Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 09, 2019

R. Kelly facing possible investigations In Georgia and Illinois

R. Kelly could be facing an investigation in Georgia after the airing of a Lifetime documentary series that chronicled allegations of abuse, predatory behavior and pedophilia against the singer.

Gerald Griggs, an attorney for the family of Joycelyn Savage, one of the women featured in "Surviving R. Kelly," said the Fulton County District Attorney reached out to Griggs a few days ago, after the show aired.

Griggs said the Fulton County DA is conducting an investigation into Kelly.

Chris Hopper, the public information officer for the Fulton County DA, said he had "no comment" after being asked if there was an open investigation of Kelly in Georgia.

Griggs said he was asked to provide a list of witnesses in regards to events that allegedly took place in Kelly's house in the northern Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek in 2017.

A Chicago prosecutor said on Tuesday that her office has been in touch with two families related to allegations against Kelly since the series aired.

Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx urged potential victims or witnesses to speak to police.

"Please come forward. There is nothing that can be done to investigate these allegations without the cooperation of victims and witnesses," Foxx said in a news conference. "We cannot seek justice without you."

[SOURCE: CNN]

Sunday, December 30, 2018

After 3 plus decades in prison Mumia Abu-Jamal granted right of appeal

A judge in Philadelphia has reinstated appeal rights to former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal — convicted of killing a city police officer more than 30 years ago — who has long maintained his innocence as his case gained international attention.

Advocates of Abu-Jamal praised the decision by Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Leon Tucker as a significant development toward winning the freedom of a man whose case generated decades of protest and thousands of supporters in the "Free Mumia" movement.

"This is an unheard of legal victory," said Rachel Wolkenstein, former lawyer and longtime activist for Abu-Jamal. "This is the best opportunity we have had for Mumia's freedom in decades."

Abu-Jamal has been incarcerated since his 1982 conviction for killing white Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner in a racially charged case. The judge who issued the latest decision called the case one of the most polarizing shootings in the city's history. In 2011, prosecutors dropped the execution case against Abu-Jamal because of flawed jury instructions and instead agreed to a sentence of life in prison.

For years, Abu-Jamal's attempts at securing a new trial were denied. In the latest legal argument, his lawyers argued that Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Ronald Castille should not have presided over Abu-Jamal's appeals battles. Castille was formerly Philadelphia's district attorney whose office fought to keep the activist and prolific writer behind bars.

Castille refused calls from Abu-Jamal's supporters to recuse himself from hearing the appeal, saying he never directly worked on the case. In 2012, Abu-Jamal's advocates thought he lost his final appeal when the state Supreme Court rejected a claim challenging the validity of forensic evidence that was used to convict him.

In his legal opinion on Thursday, Tucker said Castille made the wrong choice, because even the appearance of being biased can be damaging to the judicial system.

"The claim of bias, prejudice and refusal of former Justice Castille to recuse himself is worthy of consideration as true justice must be completely just without even a hint of partiality, lack of integrity or impropriety," Tucker wrote.

Tucker's ruling has breathed new life into the hopes of Abu-Jamal's supporters that he may one day be granted freedom.

[SOURCE: NPR]

Thursday, October 18, 2018

3 Florida Ex-Cops Sentenced In Scheme To Frame Innocent Black People

Three former Florida police officers were sent to prison this week after pleading guilty to their roles in a departmentwide conspiracy to frame people of color for crimes they did not commit.

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Guillermo Ravelo, a 37-year-old former officer with the Biscayne Park Police Department, to 27 months behind bars, the Miami Herald reported. On Wednesday, former officers Charlie Dayoub, 38, and Raul Fernandez, 62, were sentenced to one year apiece after pleading guilty to making false arrests.

Dayoub and Fernandez had cooperated with federal authorities in making a case against former police chief Raimundo Atesiano. The former officers told prosecutors that Atesiano’s goal was to clear cases involving property crimes in the small village north of Miami, even if it meant pinning crimes on innocent people.

“Atesiano was acting under color of law as chief of police when on three separate occasions he ordered officers under his command to falsely arrest and charge individuals with unsolved burglaries,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in September.

Read more: 3 Florida Ex-Cops Sentenced In Scheme To Frame Innocent Black People

Sunday, July 02, 2017

Murderer of black teenager in road rage incident turns himself in

The man who shot and killed an 18 year old black teenager named Bianca Roberson in West Goshen Pennsylvania has turned himself into police.

David Desper, 28, faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder and reckless endangerment, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said.

Police used video footage from surveillance cameras to identify the truck and its owner. They urged the shooter to turn himself in over recent days.

Desper did so through his attorney about 2 a.m. Sunday, Hogan said.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Three Chicago officers indicted in Laquan McDonald case

Three current or former Chicago police officers were indicted Tuesday on state felony charges of conspiracy in the investigation of the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald.

Former Detective David March, and former Patrol Officer Joseph Walsh and Patrol Officer Thomas Gaffney were charged with conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice, according to a news release from Special Prosecutor Patricia Brown Holmes' office.

"The indictment makes clear that these defendants did more than merely obey an unofficial 'code of silence,' rather it alleges that they lied about what occurred to prevent independent criminal investigators from learning the truth," Holmes said.

In the 11-page indictment Van Dyke is referred to as Individual A and as a part of the conspiracy. He has been accused of official misconduct. Arraignment set for July

Gaffney, 43; March, 58; and Walsh, 48, are accused of writing incident reports that "contained important false information in an attempt to prevent or shape any criminal investigation."

Several reports referred to three officers being battered, which the the indictment says is false. Police statements that McDonald was threatening Van Dyke with his knife were also lies, the document says.

The indictment also says the officers failed to interview at least three witnesses whose versions of the events were different than those of police.

The indictment says there are other individuals that may be part of the conspiracy, but Holmes wouldn't comment on whether other officers will be indicted. She told reporters the investigation is ongoing.

The officers will be arraigned July 10.

[SOURCE: CNN]

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Officer who shot Tamir Rice fired but not for shooting Tamir

Timothy Loehmann, the Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014, was fired Tuesday -- not for the shooting, but because investigators found he wasn't truthful about his employment history when he applied for the job, officials said.

The officer who was with Loehmann, Frank Garmback, will be suspended for 10 days because he violated tactical rules relating to how he drove to the scene that day, the city's public safety director and the police chief said.

An Ohio grand jury declined to criminally charge the officers in 2015.

None of the rule violations announced by Public Safety Director Michael McGrath and Chief Calvin Williams directly related to Loehmann shooting Rice outside a recreation center as the boy held a toy gun on November 22, 2014.

"After over two years of investigation by our agency, the county prosecutor's office (and) the sheriff's department, I think we've come to what we consider a fair conclusion to this process," Williams said. Rice's mother called the actions against Loehmann and Garmback "deeply disappointing."

"I am relieved Loehmann has been fired because he should never have been a police officer in the first place -- but he should have been fired for shooting my son in less than one second, not just for lying on his application," a statement from Samaria Rice read.

"And Garmback should be fired, too, for his role in pulling up too close to Tamir," Samaria Rice said. "As we continue to grieve for Tamir, I hope this is a call for all of us to build stronger communities together."

[SOURCE: CNN]

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

DEATH OF APPEALS COURT JUDGE SUSPICIOUS, POLICE SAY

Police are calling the death of Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam suspicious because there is no clear indication of suicide or criminality.

"We're looking it at as a suspicious death at this point. We haven't found any clear indications of criminality, but at this point we can't say for sure. We're hoping if anyone could shed any light into the hours before her disappearance, it would help us establish what happened," said Stephen Davis, NYPD Spokesman.

The Medical Examiner is still planning to perform an autopsy on Abdus-Salaam, after the body of the 65-year-old Court of Appeals judge washed up on the shore of the Hudson River.

Police say Abdus-Salaam was last seen around 7 p.m. Monday, then spoke last Tuesday morning with her assistant by phone. Detectives are now looking for any possible surveillance video in her Harlem neighborhood, for any clues to how and why she ended up in the Hudson.

[SOURCE: abc7ny.com]

Monday, April 10, 2017

Dylann Roof Gets Nine Life Sentences in State Case

Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof was given nine consecutive life sentences in state prison after he pleaded guilty to state murder charges Monday, leaving him to await execution in a federal prison and sparing his victims and their families the burden of a second trial.

Judge J.C. Nicholson imposed the sentences following a hearing in which church members and Roof's grandfather testified about the personal toll of the case.

Standing at the defense table with his attorneys, clad in a gray and white striped jail jumpsuit and handcuffed to a chain at his waist, the self-avowed white supremacist entered his guilty pleas.

Under a plea agreement, Judge J.C. Nicholson sentenced Roof to life in prison on the state murder charges. The deal with state prosecutors, who also had been pursuing the death penalty, comes in exchange for a life prison sentence on the state charges.

Read more: Dylann Roof: Charleston Church Shooter Gets Nine Life Sentences in State Case

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Missing Black Teens in Washington D. C.

Please share, this is sad that so many children are missing in one city.

There are several missing black youth in the Washington D.C. Area. Here is a listing of 13 of them. Any info please call Washington Metropolitan Police Department@ 202-727-9099.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Feds revive probe of Eric Garner chokehold death

The feds have revived the grand jury probe into the NYPD chokehold death of Eric Garner — and a police witness who was questioned in front of the panel believes an indictment is looming, sources told The New York Post on Thursday.

A high-ranking NYPD official and a sergeant testified behind closed doors in the Brooklyn federal courthouse on Wednesday after being slapped with subpoenas, sources said.

Revelation of their appearances before the grand jury marks the first sign that the US Justice Department hasn’t abandoned the racially charged case since the inauguration of President Trump and the confirmation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Read more: Feds revive probe of Eric Garner chokehold death

Friday, March 24, 2017

Teen lied about being abducted and raped by 3 black men


On March 8, 18-year-old Breana Talbott of Denison, Texas, said that she had been kidnapped by three black men wearing ski masks, who drove her into the woods and raped her. She first brought attention to the alleged crime when she walked into a local church half-naked, covered in cuts and scratches — though her then-fiancé, Sam Hollingsworth, had called police earlier to report her missing after arriving at her apartment and finding “her back door wide open,” and her belongings, including her phone and her keys, scattered about. On Tuesday, Talbott admitted to police that she had made the whole thing up, and that her injuries were all self-inflicted.

The Denison Police Department released the following statement:

PRESS RELEASE
Denison Police Department
Chief Jay Burch
Date of release: March 22, 2017
Subject: Abduction/Sexual Assault Case Unfounded
The Denison Police Department has determined that the alleged abduction and sexual assault case reported on March 8, 2017 was a hoax. The so-called victim in the case confessed to the hoax last evening (March 21) to a member of the investigative team working the case.
On March 8, 2017 about 5:30 p.m., the Denison Police Department (DPD) received a call from a man describing himself as the fiancé of Breana Harmon Talbott, 18, claiming she was missing. The man told police Talbott’s vehicle had been found in the parking lot of the Creekmore Apartments at 3800 Texoma Parkway with the driver door open, her phone, keys and a shoe nearby.
The Denison Police Department mobilized all available resources to begin looking for Ms. Talbott. Later the same evening, Ms. Talbott walked into a church located at 3400 S. Eisenhower Parkway wearing only a shirt, bra and underwear. She told witnesses at the church she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted in the woods behind the church. There were also visible cuts and/or scratches on her body.
DPD officers and detectives spoke with the victim who stated she was kidnapped near her vehicle at the Creekmore Apartments by “3 black males” as she described the alleged suspects, and were wearing ski masks, she said. She claimed the suspects took her in a black SUV to a wooded area nearby where 2 suspects raped her while the 3rd suspect held her down.
After getting the victim’s information, she was taken to Texoma Medical Center for examination. In the meantime, DPD patrol officers, detectives, and the K-9 team scoured the area where Talbott says she was taken and assaulted. Several pieces of evidence were gathered and more of Talbott’s clothing and other personal effects were recovered.
The case quickly gathered regional attention due to the severity of the alleged crime and rumors quickly begin to spin out of control through social media. Almost immediately, Talbott’s story and allegations began to unravel. Within only a day or two, detectives had doubts as to most of Talbott’s allegations.
According to Talbott’s confession, we believe the crime scene – from the initial “kidnapping” scene at the apartment complex to the point of Talbott’s condition when she walked into the church - were staged. Talbott also admitted the injuries to her body were self-inflicted.
Although I do not have the official report, it is our understanding that medical personnel who examined Talbott were unable to corroborate that Talbott had been sexually assaulted.
This release is to notify the media and public that the Denison Police Department is closing the investigation of this case as reported and it is officially UNFOUNDED. Due to Breana Harmon Talbott’s confession she lied to police when making this report, the department will file a criminal case against her for False Report to a Peace Officer, a Class B Misdemeanor. The department will also seek restitution for the significant costs for conducting such a major investigation.
Our team of detectives, led by John Watt, did an outstanding job in the case. Almost from the beginning, we had doubts in Breana Harmon Talbott’s story as the puzzle pieces just weren’t coming together. We were unable to corroborate any of Talbott’s allegations that she had been abducted or sexually assaulted.
This alleged crime as reported by Breana Harmon Talbott made many in the community fearful there were individuals abducting women. Even though we know the story to be a hoax, there is still potential damage to the reputation of the City of Denison and the Texoma region as many may remember the reported crime but not the outcome. That is unfortunate.
Breana Harmon Talbott’s hoax was also insulting to our community and especially offensive to the African-American community due to her description of the so-called suspects in her hoax. The anger and hurts caused from such a hoax are difficult and all so unnecessary.
Many persons fell victim to Breana Harmon Talbott’s hoax. The police were quickly disparaged by Talbott’s family and friends. Social media comments and opinions were out of control making it difficult to focus on solving this case. Even though we originally assumed this case to be legitimate, the great work of Denison Police Department investigators and officers quickly led to major questions as to the validity of the alleged crime. Even though we strongly felt this was a hoax soon into the investigation, it was my decision to delay notifying the public until we had 100% confirmation it didn’t happen. Plus, we wanted to insure we did everything we could on the remote chance there was any truth to the alleged crime.
It’s unfortunate a person can falsely report such a major incident in our community that wastes the time of law enforcement and needlessly puts some people in fear. I apologize to those who have current investigations with the department as we delayed those to focus on this case. As I said in a recent Facebook post, Denison has been and will remain a safe community with a great quality of life.

So, Breana Talbot lied about being raped by three black men



Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Georgia pair sentenced to prison over Confederate flag confrontation

A Georgia judge sentenced a man and a woman to spend years in prison on Monday for their roles in a 2015 Confederate flag display that disturbed a group of black people attending a child's birthday party, prosecutors said.

Defendants Jose Torres, 26, and Kayla Norton, 25, were convicted earlier this month of charges that include making "terroristic threats" during the confrontation in Douglas County near Atlanta, which occurred at a time of heated national debate about a flag that many consider a symbol of racism.

Georgia Superior Court Judge William McClain sentenced Torres to serve 13 years in prison, and Norton to serve 6 years in prison, Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner said in a phone interview. Both face probation after their release, and were banished from Douglas County.

Attorneys for Torres and Norton could not immediately be reached for comment.

The sentences were a year longer than prosecutors had asked for, said Fortner, noting the crimes went beyond disagreements over the battle flag used by the pro-slavery South during the U.S. Civil War, which some defend as part of its heritage.

"This was a case where these people pulled out a shotgun and threatened to kill people at a party, including children," he said.

Read more: Georgia pair sentenced to prison over Confederate flag confrontation

Friday, January 06, 2017

There's a good reason the news media doesn't discuss black on white crime a lot.

In light of the horrific torture of a disabled white man by 4 black teens there have been many post on social media by some white peoples that the news media doesn't cover these type of stories. You know the ones where blacks attack whites. There's a reason for that. It's not that the media doesn't want to cover those crimes, it's that it doesn't happen as anywhere near as much as some want us to believe. Some just want to spread a false narrative and keep the fear of African Americans going to keep that narrative alive. Watch more on this below:

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Dylann Roof will not use mental health to avoid death penalty

Convicted murderer Dylann Roof will not ask jurors to take his mental health into consideration next month during the death penalty phase of his trial for killing nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina.

In a handwritten note filed in a South Carolina federal court on Friday, Roof, an avowed white supremacist, wrote, "I will not be calling mental health experts or presenting mental health evidence."

Roof was found guilty on Thursday of 33 charges of federal hate crimes after a six-day trial featuring harrowing testimony about the night of June 17, 2015, when he attended Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church before opening fire on the parishioners.

Roof's decision not to call mental health experts or present mental health evidence came after he called the field of psychology a "Jewish invention" in his journal, part of which was read aloud at his trial earlier this month.

"I am morally opposed to psychology. It is a Jewish invention that does nothing but invent diseases and tell people they have problems when they don't," Roof wrote.

The jury is scheduled to begin hearing evidence on Jan. 3 in the second phase of the trial, which will determine whether Roof faces execution.

[SOURCE:YahooNews]

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Knicks' Derrick Rose cleared of all counts in rape trial

New York Knicks star point guard Derrick Rose was cleared on all counts Wednesday in a Los Angeles civil court case involving allegations of sexual assault.

Rose and two friends, Randall Hampton and Ryan Allen, were accused of sexually assaulting a woman -- referred to Jane Doe in court records to protect her identity -- on Aug. 27, 2013 while she was incapacitated.

Doe was seeking more than $21 million in damages ($6 million in compensatory; $15.5 million in punitive), and Rose chose not to settle, electing to go through with a trial that started Oct. 4. The former NBA Rookie of the Year missed several practices and all but one preseason game during the proceedings.

[SOURCE]

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Bertha S. Dyer, Newark school principal reported missing

Police on Thursday asked for the public's help to find a woman who was reportedly last seen at the Newark school where she works as its principal.

Bertha S. Dyer, 68, of Franklin, was reported missing by her sister on Wednesday, according to the Franklin Township Police Department. Dyer's sister told officers she was last seen around 3 p.m. Tuesday at Newark's Mount Vernon Elementary School, where she is the principal.

Authorities described Dyer as 5-foot-4 inches tall and known to drive a white 2011 Toyota 4Runner with New Jersey license plate of U79GXM.

Anyone with information was asked to call Franklin police at 732-873-2300 or Detective Trevor Wilson at 732-873-5533, extension 3161.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Statement by White House Press Secretary on Orlando Shootings

The White House Office of the Press Secretary has released the following statement on the mass shooting at an Orlando, Florida night club.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

The President was briefed this morning by Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, on the tragic shooting in Orlando, Florida. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims. The President asked to receive regular updates as the FBI, and other federal officials, work with the Orlando Police to gather more information, and directed that the federal government provide any assistance necessary to pursue the investigation and support the community.

[SOURCE]

Saturday, May 28, 2016

NBA player, Bryce Dejean-Jones shot and killed

New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce Dejean-Jones has died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

The Pelicans issued a statement Saturday afternoon confirming the news.

"It is with deep sadness that the Pelicans organization acknowledges the sudden passing of Bryce Dejean-Jones," the statement said. "We are devastated at the loss of this young man's life who had such a promising future ahead of him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bryce's family during this difficult time."

According to a report obtained by the Dallas Morning News, Dallas police officers responded to a call about a shooting at an apartment at about 3:20 a.m. Saturday morning. The resident of the apartment said an individual had kicked open his front door and entered his apartment. The resident, who had been asleep, retrieved a handgun when he heard the individual. After calling out and not receiving an answer, the resident fired his gun at the individual, who left the apartment and collapsed in the breezeway. The individual was transported to the hospital where he died.

Read more: Pelicans guard Bryce Dejean-Jones dies after gunshot wound

Friday, April 15, 2016

7 stark findings on Chicago police treatment of blacks and Latinos

The report of a Chicago task force investigation into the culture and practices Chicago Police Department contains some disturbing revelations ( these are probably not revelations to the black and brown people of Chicago though.). The report states that the Chicago Police Department's "own data gives validity to the widely held belief the police have no regard for the sanctity of life when it comes to people of color."

Here are seven findings from the disturbing report:

ooooooooooooooo

1. Blacks are shot at alarming rates.

2. City has a sad history of false arrests and wrongful convictions.

3. Those sworn to protect instead often mistreat.

4. Many cops view people of color as perps.

5. Combating racial bias is not a department priority.

6. There is no accountability.

7. Police stops make matters worse.

Read more about this disturbing report here: 'No regard': 7 stark findings on Chicago police treatment of blacks and Latinos

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Charges dropped against 6 Ferguson protesters

Charges have been dropped against six activists who were arrested during a protest in Ferguson, just as their trial was about to begin. The case was expected to include allegations of police brutality, claims of missing evidence and discussions about the shortcomings of body cameras.

The charges had included property damage, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and third-degree assault. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1nD9Isk ) reports that Ferguson prosecutor Stephanie Karr dismissed the charges Thursday without explanation.

Later Thursday, the defendants filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Ferguson destroyed evidence and violated the constitution.

Read more: Charges dropped against 6 Ferguson protesters