.)

Protesters throw a volley of paint and objects at the truck, obscuring its windshield with yellow paint. The occupant immediately exits the vehicle. (A press release by Oregon State Police later says the man disembarked to survey the damage, but the counterprotesters interpreted this as a sign of aggression.)

"He's got a gun!" someone in the crowd yells, although the man has yet to draw a weapon. More aggressive members of the crowd tighten their circle around the pickup. The right-wing motorist returns briefly to the cab of the pickup before walking around to the passenger side of the vehicle, facing the sidewalk, after anti-fascists with sticks smash lights and windows on the truck [.....]

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 11:21pm

Gosh, now here's a guy who definitely looks mentally ill; they should have been sending a social worker to talk out the family issues?

‘Armed and Dangerous’ North Carolina Man Murdered his Grandfather and Took Off with His Injured Grandmother: Policehttps://t.co/SaeR5PwPe0
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) April 4, 2021

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/03/2021 - 11:55pm

hit me after watching the video(s) here that this incident makes a good compare and contrast with the George Floyd incident, how things can turn out way different:

Maskless Man Caught on Video Brawling at Walmart After Hit-and-Run, Attempted Shoplifting Incidents: Policehttps://t.co/XrOHpB4LFY
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) April 3, 2021

This guy had been "under the influence", as it says they later gave him a DUI, also was a big guy.

One thing that came across clear to me: cops should have been handling it, they should have been inside. NO WAY do Walmart employees get paid enough to fist fight and tackle people to the ground! Especially someone way bigger than them. And other customers certainly shouldn't get involved! Either could end up in big liability trouble for doing that.

by artappraiser on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 12:18am

I'm not sure what you see as the "contrast" - this is just a slow shoplifter/no mask wearer. Kind of an old school confrontation before people were armed.

by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 3:03am

and Floyd gave a cashier a lot of trouble before and about passing a counterfeit bill after acting strange and high in front of him for many minutes, (I watched that video and listened to cashier's testimony.). I don't see much difference. Also this guy was not just a slow shoplifter, but a drunk shoplifter who first drove into someone else's car before he entered the store (hit and run charge). Took the mask, took it off. Surly, acting crazy the whole time from before entering. You don't know what he's going to do next.

by artappraiser on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 3:17am

And Maurice Hall, his presumed dealer buddy in the car, had tried passing fake bills twice that day, and was in the store with Floyd ((suddenly reached down to the floor for something), but left early without buying anything. So presumably he could've set up Floyd to pass the counterfeit for him.

Great bunch of guys.

by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 4:19am

The down side I got out of "compare and contrast" and thinking about the Geo. Floyd cashier testimony: the kid also said seeing what happened after he called the police made him wish he hadn't called and had just took the phony bill even though he would have had to eat the $20. That's bad, that's discouraging rule of law, just letting society all fall apart bit by bit.

It does go to the argument about certain communities not trusting police, which is rmd's argument all the time. But we differ on what "community" means, he uses it to refer to like all blacks not trusting police, and making it racial, and I think that's absurd. It's specific neighborhoods and areas where police are corrupt and that might as well include some rural areas affecting poor whites as well as well as certain inner city areas of minority dominant populations (i.e., Ferguson.) So this trial is important now, like it or not, this is where we are at, it is about accountability of police nationally and even globally, which is also "rule of law."

It's very important that people like those at Walmart feel comfortable calling the police and standing back while they do what they are supposed to do rather than going vigilante!

I'm happy with how the trial is being conducted so far and would feel comfortable with however the jury decides.Don't know if all the BLM sympathetic are going to be, though!

This certainly is not the best "test case" one could chose to show that the whole system can still work and is still working. But we had no choice in the matter, I think a worldwide mass hysteria partly fueled by Covid and BLM-affiliated anarchists chose it for us. (The latter probably hoping for a full and complete exoneration for Chauvin and mass rioting afterwards ) That's the way the cookie crumbles.

by artappraiser on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 4:04pm

Reminded again Sandra Bland is my test case - how could this woman end up dead driving away from an interview, moving over to the side to let a cop pass. This trial will once again not answer that for me. Instead it's whether drugged up people get to act crazy or not, a completely different issue.

by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 4:21pm

How did Floyd's Covid affect his lungs? Even without "Long Covid", Covid can damage lung capacity, and Floyd was 49 with other risk factors - besides drug use hypertension, sickle cell condition, ... - perhaps a prime candidate for increased impact.

(he tested positive Apr 3, so seven weeks before his death)

https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/20...

by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 04/05/2021 - 9:49am

WaPo leading w GenZ "gut-punched" on social justice. Or is it that they have much higher (unrealistic?) expectations, have not had to fight for the change, but get to comment on it, amplify it in an echo chamber until each event seems like the totality?
I grew up with Vietnam, Civil Rights, John Sinclair's 9 year sentence for 2 joints, cops who'd shave hippies' hair & then release them, Manson & Son of Sam, tiptoe very carefully around being gay... But of course not so much gun nuttery as today.
Still someone was saying the conflict between our generation & Gen-Z's includes their "knowledge" that the world will be a much worse place - ignoring the huge decrease in war, overbreeding, extreme poverty & starvation, and the new generation of renewable energy & electric vehicles to limit effects of global warming. Not to mention whatever quick advances we make in healthcare off of this latest pandemic - vaccines & treatments & remote medicine... (which unlike 1918 killed mostly old people, not the already war-ravaged younger folk leading to the Lost Generation).
And now with Andrew Yang leading the charge into UBI, and education high on people's lists for reform - what exactly is the huge complaint? Trump was *voted out of office* - by a wide margin. Nixon wasn't (won by a landslide). Georgia passes anti-black voting legislation - & major corporations plus MLB complain, leave town. Not like the fight to get people to recognize Wallace & Bull Connor as racist and backwards. Chauvin is *on trial*, unlike the cops who disappeared 3 Northern organizers in Mississippi or whoever bombed the Birmingham church.
Oh, some shit didn't go your way? Must restrain my crack about crocodile tears.
4 million vaccines given yesterday, avg 3 million/day, 30% of country vaccinated - by end of April 250 million+ given - even as people run around Florida acting like irresponsible idiots.

by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 5:44am

I don't know what you talking about. I just bought a gun last summer when all those white kids starting talking about getting rid of the poh-lice.

~ Co-anchor Michael Che's quip at the end of Colin Jost's minute-long anti-gun-people rant on SNL's Weekend Update last week ~

Five people in your life thinking it’s a good idea for you to own a gun... might help. Colin Jost on gun control, weekend update #snl pic.twitter.com/Ie4ByiQCax
— Sarvenaz MADANI (@SarvenazMadani) March 28, 2021

edit to add for those who don't know, and don't watch the vid, this is what Michael Che looks like

by artappraiser on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 2:50pm

If you lie you can make things look bleak - i forgot about that rule. My bad.

Just yesterday Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) wrote a long explanation of why Hickel is wrong.

If you are interested in poverty, it is very much worth reading.https://t.co/ZovNgEGs8X
— Max Roser (@MaxCRoser) April 4, 2021

by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 7:01pm

Coverage of Mass Shootings Ignores Black Victims: Study

By TCR Staff @ The Crime Report (non profit publication by John Jay College of Criminal Justice), March 26, 2021

A recent study published in the journal Sociology of Race and Ethnicity about shooting victims in Chicago found Black people killed in predominantly Black neighborhoods in the city in 2016 received roughly half as much news coverage as white people killed in majority white neighborhoods, and were less likely to be discussed as “multifaceted, complex people.”

20 Mass Shootings in Two Weeks Since Atlanta, Capped by California Killings

By TCR Staff | April 1, 2021

In the two weeks since the three Atlanta-area spa shootings claimed the lives of eight people, 20 other mass shootings have taken place across the country, reports CNN. At least seven mass shootings occurred in the week between the attacks in Atlanta and in a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. In the week that followed, that number more than doubled. Most recently, the Los Angeles Times reports that four people, including a child, were killed Wednesday evening and a fifth person was injured in a mass shooting at an Orange office complex.

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/05/2021 - 12:29pm

As the dead bodies pile up in Portland, the @oregonian admits it was wrong about defunding the police. Oopsies, I guess? https://t.co/tfJ5H7DCnv pic.twitter.com/q6ulqxA7uT
— Ryan Chittum (@ryanchittum) April 4, 2021

It's their April 4 editorial. They are a left of center publication. They are of the opinion now that cutting funds was wrong, was the opposite of what was needed.

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/05/2021 - 12:47pm

Two people were seriously injured in a shooting near Fort Detrick, an Army base in Frederick County, Maryland, on Tuesday morning. The suspect in the shooting is dead, the police said.https://t.co/v9CM86TOuC
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 6, 2021

by artappraiser on Tue, 04/06/2021 - 11:18am

Orange Mass Shooting Suspect Remains Unconscious, Court Postponed https://t.co/OTECGlvDLq
— Orange County Patch (@OCountyPatch) April 5, 2021

[....] The boy's mother, Blanca Ismeralda Tamayo, remains hospitalized in critical condition.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the child's family pay for funeral costs and had raised more than $44,000 as of Monday. The boy's father, Rafael Arias, told ABC7 that his only child had hoped to be an astronaut or a police officer.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said at a Thursday news conference that "a little boy died in his mother's arms as she was trying to save him during this horrific massacre."

by artappraiser on Tue, 04/06/2021 - 2:18pm

Prosecutor to offer plea deals for girls, 13 and 15, accused in fatal D.C. carjacking !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Paul Duggan Crime reporter @ WashingtonPost.com, March 31

Lawyers for two teenage girls charged as juveniles in the fatal carjacking of a food delivery driver in the District will soon receive plea-bargain offers from a prosecutor, although a trial in the case remains possible, if not likely, according to discussions in court Wednesday.

Appearing via video in D.C. Superior Court for the second time since the deadly incident occurred March 23, the girls, 13 and 15, looked on silently as defense lawyers and a prosecutor from the D.C. attorney general’s office talked about the next steps in the case with Judge Lynn Leibovitz.

The prosecutor, Bonnie Lindemann, gave no indication that her office is contemplating an attempt to transfer the older girl’s case to adult court, as D.C. law would allow under certain circumstances. As for the younger girl, she could not be prosecuted as an adult in the District for any crime because of her age.

When Leibovitz asked Lindemann whether she had given the defense lawyers proposed plea agreements for the girls, the prosecutor replied: “Not yet, your honor. We expect to be able to do that in the next day or two.”

Whether those proposals will lead to a resolution of the case remains to be seen. The defense attorneys said they have yet to thoroughly review the evidence against their clients, which they must do before deciding how to proceed. Leibovitz told them to return to court April 20 to discuss the status of the case.

The girls, who were allegedly armed with a stun device, are accused of carjacking a Honda Accord owned by a 66-year-old Uber Eats driver, who was thrown from the vehicle during a crash near Nationals Park and fatally injured.

A D.C. police detective said in court last week that the victim, Mohammad Anwar, a Pakistani immigrant who lived in Northern Virginia, was struggling with one of the girls and “hanging outside the car” through the open driver’s door when the Honda went out of control, struck a curb and overturned.

The girls are charged with felony murder, carjacking, armed robbery and other offenses. The Washington Post typically does not identify youths who are being prosecuted as juveniles. Leibovitz gave journalists access to the hearing, which was closed to the public, on the condition that they not report information hinting at the girls’ identities.

The two have pleaded “not involved,” the juvenile court equivalent of not guilty.

There is no way under D.C. law for authorities to prosecute the 13-year-old girl as an adult, even for murder, according to a manual on Superior Court procedures published by the city’s Public Defender Service [....]

An Uber Eats driver’s killing was caught on video. It showed every immigrant’s worst nightmare.

Opinion by Amani Al-Khatahtbeh @ WashingtonPost.com, April 6, 2021 at 6:29 p.m. EDT

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh is founder of MuslimGirl.com and author of “Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age.”

Caption: Mohammad Anwar, 66, died during an
attempted carjacking on March 23 in Southeast
D.C., police said. (Courtesy of Anwar family)

Mohammad Anwar’s death didn’t have to be about his race or ethnicity for it to resonate among immigrant communities nationwide. Many children of immigrants see our fathers in Anwar, a food delivery driver who was killed in a violent D.C. carjacking attempt last month. We see sacrifices and struggles familiar to our own families.

We also see in this incident our worst fears: the possibility of our loved ones dying for saying the wrong thing in a misunderstood accent, or losing their lives over the money in their cash register or some other material possession.

As for the 15-year-old girl, it is possible for a youth that age to be transferred to adult court in a murder case, but the burden is a heavy one for prosecutors.

My Arab immigrant family has run a self-owned business for years, which is how my parents were able to afford putting me and my two younger brothers through school. This sounds, in some respects, like an American Dream story. In reality, being an immigrant worker is often harrowing in a society that deems brown and Black bodies as disposable. For my family, it’s been especially frightening in the midst of a political climate that views Muslims, Arabs and other minorities as second-class citizens.

I was about 9 when my dad came home from work with a black eye. I remember screaming, struggling to recognize his bruised face. I was 19 when I saw an angry customer pick up an industrial trash can in our highway store and hurl it at my father. My brother was still a teenager, a few years later, when he saw a male customer try to attack our mom.

Anwar, 66, was killed March 23 while working as an Uber Eats delivery driver. A father of three and grandfather of four, he immigrated from Pakistan in 2014 “to build a better life,” according to his family. He was the main financial provider for his loved ones. Two girls, 13 and 15, have been charged with murder, armed robbery and other offenses over the horrific incident, which was captured in part on a bystander’s cellphone video. It is heartbreaking to hear Anwar yell, “This is my car!” — and not just because many immigrants know uncles or other relatives who also would try to fight a robbery. Where is the regard for the value of this hard-working man’s life as his body lay tossed facedown on the sidewalk?

A similar disregard for our lives was seen in a viral video last week of a man stomping on a 65-year-old Asian woman in New York while yelling that she doesn’t belong here.[.....]

Girls, 13 and 15, charged with murder after alleged carjacking attempt in D.C.

By Peter Hermann, Justin Jouvenal and Paul Duggan @ WashingtonPost.com, March 24

Two girls ages 13 and 15 have been charged with felony murder after D.C. police said their attempt to carjack a food delivery driver outside Nationals Park on Tuesday afternoon ended in a crash that fatally injured the man.

The girls — legally too young to drive — were also charged with armed carjacking, according to authorities. A D.C. police spokesman said at least one was armed with a stun device, which was found inside the crashed vehicle.

Authorities did not identify the girls because they are charged as juveniles.

The death of Mohammad Anwar, a 66-year-old immigrant from Pakistan who lived in Virginia and was working as a driver for Uber Eats, comes amid a wave of carjackings that began last year in the District and in suburban Maryland, and is continuing this year.

In February, authorities launched a carjacking task force, combining the resources of the FBI with police in D.C. and Montgomery County to help solve cases that cross jurisdictional lines. Authorities say many cases involve juvenile suspects.

Police said the carjacking attempt targeting Anwar occurred about 4:30 p.m. near N and Van streets SE, near South Capitol Street.

There was a struggle inside the Honda Accord and the car accelerated, crashing into parked vehicles and bending a metal rack before turning on its side, a department spokesman said.

Anwar, who lived in Springfield, was thrown from the vehicle. Police said the teens ran but were quickly apprehended by police with the help of a nearby member of the National Guard. Anwar died at a hospital.

His family members said in a statement that they are “devastated by this senseless crime.”

They said Anwar had three grown children — two in the United States and one in Pakistan — and four grandchildren, also in his homeland. He is also survived by his wife.

He immigrated in 2014 “to build a better life for himself and his family,” the statement says.

[....]

An Uber spokeswoman confirmed that Anwar was making a food delivery when the incident occurred.

“We are devastated by this tragic news and our hearts go out to Mohammad’s family during this difficult time,” Uber said in a statement.

The teens made their initial appearances together on Wednesday via video in D.C. Superior Court. Each pleaded “not involved” — the juvenile equivalent of not guilty — to the murder count and other charges.

Detective Chad Leo of the D.C. police homicide unit testified that after the teens were arrested, one of them told authorities that she and her companion wanted to steal a car.

The detective did not describe precisely the beginning moments of the incident. Leo said the girls, armed with a stun device, got into Anwar’s car at the Navy Yard Metro station. He drove a short distance to Nationals Park, Leo said.

There, the alleged plan turned deadly.

Based on witness accounts and a video of the incident, Leo said, an argument and what appeared to be a struggle erupted, with the 13-year-old shouting, “He’s got my cellphone!” Eventually, Anwar was standing outside his car, with the 15-year-old in the driver’s seat and the other girl in the front passenger seat, the detective said.

Anwar tried to force his way back into the car by climbing on top of the teen in the driver’s seat, Leo said. Before he could get all the way in, though, the 13-year-old reached over from the passenger seat, turned on the ignition and “manipulated” the gear shift, Leo said.

With Anwar “hanging outside the car” through the open driver’s door, Leo said, the vehicle lurched forward and accelerated down the block, made a sharp right turn, struck a curb and overturned, landing passenger side up. Anwar was ejected and suffered broken bones and injury to his head, Leo said.

A prosecutor asked Magistrate Judge Tyrona DeWitt to order the teens held in a secure facility while the case proceeds. Juvenile court is generally closed to the public. DeWitt allowed journalists to attend most of the hearing but barred them from disclosing the teens’ names or hearing her decision about detention.

D.C. police say 46 carjackings occurred in the District in the first five weeks of this year, compared to eight by the same time in 2020. In all of last year, police reported 345 carjackings, a spike of 143 percent from the 142 that occurred in 2019.

Juveniles have been a particular concern. In the District, police say 23 youths ages 12 to 17 have been arrested this year on carjacking charges. One 14-year-old was charged in two armed carjackings and three armed robberies on a single day in January.

Carjackings have nearly tripled this year in Prince George’s County, to 62, compared with this time in 2020. In Montgomery, police said three dozen carjackings were reported in 2020, nearly double the number in 2019. There have been 16 carjackings this year in the county, police said last week.

Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones told reporters at a March 18 news conference that the youths being arrested do “not understand the seriousness of what they’re actually doing, the willingness to go out and — not only endanger the lives of others — but they’re also endangering their own lives for those who really don’t know how to drive.”

Jones said some youths brag about their crimes on social media, “showing the world what they’ve done.”

Other cities, including Chicago, New Orleans and Minneapolis, are experiencing similar surges, which police experts are blaming in part on the coronavirus pandemic that has closed schools and youth programs, and made outreach and monitoring more difficult.

Delivery and ride-hail drivers have been particularly vulnerable, according to authorities.

[....]

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 1:21am

copied from the last CRIME NEWS thread on the horror of this crime and how the original narrative of the news sucked big time WOKE because it's not no longer appropriate to imply black teens would intentionally endanger human life for property, don't believe your lying eyes:

People question the wording of a CNN article which reports the death of Uber Eats driver Mohammad Anwar after he was allegedly assaulted and carjacked by two teenage girls as an 'accident' (especially because the girls were black)

Police said the girls, 13 and 15, assaulted an Uber Eats driver with a Taser while carjacking him, which led to an accident in which he was fatally injured. https://t.co/N6RpLoTu8x
— CNN (@CNN) March 27, 2021

tasing an innocent gig worker then stealing his car and killing him. CNN calls this “an accident.” https://t.co/8SJaCd6bGW
— Logan Hall (@loganclarkhall) March 27, 2021

I watched the footage. The word “accident” has no place here. https://t.co/NbSAuIlQmA
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) March 27, 2021

Tale of two headlines.

White man kills Asian women --> "White supremacy" "haunting" "Asian Americans"

Two Black girls kill an Asian Muslim man --> "The girls" "assaulted" an "Uber Eats driver" with a Taser, "which led" to "an accident" "in which" "he was fatally injured" pic.twitter.com/WRIwnKPDQr
— Asra Q. Nomani (@AsraNomani) March 28, 2021

that's the first 3 that I got at the "trending link"...continues and may be different when you access

DC carjackings up 350%; perpetrators often teens:

https://t.co/Hp9bVNziWI
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) March 28, 2021

How can one even begin to staunch this horrific trend of ghetto kids hijacking cars without any indication to the public that serious consequences will be suffered, not even a trial? Are the victims truly to be treated as garbage because they are adult? WHAT KIND OF PARENTS DO THESE KIDS HAVE that they would even try hijacking a car with a stun gun in hand? Could it be publicly known that they were at least taken away from their parents? This just really strikes me as encouraging horrific crime by young people that don't even have a grasp of the serious nature of what they are doing! If it becomes known as "you get a hand slap if you're under 18, so just do it, Nike style" have fun wrecking other people's lives, they don't count, blacks can be the only true victims, need them some mulligans.

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 1:42am

just look at the reaction above like a political scientist, and one can guess how this will be judged in a political vein.

any sympathy Geo. Floyd video got from people like this last summer: GONE. ERASED. ESPECIALLY AMONG IMMIGRANTS.

This is exactly why the Dominican store owners in the Dyckman area of the Bronx set up a baseball bat brigade during the worst nights of protesting last summer when there was looting and curfew, this is why there is racial animus, they feel that their lives will be treated as of lesser value than those of juvies, even though they are law abiding and the juvies are not, that they will hear the excuse that it's just the "cry of the unheard" and they have to take it. It's not all as glamorous as West Side Story might have one think.

Once again, Keisha Lance Bottoms's speech comes to mind. She knows how to talk about this kind of thing. You don't baby irresponsible youth, you publicly castigate them, make them pariahs. Somebody with authority has to do it, stop making excuses for them.

Carjacking is not minor acting out, it is extremely dangerous, same as burning police cars or looting stores that belong to others and may represent their blood and toil of many years. Zero respect for lives of "the other", just me me me me, me and my wants, me and my problems, me and the unfairness, I'm gonna take me some.

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 1:59am

They drove off with the owner hanging out the window. It's gone far past a standard carjacking.

by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 2:11am

The Floyd story that's lost - dealer who'd been stopped passing fake twenties *twice* that day gets one of his junkies to pass it while standing in the store, sits by silently while junkie gets arrested in car and dies, pleads the 5th Amendment to avoid self-incrimination in the hottest racial trial of the year.

by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 2:21am

"Is Ft. Washington MD a good place to live?" (where the older truant/murderer was from)

With a diversified population, low crime rate, family-friendly atmosphere and affordable housing, Fort Washington, MD is considered a good place to live. ... Fort Washington, MD is one of the safest areas around Washington D.C. with fewer violent or property crimes than Maryland's average or the nation's....

https://www.realestateagent.com/real-estate-questions/is-fort-washington...

Sure, it's a real estate agent writing it, but it's not Anacostia by any means. "Ghetto" just gives another excuse. These are bored amoral murderous kids.

by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 2:09am

Plea deals. Hmmm. I wonder what the rest of the story is. Whatever. Reading through this thread caused some dormant neurons to fire, I guess. Older Pakistani man, under-age girls. Synap! UK child-grooming scandals, e.g. Rotherham, Rochdale. Not saying that is what is going on in this case, just that absent the complete story, the brain makes its own connections. Mine tends to look for fiction writing prompts and it found one here.

by EmmaZahn on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 8:20am

.@ChristineDByers talks to the experts about if Mayor-elect Tishaura Jones' crime plan will work https://t.co/tjowQwISLg
— Anne Allred (@AnneAllredNBC) April 8, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 3:37pm

For the politics angle, contrast how Fox News is handling the story of Tishaura Jones' crime plan:

A Fox News debate on race and politics went completely off the rails after Fox News correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera asked fellow network contributor Leo Terrell “when was the last time you were in the ghetto?” https://t.co/aCW3xSzvFu
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 8, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 4:37pm

Doctor and His Grandchildren Among 5 Fatally Shot in South Carolina

The victims included the doctor’s wife and two of their eight grandchildren. The gunman, identified as a former N.F.L. cornerback, was found dead at a nearby home.

By Maria Cramer, Michael Levenson and Ken Belson @ NYTimes.com, April 8 Updated 4:20 p.m. ET

Caption: Phillip Adams played for six teams in six
seasons in the N.F.L.Credit...Paul Sakuma/AP

A neighbor shot and killed a doctor, the doctor’s wife and their two grandchildren inside their house in Rock Hill, S.C., as well as an air-conditioning technician who was working outside the home on Wednesday afternoon, the authorities said.

The gunman, Phillip Adams, 32, later shot and killed himself inside his own home as law enforcement officials tried to negotiate with him, the authorities said. Mr. Adams was a former professional football cornerback who had been on the rosters of six teams over six seasons in the N.F.L.

The authorities said he had fatally shot Dr. Robert Lesslie; his wife, Barbara; and two of their grandchildren. The York County Coroner’s office identified the children as Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5. The website of a medical office where Dr. Lesslie, 70, worked said that he and his 69-year-old wife had eight grandchildren.

Mr. Adams also fatally shot James Lewis, 38, an air-conditioning technician who had been working outside the Lesslies’ home, the authorities said. A second air-conditioning technician was taken to a hospital with serious gunshot wounds, according to officials with the York County Sheriff’s Office. The technician, whose name was not released, was in “very critical” condition, the sheriff, Kevin R. Tolson, said at a news conference on Thursday.

Sheriff Tolson said there was “no indication” that Mr. Adams had been one of Dr. Lesslie’s patients, although that was one of many questions investigators were trying to answer. He said that investigators did not know what had led to the shooting.

“There is nothing about this right now that makes sense to any of us,” Sheriff Tolson said.

A man who identified himself as Mr. Adams’s father told a television station in Atlanta that his son had committed the killings and had then taken his own life.

“I can say he’s a good kid. He was a good kid,” the man, Alonzo Adams, said. “I think the football messed him up. I don’t think he ever did anybody any harm.”

Alonzo Adams said he knew Dr. Lesslie and had even been his patient a “long time ago.”

“I know they were good folks down there,” he said. “I don’t know what happened or not. We’re going to keep them in our prayers. You all keep us in your prayers.”

Dr. Lesslie was a prominent physician in Rock Hill and had started a local medical center. He and his wife had lived in the city for 40 years, had four children and sang in the choir at the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, said Mayor John Gettys, who was a friend of the family [.....]

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 4:26pm

Daily Beast story on the SC shooting by Phillip Adams has photo of the Lesslies who were killed:

BREAKING: The former NFL pro Phillip Adams has been named as the suspect in a shooting in York County, South Carolina, that left Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife, and two of their young grandchildren dead https://t.co/ybYLQaKNU0
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 8, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 4:25pm

APNEWSALERT: BRYAN, Texas (AP) — Authorities: Suspect in Texas business shooting that killed 1, injured 4, in custody; state trooper shot, but stable.
— Michael Tackett (@tackettdc) April 8, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 8:38pm

earlier on Bryan, Texas shooting:

Breaking: Police say multiple people have been hurt in a shooting in Bryan, Texas, and the shooter is not in custody. Authorities say several people are wounded, and it's not yet clear if anyone has been killed. https://t.co/a51ImLiBFP
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 8, 2021

DEVELOPING: There are "several victims" from a shooting at an office in Bryan, Texas, just outside of College Station, officials say. https://t.co/QcBP2r3lep
— ABC News (@ABC) April 8, 2021

Just a couple hours ago there was a shooting in Bryan, Texas where at least 6 people were shot nearby a school.

Here’s what the Governor of Texas had to say about guns two hours before. https://t.co/Trz2LUg7oK
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) April 8, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 8:44pm

If 34 people were shot & 7 died in a mass shooting on Easter Weekend there would be national outrage & a media feeding frenzy - especially if the killer was white. When it happens in Chicago & it's black-on-black violence, nobody seems to care. For shame. https://t.co/pQWN6JR1tX
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) April 5, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 8:39pm

Spate of fatal shootings pushes up D.C.’s homicide count

By Peter Hermann @ WashingtonPost.com, April 5, 2021

Two men were fatally shot Sunday night in separate attacks in Southeast and Northeast Washington, continuing a surge of killings that has claimed nine lives in the District in the past week, including two brothers and a U.S. Capitol Police officer.

The 51 homicides recorded in the District this year represent a 34 percent spike from the same period in 2020. Last year ended with a 16-year high in killings.

Homicides, fueled largely by an increase in gun violence, are rising in the District for the fourth consecutive year.

“We had a very tough weekend,” Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) told reporters Monday. She said she would meet with police “on developing a deep dive on some of those incidents.”

Bowser mentioned a new program, Building Blocks DC, that is getting underway to focus city services on the 151 blocks, or 2 percent, of the District in which 40 percent of gun violence occurs.

A shooting that killed two people and injured three others in Congress Heights last week was on one of those blocks. Officials haven’t said if the other shootings in the past week also have been in those identified areas.

The idea behind the program is to provide counseling, “Violence Interrupters” and other efforts that attempt to stop disputes before they turn violent.

Bowser noted that other cities around the country are also experiencing more shootings. “We’re all concerned about increased levels of gun violence and homicides,” she said.

The Bowser administration recently hired Linda K. Harllee Harper for a new position — director of gun violence prevention — to help run the Building Blocks program and help coordinate how different agencies respond to crimes involving firearms.

And last week, acting D.C. police chief Robert J. Contee III appointed a new executive assistant chief who will serve as second-in-command of the department and make illegal firearms a main focus.

Ashan M. Benedict previously spent 23 years with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, most recently as the special agent in charge of the Washington field office. He has investigated drug trafficking organizations, armed robberies, armed carjackings, deadly violence, terrorist attacks and mass shootings.

The two Sunday night shootings occurred less than a half-hour apart [....]

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 9:24pm

three days later:

Two dead in Takoma Park after off-duty Pentagon police officer fires gun during alleged car break-in

By Dan Morse and Peter Hermann April 7, 2021 at 9:31 p.m. EDT

Two people died after an off-duty Pentagon Force Protection Agency officer fired his gun at the scene of an attempted car break-in Wednesday morning, officials said, marking the second time an off-duty officer from the department has been involved in a shooting in the D.C. area in recent weeks.

Just after 5 a.m., Takoma Park police officers responded to “multiple reports” of shots fired in the parking lot area of the Takoma Overlook Condominium, officials said.

After arriving, officers were approached by the off-duty officer, who said he had seen “what he thought was a car being broken into,” Takoma Park officials said in a news release.

“He engaged the suspects who failed to follow his direction,” the officials said. “The suspects attempted to flee in a vehicle at which time the officer discharged his service weapon.”

A short time later, two people arrived at Prince George’s Hospital Center with gunshot wounds. Both died at the hospital, police said.

No arrests have been reported.

Officials said the off-duty officer encountered at least three people in the parking lot. The officials would not say whether they had interviewed those in the parking lot who weren’t shot.

Officials are expected to identify the two shooting victims once their family members have been notified.

Cathy Plevy, a Takoma Park police spokeswoman, said many questions remain under investigation. She would not say whether the officer fired his weapon as the two were getting into their car or as the car was driving way. She also would not say whether the officer perceived a threat or whether the pair were armed. She would not confirm that the officer’s bullets hit the two or say whether someone else could have shot them after the encounter with the officer [....]

Police identify two they say were fatally shot by off-duty Pentagon police officer

By Dan Morse, Katie Mettler and Rebecca Tan April 8, 2021 at 2:19 p.m. EDT

Authorities confirmed Thursday that an off-duty Pentagon Force Protection Agency officer fired the rounds that killed two men outside a Takoma Park condominium building as key questions remain unanswered by officials over exactly what preceded the deadly encounter.

Takoma Park police identified the two people fatally shot as Dominique Williams, 32, of Hyattsville and James Lionel Johnson, 38, of District Heights.

The gunfire erupted about 5 a.m. Wednesday. The off-duty officer told investigators when he first noticed the men that they appeared to be breaking into a car, according to Takoma Park police officials. The men were shot as they “attempted to flee in a vehicle,” the agency said.

Williams and Johnson died at a hospital a short time later.

There was no indication that shots were fired at the Pentagon officer, but the officer said he thought there was gun in the vehicle, according to an official with direct knowledge of the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case. The official said Williams and Johnson were driven by an associate to the hospital.

“It’s wrong how he got killed,” said Johnson’s aunt, Denise Johnson.

She said the family is still trying to determine exactly what happened to him. Her nephew grew up in D.C., was unmarried and loved music, Denise Johnson said.

“I’m just heartbroken about what happened,” she added.

Efforts to reach Williams’s family members were unsuccessful Thursday.

The shooting — marking the second time in recent weeks that an off-duty Pentagon police officer has fired their weapon — is being investigated by detectives in the Takoma Park Police Department and prosecutors in the Montgomery County state’s attorney’s office.

The officer has not been identified, but a Pentagon spokeswoman said he has been with the force since July 2019. He was previously a federal police officer and also served as an Army Military Police officer and in the Air Force as a combat crewman, the spokeswoman said [....]

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 9:32pm

Atlanta police look to ID supermarket shooting suspecthttps://t.co/MKtHqa3oY6
— AJC (@ajc) April 8, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 9:39pm

Tahji Williams Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death

30-year-old Tahji Williams died on Wednesday afternoon after a shooting took place at a park in southeast Atlanta....click link to learn more https://t.co/5fZT5S7ivy
— News36Up (@News36U) April 9, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 9:40pm

Meth bust leads to discovery of cockfighting ring, South Fulton police say https://t.co/C7sZn5NEnZ
— AJC (@ajc) April 9, 2021

Skeletal remains found in woods near Fairburn railyard, GBI says https://t.co/mJkv2eWM7P
— AJC (@ajc) April 9, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 9:48pm

Suspect pleads guilty to role in deadly shooting of 3-year-old girl, her father in Louisville https://t.co/XOwTYd64lP
— Thomas Johnson (@TJohnson058) April 8, 2021

anybody gonna remember her name or protest on her behalf? she was only 3 yrs. old

Man found dead after reported shooting in Russell area․ The latest on Louisville's homicides https://t.co/xpkxT594VN
— EIN Presswire: Kentucky Newswire (@EINPresswireKY) April 6, 2021

here's a two-year old, just happened:

Shooting in Louisville because someone honked at someone. A block from the MAIN police station and jail. 2 year old hit too...

But hey, you know thoughts and prayers right
— Rumble Young Man Rumble (@agentlinton) April 9, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 9:55pm

The largest one-year rise in violence in US history, literally 1,000s more people shot last year, and the victims are vastly disproportionately Black and Hispanic men. Most politicians have nothing even to say, much less a plan. And no, "reenvisioning" isn't a plan. Astounding. https://t.co/b86h4JUV3I
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) April 8, 2021

I can tell you how this plays out. The unrest and depolicing and rise in violence happened in Baltimore in 2015. After two years it becomes the new normal. And then if there's any improvement in year three, politicians talk about crime in the context of their great success!
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) April 8, 2021

Andrew Sullivan, not afraid to be blunt:

Black lives ... https://t.co/NXHwU81FlI
— Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) April 8, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 10:34pm

on NYC situation - very frank discussion on the politics

Crime Thoughts: Last week in NYC saw a 257 percent jump in shootings & 200 percent increase in shooting victims yr over yr. A scary increase in assaults and continued increase in murders. This is not to argue sky is falling. But fascinating that Democratichttps://t.co/MZpDcT2qsx
— Michael Powell (@powellnyt) April 2, 2021

Mayoral Candidates breathe barely a word about this. Violent crime is not nearly as bad as in Baltimore, St. Louis or even DC. But the spiral upward is sustained. If that continues, history suggests the window for addressing intelligently, carefully, will not remain open forever.
— Michael Powell (@powellnyt) April 2, 2021

If the social fabric becomes torn in neighborhoods, more and more citizens will begin to call, understandably if sadly, for more draconian measures. Those who would lead us would do everyone a favor by talking about this now
— Michael Powell (@powellnyt) April 2, 2021

Which mayoral candidate will pivot right?
— Peter Goodman (@edintheapple) April 3, 2021

We need to stop talking this it's idiotic. Believing that we should imprison people under any circumstances is now considered "right". Not embracing every congregate shelter being suggested-forcing them on residential neighborhoods-is considered "right"
— Casey's_Last_Ride (@LastCasey) April 3, 2021

Listened to this & I can honestly say the participants smeared the police again & again, when the topic was...bias assault. Same when they were asked to speak w/National Action Network after the ATL shootings.

Grps who are working to depolice NY are calling the shots. pic.twitter.com/qsOjMUIbNw
— Casey's_Last_Ride (@LastCasey) April 3, 2021

They set the entire premise of how discussion will go; their "big issues" all revolve around problematizing police & getting funding for vaguely defined "community solutions" instead. CC's recent reforms were fulfilling an EO, so this goes to the state/governor.

It's ludicrous.
— Casey's_Last_Ride (@LastCasey) April 3, 2021

Discussing this serious matter has become incredibly the third rail in today’s polarized political environment
— Sal Albanese (@SalAlbaneseNYC) April 2, 2021

Goes to show how marginalized working class people are—and sidelined by activists—in our politics. An elevating crime rate is almost verboten to mention, meanwhile... https://t.co/ZBkK0G5Iim
— Prince from Queens (@___as_a_jew___) April 2, 2021

by artappraiser on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 10:58pm

"Physicians and other health personnel are often faced with quandaries about patients who are at high risk for gun tragedy. They are stymied by HIPAA requirements that breaching confidentiality requires a serious and imminent risk." #NYTLetters https://t.co/XktIKP5SV0 nytopinion
— Dr. Joseph Frusci (@JFrusci) April 10, 2021

by artappraiser on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 8:38pm

NYC teen named as shooter who killed a 29-year-old woman after she confronted him for groping her -3 bullets to the chest!

By MORGAN CHITTUM and ROCCO PARASCANDOLANEW YORK DAILY NEWS | MAR 19, 2021 AT 11:15 AM

Cops are searching for an 18-year-old man they say pulled the trigger in a shooting two months ago that killed a young mother and wounded her fiancé.

The NYPD on Friday released a picture of Moussa Cisse and said he’s a suspect in the killing of 29-year-old Shadina Smith, who was hit by three bullets in the chest on Jan. 16.

Smith rushed back into the building to get her 26-year-old fiance, Joshua Hall, and then together they turned to confront the man who grabbed her, police say.

Cisse pulled out a gun and fired at the couple, striking Smith three times. Smith, the mother of a 2-year-old boy, Uriel, died at the hospital. Hall was also wounded in the chest and left arm, but survived.Cisse had a previous run-in with the law was on Nov. 20, when he was busted in East Harlem for allegedly driving a BMW with a forged driver’s license. At the time he was wanted for questioning in an unrelated robbery, police said. [.....]

Caption: Shadina Smith, a 29-year-old mother of one,

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/10/2021 - 1:46am

As they say, it's not rocket science. https://t.co/O8xhczQC9W
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) April 9, 2021

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/10/2021 - 6:41pm

nasty results of the fake tribalism riled by professional sports:

Ten years ago — Bryan Stow was attacked outside Dodger Stadium in LA — for wearing a SF Giants jersey.

It left him in a coma for nine months — and he had to learn how to walk again.

And he just threw the first pitch at the SF Giants' home opener...pic.twitter.com/YRsLXX3NB4
— Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) April 10, 2021

Description of the attack(s) in court by witnesses:

Friend Gives Disturbing Account Of Bryan Stow’s Beating At Dodger Stadium

June 6, 2012 at 11:20 pm @ CBS local

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/10/2021 - 8:24pm

did anyone say "lead poisoning"?

Remove all the lead https://t.co/vrieXfQpvs
— Neoliberal (@ne0liberal) April 11, 2021

by artappraiser on Sat, 04/10/2021 - 10:33pm

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police say multiple shooting victims including an officer are reported at a Knoxville, Tennessee high school.
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) April 12, 2021

Welp, kids are back in school so now we're back to school shootings. Goddamn it.
— Xena's Chakram (@indigomisha) April 12, 2021

if it’s a day that ends in "day" there’s likely to be a multiple victim shooting in it. https://t.co/7kDVTd82xg
— Sam Stein (@samstein) April 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 4:26pm

BREAKING: Police say multiple people, including an officer, were shot Monday at a high school in the east Tennessee city of Knoxville. https://t.co/cjTF3Vs847

AP NEWSAP NEWS
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 12, 2021

Police in Knoxville, Tennessee, are reporting multiple gunshot victims in a shooting at Austin-East Magnet High Schoolhttps://t.co/3Zf6syXNV0
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 4:28pm

Just last week, @GovBillLee chose to weaken Tennessee’s gun laws with the support of the corrupt NRA.

THIS is why America has a 25 times higher gun homicide rate than any other high income country.

Knoxville #tnleg https://t.co/NIDumvs3nP
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 4:36pm

FWIW, comments on Knoxville PD'S tweet on the shooting (with warning to stay out of area):

I live in the neighborhood. This high school is full of gang members. They've had 5 different shootings within the past year, all gang related. So yea, I'm pretty sure I know it's gang related.
— Benefitz (@chasedkb) April 12, 2021

I have not checked for the accuracy of his claim that there have been other shootings there recently.

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 4:41pm

even if not totally accurate, that guy is on the right meme, there is something really fucked up about our society as regards which shootings are covered heavily by the media, which are not and what conclusions people draw. Grateful that Jilani and Yglesias are pointing to the problem:

To @mattyglesias's point, Knoxville saw its worst year of homicides in recorded history last year. There were actually several kids at the school where the shooting happened today who had lost their lives in those shootings. Today's shooting finally makes national news.
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 12, 2021

For some reason shootings that occur on school campuses get the headlines way more than shootings that occur elsewhere, maybe the post-Columbine media environment? But there were 4 kids at that school who had been killed in shootings elsewhere this year. https://t.co/qhEo6lIasC
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 12, 2021

Not even remotely true, there was a huge increase in shootings during the pandemic they just weren't "school shootings" so they didn't activate the same media frame. https://t.co/MyPD1nEJ9X
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) April 12, 2021

edit to add: the tweet that Yglesias was replying to was later deleted; I saw it, it said something like the sad thing is that our children were safer stuck at home during a pandemic

The convention is to treat ~school shootings~ as a liberal-coded problem whereas ~regular shootings~ are a conservative-coded problem but it's an extremely arbitrary way of looking at it.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) April 12, 2021

To be clear, the number of children shot in 2020 went up by FIFTY PERCENT. https://t.co/xkaZvJcpQd pic.twitter.com/az6ttz2in2
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) April 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 5:39pm

holy shit, adding extreme irony to their points:

Local news anchor confuses live shots because they are currently covering two shootings in Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/hCKUv9GkDV
— The Recount (@therecount) April 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 5:50pm

deserves it's own comment on this thread: the number of minors killed by guns increased 50% in 2020 to 300 of 5,100 shot in total!

To be clear, the number of children shot in 2020 went up by FIFTY PERCENT. https://t.co/xkaZvJcpQd pic.twitter.com/az6ttz2in2
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) April 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 5:35pm

At least 3 officers were shot and injured during a police pursuit in Georgia early Monday, authorities say. https://t.co/jO6os5I3bA
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 12, 2021

this "disaffected liberal" does have a point:

oh no,

now blue lives matter activists will riot and burn down businesses https://t.co/mtaDz63EkC
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) April 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 6:29pm

was a car chase with 3 officers shot, one suspect killed and another in custody

Authorities in Georgia say multiple officers were injured in a police chase that ended in a shooting Monday morning. https://t.co/13eDNtPK8X
— ABC7 Sarasota (@mysuncoast) April 13, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 9:08pm

Grisly video shows New Mexico cop's shooting death during a routine traffic stop https://t.co/5GmdUYUf4H via @nypost
— Stephanie RN (@EDRN79934938) April 12, 2021

Published April 11 @ 12:40 pm.

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 9:14pm

DC:

Tragic scene tonight on Good Hope Court in SE. Two women shot dead in apt., police say suspect set fire while fleeing. Three month old child inside during attack. Listen to press conference: https://t.co/NJZnIienNK @martyweilwapost will be updating: https://t.co/yL7hr94Nk5
— Peter Hermann (@phscoop) April 13, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 9:31pm

Here's what we know so far about the quadruple shooting in North Nashville: https://t.co/Hodlt9UPq3 https://t.co/LfArIsytJ8
— Natalie Neysa Alund (@nataliealund) April 13, 2021

Major update from @MNPDNashville:
Two children and two adults were shot.
One child suffered life-threatening injuries and the other suffered minor injuries, police told me.@friedmanadam5 @Andrew_Nelles
— Natalie Neysa Alund (@nataliealund) April 13, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 9:33pm

Dallas: 11-yr. old shot dead by another child in Walmart parking lot

11-year-old fatally shot by child who found gun https://t.co/ppR23vRTgJ
— GOB TV and Radio (@gobradiouk) April 13, 2021

Dazmon Ray Brown Jr. — 11-years old. His mom tells me he was the child shot and killed in a Walmart parking lot in Dallas, Sunday. He was left unattended in a car, with two friends, by their mother. The kids found a gun. A 9-year old accidentally shot him. More on @FOX4 at 9/10. pic.twitter.com/io4j6eagvK
— David Sentendrey (@DavidSFOX4) April 13, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 9:40pm

Atlanta police beg gang members to stop shooting each other in Facebook campaignhttps://t.co/NGgCYoOkE4
— Rah G (@Jerz_Boy_Virgo) April 13, 2021

Road rage suspected in deadly shooting on I-20 east of metro Atlanta, GBI says https://t.co/TpotOn7hBH
— 13WMAZ News (@13wmaznews) April 13, 2021

1 injured in a shooting near 3843 Jonesboro Rd SE in Atlanta, Georgia https://t.co/F1nCLFpJfF
— GVAU (@GunVAupdates) April 12, 2021

2 security guards struck in drive-by shooting outside Atlanta nightclub https://t.co/Z77Uq9sdCy via @11AliveNews
— Gate 15 (@Gate_15_Analyst) April 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 9:47pm

A 26-year-old Illinois man is charged in connection with a shooting incident at a gas station at 26th and Capitol Drive in Milwaukee that left two people dead, a third person and himself wounded. https://t.co/2NlAYjVgmi
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) April 12, 2021

Milwaukee police are seeking unknown suspects in the shooting of a 15-year-old boy near 47th and Marion on Monday morning, April 12. https://t.co/rt4nt3gAxO
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) April 12, 2021

MPD: 1 dead, 2 wounded following separate shooting incidents in Milwaukee https://t.co/Fj7bWOd8Sc
— Milwaukee County Crime, Fire & Police News (@mke_cnty_crime) April 12, 2021

MPD responds to 3 shootings in less than 2 hours, 3 injured https://t.co/DCnmYSPRso
— Milwaukee County Crime, Fire & Police News (@mke_cnty_crime) April 10, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 10:18pm

Yikes, the NYPD is taking those robot dogs out on calls!!!

Nah they really got these robot police dogs in NYC. This is wild pic.twitter.com/iG7CTPFevH
— THEE DON (@1800SPOILED) April 12, 2021

(note in the start of the video that an arrested fellow is being led away in a very quiet manner without struggling, that is how that whole thing is supposed to work.)

by artappraiser on Tue, 04/13/2021 - 12:28pm

Molly Lillard, daughter of NFL great Al Toon, killed by husband

“Molly was such a good person, such a light in this world," a friend said.

by Demicia Inman @ TheGrio.com, April 14

Molly Lillard, the daughter of former NFL player Al Toon, was killed in what police suspect to be a murder-suicide by her husband on Sunday in their Arizona home.

According to AZ Central, she was found suffering from gunshot wounds in front of a house. She was transported to the hospital where she died from her injuries. Her husband, Royce Dale Lillard III, was barricaded inside of the residence. Police were unable to communicate with the 36-year-old and the SWAT team entered the home. Lillard was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.

Police found the couple’s 8-month-old infant inside, unharmed. The news outlet reported the baby is being taken care of by family. She and her husband had only been married for two years

“For several hours officers attempted to establish communication with the male with no success,” said Officer Kevin Watts according to the Middleton Times-Tribune. “At approximately 10:45 p.m. SWAT officers were able to make entry into the home where the male suspect was discovered deceased from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

“At this point in the investigation all indications are that this was a murder-suicide,” he continued [....]

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/14/2021 - 4:51pm

Former NFL player Travis Rudolph charged with murder

Rudolph, who had a short career as a wide receiver in the NFL, faces murder and attempted murder charges in Florida.

By Biba Adams @ TheGrio.com, April 8

Travis Rudolph, who had a short career in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins, has been arrested on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
The shooting took place early Wednesday morning in Lake Park, Florida, where sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene to find one man being transported to the hospital and another dead.

In a statement, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office said four individuals were “shot at or by” Rudolph, 25.

He is being held with no bond and is expected to appear in court today.

After his short stint in the NFL, Rudolph played with the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was still playing with the team, at the time of his arrest, but they subsequently released him. In a brief statement, the Blue Bombers tweeted: “The team has released receiver Travis Rudolph.”

Darren Cameron, the team’s senior director of public and player relations, also noted on Twitter “The organization was made aware of Travis Rudolph’s arrest this morning and he has subsequently been released. Rudolph was signed in December of 2019 and did not play in a game for the Blue Bombers."

Sports anchor Paxton Boyd reminded his Twitter followers of Rudolph eating lunch with an autistic boy, who had been sitting alone in a school cafeteria.

Former FSU Football star Travis Rudolph has been arrested on a first-degree murder charge & an attempted murder charge. You may remember Rudolph from this viral photo, eating lunch with Bo Paske — a boy with autism who was sitting alone in a cafeteria when Rudolph befriended him. pic.twitter.com/OSBfEN2Vov
— Paxton Boyd (@paxton) April 7, 2021

One user replied, “People are complicated man…damn.”

ESPN’s David Hale echoed the sentiment, writing, “I hate hate HATE that we can never really know the guys we’re writing about. Have thought this a lot w/the Deshaun stories. But man, how Travis Rudolph went from being a hero to a boy w/autism to held without bond on 4 counts of premeditated murder is just… there are no words.” [....]

Ex-NFL player Phillip Adams accused of killing 5 before shooting himself: report

Adams has been identified as the gunman who killed five people in Rock Hill, South Carolina and seriously injured a sixth.

By Biba Adams @ TheGrio.com, April 8

Former NFL player Phillip Adams has been identified as the gunman who shot and killed five people in Rock Hill, South Carolina overnight, and Adams has also reportedly tken his own life.

According to an Associated Press report, an anonymous source said Adams was being treated by a prominent South Carolina doctor, who was one of the shooting victims.

York County coroner has confirmed that Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69, were pronounced dead at the scene, along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, nine, and Noah Lesslie, five.

Another man who had been working at the Lesslie home, James Lewis, was also shot and killed. A sixth person with “serious gunshot wounds” has been hospitalized [....]

Adams, 32, was a native of Rock Hill, The shooting took place near his parents’ home.

He was a cornerback who played for seven different NFL teams, his last signing with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015.

Adams is the second former NFL player accused of murder in as many days. Former wide receiver Travis Rudolph was arrested this morning on first-degree murder and attempted murder charges following a shooting in Florida. [....]

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/14/2021 - 5:15pm

*not* broken windows effect?

State's attorney: Baltimore's violent crime went down 20% after halting drug prosecutions https://t.co/RiYWqypu2g via @msnbc
— MoreCalVell (@VellCal) April 14, 2021

by PeraclesPlease on Wed, 04/14/2021 - 5:29pm

good discussion and links on this short thread of people just trying to honestly grok the relationship between spending on police and crime rate and what other factors might count; refreshing to see that there are people out there who aren't trying to politic or emote on this (nor racializing it! they are thinking "economic class and education", not color of skin) but just think and discuss logically

How much of Oakland's budget actually is spent on the police?

How does this compare to other nearby cities? #OakMtg https://t.co/oWIOAIBERZ
— Darwin BondGraham (@DarwinBondGraha) April 12, 2021

Oakland spends more than 2x per resident than cities like Fremont and San Ramon and has much higher crime rates. Either Oakland PD is ineffective, or it’s really not the number of officers that determine crime rates in cities.
— Elmano Gonsalves (@Elmanogonsalves) April 13, 2021

Fremont and San Ramon are two of the safest most educated and richest places in the country. Comparing them with Oakland is silly. Let’s see how Oakland compares on spending compared to Newark, NJ, Long Beach, Jersey city, Baltimore, etc
— Adrian (@5Divide) April 13, 2021

You want to compare Oakland with Newark, New Jersey, or Baltimore? Long Beach is similar to Oakland in population and density. That’s a reasonable comparison. Long Beach has about the same number of officers per capita and a lot lower crime rate. pic.twitter.com/7iTAhhs7du
— Elmano Gonsalves (@Elmanogonsalves) April 13, 2021

Newark NJ, Miami, and even New Orleans have lower violent crime rates. Long Beach has far MORE officers per violent crimehttps://t.co/wjOK6HmPHc
— Adrian (@5Divide) April 13, 2021

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/14/2021 - 5:47pm

Turns out the Capitol Police force HAS TEMPORARILY ADDED A SOCIAL WORKER! On loan from another force. I presume this is to deal with the post trauma issues of dealing with people (a mob, actually) who don't believe in observing rule of law and consider federal policing illegitimate:

This is Officer Clarence, the police comfort dog. He’s at the Capitol Rotunda today. pic.twitter.com/qoVUX73OK1
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) April 14, 2021

This is Officer Clarence. He’s an official Police Comfort Dog with the @GreenfieldPD and tends to officers who have gone through a trauma. He is a gigantic sweetheart and will be at the Capitol all week. He also drools. pic.twitter.com/CXdzyd5urR
— Kristin Wilson (@kristin__wilson) April 13, 2021

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/14/2021 - 6:27pm

quite simply a jaw dropping story, frightening about the depths of anger people some can have over very little:

Indiana Man Beat a Woman to Death with Baseball Bat, Stabbed Her 24 Times: Policehttps://t.co/XcpqU1LjDh
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) April 15, 2021

(a reminder that cops meet people exactly like this!)

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/14/2021 - 11:26pm

In the News

Russia plays weak hand in Palestine
Russia plays weak hand in Palestine

submitted by PeraclesPlease 8 months ago

The intra-Palestinian meeting in Moscow has precedent

Russia's hosted such meetings in the past, most recently Feb 2019

Russia has long lamented the US' "monopolization" of the peace process & tried to carve out a niche for itself: mediating among the disunited Palestinians/2
— Hanna Notte (@HannaNotte) February 29, 2024

Read the article at https://twitter.com/HannaNotte/status/1763116222256701787

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Mother Jones is Reaching out to Alternative Party Voters
Mother Jones is Reaching out to Alternative Party Voters

submitted by HSG 9 months ago

Here's what I told them: https://halginsberg.com/vote-for-jill-stein-again/

Read the article at https://halginsberg.com/vote-for-jill-stein-again/

2 comments

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Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes...
Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes into force

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes into force https://t.co/pCoDg05irX
— Gareth Harris (@garethharr) December 28, 2023

Read the article at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/28/brazil-law-indigenous-land-rights-claim-time-marker?CMP=share_btn_tw

1 comment

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Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti (...
Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti (December 25, 2023)

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Location: U.S. Embassy and residential compounds

Events: Heavy gunfire is occuring around the area of the U.S. Embassy and residential compounds adjacent to the Trutier area of Tabarre. All Embassy personnel have been instructed to remain indoors and shelter-in-place until further notice. All others should avoid the area.

Actions to take:

Avoid the area;

Avoid demonstrations and any large gatherings of people;

Do not attempt to drive through roadblocks; and

If you encounter a roadblock, turn around and get to a safe area.

Read the article at https://ht.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-port-au-prince-haiti-december-25-2023/

3 comments

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Pakistan Is Creating the World’s Next Refugee Crisis
Pakistan Is Creating the World’s Next Refugee Crisis

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

By The Editorial Board @ Bloomberg.com, December 8, 2023

A mass expulsion of Afghan migrants could destabilize the region and fuel radicalization. The West should pressure Islamabad to change course.

Read the article at https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-12-08/pakistan-s-expulsion-of-afghan-refugees-risks-another-crisis

6 comments

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Internet shut down in Chad
Internet shut down in Chad

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

All eyes on #Chad right now
Chad has two internet trunks coming into the country: One from the Red Sea via Sudan; the other from Cameroon. Not possible for the totality of the country's internet network to be shut unless done centrally. A lot of rumors swirling; few facts. https://t.co/N6bDJZ2ixO

Read the article at https://x.com/_hudsonc/status/1732891968709992511?s=20

2 comments

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[Economy] where Joe's success falls short
[Economy] where Joe's success falls short

submitted by PeraclesPlease 11 months ago

Read the article at

3 comments

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[CRIME News] 3 loss-prevention employees in Macy’s across...
[CRIME News] 3 loss-prevention employees in Macy’s across the street from Philadelphia City Hall stabbed

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

BREAKING: Three loss prevention employees in Macy’s across the street from Philadelphia City Hall stabbed, one of them has died from stab wounds, @PhillyPolice sources tell me. Police converged on the store as the three workers were rushed to Jefferson Hospital. pic.twitter.com/4U1eKycL4W

Read the article at https://x.com/KeeleyFox29/status/1731713272942940365?s=20

38 comments

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Former U.S. Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As...
Former U.S. Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As Secret Agent For Cuba

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Former US Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As Secret Agent For Cuba https://t.co/LDwo4ZJI1K
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) December 4, 2023

Read the article at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/manuel-rocha-ambassador-arrested-cuba_n_656d1e2ae4b028b0f3d07478

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[War in Israel, Chapter II] UNRWA under scrutiny
[War in Israel, Chapter II] UNRWA under scrutiny

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

[Chapter I news is HERE, Oct. 7 til today]

You don’t get it.
It’s not about an UNRWA teacher who held an Israeli kid hostage in his house.
It’s all about how for 75 years you have destroyed the future of generations of Palestinians, including my family.
My cousins in Arab countries are still not citizens - not even the… https://t.co/nv6anubGhc
— George Deek (@GeorgeDeek) December 2, 2023

Note 'Community Notes' attached to UNWRA's statement.

Read the article at https://x.com/GeorgeDeek/status/1731020551328579863?s=20

58 comments

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Maduro, Under Pressure, Holds Vote to Annex Territory From...
Maduro, Under Pressure, Holds Vote to Annex Territory From a Neighbor

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Imperialism for me but not for thee?

It's wild that Venezuela is now holding a vote on whether 2/3 of Guyana actually belongs to them! Analysts suggest that Modoru may want military action to pump up his sinking popularity.

Could we have a war in South America?!?

"The people who live in Essequibo are largely… pic.twitter.com/QvMEjkkgwy

Read the article at https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/03/world/americas/maduro-vote-essequibo-guyana.html

6 comments

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[Where is the GOP headed?] Divisions leave Florida’s House...
[Where is the GOP headed?] Divisions leave Florida’s House Republicans powerless

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

The lack of a cohesive delegation has allowed attention-seeking lawmakers to act on their own.

McCarthy: “You have [Rep. Matt] Gaetz, who belongs in jail…”

Gaetz: “Tough words from a guy who sucker punches people in the back. The only assault I committed was against Kevin’s fragile ego.”https://t.co/LctPuz6Pcf

Read the article at https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/29/divisions-leave-floridas-house-republicans-powerless-00129200

10 comments

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‘She got so mad at me’: book on the ‘Squad’ details AOC-...
‘She got so mad at me’: book on the ‘Squad’ details AOC-Pelosi clashes

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

By Martinn Pengelly in Washington DC for TheGuardian.com, Nov. 30

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells Ryan Grim life in Congress ‘completely transformed’ after Democratic leader stepped down

Read the article at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/30/squad-book-aoc-nancy-pelosi?CMP=share_btn_tw

15 comments

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US health insurers Humana, Cigna in talks to merge -source
US health insurers Humana, Cigna in talks to merge -source

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

@ Reuters, Nov. 29

Read the article at https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/us-health-insurers-humana-cigna-talks-merge-wsj-2023-11-29/

3 comments

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Central Africa’s dinosaur regimes and the art of coup-...
Central Africa’s dinosaur regimes and the art of coup-proofing

submitted by artappraiser 12 months ago

"Both the AU and the intl community place more weight on whether elections are held than whether they are free and fair. Sanctions/expulsions occur when there is a coup but not necessarily when elections are rigged or if an “institutional coup” occurs." https://t.co/m9dNimJP0D
— Cameron Hudson (@_hudsonc) November 28, 2023

Read the article at https://africanarguments.org/2023/11/central-africas-dinosaur-regimes-and-the-art-of-coup-proofing/

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