Atlanta police chief resigns after fatal police shooting
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta’s police chief resigned Saturday hours after a black man was fatally shot by officers in a struggle following a field sobriety test. Authorities said the slain man had grabbed an officer’s Taser, but was running away when he was shot.
Police Chief Erika Shields stepped down as the killing of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis had simmered down.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the police chief’s resignation at a Saturday news conference as roughly 150 people marched outside the Wendy’s restaurant where Brooks was fatally shot late Friday. The mayor also called for the immediate firing of the unidentified officer who opened fire at Brooks.
“I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer,” Bottoms said.
She said it was Shields’ own decision to step aside as police chief and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant would serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurant’s drive-thru lane. The GBI said Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers’ attempts to arrest him.
The GBI released security camera video of the shooting Saturday. The footage shows a man running from two police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding some type of object, toward an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the parking lot.
GBI Director Vic Reynolds said Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun.
The security camera video does not show Brooks’ initial struggle with police.
L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks’ family, said the officer who shot him should be charged for “an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder.”
“You can’t have it both ways in law enforcement,” Stewart said. “You can’t say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon … but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now it’s some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody.”
He said Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughter’s eighth birthday Friday before he was killed.
The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was among U.S. cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets.
Demonstrators, including members of Brooks’ family, gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. There was a short, tense standoff with Georgia state troopers who lined up to block protesters as they tried to march onto a nearby highway. The demonstrators eventually turned away.
Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Rayshard Brooks’ sister-in-law.
“He wasn’t causing anyone any harm,” she said. “The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him.”
She added: “He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran.”
Shields, Atlanta’s police chief for less than four years, was initially praised in the days following Floyd’s death last month. She said the Minnesota officers involved should go to prison and walked into crowds of protesters in downtown Atlanta, telling demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Bottoms’ side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze.
Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video May 30 in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Shields openly questioned the charges.
The shooting of Brooks two weeks later raised further questions about the Atlanta department. In a statement, Shields said she chose to resign “out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department.”
“It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” Shields said.
Reynolds said his agents worked through the night interviewing witnesses and reviewing video. He said their findings show that Brooks tried to fight off two officers when they tried to arrest him and managed to take a Taser away from one of them.
A security camera recorded Brooks “running or fleeing from Atlanta police officers,” Reynolds said. “It appears that he has in his hand a Taser.”
During a short foot chase Brooks “turns around and it appears at that time he points a Taser at an Atlanta officer,” Reynolds said. That’s when the officer drew his gun and shot Brooks, he said, estimating the officer fired three times.
Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either of the unidentified officers.
Howard said Saturday his office “has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident” without waiting for the GBI’s results.
Brooks died after being taken to an Atlanta hospital. One of the officers was treated and released for unspecified injuries.
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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writer Pat Eaton-Robb in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/authorities-man-killed-atlanta-police-123407438.html
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Saint Louis County Executive Page: ‘I’m sure there’s systemic racism in our police department’
ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOV.com) – St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page addressed racism within the police department during his Friday morning COVID-19 press conference.
“I’m sure there’s systemic racism in our police department, as it’s part of our community,” Page said when asked if systemic racism existed within the St. Louis County Police Department. “Doesn’t mean that every interaction between two people is racially charged, but no one could argue that racism doesn’t exist in our community, but we have to work past that, and the conversation we’re having now is how we’re going to do that, what sort of training is in place, is that training being followed, that’s the sort of conversation we’re going to have. We’re in the middle of a great civil rights debate in our country.”
Page said he sent a letter to the Board of Police Commissioners asking them to review current policies within the police department. He also said the department follows all state guidelines regarding use of force and those policies have been in place since 2010.
When asked about calls to defund police, Page said he didn’t think defunding public safety should be done.
“I think we should have a serious conversation about what is the role and responsibility and duty of a police officer and whether some of those duties could be accomplished by someone else, whether it’s a social worker, or nurse, or some sort of volunteer,” he said. “But the evolution of the job description of a police officer has changed greatly.”
Page also said the underfunding of substance abuse and mental health challenges within the community has had an impact on public safety.
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Homeless woman found dead in Midtown clothing donation bin
A woman was found dead outside a Midtown bar after authorities said she became stuck in a clothing donation bin Wednesday night.
Atlanta police officers found the 26-year-old with her head stuck inside a metal door to the donation bin at Henry’s Midtown Tavern on 10th Street shortly before midnight, a police spokesman said. Her feet were off the ground.
The woman was removed from the bin by Atlanta fire crews and was pronounced dead at the scene. She was identified Friday by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office as Emily Cooper.
She was homeless, according to the office.
A witness told officers he found a chair on its side next to her body, spokesman Carlos Campos said in a statement.
“Based on evidence at the scene, it appears the woman had been trying to remove items from the bin when she was trapped by a heavy metal door,” he said. “At this time, the death appears to be accidental.”
An official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner, he said.
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6-year-old kept in a closet for a month died weighing 18 pounds
A 6-year-old boy who was locked in a closet and deprived of food weighed just 18 pounds when he died in March, an autopsy has found.
Deshaun Martinez’s parents, Elizabeth Archibeque and Anthony Martinez, allegedly admitted to police that they kept Deshaun and his 7-year-old brother in a closet in their Flagstaff, Arizona, apartment for 16 hours a day for a month — and gave them little to eat.
An autopsy determined that Deshaun died of starvation and listed the manner of death as a homicide.
His parents and his grandmother, Ann Martinez, were charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and child abuse shortly after the boy was found unresponsive in early March. They have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors have until late July to decide whether they will seek capital punishment in the case.
The boys were punished because they stole food while their parents slept, police said.
Archibeque and Anthony Martinez initially attributed Deshaun’s malnourished state to a medical condition and to taking diet or caffeine pills.
His medical history showed he had trouble gaining weight after he was hospitalized at 2 weeks old due to sepsis and a urinary tract infection that resulted in fevers and vomiting at every feed.
When he was discharged from the hospital, his parents were advised on how to keep him at a healthy weight.
Deshaun weighed 34 pounds at age 4 but dropped to 27 pounds a year later. He was just 18 pounds when he died — the same weight he was at age 1.
The autopsy report noted Deshaun had brittle hair, sunken eyes and almost no body fat. He also had abrasions and bruises on his body that were not life-threatening.
His father said the family was on a budget and was awaiting food stamps to buy more food for Deshaun.
The boy’s surviving siblings, ages 2, 4 and 7, were taken into custody by the Arizona Department of Child Safety, according to AZ Central.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/10/arizona-boy-died-weighing-18-pounds-after-being-kept-in-closet/
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Teen fell into coma after having bubble tea twice a day for a month
A Chinese teen fell into a diabetic coma after she developed a habit of guzzling two bubble tea drinks every day, according to a report.
The 18-year-old Shanghai girl drank a pair of the super-sweet drinks every day for a month, until they triggered severe health issues, Asia Wire reported.
She was discovered unconscious by family members, who said she had been experiencing symptoms associated with hyperglycemia, a condition associated with dangerously high levels of blood sugar, according to the report.
Among her symptoms before she fell into a coma were nausea, frequent urination and dehydration, the report said.
She was brought last month to Ruijin Hospital, where her blood sugar levels were recorded at roughly 25 times higher than normal, according to the report.
The teen was placed on a ventilator and received kidney dialysis before waking up from the coma five days later, the outlet reported.
By June 1, the teen appeared to be on the mend and was discharged from the hospital, the report said.
The average cup of bubble tea has 54 grams of sugar, while regular iced tea has around 22 grams of sugar, according to Healthline and the US Department of Agriculture.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/10/teen-in-a-coma-after-having-bubble-tea-twice-a-day-for-month/
Photo Credit: nypost.com/AsiaWire/Ruijin Hospital
Belgian prince got coronavirus after breaking quarantine to party in Spain
A Belgian prince has been fined more than $10,000 by the Spanish government for breaking quarantine rules — after he traveled to the country, went out partying and eventually tested positive for the coronavirus, a Spanish official said on Wednesday.
Prince Joachim, the 28-year-old nephew of Belgium’s King Philippe, tripped to Spain on May 24 for an internship — but he failed to abide by the country’s rule mandating that incoming travelers quarantine themselves for 14 days, the official in Andalusia said.
Instead of staying inside, the prince went out to a party in the southern city of Cardoba two days after his arrival — and later tested positive for the virus.
There were 27 people in attendance at the shindig, which was held in violation of Spain’s lockdown measures, the Brussels Times reported.
Joachim, who is tenth in line to the Belgian throne, admitted to breaching quarantine and was slapped with a $11,800 fine, the officials said.
The royal was hit with the maximum fine for a “serious violation of civil protection [laws],” which if paid within 15 days will be reduced by 50 percent.
“Now that we are, for the first time, cornering the pandemic, we cannot lock up in a house with 40 or 50 people in a party,” said Andalusian president Juanma Moreno, according to the outlet. “Because if one person is infected, they can infect the rest.”
The prince issued a public statement last week apologizing after the news broke of his lockdown shenanigans, and is now in Spain following quarantine rules.
“I would like to apologize for not having respected all the quarantine measures during my trip,” Joachim said. “In these difficult moments, I did not mean to offend or disrespect anybody.”
Spain is among countries hardest hit by the virus, recording more than 242,000 COVID-19 cases and 27,000 related deaths.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/10/coronavirus-stricken-belgian-prince-fined-for-breaking-quarantine/
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21-year-old Colorado woman shot dead after argument about dog poop
A woman was fatally shot and her boyfriend wounded by a gunman who reportedly took issue with how the couple told their dog to poop during a walk in Denver on Wednesday.
The victims — identified in reports as Isabella Thallas, 21, and Darian Simon — were walking their pooch near Coors Field when 36-year-old suspect Michael Close quarreled with them from inside his apartment, the Denver Post reported.
“The suspect got into a verbal altercation with the victims related to the victims telling the dog to poop,” according to a probable cause statement obtained by the newspaper.
Close reportedly asked the couple if they were going to train their pooch or just yell at it, the police records state.
Simon told police he tried to ignore Close before shots rang out, striking him twice and killing his girlfriend.
Police caught Close later Wednesday as he was driving on a nearby highway, the report said. A rifle and a handgun were found in his car, cops said.
Thallas’ mother, Ana Thallas, mourned the death of her daughter in a Facebook post.
“Today we lost a daughter, sister, grand daughter, niece and friend,” Ana wrote. “The Lord called her home and she is resting in peace with Him.
“We asked that you kindly respect our privacy and Isabella’s life by keeping this positive and loving.”
A GoFundMe page set up to help cover Isabella’s funeral costs had raised over $45,000 as of early Friday.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/12/colorado-woman-shot-dead-after-argument-about-dog-poop/
Photo Credit: nypost.com/GoFundMe
Derek Chauvin, ex-cop charged in George Floyd death, could get $1.5M in pension benefits – even if convicted
Fired Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin could still receive more than $1.5 million in pension benefits during his retirement years — even if he is convicted in the murder of George Floyd, according to a new report.
Chauvin, 44, was booted from the force and charged with second-degree murder, but could still cash in because Minnesota, unlike some other states, does not allow for the forfeiture of pensions for employees convicted of felony crimes related to their work, CNN reported.
The Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association confirmed to the network that Chauvin, who had worked for the department since 2001, would remain eligible to file for his partially taxpayer funded pension as early as age 50, though it would not specify the specific amount he would receive, the network reported.
Employees terminated voluntarily or for cause are eligible for future benefits unless they choose to forfeit them and receive a refund of all contributions made during their employment, according to the association.
“Neither our board nor our staff have the discretion to increase, decrease, deny or revoke benefits,” a spokeswoman told CNN. “Any changes to current law would need to be done through the legislative process.”
Chauvin’s attorney declined to comment to the network.
Chauvin would likely be eligible for annual benefits around $50,000 a year if he chose to start receiving them at age 55, according to a CNN analysis that took into account the former cop’s tenure, 2019 payroll data, contract details, pension plan guidance and the Minneapolis Police Department salary schedules.
The benefits could exceed $1.5 million over a 30-year period — and could be even higher if he received significant amounts of overtime in past years, the calculation indicates.
Two of the other officers who face charges — Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng — were rookies, but a third, Tou Thao, could still be eligible to receive benefits, employment records obtained by the network show.
The Minneapolis Mayor’s Office, Police Department and the local police union did not respond to requests for comment from CNN.
D. Bruce Johnsen, a law professor at George Mason University who co-authored 2017 research on the matter, told the network that “pension forfeiture for misconduct is pretty rare.”
“With this terrible tragedy it might be a good time to push in this direction,” he added, noting that specific conditions that would allow for forfeiture would need to be carefully defined.
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Saint Louis Theatre apologizes for putting ‘blue lives matter’ on its marquee
ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) – The Fox Theatre issued an apology Thursday for putting ‘blue lives matter’ on its marquee.
The theater put the phrase up to honor retired police Captain David Dorn, who was shot and killed at Lee’s Pawn and Jewelry in North City during a night of unrest.
The theater also posted a message honoring the life of George Floyd.
The apology from the theatre is below:
“We sincerely apologize to the Black community for the hurt we have caused by our recent marquee messaging. While our intention was to display a show of unity and to honor both George Floyd and Officer David Dorn, the delivery of that message failed when we included the blue lives matter hashtag. We are truly sorry for the hurt and anger this message has caused.
The Fabulous Fox is a place for all, and we condemn racism and hate in all forms. We love St. Louis and we want to be a part of the solution. We are listening and we are learning.
Unequivocally #blacklivesmatter”
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Anytime Fitness in Wisconsin apologizes for “I Can’t Breathe” workout
(WTMJ/CNN/Meredith) — An Anytime Fitness in Wisconsin is apologizing after posting a workout called “I Can’t Breathe” on a white board inside the gym.
Some people are calling the workout insensitive and disturbing in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who was heard saying “I Can’t Breathe” as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.
The photo of the workout written on a white board at the gym in Wauwatosa has been circling around social media, drawing backlash. The board reads: “I Can’t Breathe…” followed by workout instructions, and at the bottom reads “…And don’t you dare lay down.” There is also a drawing of a man on his knees.
A statement released by Anytime Fitness does not say who created the workout or what their intent was.
The Anytime Fitness corporate office is also apologizing. Its founders said they were devastated to see the “I Can’t Breathe” workout sign.
They went on to say this incident makes it clear that “we have work to do, we are sharing this incident with our franchise owners worldwide as an example of what not to do and why it is offensive.”
Gym member Marc Taylor said he was disturbed to see the sign.
“Sometimes people don’t really understand what’s going on here in the community. They might have thought ‘okay, we’ll use this into a workout and try to put it together,’ but it’s not that right now. It’s wrong timing,” Taylor said.
Taylor said the sign was insensitive and inappropriate.
“This is not what you should be doing right now. You got a man that lost his life,” Taylor said, in reference to Floyd.
Photo Credit: kmov.com