Fayetteville NC pastor convinces church gunman to give up rifle

A man with a semi-automatic assault rifle walked into a downtown Fayetteville NC church during a New Year’s Eve prayer service.

The church’s pastor is City Councilman Larry Wright.

The incident at Heal the Land Outreach Ministries, off Campbell Avenue, ended peacefully, although many of the 60 members in attendance were startled, and at least one person — a pregnant woman — slipped out of the service.

Wright said he was able to calm the armed stranger, take away his weapon and then pray for him before Fayetteville police officers arrived.

Wright said the man, who has not been identified by police yet, was carrying the rifle without a clip in one hand and a loaded ammunition clip in the other hand. But, Wright said, he didn’t know if the rifle had a round of ammunition in it.

Wright stepped down quickly from the pulpit when he saw the man, who appeared to be in his late 20s.

The man continued moving toward the front of the church, pointing the rifle into the air.

The two met, near the front of the sanctuary.

“Can I help you?’’ the pastor asked the man.

Wright, who is a 57-year-old retired soldier, said the man’s answer determined his next action.

“If he was belligerent, I was going to tackle him,” said Wright, who is 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds.

But the stranger was calm, and Wright took the weapon from him. He then patted him down, and the pastor summoned four strong deacons to embrace the disarmed man, in an effort to make him feel welcome.

Wright then prayed for the man, who fell to his knees and began crying.

The man was then invited to sit on the front pew, and Wright resumed the Watch Night service. During the altar call at the conclusion, the man came forward and asked for salvation.

“He gave his life to Christ,” Wright said in an interview Saturday with The Fayetteville Observer.

Someone had called 911, and before the service had ended, police had arrived. But Wright said he asked the police to remain outside.

“I didn’t want to interrupt the service,” said the two-term councilman, whose church members call him Bishop Wright.

One of the church deacons, 67-year-old Sylvester Loving, said the congregation had been talking that evening about violence in other churches around the United States, before the man entered with the rifle.

“I think that night the spirit of God was definitely in the place,” Loving said.

Police Department spokesman Lt. David McLaurin said the incident was noted as a “Call for Service.’’ Notes regarding the call, McLaurin said, indicated the man was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center at his request as a voluntary commitment.

Wright said he never got the man’s last name before he was escorted away, but he hopes to contact him again.

“I want to follow up with him and see that he’s getting the help and resources he needs,” Wright said.

[SOURCE]

Court filing says Freddie Gray complained of 'bad back'

Freddie Gray, who died after sustaining a neck injury while riding in a police van in Baltimore, told officers he had a "bad back" weeks before his death, according to court documents filed by attorneys for one of six cops charged in the case.

Lawyers for Caesar Goodson, 46, the officer who drove the van carrying Gray, filed the motion seeking the dead man's medical records last month.

The filing suggest lawyers may try to convince a jury that Gray was already injured at the time of his fatal encounter with police.

Read more: Court filing says Freddie Gray complained of 'bad back'

Natalie Cole dead at 65

Renowned R&B and jazz vocalist Natalie Cole died on Thursday at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 65.

The daughter of the late Nat King Cole died of congestive heart failure related to ongoing health issues, CBS News has confirmed.

Her family released a statement saying, "It is with heavy hearts that we bring to you all the news of our Mother and sister's passing. Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived..with dignity, strength and honor. Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our hearts forever."

[SOURCE]

Is the #NoJusticeNoLebron movement fair to Lebron James

LeBron James spoke publicly for the first time since a grand jury declined to press charges against the police officers responsible for the November 2014 shooting death of Tamir Rice. James has caught a lot of flak for claiming not to know much about the Tamir Rice case. The backlash has lead to the creation of the #NoJusticeNoLebron hashtag which is part of a movement to get Lebron to boycott playing games until justice is served for Tamir Rice.

According to ESPN made the following statement to reporters Lebron James on the topic of the Tamir Rice case:

"But I think the most important thing that we all need to understand, the most important thing, this issue is bigger than LeBron. This issue is bigger than me; it's about everyone. And gun violence and tragedies and kids losing lives at a young age, some way, somehow we need to understand that that matters more than just an individual."

"First of all, I think I've been very outspoken about what I believe in," James said. "What hits home for me, what I am [knowledgeable] about. There's been so many more issues that's gone on that I haven't spoken about.

"There's been the San Bernardino massacre, there's been guys going in movie theaters, shooting up movie theaters, there's been other issues. Those are not something that ... I don't have much knowledge of so I don't speak about it. So for me ... if I feel like it's something that I have a lot of knowledge about [I'll add my voice to the issue], because I don't like to speak when I don't know about it.

After reading his statement do you feel that the whole #NoJusticeNoLebron movement is fair to Lebron? Does he owe something to the people who help him make millions a year?

New Year's Eve terror plot in Rochester NY foiled

A Rochester man was arrested for attempting to provide material support to Islamic ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Emanuel Lutchman, 25, was charged by criminal complaint.

Fact Check: Does Donald Trump Have Strong Minority Support?

By J Clifford 

One of the most important tasks of independent sources of information during a political campaign is to keep track of the simple accuracy of information, comparing the assertions people make in pursuit of election with the available facts. So, when John Simmons, one of the more frequent readers of Irregular Times came forward last night with the claim that, “You know the funny thing is that even the minority groups (even Muslim Americans!!) Are supporting Trump,” I thought it would be worth checking out.

If the very same minority groups that Donald Trump frequently insults support his presidential campaign nonetheless, it would suggest that Trump’s election is nearly certain, and that liberal concerns about Trump’s arrogant treatment of minority groups is not reflective of the concerns that most members of those groups have for themselves. If, on the other hand, John’s statement is inaccurate, it would reflect a striking discrepancy between political reality and the political perceptions of a fervent Trump supporter.

Here’s what I found:

– In a poll of registered Latino voters in battleground states, only 15 percent expressed support for Donald Trump.

– In August, although Donald Trump claimed to have the support of a majority of African-Americans, a Quinnipiac poll found that only 8 percent of African-American respondents indicated that Donald Trump cared about their concerns, and that only 3 percent of African-American respondents would vote for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. A November Public Policy Polling survey found that Donald Trump had just a 9 percent favorability rating among African-Americans.

– The same November Public Policy Polling survey found that, among Americans categorizing themselves as neither African-American, European-American, or Latino, only one out of every three of respondents rate Donald Trump favorably.

– There has been no poll of Muslim voters in the United States to determine the level of support of Muslim voters for Donald Trump, so it appears that John has simply fabricated his claim of Muslim support for Trump out of thin air. However, a 2011 poll by the Pew Research Center found that only 11 percent of American Muslims identify as Republicans, 70 percent identify as Democrats, and the rest as independents.

In short, there is absolutely no evidence that Donald Trump has strong support from any minority group in the United States. Ethnic minorities are strongly opposed to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The Trump agenda of ethnic and religious and broad cultural hostility seems to have alienated almost everybody but heterosexual European-American Christian Republicans.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Announces Police Training Overhaul

After the recent deaths of Laquan McDonald, Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is making some reforms when it comes to how and when Chicago Police use deadly force. While these changes are for the better it infuriated me that these are things that are not already in place in a modern big city police department. George Cook AfricanAmericanReports.com.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Wednesday that the city will overhaul police tactics and training to mitigate tension between residents and officers following the outrage caused by the deadly police shootings of Laquan McDonald in 2014 and Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier on Saturday.

Emanuel said that any officer involved in a shooting will be put on desk duty for 30 days. Previously, they were only subject to three days of desk duty, even if the shooting was fatal.

The police department will also double the number of tasers used by police to 1,400 and will encourage trained officers to use them first before drawing a gun, Emanuel said.

After reviewing crisis response tactics over the past couple months, the city of Chicago has set an initiative to improve communications between officers and individuals in tense situations.

"Force can be the last option, not the first choice," Emanuel said. "The goal is to make sure everyone goes home safely."

[SOURCE]

Bill Cosby's lawyer releases statement on "unjustified" charge.

Bill Cosby's lawyer, Monique Pressley has released the following statement after Cosby was arraigned on a second-degree felony charge of aggravated indecent assault by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

"The charge by the Montgomery County District Attorney's office came as no surprise," the statement to Us read. "Filed 12 years after the alleged incident and coming on the heels of a hotly contested election for this county's DA during which this case was made the focal point. Make no mistake, we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect that Mr. Cosby will be exonerated by a court of law."

NBA and its stars airing commercials against gun violence

It seems the NBA is willing to face an NRA backlash and maybe even a financial hit to take a stand against gun violence. In conjunction with Everytown for Gun safety (http://everytown.org/) the NBA has released several anti gun violence ads. Check out one of the commercial featuring current league MVP Stephen Curry below:

Tamir Rice family releases statement about officers not being charged in Tamir's death

The family of Tamir Rice released the following statement about today's announcement that a grand jury has declined to press charges against the officers involved in the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by police.

Today, more than a year after Cleveland police shot and killed 12-­year-­old Tamir Rice, a grand jury voted not to indict the shooter. Tamir’s family is saddened and disappointed by this outcome–but not surprised.

It has been clear for months now that Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty was abusing and manipulating the grand-­jury process to orchestrate a vote against indictment. Even though video shows the police shooting Tamir in less than one second, Prosecutor McGinty hired so-­called expert witnesses to try to exonerate the officers and tell the grand jury their conduct was reasonable and justified. It is unheard of, and highly improper, for a prosecutor to hire “experts” to try to exonerate the targets of a grand-­‐jury investigation. These are the sort of “experts” we would expect the officer’s criminal-­defense attorney to hire—not the prosecutor.

Then, Prosecutor McGinty allowed the police officers to take the oath and read prepared statements to the grand jury without answering any questions on cross-­examination. Even though it is black-­letter law that taking the stand waives the Fifth Amendment right to be silent, the prosecutor did not seek a court order compelling the officers to answer questions or holding the officers in contempt if they continued to refuse. This special treatment would never be given to non-­police suspects.

The way Prosecutor McGinty has mishandled the grand-­jury process has compounded the grief of this family.

The Rice family is grateful for all the community support they have received and urges people who want to express their disappointment with how Prosecutor McGinty has handled this process to do so peacefully and democratically. We renew our request that the Department of Justice step in to conduct a real investigation into this tragic shooting of a 12-­year-­old child.

Statement by President Obama and the First Lady on Kwanzaa

President Obama and his wife have released the following statement in honor of Kwanzaa

Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes to families across the country celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. Today begins a week-long celebration of African-American heritage and culture through family and community festivities. Kwanzaa’s seven principles – unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith – are also shared values that bind us as Americans. And in the spirit of the season, we reflect on the blessings of the past year and commit to building a brighter future for all our children. As families, friends, and neighbors come together today to light the Kinara, our family sends our best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.

[SOURCE]

Weekly Address: Merry Christmas from the President and First Lady The White House

Chicago 'Black Christmas' protesters march against police violence

Several hundred protesters against police killings of black men marched on Thursday along Chicago's Michigan Avenue, calling for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to step down and aiming to disrupt Christmas Eve shopping in a glittering, upscale commercial area.

The demonstration was peaceful, but after the main march concluded, police scuffled with a few dozen protesters who were trying to block the entrance to an H&M store and to obstruct traffic both ways on Michigan Avenue, a major thoroughfare.

Read more: Chicago 'Black Christmas' protesters march against police violence

Urban Movie Channel is Now Available to Amazon Prime Customers

RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) today announced its urban streaming channel UMC – Urban Movie Channel is now available to Amazon Prime members as part of Amazon’s newly announced Streaming Partners Program. As part of the program, Amazon Prime members can easily add UMC via the Amazon Video app. A 14-day free trial is available to Prime customers and the service thereafter is $4.99/month.

Robert L. Johnson, Chairman of RLJ Entertainment and founder of BET says, “We are excited that UMC is among the initial streaming channels to be included in the Amazon program. UMC provides viewers seeking high quality and entertaining urban-themed content. Being aligned with Amazon will allow us to reach tens of millions of Prime members and is a tremendous opportunity increase the awareness and subscriber growth for our UMC digital channel.”

About UMC

UMC – Urban Movie Channel was created by Robert L. Johnson, Chairman of RLJ Entertainment and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), UMC features quality urban content showcasing feature films, documentaries, original series, stand-up comedy, and other exclusive content for African American and urban audiences. New titles added weekly include live stand-up specials like Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand Up and Comedy Underground Series, and performances featuring Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx and comedic rock star Kevin Hart; dramas including Blackbird starring Academy Award® winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique, Isaiah Washington, and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk, and Playin’ For LoveDark Girls and I Ain’t Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac; action/thrillers including The Colony starring Laurence Fishburne; and stage play productions including What My Husband Doesn’t Know by David E. Talbert.

African American Film Critics Relaunch AAFCA Seal Of Approval

The African American Film Critics Association has relaunched the AAFCA Seal of Approval program for film marketers and distributors.

Titles that earn the AAFCA Seal of Approval must meet quality standards, including cultural/historical relevance, and are evaluated by a special panel of AAFCA members, film journalists and academics.

[SOURCE]

Star Wars storm troopers were never white!

In the weeks leading up to the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens there was some controversy about the storm trooper played by John Boyega being black and being a lead character, although after seeing all the teaser trailers how anyone was surprised by Finn being a lead is beyond me. But back to the topic at hand.

Many wondered how that could be since storm troopers were supposed to be white. (Am I the only one wondering why some were so quick to want to claim the bad guys as one of them?). The movie itself does a great job of explaining why Finn (Boyega) is black which I wont post here because of the spoilery thing.

But what many of those bitching obviously don't know is that the storm troopers NEVER WERE WHITE!

As shown in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (the less said about that movie the better) they were clones of Jango Fett, the father of Boba Fett. The actor, Temuera Morrison that portrayed Jango Fett was Māori. The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. So that means the storm troopers were Polynesian which I'm sure is not white.

So everyone can syop bitching about black storm troopers and do what millions already have. Enjoy Star wars: The Force Awakens for the great movie that it is!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!

No indictment in Sandra Bland case

A grand jury has decided not to indict anyone in the case of Sandra Bland, whose death in police custody raised questions of excessive force and the role of race.

The grand jury met for more than eight hours Monday.

"After reviewing all the evidence in the death of Sandra Bland, a Waller grand jury did not return an indictment in the death of Bland, nor were any indictments returned against any employee of the Waller County Jail," said Darrell Jordan, a special prosecutor handling the case.

The grand jury will reconvene in January to consider other indictments.

Read more; Grand jury decides against indictments in Sandra Bland case

Who had a worse weekend: Odell Beckham or Steve Harvey

This is all in fun people. Both men excel at what they do and simply had a bad day, like many of us do. Unfortunately their bad days happened in front of millions. Both will get over this. George Cook , AfricanAmericanReports.com

Wow what a weekend to come off like a jackass in both sports and entertainment. NY Giants star receiver Odell Beckham came off like a complete fool with his actions against Carolina Panther, Josh Norman. Beckham got three unsportsmanlike penalties costing his team 45 yards with one penalty being for a nasty helmet to helmet hit to Norman's head. His actions and inability to focus on the game cost his team the game. Beckham has been suspended for one game for acting stupid. Watch the head to head hit below.

Then there's talk show/game show/radio show host Steve Harvey and his screw up at the Miss Universe pageant in which he announced the wrong person winning. Harvey announced Miss Columbia when he should have announced Miss Philippines. They gave Miss Columbia the crown, the roses, the whole winner treatment only to have to take it back from her and give it to the actual winner. Steve Harvey quickly apologized but the damage was done. Now Steve wont get suspended like Beckham but about 6 million people saw the screw up live and millions more have watched online. But if you missed it check it out below.

So who do you think had the worst weekend, Harvey or Beckham?

President Obama weekly address: Top 10 Things that Happened in 2015

In this week's address, the President celebrated the end of the year tradition of list-making with a year-in-review list of his own. The President offered his roundup of the top 10 things that happened in 2015, all of which should make us optimistic about the prospects for 2016.

North Carolina A&T wins inaugural Celebration Bowl

North Carolina A&T came out on top of Alcorn State in the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. In the battle of HBCUs between the SWAC and the MEAC champs, MEAC champ North Carolina A&T outlasted Alcorn State 41-34.

The Aggies were led by running back Tarik Cohen who rushed for for 285 yards and three touchdowns.

The Aggies finished the season 10-2 and are now HBCU national championship. Congrats to the North Carolina A&T Aggies!