Pharrell’s cousin, Donovan Lynch killed by police amid Virginia Beach mass shooting chaos
The man who was shot dead by police during a Friday night melee in Virginia Beach was a cousin of Pharrell Williams, the musician said.
Donovan Lynch, of Virginia Beach, 25, was shot and killed by a uniformed police officer a block away from a shooting that injured eight people.
Police said Lynch was armed and may have been part of the original fight.
Pharrell, who is a Virginia Beach native, tweeted the news Monday.
“The loss of these lives is a tragedy beyond measure. My cousin Donovon was killed during the shootings,” the 13-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer tweeted.
“It is critical my family and the other victims’ families get the transparency they deserve. VA Beach is the epitome of hope and we will get through this,” the post continued.
The cop who fatally shot Lynch is a five-year veteran of Virginia Beach Police who worked in the department’s Special Operations Division.
In the aftermath of the incident, police were vague on details, saying cops “encountered an armed citizen which resulted in a police involved shooting.”
The incident is under investigation, authorities said.
Another shooting at the scene of Lynch’s killing during the chaotic night claimed the life of “Bad Girls Club” star Deshayla “Shay” Harris, 29.
Three men are in custody in connection with the initial gunfight that left eight wounded.
An officer was struck by a car in a third violent incident that night in the beachside community.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/29/pharrells-cousin-killed-by-police-amid-virginia-beach-shooting-chaos/
Photo Credit: facebook
Indiana woman allegedly poisoned ex with fentanyl, strangled him with ‘favorite tie’
An Indiana woman has been charged with poisoning her ex-boyfriend by putting fentanyl in his oatmeal and then strangling him with his “favorite tie,” authorities said.
Heidi Marie Littlefield, 41, was charged on Thursday after repeatedly trying to poison her ex Francis Kelley after unsuccessfully hiring her 22-year-old daughter’s boyfriend to kill the man, the Indianapolis Star reported.
Littlefield, along with daughter Logan Marie Runyon and Runyon’s boyfriend, Robert James Walker, 29, were all busted in connection with the Jan. 18 murder-for-hire plot.
Kelley — who was mired in a custody battle with Littlefield regarding their 2-year-old daughter — was found dead on the couch of his Carmel home.
He had bruising around his eyes, elbows, knees and hand, but “no obvious signs of foul play” were spotted. A bag of cocaine was also discovered beneath a couch, a probable cause affidavit shows.
An autopsy revealed Kelley had been strangled and suffered blunt-force trauma to his head. His death was ruled a homicide after investigators also discovered fentanyl in his system.
Phone records showed that Kelley suspected Littlefield had a hand in the fentanyl poisoning.
“Did you do something to the oatmeal that was in my fridge?” Kelley texted Littlefield three days before he was found dead. “You were in my fridge last night and it tasted funny after a couple bites and now I am light-headed.”
Walker, who was arrested Tuesday in Ohio, told police Littlefield paid him $2,500 to hire someone to kill Kelley, but said he spent it on drugs and had no intention of carrying out the slaying, court records show.
“He’s better off dead,” Littlefield told a relative after Kelley was found, court records show. “I didn’t mean to kill him last time. I might as well say I did it and just say I’m crazy and pregnant.”
Walker told cops the January killing was actually Littlefield’s third try at killing her ex, claiming she had snuck in Kelley’s home with their daughter in October and put fentanyl in his miso soup, the Indianapolis Star reported.
Walker claimed Runyon told him that she and Littlefield got into Kelley’s house after he ate the laced oatmeal to finish off the planned slaying, authorities said.
“Walker advised Heidi tried to get Logan to ‘snap his neck,’ but Logan couldn’t do it, so Heidi then tied his ‘his favorite’ tie around his neck and began smashing his head into the ground,” the affidavit states.
Kelley and Littlefield were scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 27 after she allegedly violated a custody order involving their 2-year-old daughter, WISH reported.
Walker said Littlefield had discussed with him “doing work around her house,” which they used as code for their plan to kill Kelley, court documents show.
Walker claimed Littlefield also tried to get Runyon to “take the blame for the whole case,” which the woman’s daughter told him she planned to do, the affidavit shows.
“Walker advised he recalled Heidi asking Logan if Logan ‘was cool with going to prison’ for the rest of her life,” investigators wrote.
Littlefield, of Sheridan, had her initial court appearance Friday. She was ordered held without bond ahead of her June 15 pretrial hearing. Runyon and Walker, both of Englewood, Ohio, did not have initial court dates listed as of Friday, WISH reported.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/29/woman-poisoned-ex-with-fentanyl-strangled-him-with-favorite-tie/
Photo Credit: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
Asian woman brutally beaten in suspected hate crime as security guard does nothing to help – “F—k you, you don’t belong here”
A racist attacker beat an Asian woman who was walking to her Midtown church on Monday morning in a suspected hate-driven assault — as a security guard in a nearby building watched and did nothing to help, according to police and footage of the incident.
The unidentified suspect allegedly hurled anti-Asian statements as he punched and kicked the 65-year-old woman on West 43rd Street near Ninth Avenue at about 11:40 a.m., according to cops.
“F—k you, you don’t belong here,” the brute yelled at the woman, according to sources.
Video footage of the attack provided by police shows the suspect kicking the victim to the ground — then kicking her in the head several times as she was on the ground.
Several men from a nearby building witnessed the attack, the footage shows, but did not try to help the woman as the suspect was kicking her.
One of the men, who was undoing packages, watched the entire attack unfold, the footage shows. Two other men — who appear to be building security — walked over to the door as the attack ended, but did not chase after the suspect, the video shows.
The suspect ran off and was still being sought Monday night, police said.
The woman, who suffered a fractured pelvis in the beating, was taken to NYU Langone Hospital in stable condition, authorities said.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating, police said.
The department has recorded a 1,300 percent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/29/asian-woman-seriously-injured-in-suspected-midtown-hate-crime/
Photo Credit: DCPI
St. Louis man fatally shoots neighbor who was arguing with his girlfriend | Caught on camera
ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) – A confrontation that took place right before a man was fatally shot in South City Friday was caught on camera.
Craig Williams, 23, was shot in the 4000 block of Hydraulic Friday evening. Williams was arguing with his girlfriend before a neighbor armed with a handgun stepped in and shot him. But Williams’ friends say there was no reason for the neighbor to use deadly force.
A video recorded from across the street shows the moments leading up to the shooting. Friends of Williams, Daniel Calmese and Michael Atkins, say Williams was arguing with his girlfriend, Melissa. Her family members were on the scene and Atkins says they were telling others from the neighborhood not to get involved.
“There were several people out there with Craig saying, ‘Hey, you can go back in the house,” Atkins said.
After the man identified as a neighbor tells Williams to leave, you see him take a position behind a nearby car.
“When Craig walked into that street, you saw that man lock eyes with Craig, he wanted to follow him. When Crag walked into that street, he walked in front of the car, then came back. He wanted to find a better shot to find Craig, that’s what his idea was,” said Calmese.
News 4 went to the home of person believed to be the shooter, but nobody answered the door. Calmese and Atkins dispute news reports that Williams was choking Melissa and that the neighbor had no choice but to fire shots. Both Calmese and Atkins say Williams was a gun owner but was not a threat when he was shot and killed.
“Even in the video, you can see my friend Craig walking away and you can see the man still following him walking around the car and got in the position like he wanted to…” said Atkins.
Melissa is pregnant with Williams’ child. Their baby boy is expected to be born in the next couple of weeks.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/st-louis-man-fatally-shoots-neighbor-who-was-arguing-with-his-girlfriend-caught-on-camera/article_7b42765c-90d8-11eb-82bc-8fce1784bbe1.html?block_id=990844
Photo Credit: kmov
‘Gorilla Glue girl’ Tessica Brown confirms she is pregnant with sixth child after finding masses on her breasts that later proved not to be cancerous
“Gorilla Glue girl” Tessica Brown is pregnant with her sixth child, she has confirmed on social media.
“Blessed,” the 40-year-old Louisiana woman confirmed on Instagram as she shared a TMZ story that broke the news over the weekend.
Brown — who went viral for using Gorilla Glue in her hair after running out of her usual product, finally getting it freed by a plastic surgeon — already has five kids from a previous relationship, TMZ noted.
The new arrival will be her first with fiancé Dewitt Madison — who also has four kids of his own, Brown’s manager, Gina Rodriguez, told TMZ Saturday when first confirming the pregnancy.
The couple had dated when younger, before reuniting a year ago and getting engaged last June, Rodriguez said.
The pregnancy news comes after Brown’s recent health scare after finding masses on her breasts that later proved not to be cancerous.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/29/gorilla-glue-girl-tessica-brow-is-pregnant-with-sixth-child/
Photo Credit: Instagram
Fake vaccines, certificates being sold on darknet
Cybercriminals have begun to traffic in fake vaccines and certificates, according to a new report.
The darknet – a part of the internet that isn’t visible to search engines and requires a special browser to access it – has seen a 300 percent spike in ads for fake vaccines in the last three months under the guise of brands such as Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sputnik and SinoPharm, according to Check Point Research (CPR), an IT security firm.
“It’s clear to us that the target audience for darknet vaccine vendors are actually dealers, not necessarily the public at large,” Ekram Ahmed, spokesperson at Check Point, told Fox News.
The vendors seem to be interested in setting up long-term relationships, where they deliver vaccines in large quantities over a long time period. Prices for the vaccines range between $500 and $600.
“The vendors want foot soldiers on the ground, in multiple geographies, to distribute the full-spectrum of coronavirus services: vaccines, vaccination certifications and negative COVID tests,” Ahmed said.
And the boom in vaccine-related business on the darknet is recent, according to CPR.
Check Point attempted to buy a vaccine. The vendor first insisted on using an end-to-end encrypted service. Then Check Point began a dialogue with vendor, who assured Check Point that they would get the vaccine and it would be temperature regulated during shipping.
Then the vendor asked for payment via Bitcoin. “We paid them. They gave us a FedEx tracking number. The transaction was made last week and we have yet to get the vaccine we ordered,” according to Ahmed.
And activity on the darknet has expanded to include fake vaccination cards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for $200 per card, CPR said.
Other Darknet activity includes fake negative COVID-19 tests sold as “buy two get the third for free” deals and a do-it-yourself version of a negative COVID-19 test that can be generated in less than 30 minutes for $25.
One hacking forum indicated that “We do negative COVID tests for travelers abroad and for getting a job. Everything is done within 24 hours.”
Earlier this year the Federal Trade Commission issued an advisory on COVID vaccine scams.
“Don’t pay to sign up for the vaccine. Anyone who asks for a payment to put you on a list, make an appointment for you, or reserve a spot in line is a scammer,” the FTC said.
And always ignore sales ads for the COVID-19 vaccine because that’s simply not how you get the vaccine, the FTC said. The vaccine is only available at federal- and state-approved locations.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/29/fake-vaccines-certificates-being-sold-on-darknet/
Photo Credit: Reuters
12-year-old boy abducted, sexually assaulted and shot in Miami
A violent sex fiend abducted a 12-year-old boy from a Miami street early Saturday morning — then sexually assaulted and shot the child, local police said.
The victim was walking on 43rd Terrace near 30th Avenue in the Brownsville neighborhood at about 2 a.m., when a man forced him into a black car, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.
The suspect drove a few blocks away, where he sexually assaulted the boy and shot him, police said. He then forced the victim from the car and drove off, police said.
A man who was riding on a bike near the scene of the crime told a local news station that he pulled over to help the boy after he heard the child screaming.
“He was screaming. ‘Help someone, help me, please,’ ” the man, who said his name was Johnny, told Local 10.
“I bring him to the store so they can call the police for him,” Johnny added to the station. “He was conscience, then he fell on the sidewalk and said he had been shot.”
Surveillance video obtained by the station shows the boy stumbling up to a street corner while bleeding from his head before he collapsed to the ground.
Another passerby offered him water and a towel, the video shows.
Police showed up to the scene a short while later and rushed the critically injured kid to a local hospital.
Johnny, the Good Samaritan, told WSVN that he was grateful he was there to help the boy — but added the disturbing scene weighed on his mind.
“I couldn’t sleep at all that night, you know?” he said.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/28/12-year-old-boy-abducted-sexually-assaulted-and-shot-in-miami/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
He’s a cop. He’s 91. And he has no plans to retire
(CNN) — Where do you see yourself at the age of 91? Working, with no plans to retire, may not be the first thing that comes to mind.
But for one Arkansas police officer, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
LC “Buckshot” Smith has worked in law enforcement for more than 56 years, and with his 92nd birthday coming up in May, he says he’ll retire “when the good lord says so.”
“Buckshot” Smith, from the small town of Camden, Arkansas, was a sheriff deputy for 46 years before he retired — retirement that lasted for just a few short months. He quickly realized he missed the work.
The beloved officer is known throughout town. Everyone stops to talk when they see him, says Public Relations Officer Dana Weatherby.
“Buckshot” Smith said he loves the excitement of being a police officer and that’s what prompted him to join the force in the 1960s.
Texann Shadden, a training coordinator at the department, describes “Buckshot” Smith as dedicated. He recalls a year when the snowfall was so bad that “Buckshot” Smith walked about three blocks to work in the snow because he couldn’t get his car out.
It’s obvious that “Buckshot” Smith is not a “still person,” which is how Weatherby sees his work ethic.
From being described as instrumental to annual festivals in Camden, being a court bailiff, conducting the neighborhood watch and sending himself on calls when he hears them come across his radio, “Buckshot” Smith is a cherished member of the force.
“Buckshot” Smith’s many years on the force and his knowledge of the town come in handy, Shadden said.
On the three days of the week “Buckshot” Smith isn’t enforcing the law, he likes to attend church services and spend time with his lady friend.
via: https://www.kmov.com/hes-a-cop-hes-91-and-he-has-no-plans-to-retire/article_5e58a168-0f65-52b9-a528-f918e1fcb394.html
Photo Credit: Camden Police Department
Baltimore will no longer prosecute drug possession, prostitution and other low-level offenses
(CNN) — Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby says the city will no longer prosecute for prostitution, drug possession and other low-level offenses.
Mosby made the announcement on Friday following her office’s one-year experiment in not prosecuting minor offenses to decrease the spread of Covid-19 behind bars.
“Today, America’s war on drug users is over in the city of Baltimore. We leave behind the era of tough-on-crime prosecution and zero tolerance policing and no longer default to the status quo to criminalize mostly people of color for addiction, said Mosby in an official press release.
The experiment, known as The Covid Criminal Justice Policies, is an approach to crime developed with public health authorities. Instead of prosecuting people arrested for minor crimes like prostitution and public urination, the program dealt with those crimes as public health issues and work with community partners to help find solutions.
The program has led to decreases in the overall incarcerated Baltimore population by 18%, while violent and property crimes are down 20% and 36% respectively, according to the press release.
Mosby said her office will no longer prosecute the following offenses: drug and drug paraphernalia possession, prostitution, trespassing, minor traffic offense, open container violations, and urinating and defecating in public.
Mosby said she intends to refocus law enforcement on more severe offenses that plague the city and have contributed to its violent reputation.
“When the courts open next month, I want my prosecutors working with the police and focused on violent offenses, like armed robbery, carjacking cases and drug distribution organizations that are the underbelly of the violence in Baltimore, not using valuable jury trial time on those that suffer from addiction,” Mosby said.
Her decision was supported by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. But Republican state Sen. Robert Cassilly told CNN affiliate WBFF that while he supports prosecutorial judgment, Mosby’s decision is closer to making the law rather than enforcing it.
“Prosecutors take an oath to uphold the constitution in the state of Maryland and the constitution says the general assembly sets the policy, not the prosecutors,” Cassilly told the station. “I respect the whole prosecutorial discretion. That’s not prosecutorial discretion, that’s an exercise in legislating. That’s what the legislature is supposed to do.”
Mosby said the state’s attorney’s office is also working with the Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore Crisis Response Inc. (BCRI), a crisis center dealing with mental health and substance abuse issue, to offer services instead of arresting individuals committing these lesser offenses.
“Rather than arrest and prosecution, BCRI will connect individuals with services in areas such as mental health, housing, and substance use,” according to the press release.
Mosby’s office, along with Baltimore police and BCRI, will work to support sex workers by partnering with local organizations like SPARC, a center for women in southwest Baltimore, Baltimore Safe Haven and the Baltimore branch of the Sex Workers Outreach Project.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/baltimore-will-no-longer-prosecute-drug-possession-prostitution-and-other-low-level-offenses/article_24645773-c411-5187-b931-33a0c49770d8.html
Photo Credit: Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun
Teen girls charged with murder, carjacking of Uber Eats driver in Washington DC
(CNN) — Two teenage girls have been charged in the carjacking death of an Uber Eats driver this week in Washington, DC, police say.
Mohammad Anwar, 66, of Springfield, Virginia, was killed Tuesday afternoon near Nationals Park, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement.
Anwar was working as an Uber Eats driver, says a GoFundMe page set up by his family.
The girls, 13 and 15, assaulted Anwar with a Taser while carjacking him, which led to an accident in which he was fatally injured, police said.
The girls were charged with felony murder and armed carjacking, police said.
The younger girl is from the southeast section of DC, the older from Fort Washington, Maryland, police said.
Anwar immigrated from Pakistan in 2014, his family said on the GoFundMe page.
He “was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend who always provided a smile when you needed one. He leaves behind a family, near and far, who cherish, love, and miss him dearly,” the family said.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/teen-girls-charged-with-murder-carjacking-of-uber-eats-driver-in-washington-dc/article_37bc92d8-c6e2-5cb8-bc39-1bbf6474fd29.html
Photo Credit: nypost.com