“Shoot now, pay later”: Arizona gun store criticized for back-to-school ad
PHOENIX, AZ. (CNN/KNXV) — It’s normal to see back-to-school advertisements for things like backpacks and lunchboxes as the beginning of the school year approaches.
But guns?
The owner of an Arizona gun shop says their back-to-school ad was all a big misunderstanding.
At Tombstone Tactical, the company has a very large online presence, according to owner Brian Smith.
On Saturday morning, he hit send to push out his weekly newsletter to his subscribers.
“The title of the program is called Shoot Now, Pay Later,” he said.
He wrote: “now that the kids are back in school it’s a perfect time to take advantage of some great specials.”
“How that could be missed it’s shocking, it’s shocking,” said New Mexico customer Marty Ryan who read the newsletter.
“I cannot believe these guys put this together as a promotion,” said Ryan. “Especially when they use the words.. ‘now that the kids are back in school let’s have an assault rifle sale’.”
Ryan is a gun owner, but his daughter is an elementary school teacher and his grand kids went back to school recently.
“It’s always in the back of our heads. It’s something that scares all of us,” said Ryan.
Smith said “there’s no way we would ever encourage violence at all.”
“We just spent a bunch of money on our kids. Now it’s time to spend a little bit of money on ourselves,” he added.
He’s convinced most customers didn’t misinterpret the newsletter.
“I would apologize to anyone who took offense to that. We sent that email out to well over 200,000 people and I only received three negative responses,” he added.
With multiple mass shootings less than 10 days old, the gun industry is once again facing scrutiny.
Tombstone Tactical says they go out of their way to promote gun safety and will now do a safety check on future emails.
“We will probably look at our emails a little bit better before we send them out,” said Smith.
Most customers say they think the email was an honest mistake. And that they will continue buying from Tombstone.
As for Ryan, he says he’s a former customer now.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
Man was assaulted by police officer at St. Louis market because man asked “what type of police officer was he”
ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) — Police are investigating an incident involving an officer and a customer in a local store from a week ago in which witnesses say the customer was assaulted.
The situation happened at Crown Food Mart of Vandeventer and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive on August 8.
Surveillance video shows the officer standing in front of the customer, Bryan Boyle, in line as both waited to buy things.
The clerk working at the time said the dispute started when the Broyle asked the officer, what type of police officer he was.
“What are you? That’s all I asked because I was interested in doing like private security and private bodyguard work,” Boyle said. “I just wanted him to point me in the right direction. He went a whole other direction.”
She said the officer seemed offended and tried to put Broyle in handcuffs.
Video shows when Broyle refused, the officer pulled out a taser and hit Broyle over and over in the head with handcuffs.
“That’s when he starts beating me in the face with his handcuffs and fists, with blood leaking down my face,” he said.
A clerk working at the time, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the officer wildly overreacted.
“The only thing the customer did was ask a question. It was just a simple yes question where he could have said, ‘I am an officer,’ or ‘I am a security guard.’ Like all you had to do was either answer the question or ignore the question and walk away,” she said.
Despite the trauma of the incident, Broyle said it inspired him to become a police officer even more than before.
“There’s people out there that actually want to protect their people, not harm their people,” he said.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
Dog’s nose cut open during grooming at Petsmart
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A Virginia woman says her dog was delayed veterinary treatment after being injured at a local PetSmart.
Victoria Lawhorne says it happened July 30th while her pet was being groomed at the Petsmart on Jefferson Davis Highway in Chester, about 16 miles south of Richmond.
“They called me and said my dog was rushed to the vet because he had got cut,” Lawhorne told WTVR, “They said he was moving a tiny bit too much and accidentally cut his nose.”
She then met the PetSmart employees at the Banfield Pet Hospital, which is attached to the Colonial Heights PetSmart. Upon arriving, the employees allegedly told her that “because they charge an arm and a leg here, we’re going to go to another vet and see what they say,” Lawhorne said.
“A piece of his nose was kind of missing and open up and like and you could see meat inside and blood. It was kind of like gross and nasty. I didn’t even want to look at it because it gave me chill bumps,” she said.
Lawhorne said Osito was transported to Animal Medical Center in Midlothian, 30 minutes north of Banfield Pet Hospital in Colonial Heights.
“My dog is hurt you should have taken him to the first vet, you could have taken him to no matter what the price is,” Lawthorne said. “You guys injured him so you guys should be responsible to pay and get him fixed as soon as possible not wait four or five hours to figure out what vet you are going to take him to.”
“From 4:30 ’til about 10:30, 11 o’clock my dog was in the vet because they decided to shop from vet to vet because one was more expensive than the other that shouldn’t have happened.”
Vet records from Animal Medical Center show Osito was sedated and surgical glue was used to repair his lacerated nose.
He was sent home with medication and restrictions.
Victoria says PetSmart picked up the bill and offered her a gift card that she hasn’t accepted.
“It’s more than an inconvenience, my dog was in pain, suffering, he wasn’t eating and I don’t think just a $50.00 gift card could be okay,” Lawhorne said. “You guys haven’t checked on him, you guys won’t respond to any of calls or anything regarding the incident. You’re hurting somebody’s family. A dog’s pain and suffering at least care a little more than what they are doing,” she added.
A Petsmart spokesperson gave this statement to WTVR:
“Osito’s nose was accidentally cut during a groom, and he was immediately taken to a local pet hospital by our associate where he was transferred to an emergency veterinarian to receive prompt treatment. The welfare of Osito was our top priority, and treatment costs were not a factor in how we sought care for him. PetSmart has reached out to the pet parent multiple times to check on Osito and offer continued support, but to date, the pet parent has not returned any calls. we are sorry this accident occurred, and we wish Osito a speedy recovery.”
Lawhorne maintains she has not heard from the pet store chain.
Osito’s nose is almost fully healed and he should be able to return to normal activity by the end of the week.
There are no formal requirements for pet groomers in Virginia. PetSmart’s website states it takes more than one year to become a certified pet stylist with the company.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/08/14/dogs-nose-partially-cut-off-during-grooming-at-petsmart/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
Family sues Walmart after dresser falls and suffocates toddler
The parents of a 2-year old girl who died after suffocating between the drawers of a toppled dresser have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Walmart.
Destiny Russell says she found daughter Lorelei Lyons “pinned between the drawers of the subject dresser” when she went to check on her sleeping child in August 15, 2017, according to the new suit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Russel and her husband, Albert Lyons, were gifted the South Shore brand Libra 3-drawer dresser two years prior, which was bought at Walmart.com, the court papers say.
The family claims Walmart knew that the piece of furniture was top-heavy and had a tendency to topple over.
“Defendants recognized that the drawers of the subject dresser were often used by children as ‘steps’ to climb up the dresser,” the court documents say.
The Canadian furniture maker’s Summer Breeze line issued multiple recalls for the same reason twice in the six months before their daughter’s death, the parents allege.
The family is suing Walmart and the manufacturer for unspecified damages.
A spokesperson with Walmart, Lemia Jenkins, offered “condolences to the family for their loss” but did not comment on the suit.
South Shore did not immediately return a request for comment.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/08/14/family-sues-walmart-after-dresser-falls-and-suffocates-toddler/
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Man accused of force-feeding meth to his cat
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A New Mexico man has been charged with a felony after police say his cat tested positive for methamphetamines.
Aaron Spaulding, 39, was initially arrested on June 4 and accused of battering his girlfriend and holding her against her will, the Las Cruces Police Department said in a statement.
While police were responding to the incident at Spaulding’s home, they learned he may have been neglecting his dog and a domestic shorthair cat, police said.
Authorities said he strangled and force-fed drugs to the cat, and announced Tuesday that they’d upgraded his animal cruelty counts to a felony after tests found the cat had methamphetamines in its system.
Information on his attorney was not immediately available.
He was originally charged with false imprisonment, two counts of battery against a household member, interference with communication and two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, according to court records.
Authorities said a veterinarian reported signs of neurological deficits in the cat, who was treated and adopted into another home.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/08/14/man-accused-of-force-feeding-meth-to-his-cat/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
Mother arrested after attacking 3-year-old daughter with machete in Philadelphia, police say
(Meredith/KYW/CNN) — A woman is accused of attacking her 3-year-old daughter with a machete in north Philadelphia.
Authorities said Lauren Rodriguez, 34, will face several charges including attempted homicide, aggravated assault, child endangerment and related offenses.
Officers were called to a home in Feltonville shortly before 8:30 p.m. Sunday and found the girl “covered in blood and being consoled by multiple individuals.”
Neighbors told police they rushed to help the girl after witnessing Rodriguez strike her with the weapon numerous times.
“I saw the daughter with her head split open from her mother with a machete,” neighbor Pauline Williams told CBS Philly. “Thank God for the neighbors. They all got together, and they really helped that little girl.”
The child was later listed in stable condition with skull fractures and multiple lacerations on her head, shoulder and knee.
Police said a man at the same address was arrested a week prior for allegedly attacking a neighbor with a machete.
Photo Credit: philadelphia.cbslocal.com
Loss Prevention Officer raped ‘Forever 21’ shoplifter; may have victimized others
GRAPEVINE, Texas (KTVT/Meredith) — Texas police said a loss prevention officer charged with sexual assault may have more victims.
Investigators arrested Alex Landry, 29, at an apartment in Grapevine, Texas on Thursday. He is accused of sexually assaulting a woman inside the Burlington Coat Factory Loss Prevention Office at Grapevine Mills Mall.
The victim says Landry caught her stealing merchandise from a Forever 21 store within the mall and took her back to his office inside Burlington Coat Factory.
Once the two were alone, the victim says Landry took her picture with his phone, then coerced her into sex to avoid arrest.
The victim reported the assault to Grapevine Police on July 7, 2019, and officers launched an investigation. A search warrant was later issued for Landry’s phone, and detectives found photographs of other women in Landry’s Loss Prevention Office. Officers do not know the identities of these women, but believe they could be additional victims.
Grapevine police urge any women who were confronted or assaulted by Landry to contact detectives during business hours at 817.410.3200 or after hours at 817.410.8127.
Alex Landry is charged with Sexual Assault, a Second Degree Felony. His bond was set at $25,000.
Photo Credit: Grapevine Police
Illinois requires public schools teach LGBTQ history
Illinois public schools will be required to teach about the contributions of LGBTQ people across the state and the country — under a new law approved by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The law, signed by Pritzker last week, mandates that the history curriculum in schools across the state include lessons spotlighting noteworthy lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, according to the Chicago Tribune.
As part of the new curriculum — set to launch in 2020 — the LGBTQ-focused lessons must be taught before the students reach the eighth grade, according to the report.
All textbooks “must include the roles and contributions of all people protected under the Illinois Human Rights Act and must be non-discriminatory as to any of the characteristics under the Act,” the bill states.
“One of the best ways to overcome intolerance is through education and exposure to different people and viewpoints,” Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans of Chicago, one of the bill’s Senate sponsors, said in a news release obtained by the Tribune. “An inclusive curriculum will not only teach an accurate version of history but also promote acceptance of the LGBTQ community.”
State Rep. Anna Moeller said in a release that Illinois is the fifth state in the country to adopt a law of this nature.
“The new law’s goal is simple: to understand that people from different backgrounds deserve the same opportunity to learn and be recognized for their contributions in society as everyone else,” Moeller said.
The curriculum will include topics ranging from the country’s first gay rights organization — the Society for Human Rights, launched in Chicago in 1924 — to a spotlight on Sally Ride, the first US woman in space who was also gay, Unilad reported.
The civil rights advocacy group Equality Illinois supported the bill, noting that it would have a “positive effect on students’ self-image and make their peers more accepting.”
In a statement, Victor Salvo, executive director of the Chicago-based Legacy Project, which fosters an appreciation for the contributions of LGBTQ individuals, called the new legislation life-saving.
“To deny a child information that could give them hope, that could help them feel less alone, that could help them feel like they mattered — while at the same time condemning them to hearing bigoted slurs in the hallways of their schools — is a cruelty that every feeling adult has a responsibility to stop,” he said.
The state’s public schools are already required to teach students about the history of minority ethnic groups, including African Americans and Hispanics, according to the Tribune.
The LGBTQ legislation made it through the House by a vote of 60-42 and 37-17 in the Senate.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/08/13/illinois-requires-public-schools-teach-lgbtq-history/
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Teen Arrested After Loaded Gun Falls From His Pants During Traffic Stop in Oxnard
A 16-year-old passenger was arrested after a firearm was found on him during a traffic stop in Oxnard on Monday afternoon, police said.
About 3:10 p.m., officers pulled a 20-year-old driver over on H Street near Second Street for a stop sign violation, according to a statementfrom the Oxnard Police Department.
When officers went to the stopped car, they noticed the smell of marijuana and observed the teen tossing out what appeared to be a small amount of pot from the right-front passenger window, police said.
That led them to search both occupants.
An officer was patting down the teen when “a loaded gun fell from his pants,” the statement read.
The boy, who has not been identified, was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm in a car. He was booked into juvenile hall.
Police also arrested the driver on suspicion of resisting or delaying the duties of police and allowing a passenger to carry a loaded gun in a vehicle. He was taken to Ventura County Jail.
Photo Credit: Oxnard Police
Man admits putting hidden camera in neighbor’s bathroom, hoping to videotape a nude 13 year old
NEWTON, N.J. — A New Jersey man has admitted installing a hidden camera in his neighbor’s bathroom in hopes of videotaping a 13-year-old nude.
Joseph Rebisz of Newton pleaded guilty Monday to criminal attempt/endangering by photographing or filming a child in a prohibited sexual act or in the simulation of such an act.
Under terms of a plea agreement, the 56-year-old will undergo an evaluation and register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law. He could face up to 3 years in prison.
Rebisz had a copy of his neighbor’s key to take care of the neighbor’s dogs when they were away. He placed the camera facing the shower.
The camera was discovered before Rebisz captured any images of the teen.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/08/13/man-admits-putting-hidden-camera-in-neighbors-bathroom/
Photo Credit: pix11.com