Viral video shows police handcuffing Black family after mistaking their vehicle as stolen
(CNN) — Police in Aurora, Colorado, issued an apology Monday over drawing their guns on a woman and four minors after mistaking her car for one that had been stolen.
Brittney Gilliam was with her 6-year-old daughter, 12-year-old sister and 14- and 17-year-old nieces Sunday when police drew their weapons on them. Gilliam said she, her sister and 17-year-old niece were handcuffed while police verified that the car Gilliam was driving was not stolen.
A Facebook video shows the children on the ground in a parking lot, surrounded by police. They can be heard crying in the video. Onlookers try to intervene and question police about pulling their guns on their girls.
Gilliam and the four girls all are Black.
The incident comes amid a nationwide reckoning over police treatment of Blacks, spurred partly by the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Aurora police also have been under scrutiny for the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man who suffered a heart attack after police detained him.
“I have called (Gilliam’s) family to apologize and to offer any help we can provide, especially for the children who may have been traumatized by yesterday’s events,” Interim Chief of Police Vanessa Wilson said late Monday. “I have reached out to our victim advocates so we can offer age-appropriate therapy that the city will cover.”
In an interview with CNN, Gilliam said she was taking the girls to get their nails done the day of the incident. Her niece had just gotten back in the vehicle after looking to see if the nail salon was open and she and the girls were parked in a parking lot with the car turned off, Gilliam said, when Aurora police pulled up behind her vehicle with guns drawn and yelled for them to put their hands out of the window and to get out of the car.
Gilliam and the girls got out of the vehicle and were told to lay face down on the ground, she said. At that time, police handcuffed Gilliam, her sister and niece. Gilliam said the police wouldn’t tell her why she was pulled over until she was handcuffed.
Aurora police told Gilliam her vehicle was stolen, she said. Gilliam said she told them her vehicle has been stolen in February, but that it was cleared up. She said she offered to show them the vehicle registration and insurance paperwork.
Gilliam’s attorney emphasized to CNN that when the vehicle was stolen in February, it was returned to her the next day by the Aurora Police.
Gilliam said she asked why the kids were being handcuffed and she was told officers handcuff kids when they get hostile.
“If you wanted to place me in handcuffs at that point, I would have gladly agreed to that because you had a job to do and you did it under the right protocol, but you pointed a gun at four kids and then you proceeded to start handcuffing the kids,” Gilliam said.
Gilliam said police later told her about the mix-up.
Training and procedure under examination
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Wilson said in a statement that drawing weapons is in the department’s policy when police believe a car has been stolen.
“We have been training our officers that when they contact a suspected stolen car, they should do what is called a high-risk stop. This involves drawing their weapons and ordering all occupants to exit the car and lie prone on the ground. But we must allow our officers to have discretion and to deviate from this process when different scenarios present themselves,” Wilson said. “I have already directed my team to look at new practices and training.”
Officers were alerted to a possible stolen vehicle just before 11 a.m. Sunday, according to a statement from the department. They stopped a vehicle matching the license plate and description, ordered the people inside onto the ground and placed some in handcuffs, police said.
After the stop, officers realized the car Gilliam was driving was not stolen, but that another vehicle with the same plate information but from a different state had been, police said in the statement.
“The confusion may have been due, in part, to the fact that the stopped car was reported stolen earlier in the year,” the statement said. “After realizing the mistake, officers immediately unhandcuffed everyone involved, explained what happened and apologized.”
An internal investigation has been opened, according to the statement.
The Aurora Police Department has recently come under scrutiny for the in-custody death of McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who was stopped by three white officers as he walked home from a convenience store.
McClain was placed in a chokehold and briefly lost consciousness, according to a report from police. When paramedics arrived, they administered the drug ketamine to sedate McClain, the report said.
McClain suffered a heart attack while in an ambulance and was declared brain dead three days later, the district attorney said in a letter.
The police department fired the three officers involved. Colorado’s health department has launched an investigation into the paramedics’ use of ketamine.
Last month, Wilson fired two officers who she said had taken selfie photographs at the memorial site for McClain in October, as well as a third officer who she said failed to alert supervisors about the photos.
A fourth officer resigned before a pre-disciplinary hearing.
Wilson said one of the photos shows the officers smiling while appearing to reenact the way McClain was held in a chokehold.
Photo Credit: usatoday.com
Man shoots at employee who asked him to wear face mask in cigar shop
(CNN) — A Pennsylvania man is facing charges of attempted criminal homicide after surveillance video showed him shooting at an employee of a cigar shop who asked him to wear a mask, police said.
Adam Michael Zaborowski, 35, entered Cigars international in Bethlehem Township Friday morning without a face covering, according to a probable cause affidavit, despite a statewide mandate by Gov. Tom Wolf requiring masks be worn in businesses.
Staff at the shop told Zaborowski that he needed to wear a mask inside the store or could have his order taken curbside, according to the affidavit.
“Zaborowski became irate, grabbed two cigars from a shelf and exited without paying,” the affidavit says.
A store employee followed him to the parking lot to retrieve the merchandise, according to the affidavit. Zaborowski fired a gun in the air before firing two rounds at the employee, according to affidavit. A patron was sitting behind the employee as the rounds were fired, according to the affidavit.
Zaborowski fled in a blue Dodge Dakota pick-up truck, according to the affidavit.
He was arrested the following day after engaging in a shootout with Pennsylvania State Police and Slatington Borough Police, said Bethlehem Police Department Sgt. Shaun Powell. He remains in the hospital, Powell said, but he didn’t give details of any injuries
Zaborowski has been charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of robbery, reckless endangerment, and carrying a firearm without a license. Due to a prior offense, he was also charged with persons prohibited to possess a firearm, his arrest affidavit shows.
Attorney John J. Waldron, who is representing Zaborowski, issued a statement on behalf of his client saying that he has a number of stressful things going on in his life that may have contributed to his actions.
“He is facing serious charges. He is lucky to be alive, considering his actions with law enforcement. He has had a series of events which have caused him stress and depression,” Waldron told CNN Monday. “These are not a defense or excuse. He lost his job, just lost a custody battle for his child and did not cope well with the virus.”
“People deal with stress differently, he did not deal with it appropriately. His family is very supportive. We will have him examined by a Forensic Psychologist and proceed from there,” Waldron added.
CNN’s Patrick Cornell contributed to this report.
Photo Credit: Bethlehem Township Police Dept.
Woman allegedly bashed cop’s head into ‘concrete’ for asking her about mask
An Australian woman allegedly bashed a cop’s head into the ground after being stopped for not wearing a mask — and police believe she’s part of a growing trend of “sovereign citizens,” according to a report.
Two female police officers approached the maskless woman, 38, Monday night in Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne, to question her about why she wasn’t wearing the face covering, ABC.net reported.
The woman allegedly flew into a rage, striking one officer in the head and shoving the other.
“After a confrontation and being assaulted by that woman, those police officers went to ground and there was a scuffle,” said Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. “During that scuffle, this 38-year-old woman smashed the head of the [26-year-old] policewoman several times into a concrete area on the ground.”
The injured cop was taken to the hospital with “significant head injuries.” She suffered a concussion and lost a chunk of her hair.
Police believe the alleged assault is part of a trend of “sovereign citizens” who refuse to comply with coronavirus rules, including wearing a mask — then “bait” cops into confrontations.
“This was a particularly violent occurrence but our members have been stood up by smartarses around the state for five minutes of fame in front of a camera,” said Police Association of Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt.
The alleged attacker was charged with nine counts, including assault of an emergency worker and one count of recklessly causing injury. She has no criminal history.
On Monday, officials in Victoria, the country’s second-most populous state, rolled out strict COVID-19 restrictions and penalties, including a $3,300 fine for scofflaws who don’t abide by the stay-at-home order.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/08/04/woman-allegedly-bashed-cops-head-after-being-stopped-over-mask/
Photo Credit: The Police Association Victoria
Video shows Florida ‘Karen’ use racial slur against landscapers in tirade – “You f–king n—-r b—h.”
A Florida woman was recorded repeatedly calling landscapers the N-word in a caught-on-camera tirade.
Footage posted to Instagram showed the unidentified, blond woman — who social media users have dubbed a “Karen” — shouting along a residential street in Orlando on Sunday at a crew of landscapers, saying “You f–king n—-r b—h.”
“Here’s the type of s–t we go through, man,” one of the landscapers says to the camera, as the woman stands on nearby on a sidewalk shouting at them.
She then comes closer to the landscapers, prompting one of them to call to the neighbors, “Hey, can you get this lady?”
“Yeah you f–king n—-r b—h,” the woman shouts before others nearby attempt to intervene.
“Have a good day!” one of the landscapers said to her before they got into their vehicle.
It’s unclear what prompted the altercation.
A second video posted to social media shows at least four Orlando police officers approach the woman as she screams obscenities at them.
“Oh, yeah!? F–king arrest me, motherf—ker!” she yells as one of the officers grabs her and places her arms behind her back.
F–k you!” she adds.
The woman was not arrested, but taken to a medical facility for a mental evaluation, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Police Department said Tuesday.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/08/04/florida-karen-uses-racial-slur-against-landscapers-video/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Florida man fatally shoots Burger King worker over drive-thru delay
A Florida man fatally shot an Orlando Burger King worker Saturday night after his friend’s drive-thru order took too long to complete, according to a report.
Kelvis Rodriguez-Tormes, 37, is accused of gunning down Desmond Joshua, 22, in the parking lot of the fast-food restaurant on East Colonial Drive about 7:30 p.m., according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
“You got two seconds before I shoot you,” Rodriguez-Tormes told the victim, who had only been recently hired, before pulling the trigger, WKMG reported, citing deputies.
Rodriguez-Tormes had earlier stormed to the Burger King at the behest of a woman who made a scene over a long wait time at the drive-thru.
The unidentified woman was refunded $40 and told to leave after she got out of her car and screamed she was going to get “her man” to come to the eatery, according to an arrest record.
She drove away, but soon returned with Rodriguez-Tormes, who targeted Joshua, demanding the employee fight him.
Rodriguez-Tormes placed Joshua in a headlock before a witness separated the two, records show.
But moments later, Rodriguez-Tormes returned from his truck with a gun and shot Joshua, police said.
The employee was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead.
Rodriguez-Tormes was charged with murder, destruction of evidence and weapons possession.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/08/03/florida-man-fatally-shoots-burger-king-worker-over-drive-thru-delay/
Photo Credit: Orange County Sheriff’s Office
Plane so stuffed with cocaine it crashed during take-off
A small plane stuffed with $80 million in cocaine crashed en-route to Australia — possibly because it was laden with drugs to fly, police said.
The drugs were allegedly found packed on the aircraft after it crashed upon takeoff in Papua New Guinea last week, Australian network 9News reported.
Five members of a Melbourne-based crime syndicate were arrested on Monday, shortly after the plane was dispatched from the Aussie state of Queensland to nearby Papua New Guinea to collect the drugs, cops said.
The craft crashed later that day between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. while allegedly attempting to fly 500 kilograms of coke out of a remote air-strip on the island nation.
“The Australian Federal Police (AFP) alleges greed played a significant part in the [crime] syndicate’s activities and cannot rule out that the weight of the cocaine had an impact on the plane’s ability to take off,” a police statement read.
Papua New Guinea authorities discovered the downed Cessna 402C plane empty shortly after the crash. Sniffer dogs identified trace amounts of cocaine at the scene, which led cops to the contraband after a four day search.
No one was found in the partially burned wreckage, according to Sky News.
The pilot turned himself in to the Australian consulate in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday and was charged with immigration offenses.
A truck had allegedly been waiting for the plane in Queensland, with plans to transport the drugs south.
The alleged Aussie co-conspirators had been under police surveillance for two years, according to ABC News.
The five men arrested in Australia — ages 31, 31, 33, 33 and 61 — have ties to the Italian mafia, police said. They face life in prison for their role in the alleged scheme.
“These arrests send a clear message that PNG will not tolerate transnational crime syndicates using our nation as a transit point for illicit commodities intended for Australia,” said David Manning, Papua New Guinea’s police chief.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/08/02/plane-so-stuffed-with-cocaine-it-crashed-during-take-off/
Photo Credit: EPA/AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE HANDOUT
Florida man buys Porsche with fake check printed from home computer
A man in Florida reportedly purchased a brand new Porsche with a check he printed on a home computer — and then decided to splurge on some watches.
Casey William Kelley, 42, cashed in the nearly $140,000 check at a local car dealership on Tuesday but was taken into custody one day later when he attempted to buy several Rolex watches at a jeweler in Miramar Beach with more bogus checks, according to the Palm Beach Post.
He was subsequently arrested for grand theft of a motor vehicle and uttering a false bank note.
After selling the car, a Porsche 911 Turbo, the dealership unsuccessfully tried to cash Kelley’s check and then reported the vehicle as stolen.
The jeweler, however, opted to keep both the check and the watches until the money cleared.
When the check came back as false, the cashier reported the crime to police — though Kelley was already in custody.
He later admitted to authorities that he had printed the checks at home, police said.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/08/03/florida-man-buys-porsche-with-fake-check-printed-from-home-computer/
Photo Credit: Walton County Sheriff’s Office
Teachers bring coffins, guillotine while protesting NYC schools reopening plan
Teachers brought along visual aids, including handmade coffins and a guillotine, while protesting Mayor Bill de Blasio’s schools reopening plan in Lower Manhattan on Monday afternoon.
About 200 protesters — many of them educators, parents and students — marched from the United Federation of Teachers Headquarters to the NYC Department of Education offices near Foley Square.
“We demand safe schools,” they chanted.
The crafty group lugged a DIY yellow guillotine, with “DOE” painted on the blade and “US” written where the head would go.
They also carried at least two boxes designed to look like coffins, with black cloth draped over them, and three handmade body bags.
“Children cannot focus on schoolwork if their family members or teachers are in the hospital or dying,” said Frankie Cook, a kindergarten teacher at PS 261 in Brooklyn.
“Children cannot learn if they’re dead.”
The protesters were up in arms about the mayor’s plan for a partial reopening of the country’s biggest school system amid the coronavirus pandemic, asserting that the current model does not go far enough in terms of safety or logistical specificity.
“Hey-hey, ho-ho, Bill de Blasio has got to go!,” the group roared.
Under Hizzoner’s plan, “Schools will be like prisons,” said Cook, adding “Teachers’ main focus will be on enforcing health and safety because one slip could cause someone their lives.”
Anthony Bautista-Ramil, another Brooklyn educator whose colleague, Kimarlee Nguyen, died of COVID-19 in May, added that “The plan does not prioritize safety.”
The mayor has vowed to reopen schools in September as long as city coronavirus infection rates remain below 3 percent and City Hall has rolled out broad safety protocols for the upcoming year.
City Hall’s model will encourage, but not require, teachers to get tested just before the September start of the school year and will provide expedited testing and results for them at 34 centers.
But the United Federation of Teachers has pushed back and called for more stringent safety measures, including mandatory random testing throughout the year to guard against exposures.
The mayor defended the plan on Monday, claiming that: “It’s all about health and safety first.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/08/03/teachers-get-creative-while-protesting-nyc-schools-reopening-plan/
Photo Credit: nypost.com/Dan Herrick
U.S. Navy’s 1st Black female tactical jet pilot gets her ‘wings of gold’
The US Navy’s first Black female tactical aircraft pilot, Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, received her “wings of gold” on Friday, marking a historic milestone for naval aviation.
Swegle was named a naval aviator and awarded her gold naval aviator wings with 25 classmates during a small ceremony at Naval Air Station Kingsville in Texas, according to the Navy.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to work harder and fly high performance jet aircraft in the fleet,” Swegle said. “It would’ve been nice to see someone who looked like me in this role; I never intended to be the first. I hope it’s encouraging to other people.”
Swegle became the Navy’s first Black female strike pilot after completing tactical strike training at NAS Kingsville on July 7. A strike pilot flies the Navy’s strike aircraft, including fighter jets like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, or the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.
“Lt. j.g. Swegle has proven to be a courageous trailblazer,” said Vice Adm. DeWolfe “Bullet” Miller III, the commander of Naval Air Forces. “She has joined a select group of people who earned Wings of Gold and answered the call to defend our nation from the air. The diversity of that group — with differences in background, skill and thought — makes us a stronger fighting force.”
Swegle’s landmark accomplishment follows the footsteps of other groundbreaking women and minorities in the US Navy, like Rosemary Mariner, who became the first female jet pilot in 1974, and Brenda Robinson, the first Black woman to become a Navy flight instructor, evaluator and VIP transport pilot in the 1980’s, according to the non-profit organization Women in Aviation International.
“I think representation is important because we are a very diverse nation,” Swegle said in a video released by the Navy earlier this week. “I would like everyone to believe that they can achieve whatever they want to do.”
Swegle graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2017 and completed initial flight screening at NAS Pensacola. She completed primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi and finished her advanced strike training at NAS Kingsville. She completed her aircraft carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast on May 20.
Swegle will now report to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 at NAS Whidbey Island in Washington to begin training as an EA-18G Growler pilot. The squadron trains new naval aviators, naval flight officers, and naval aircrewmen in electronic warfare tactics, techniques, and procedures in preparation for their fleet assignments, according to the Navy.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, and is based on US aircraft carriers.
Photo Credit: wrcbtv.com
‘Get your knee off our necks’ protest held in NYC
NEW YORK — These protesters come with extraordinary pain, as their loved ones were killed at the hands of police.
Eric Garner‘s mother Gwen Carr, Sean Bell’s widow, Nicole, Breonna Taylor’s family and George Floyd’s brother Terence, all moving through midtown full steam ahead,
It was a peaceful march called “get your knees off our necks,” which means more than just how Floyd died.
“Gets your knees off our necks on everything, it means black women being killed in hospitals giving birth, that goes into foster care systems, that goes into ending gun violence,” said protester Larry Michael Smith Jr.
The families were joined by about hundred marchers who started out in Times Square and went up to Trump Tower. Their demands were clear, they want an end to police brutality and equality on all levels.
“We are tired of being sick and tired,” said Rev. Kevin McCall of the National Action Network. “We don’t want just legislation, we want everything to change.”
Protesters admit they have had some success with police reform but say they must keep the momentum going.
Garner’s mother has been outspoken since her son died 6 years ago.
”Even the laws have been passed but they’re still pushed back, they’re trying to overturn those laws that have already been established,” said Carr.
Through support, a commitment for change and their voices, these protesters are hopeful.
At one point Floyd’s brother took a moment to add his handprint to a painting in honor of his brother.
“My brother was about community and giving back,” said Terence Floyd.
That’s why the pain is still heavy and these families say time can’t heal what they feel, only justice can.
via: https://www.pix11.com/news/local-news/take-your-knee-off-our-necks-protest-held-in-nyc
Photo Credit: pix11.com