Cop laughs after breaking black man’s ankle with flying tackle
Shocking video shows an Atlanta cop sprinting to tackle a black driver, breaking his ankle — then laughing and calling him a “little girl” as he forced him to walk on it, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
Tyler Griffin, who was pulled over by an unmarked police car for an alleged traffic violation in April last year, looked confused in bodycam footage as an officer waved a gun at him and screamed, “Get out of the f–king car!”
Once out, Griffin gently brushed off the white officer’s arm when he grabbed his shirt, according to the lawsuit filed against the same force that just lost its chief over Friday’s shooting death of Rayshard Brooks.
A second white officer then sprinted for a flying tackle, knocking Griffin to the ground and breaking his ankle, footage released by Griffin’s lawyers shows.
“He’s supposed to protect and serve, not act like he’s on WWE,” said Griffin’s attorney Jeb Butler.
That officer — identified in court documents as Donald Vickers — later laughed to a fellow cop, who pointed out the “skid marks” from the crash landing.
“We’re laughing because you fell pretty hard after pushing an officer, man. I find that funny, man,” Vickers told the suspect as he screamed in pain.
Griffin was then made to stand and walk, with the officers still laughing as he wailed, “It hurts! It hurts!” and “Oh my God — help me, please! Take the pain away!”
“You sound like a little girl right now,” Vickers told him, according to the lawsuit filed in district court in Atlanta.
Griffin’s injury later required emergency surgery to install a metal plate and 10 pins, according to his lawyers.
The lawsuit claims the officers tried to cover up causing the injury, alleging that Griffin hurt himself driving and that they were not “strong enough to take down Griffin.”
The officers also claimed Griffin’s inability to walk was proof that he was under the influence — their reason for not administering sobriety tests, the documents allege.
Griffin’s lawyers say they have yet to learn if Vickers and the other officer with him — identified as Matthew Abad — have been fired or disciplined.
Griffin said he is only pursuing the case because he doesn’t want it to “happen to anybody else.”
“I grew up believing that if you cooperated with officers, everything would be okay,” he said.
“I still think most police officers are good people. But what happened to me is not acceptable, and this story has to be told.”
Griffin was charged with DUI and various traffic violations, and the charges are still pending, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said.
The Atlanta Police Department, Vickers and Abad did not immediately comment on the case, the paper said.
The police brutality lawsuit came on the same day Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced police reforms in the wake of Brooks’ shooting, including a “duty to intervene” policy within the department ranks.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/16/cop-laughs-after-breaking-black-mans-ankle-with-tackle-video/
Photo Credit: Butler Law Firm
Former MP questions Kellogg’s over Coco Pops monkey when Rice Krispies characters are white
A former Labour MP has written to Kellogg’s to ask why its Rice Krispies packets feature “three white boys” while Coco Pops boxes display a monkey, amid the Black Lives Matter protests.
Fiona Onasanya, who last year became the first sitting MP to be jailed in three decades after being convicted of lying to police officers over a speeding fine, took to Twitter to question the cereal company’s choice of mascot.
The intervention comes after protests have erupted across the world following the killing by police of George Floyd, a black man who had repeatedly told officers who were restraining him that he was unable to breath.
She said: “@KelloggsUK, as you are yet to reply to my email – Coco Pops and Rice Krispies have the same compòsition (except for the fact CP’s are brown and chocolate flavoured)… so I was wondering why Rice Krispies have three white boys representing the brand and Coco Pops have a monkey?”
Kellogg’s said that it “stands in support of the black community” and that the monkey mascot features on both white and milk chocolate Coco Pops and highlights the “playful personality” of the brand.
Ms Onasanya later tweeted: “Well, given John Harvey Kellogg co-founded the Race Betterment Foundation (the Foundation’s main purpose was to study the cause of and cure for ‘race degeneracy’), it would be remiss of me not to ask.”
The cereal company was founded by John Harvey Kellogg’s brother William Keith Kellogg, although the pair did come up with the recipe for Corn Flakes together.
A spokesman for the company said: “It’s important that we are all talking more about how we can build racial equality. Kellogg stands in support of the black community.
“We do not tolerate discrimination and believe that people of all races, genders, backgrounds, sexual orientation, religions, capabilities and beliefs should be treated with the utmost dignity and respect.
“The monkey mascot that appears on both white and milk chocolate Coco Pops, was created in the 1980s to highlight the playful personality of the brand.
“As part of our ambition to bring fun to the breakfast table, we have a range of characters that we show on our cereal boxes, including tigers, giraffes, crocodiles, elves and a narwhal.”
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/former-mp-questions-kelloggs-over-113654224.html
Photo Credit: currently.att.yahoo.com
Husband of California ‘Karen’ Lisa Alexander fired from wealth management firm
The husband of a California “Karen” who called the cops on a Filipino man for stenciling “BLACK LIVES MATTER” on his own property was fired Monday by his wealth management company after he filmed the encounter, according to a report.
Lisa Alexander, CEO of a San Francisco-based skin care company, said Sunday she was “deeply sorry” for her “racist” actions when she told James Juanillo that he was illegally writing in chalk on a retaining wall because it was private property — which he actually owns.
On Monday, fallout over the incident continued as the Raymond James firm announced on Twitter that Robert Larkin has been given the boot.
“Raymond James has zero tolerance for racism and discrimination of any kind,” the company said. “An inclusive workplace is fundamental to our culture, one in which people are free to bring their whole selves to their careers, and we expect our associates to conduct themselves appropriately inside and outside the workplace.
“After an investigation into the circumstances of a video alleging racism by one of our associates, we have concluded that the actions of he and his partner were inconsistent with our values, and the associate is no longer employed by Raymond James,” it added.
Meanwhile, his wife’s company, LaFace Skincare, has taken its website offline, according to KPIX 5.
“I want to apologize directly to Mr. Juanillo. There are not enough words to describe how truly sorry I am for being disrespectful to him last Tuesday when I made the decision to question him about what he was doing in front of his home,” Alexander wrote on Twitter.
“I should have minded my own business. The last 48 hours has taught me that my actions were those of someone who is not aware of the damage caused by being ignorant and naive to racial inequalities,” she continued.
“When I watch the video I am shocked and sad that I behaved the way I did. It was disrespectful to Mr. Juanillo and I am deeply sorry for that. I did not realize at the time that my actions were racist and have learned a painful lesson,” added Alexander, who has been dubbed a “Karen,” a derogatory term for white women perceived as being entitled, on social media.
“I am taking a hard look at the meaning behind white privilege and am committed to growing from this experience,” she wrote.
Juanillo, who said he was a proud gay Filipino, told KPIX 5 that Alexander “decided to call men with guns because of chalk art.”
“This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced fear or even loathing that just kind of creeps out,” Juanillo, who has lived on Gough Street for 18 years and runs a dog-walking business, told the news outlet.
Juanillo said he was open to meeting with Alexander, an offer she appeared to accept on Sunday.
“I would love to have coffee with Mr. Juanillo in our neighborhood so I can apologize in person and share a dialogue where I can continue to learn and grow and be a better person,” she said.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/15/husband-of-lisa-alexander-fired-from-wealth-management-firm/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Man carrying ‘what appeared to be’ a gun fatally shot by police in San Bernardino
Police shot and killed a man at a San Bernardino gas station after responding to reports of a man waving around a gun Saturday night, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 8:30 p.m. at a gas station at Del Rosa Avenue and Date Street, according to the San Bernardino Police Department.
Upon responding to reports of a person waving a gun, “Patrol Officers arrived and located a suspect matching the description, and the suspect was still carrying what appeared to be a black handgun in his hand,” the Police Department said via social media. “An officer involved shooting occurred and the suspect was struck and was injured.”
Paramedics took the wounded suspect to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Video recorded by a witness captured the moments leading up to the shooting, although the suspect was out of frame at the moment police fired a volley of shots.
In the video, a man can be seen standing near a gas pump.
Officers can be heard repeatedly shouting, “Drop the gun.”
The camera moves away from the suspect about a second before more than a dozen gunshots can be heard in quick succession. “Oh my God,” remarks the witness.
Photos released by police depict the suspect pointing an object toward officers.
It was not clear late Saturday whether a firearm was found at the scene.
No further details were available as the investigation remained in its early stages
Photo Credit: ktla.com
Woman with no mask coughs on complaining customer in Queens bagel shop
ASTORIA, Queens — A former assistant research coordinator at Weill Cornell Medicine appears to have intentionally coughed on another customer at an Astoria bagel shop after the customer complained about her lack of mask, video shows.
Allison Goodbaum was in New York City Bagel Coffee House at Broadway and 30th Street on June 6, two days before New York City was set to begin Phase 1 of reopening, when she spotted a woman, identified by her former employer as Lauren Balsamo, in the shop without a mask. Goodbaum pointed it out to an employee and said the shop should enforce mask rules for customers.
After hearing what Goodbaum said, Balsamo repeatedly called her a p***y, then walked over and coughed on Goodbaum, who was wearing a mask.
“She got very, very close and I could feel her breath on my face,” Goodbaum said.
According to Goodbaum, the coughing woman said she had COVID antibodies and didn’t need to wear a mask.
“For someone to say that and behave that way was disheartening,” Goodbaum said.
Goodbaum, furious the bagel shop served Balsamo and didn’t check on her after the coughing incident, pledged not to return to the shop.
“They didn’t say anything, no one came out from the back to ask her to leave. When I called them later in the week to talk to the manager, it was ‘he’s not here and he’s going to be here tomorrow,'” Goodbaum said.
New York City Bagel Coffee House said their policy is to only serve customers in masks, but that the staff was “caught off guard.”
“Most of our staff and the cashier who was working that day are high school students who were frightened from the behavior of this woman,” the shop posted on Facebook. “We told our staff to NEVER serve anyone without a mask or face covering and if the customer gives them any issue to immediately call authorities.”
New York City Bagel Coffee House said Balsamo has been banned from all of their locations.
Balsamo has not worked at Weill Cornell Medicine since January, Weill Cornell Medicine posted online.
“As an institution on the COVID-19 frontlines, this behavior is shocking & abhorrent to us,” they tweeted. “Since WCM’s mission is to protect the health & wellbeing of all NYers, we condemn this flagrant disregard of public safety.”
Goodbaum said it “almost added insult to injury” when she found out about Balsamo’s former job.
“If you’re working in the health care industry it’s entirely up to you to know the guidelines and enforce them for yourself and have the knowledge and understanding, because that’s your world, to take it seriously,” Goodbaum said. “People like that should not be working in the health care industry.”
More than 24,000 people in New York have died of coronavirus.
Photo Credit: pix11.com
He proposed to his girlfriend at a Black Lives Matter protest to celebrate black love
(CNN) — When Marjorie Alston attended a Black Lives Matter protest in North Carolina with her boyfriend, she went carrying a sign but left wearing a ring on her finger.
In the midst of marching, chanting and uniting with fellow protesters, 26-year-old Xavier Young got down on one knee and asked Alston to be his wife.
“I had no idea I would propose at the protest,” Young told CNN. “But when we decided to go, I threw the ring in my bag along with protest gear. When things slowed down a bit, I made it seem like I was grabbing some water, pulled out the ring, and asked her to marry me.”
Photographer Charles Crouch was at the protest in Raleigh on May 30 and captured the heartwarming moment in what he called “divine timing.” After the proposal, he and the couple ended up becoming friends.
Alston, 23, who is four months pregnant with the couple’s first child, said she knew Young would find a bold way to propose to her. But when he did it at the protest, she was completely shocked — and immediately said yes.
“I wasn’t really expecting this, but I loved it. It was very sweet and memorable. I know I will remember the moment forever,” Alston said.
‘Black lives matter and black love matters’
Alston and Young met in the summer of 2018 when they were working at a laser tag entertainment center, but it wasn’t love at first sight.
“The first thing I said to her was, ‘Oh my God, is that your voice, stop talking’,” Young laughed. “And then we fell in love.”
The proposal did more than solidify their love — it connected them to their community and symbolized hope for the future, he said.
The newly engaged couple were protesting police brutality and racial injustice, along with many others who’ve taken to the streets across the United States since May 25, when a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by kneeling on his neck.
Young said he hopes the proposal brought something beautiful to an otherwise difficult and painful time.
“It’s important for black people, people who look like Marjorie and I, to see images of black love amid everything that’s going on and happening recently,” he said. “Black lives matter and black love matters because with our love we can heal each other and begin to address the trauma of being black in America.”
After the sweet proposal, the two got back up and continued protesting, something they plan to keep doing until there is change.
Photo Credit: Marjorie Alston
Nike adds Juneteenth as company holiday
The sportswear giant added June 19, the oldest known US celebration of the end of slavery, to its list of annual official days off, CNN Business reported. Twitter, Square and Vox Media also have designated the date as a holiday.
Nike announced the decision Thursday in a letter to employees, which also laid out a host of other actions it is planning in response to the nationwide protests against racial injustice.
“At Nike, Inc., we aspire to be a leader in building a diverse, inclusive team and culture. We want to be better than society as a whole,” CEO John Donahoe wrote, adding the observance of Juneteenth is an opportunity “to better commemorate and celebrate Black history and culture.”
Although Nike has depended on black athletes to build its brand, Donahoe acknowledged the company needs to do better by its black employees.
The company’s African American workers feel “a disconnect between our external brand and your internal experience,” Donahoe wrote.
“You have told me that we have not consistently supported, recognized and celebrated our own Black teammates in a manner they deserve. This needs to change.”
Donahoe told workers that Nike’s board and executive team will diversify the company’s workforce and will measure the progress of hiring more black, Latinx and female employees.
Nike didn’t specify the targets for diversity, CNN Business reported. Competitor Adidas is promising to fill at least 30% of its new positions with black or Latinx workers.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/13/nike-adds-juneteenth-as-company-holiday/
Photo Credit: nypost.com/
Kids found dead after being locked in car for 5 hours, dad arrested
An Oklahoma dad was arrested after his two young kids were left in a locked truck for five hours and died, according to a report.
Dustin Lee Dennis, 31, was arrested on two counts of second-degree murder after the two children, who are both under the age of 5, died Saturday outside of his Tulsa home, Fox23 reported.
He told police he drove with his kids around noon to a convenience store, but then returned home and fell asleep for several hours.
When he woke up, Dennis couldn’t find his children — then found them on the floorboard of his truck, the outlet reported.
He then brought them inside to the living room, but paramedics were unable to save them, according to the report.
Police said a neighbor had a video of Dennis locking his truck and going inside without getting his children out, the outlet reported.
“The children had not been checked on for nearly five hours during the time they were locked inside vehicle,” the arrest report said.
Dennis was arrested and booked in Tulsa County jail, where he’s being held on a $1 million bond, according to the news outlet.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/14/kids-found-dead-after-being-locked-in-car-for-hours-dad-arrested/
Photo Credit: Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office
Community calls for justice after black man found dead hanging from tree in California
(CNN) — Dozens of people gathered at Palmdale city council chambers Friday as officials held a press conference on the death of a 24-year-old black man who was found hanging from a tree in northern Los Angeles County.
Shortly after 3:30 a.m. Monday, a passerby noticed a man, later identified as Robert L. Fuller, hanging from a tree in Palmdale, California. Fire department personnel who responded to the scene determined he was dead, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
Palmdale city described it as “an alleged death by suicide.”
“Sadly, it is not the first such incident since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” the city said in a statement that included information on resources for mental health. “The city remains committed to addressing mental health issues during these difficult times. We are in this together.”
When a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department announced the preliminary findings of Fuller’s death during the news conference, outraged crowds demanded an investigation.
“We’re working hard to try to figure out exactly what happened,” Palmdale Mayor Steven D. Hofbauer shouted as he tried to calm people down.
Attendees asked for camera footage of the incident, but a city official said there’s none. Throughout the news conference, officials repeatedly called it an ongoing investigation, saying a full autopsy is underway.
After the press conference, the city issued a statement saying it understands the community’s call for a full investigation into the death.
“We will fully cooperate with the Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles County’s Coroner’s Offices, and any and all investigative agencies looking into the matter,” Hofbauer said.
“We are awaiting all available details surrounding this tragedy. In addition, we are working with local community leaders to increase the dialogue on how we can best work together and build a safer and more inclusive community,” he added.
A full autopsy is expected to be conducted in the immediate future, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Investigators have been in contact with Fuller’s family members and are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Palmdale city manager J.J. Murphy said he would be speaking to Fuller’s sister after the news conference. CNN is attempting to reach out to Fuller’s family members.
A GoFundMe account created to help the family with funeral costs had raised nearly $100,000 by Friday afternoon. Fuller’s death has caught the attention of activist nationwide on social media even Kim Kardashian West.
Palmdale is about 60 miles from Los Angeles.
CNN’s Madeline Holcombe contributed to this report
Photo Credit: GoFundMe
Coronavirus survivor gets whopping 181-page $1.1 million hospital bill
A 70-year-old Seattle man who nearly died from the coronavirus got hit with another shock after he recovered: a $1.1 million hospital bill.
Michael Flor was so sick from COVID-19 that his wife and kids called him to say good-bye.
But he managed to pull through while being treated at Swedish Medical Center in Issaquah, the Seattle Times reported.
Then he got the sky-high bill for his care.
“I opened it and said ‘holy [bleep]!’“ Flor told the paper.
The invoice, totaling an eye-popping $1,122,501.04, ran 181 pages, including $9,736 for his room in the intensive care unit, plus an extra $408,912 because the space had to be sealed off and staff needed to wear full protective gear.
Many of the charges were for the drugs that kept him alive.
Flor has a Medicare Advantage insurance policy that normally covers all charges after the roughly $6,000 deductible, the paper reported.
Special financial regulations enacted by Congress for COVID-19 patients, however, might keep Flor from paying one red cent, the Seattle Times said.
Flor said he was surprised by his own reaction to beating the coronavirus.
“I feel guilty about surviving,” he said. “There’s a sense of, ‘why me?’ Why did I deserve all this? Looking at the incredible cost of it all definitely adds to that survivor’s guilt.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/13/seattle-coronavirus-survivor-gets-1-1-million-hospital-bill/
Photo Credit: nypost.com