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Chicago cops issue no-confidence vote for Mayor Lori Lightfoot, citing 'slap in the face'

Sat, 22 May 2021 15:22:55 -0400

Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police issued a vote of no-confidence in Mayor Lori Lightfoot Wednesday, citing poor work conditions and the cancellation of a march for fallen officers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The vote by the police union, as well as police Superintendent David Brown and First Deputy Eric Carter, was unanimous among as many as 200 active and retired rank-and-file officers, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Reasons cited for the move reportedly include officer burnout and the department’s decision to cancel off days for cops on several occasions — as well as a move from 8 ½-hour shifts to 12-hour work periods in preparation for possible unrest in the city.

The symbolic action also followed the second consecutive year that the Chicago Police Department canceled its annual St. Jude Memorial March for the city’s fallen cops while citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

TULSI GABBARD CALLS ON LIGHTFOOT TO RESIGN FOR ‘ANTI-WHITENESS’

"The basis for this no-confidence vote is pretty simple, it’s two-fold," FOP President John Catanzara said in a video statement. "It’s a lack of respect for the Gold Star families and the cancellation of the St. Jude parade."

Catanzara said the union, which represents about 8,000 of the city’s 12,405 sworn officers, gave the department "leeway" with last year’s cancellation, but accused CPD of using the coronavirus as an "excuse" to scuttle the affair set for May 3.

"It was a slap in the face to every department member, especially the Gold Star families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and deserve that respect annually," he said. "Period. No excuses."

The union will consider holding the march "on our own" next year and tried to get the department to reconsider, but that did not happen, Catanzara said.

Lightfoot, for her part, blamed the union for dragging out talks on a new deal for thousands of rank-and-file cops who have worked without a police contract for more than three years, saying they’re losing "literally tens of thousands of dollars" in back pay annually, the Tribune reported.

"So frankly, getting a vote of no-confidence from that guy is a badge of honor," Lightfoot said, referring to Catanzara.

CHICAGO MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT WILL GRANT INTERVIEWS ONLY TO ‘BLACK OR BROWN JOURNALISTS,’ LOCAL REPORTERS SAY

Lightfoot, who took heat earlier this week for giving interviews only to journalists of color to mark her two years in office, also accused Catanzara of dragging out the process over looming police reform since some measures would be incorporated into any new contract, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

"We are on the cusp of four years since the FOP contract expired," Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference Thursday. "They’re refusing to come to the table and bargain."

The union issued a no-confidence vote in 2019 for then-police Superintendent Eddie Johnson after he was criticized for not attending a speech by President Trump, the Tribune reported.

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While a no-confidence vote by FOP officials or rank-and-file cops is not unprecedented, it’s unclear if a sitting mayor had ever been previously included in the move, the Tribune reported.

Body found in 1977 homicide was former Philly cop's wife

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:19:09 -0400

The body of a woman found in Delaware nearly 45 years ago has finally been identified as the wife of a former Philadelphia cop — who was never reported missing, police said.

After decades of dead ends, New Castle County police said Tuesday they identified the homicide victim as Marie Petry Heiser, a 50-year-old Philadelphia woman.

A teen riding his bike home in June 1977 found her naked body in a ditch, the Delaware News Journal reported.

Her husband, William Heiser Sr., was a member of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Highway Patrol from the 1950s until the early ’60s, authorities said.

Police said Marie was a homemaker and worked part-time at a former country club in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, in the 1970s.

The couple also also performed "thrill shows" in area arenas — and William Heiser left the department following a serious injury while practicing for one of the events, police in Delaware said.

Heiser’s family say they have "some sense of closure" regarding her disappearance.

BOULDER SHOOTING SUSPECT HELD WITHOUT BAIL ON FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CHARGES

At the time of Marie Heiser’s disappearance, he told the couple’s two children that their mother had packed her bags and left their Philadelphia home — giving no info about where she was headed, authorities said.

Son Bill Heiser Jr. told WTXF that his parents were having difficulties in their relationship at the time of her disappearance.

"We were told things weren’t good at the house," he recalled. "She ended up packing up and leaving. We never in a million years ever, ever thought that it was foul play or something would happen to her."

FORMER IDAHO NURSE RELEASED FROM PRISON AFTER BEING RESENTENCED FOR ROLE IN 2018 MURDER

A medical examiner at the time ruled the death a homicide, but an ensuing probe into the woman’s murder stumped detectives trying to identify the victim or make progress in the case.

"The case grew cold," investigators said in a statement. "At the time, police relied heavily on fingerprints and dental records in hopes to identify human remains."

William Heiser — who worked as a truck driver after leaving the police department — sold the family’s home in December 1977 and relocated to South Daytona, Florida, in the late 1970s, according to news reports cited by the Delaware News Journal.

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He died of cancer in 2006, the newspaper reported.

The decades-old mystery was solved in part after years of working with forensic and DNA experts, who identified Marie Heiser through genealogical records, police said.

Heiser Jr., a retired police officer himself, praised investigators for the breakthrough in the case, saying the identification gives his family "some sense of closure" regarding his mom’s disappearance.

Investigators are asking for anyone who knew the woman or her family to contact detectives, especially former residents of her Crafton Street home in northeast Philadelphia or from the former Ashbourne County Club.

Gunshots fire during post fight MMA brawl in Florida

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 13:32:41 -0400

A wild brawl erupted at an MMA event in Florida, where fighting fans tossed chairs and traded punches before one pulled out a gun and opened fire, video shows.

Footage obtained by TMZ shows the chaos that broke out following the main event at Saturday’s RIZE Fighting Championship in Lake Worth, where hundreds of fans were on hand to see a bantamweight title match between Alexis Fernandez and Filipe Valentim.

It’s unclear how the free-for-all at the Bamboo Room got started, but droves of people are seen pushing and shoving each other before chairs start flying and security guards desperately try to contain the growing melee.

SCHUMER VOWS SENATE WILL TAKE ON GUN CONTROL MEASURES

As several in the crowd captured the onslaught on their cellphones, one man reached into a bag, pulled out a gun and fired at least one round, sending others running for safety, the footage shows.

"Oh sh-t!" one man said after hearing the gunfire.

It’s unclear how the free-for-all at the Bamboo Room got started.

An announcer had asked the crowd to "take their seats" just before the gunshot can be heard on the clip.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the incident, said at least two shots were fired, TMZ reported.

Paramedics treated several people who had minor injuries in the brawl, according to the report.

At least two shots were fired, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

BOULDER MASS SHOOTING SUSPECT IDENTIFIED, CHARGED WITH 10 COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER

Armando Gonzalez, president of RIZE Fighting Championship, told WPBF he was upset that the "scary" incident marred the event.

"For an event that went so well to end like that, it’s kind of frustrating," Gonzales told the station. "Hopefully the authorities will take that man into custody."

The co-owner of the Bamboo Room said an argument between fans set off the brawl.

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Paramedics treated several people who had minor injuries in the brawl.

"For 20 seconds, everything’s going back and forth, it was intense," co-owner Darren Cummings said. "For us, I’m not so sure we are going to allow these events anymore in our parking lot. We will stick to what we do, which is more live music."

A message seeking comment from the Palm County Sheriff’s Office early Tuesday was not immediately returned.

Two women caught twerking atop SUV on crowded interstate

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 11:20:08 -0500

Caution – highway twerk ahead!

Two passionate passengers hopped atop the roof of a white SUV driving westbound along Interstate 64 in St. Louis on Monday, where a quick-thinking registered nurse pulled out her cellphone and recorded the wild ordeal.

“We were in traffic obviously and were going pretty slow, but then I saw a girl get out of the car and get on top of the vehicle,” Jackie Friedhoff told The Post early Wednesday. “And I’m like, ‘Did I just see that?’”

Friedhoff, 30, said she was only driving about 10 mph when she spotted the two women, both of whom were wildly gyrating their backsides as the GMC SUV motored down the highway. A third woman can be seen hanging out of a passenger-side window, capturing the dangerous maneuver on her cellphone.

Friedhoof said the unidentified women jumped on top of the SUV on two separate occasions, causing several other drivers to slow down and inquire about the spontaneous dance party.

“I was surprised,” Friedhoff told The Post. “It was definitely a safety concern. They’ve could’ve been blown off and hurt themselves or caused an accident.”

The SUV did not have a license plate, according to Friedhoof, who did not report the incident to St. Louis police.

“It didn’t cross my mind, I guess,” she said. “But I posted it on Facebook in hopes that they would get caught.”

Incredulously, one of the women seen in the video even reached out to Friedhoff to ask her to tag her in the video. She has since deleted her Facebook profile, Friedhoff said.

The two videos posted Monday by Friedhoff have exceeded a combined 250,000 views on Facebook as of Wednesday. She never expected the impromptu twerk session to be such a hit, she said.

“Yeah, I was honestly not expecting it to go viral,” Friedhoff said. “Normally I’m a pretty private person and I don’t post personal stuff like that, so it was odd for me to post that on Facebook.”

Friedhoff said friends are already calling her famous for putting the twerking twins on blast.

“And I’m like, ‘No, I’m not,” she told The Post. “But I couldn’t believe what I saw.”

A St. Louis police spokeswoman, meanwhile, said no calls were received in connection to the incident.

More from The New York Post

Kentucky girl, 3, killed by uncle in knife attack heard over baby monitor, police say

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 11:06:26 -0500

A 3-year-old girl died in Kentucky after her uncle slit her throat in an attack her father heard over the baby monitor, authorities said.

Josephine Mia Bulubenchi died Sunday at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, where she was taken after being allegedly attacked early Saturday by Emanuel Fluter, her 33-year-old uncle who was living with his sister, Simona Bulubenchi, in Clinton County, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

Sheriff Jim Guffey said the killing was the “most horrendous crime” he had seen in more than 15 years on the job.

The girl’s father, Benjamin Bulubenchi, heard his daughter screaming on a baby monitor during the attack. He rushed into the girl’s room and found her throat slit. Fluter then turned the knife on the father, cutting him as well, Guffey told the newspaper.

Four other children were also in the room during the attack, WKYT reports.

It’s unclear what provoked the attack, but Guffey said investigators do not believe Fluter was under the influence of drugs.

Click for more from the New York Post.

Missouri girl, 2, hit and killed by ice cream truck

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 12:24:00 -0400

A 2-year-old girl was fatally struck by an ice cream truck over the weekend in Missouri, police said.

The girl, identified by relatives as Felicity Karam, was struck at about 3:45 p.m. Sunday in Wentzville, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

“It’s a heartbreaking incident,” Wentzville Police Officer Jacob Schmidt told the newspaper. “I can’t help but think of my own family and children. It’s sad all the way around.”

The girl was part of a larger group of children and adults who had just bought ice cream from the truck before she crossed in front of the vehicle, which struck her as it lurched forward, Schmidt said, adding that it’s “too soon” in the investigation to tell if the unidentified man driving will face charges in the fatal incident.

“We’re still working on that,” Schmidt told The Post. “It’s too soon to tell at this point.”

The driver, who stayed on the scene after the accident, is cooperating with investigators, Schmidt said.

Wentzville Fire Chief John Schneider told KSDK that the girl was taken by ambulance after the accident to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Read more at the New York Post.

St. Louis cop charged for breaking man's jaw with flashlight

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 13:23:00 -0400

A decorated cop in St. Louis has been charged with assault a year after breaking a man’s jaw with a flashlight as he was retreating, video shows.

Adam Feaman, 40, was charged Wednesday with second-degree assault and armed criminal action in the Aug. 14, 2017, beating of Jamal White, a 24-year-old man who approached the officer to find out why his car was being towed, according to court documents obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

A 3-minute video of the encounter shows White walking toward Feaman and another officer, one of whom said they didn’t need White “over here.” Feaman then ordered White to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed, a command that White ignored while turning around to run away.

“You’re under arrest!” Feaman said while briefly pursuing White on foot. “You’re under arrest!”

“No, I’m not under arrest, how am I under arrest?” White replied. “No, get the f–k off me, bro! Get off me, how am I under arrest?”

The footage then shows Feaman — who was lauded as the city’s Fourth District Officer of the Year in 2016 — strike White once in the face, knocking him to the ground. Feaman then hit White again with his flashlight, this time in the back of the head while yelling, “Get on the motherf–king ground!”

Read more at the New York Post.

Chicago parolee charged in brutal beatdown livestreamed on Facebook

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 12:04:00 -0400

A parolee in Chicago has been charged with stomping a man’s head and livestreaming the vicious attack on Facebook earlier this month.

Donyell Austin, 23, is the second person facing charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery in the Aug. 13 attack outside a gas station in Chicago’s West Side that left four people hurt, including a 42-year-old man who was remained hospitalized Sunday with life-threatening brain injuries, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Prosecutors in Cook County said during a bond hearing on Sunday that Austin stomped the man’s head and broadcast the attack on Facebook Live. The attack occurred after one of the four victims — two men and two women — asked another group of men and women about buying marijuana while outside a gas station in the 1200 block of South Independence Boulevard.

FOUR KILLED, NEARLY 60 SHOT AS VIOLENT WEEKEND ROCKS SECOND CITY

Several of the men and women then followed the two female victims, eventually knocking them to the ground, where they were beaten. One of the male victims, 42, then drove toward the crowd in a failed attempt to break up the melee, but was instead pulled out of the vehicle by Dontae Decatur, 21, Assistant State’s Attorney Ben Williams said.

Decatur then hopped into the driver’s seat and took possession of the vehicle. That prompted a second male victim, 24, to climb out of the backseat before both he and the 42-year-old victim were assaulted by the group, Williams said.

Read more at the New York Post.

Teens killed mom because 'they couldn't take her complaining': cops

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 12:00:00 -0400

Two Nevada teens have confessed to fatally beating their mother and burying her in a shallow grave because “they couldn’t take her complaining,” according to an arrest report.

Dakota Saldivar and Michael Wilson, both 17, were arrested early Wednesday after their mother, Dawn Liebig, 46, was reported missing from her Pahrump home on Monday. They now face charges of open murder, conspiracy to commit murder and domestic battery with a deadly weapon in the stabbing and bludgeoning attack, KVVU reports.

An investigation was launched after a man from Idaho called the Nye County Sheriff’s Office to request a welfare check at Liebig’s home, claiming he didn’t trust the children living at the residence. A detective later responded and found Liebig’s cellphone but didn’t locate her, leading him to open a missing person report, according to an arrest report obtained by the station.

Investigators then contacted another man who claimed Liebig’s sons gave him differing stories about her disappearance. The man told detectives he believed Liebig was dead “due to the type of family she is in,” according to the report.

Detectives then visited the home and interviewed Saldivar and Wilson, who provided inconsistent stories about their mother’s whereabouts. After a search of the teens’ phones and the discovery of a text that read “my mom passed away,” Wilson confessed that he and Saldivar stabbed Liebig before burying her body in a 2-foot-deep grave.

Wilson also claimed that Liebig asked the teens to kill her before leading detectives to the shallow grave, not far from where the murder weapons were buried, according to the arrest report.

Read more at New York Post.

Man with revoked license wrecks brother's Ferrari: police

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 12:27:00 -0400

Sorry I crashed your Ferrari, bro!

A 50-year-old man who got behind the wheel of his brother’s Ferrari with a revoked license crashed into two parked cars in Massachusetts, police said.

A cherry red 1995 Ferrari driven by John Distasio was pinned beneath the rear of a silver SUV in Weymouth after the Tuesday evening crash on East Street, the Boston Globe reports.

Distasio, according to a police report, was found bleeding by responding officers as he sat in the driver’s seat of the Ferrari. He told cops he was going 40 miles per hour before losing control of the luxury sports car while shifting gears.

Police investigators said the Ferrari crossed into the opposing traffic lane and over a sidewalk before spinning around and crashing through a fence, ultimately slamming into two unoccupied parked cars. Police estimated the Ferrari to be traveling at speeds in excess of 45 miles per hour, or 15 miles faster than the posted speed limit.

All three cars were towed from the scene, WBZ-TV reports. Distasio was taken to a hospital with facial injuries.

Police said Distasio has an “extensive” driving record with at least 40 suspensions or revocations. On two occasions, he has led police in Weymouth on high-speed chases, according to the station.

“I don’t think he should get a license at this stage,” Weymouth police Capt. David Phillips told WBZ-TV. “He’s had too many cracks at it.”

Distasio was later issued citations for operating with a revoked license, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, wanton destruction of property over $250 and a marked lane violation, according to the Globe.

This article originally appeared in The New York Post

Charges dropped in road rage case for victims' 'lack of credibility'

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 11:45:00 -0400

Charges were dropped against a man accused of hurting two women in a horrific road-rage attack after Oregon prosecutors found too many holes in the victims’ stories — and that they had a history of apparently faking injuries in other vehicular incidents.

Jay Allen Barbeau, 49, was arrested June 1 after Megan Stackhouse, 34, and her fiancée, Lucinda Mann, 26, told officers in Bend that he attacked them after their Kia Soul cut him off in traffic. Stackhouse had claimed that she pulled over to let Barbeau pass them, but the imposing, 5-foot-8, 245-pound man instead smashed their rear window before breaking Stackhouse’s arm and knocking Mann unconscious.

But Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said most of the allegations could not be proved — and that Barbeau’s 11-day stint in jail and the “national ridicule he endured for the road-rage attack was a just punishment.

ROAD RAGE VICTIM WAS SUSPECT IN SEPARATE ROAD RAGE CASE, AUTHORITIES SAY

“I have no confidence in the credibility of Mann and Stackhouse,” Hummel said in a statement. “Mann’s claimed injuries in the Barbeau case were debunked by the medical records. While Stackhouse did suffer a broken bone in her wrist, there are competing claims as to how her injury occurred and based on her lack of credibility, I cannot stand by her version of events.”

Here’s what is clear, according to Hummel: Stackhouse, who was leaving a carnival with Mann, pulled her car in front of Barbeau’s in a “dangerous manner,” he said. Barbeau then started aggressively following Stackhouse for more than a mile, eventually exiting his car and punching Stackhouse’s rear window, shattering it, Hummel said.

School bus driver accused of texting, searching for 'your mama' jokes while behind the wheel

Wed, 09 May 2018 11:50:00 -0400

A school bus driver sent text messages and looked up “your mama” jokes on her phone while transporting children, authorities said.

Brenda Cartsen, 39, is facing 15 separate charges, including reckless driving and other traffic offenses, in Anoka County District Court after a parent complained about her distracted driving during her route in Blaine, the Star Tribune reports.

Cartsen, according to video and an audio recording taken on the bus in February, was not wearing a seatbelt at the time and swerved throughout traffic lanes.

She also allowed children to move freely about the bus and shared details of her personal life with students, including an “inappropriate life lesson” that contained profanities, according to a complaint filed by the Blaine city attorney’s office.

Read more at the New York Post.

12-year-old girl abducted on her way home from school, possibly by stepfather, police say

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:30:00 -0400

A 12-year-old developmentally delayed girl was abducted as she walked home from school in Colorado, authorities said.

Raeanna Rosencrans was last seen at about 3 p.m. Wednesday near D ½ Road and Larry’s Meadow getting into a “boxy” car with a balding white man in his late 40s to early 50s and a medium build. The man called out to her by name, police said.

Raeanna — who stands 5 feet 1 and weighs about 135 pounds — was last seen wearing black jeans, a black shirt with white designs and Adidas sneakers. She also had a black and white backpack with Southwestern-style designs on it, police said.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has issued an Amber Alert in connection with her disappearance. Investigators said the girl is developmentally disabled but high-functioning.

Investigators said Raeanna may be with her stepfather, a registered sex offender with no parental rights to the girl. He has been identified as Jody Haskin, 47, of Grand Junction.

“Witness statement indicate that Raeanna entered the vehicle willingly,” police said in a statement. “Haskin is a registered sex offender, and currently has a warrant for his arrest for sex assault on a child out of the Grand Junction Police Department.”

Read more at the New York Post.

Sex offender gets new trial after Texas judge used shock belt on him in court

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 13:11:00 -0500

An appeals court has ordered a new trial for a convicted sex offender after a judge in Texas ordered a bailiff to shock him three times with a 50,000-volt belt for being uncooperative in court.

The Texas Eighth Court of Appeals in El Paso ordered the new trial for Terry Lee Morris in a ruling issued late last month, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

“While the trial court’s frustration with an obstreperous defendant is understandable, the judge’s disproportionate response is not,” Justice Yvonne Rodriguez wrote. “We do not believe that trial judges can use stun belts to enforce decorum.”

Rodriguez said a stun belt — typically used to deliver thousands of volts of electric current to violent defendants or those who try to escape a courtroom — is “meant to ensure physical safety” rather than to serve as a “conditioning collar” to punish defendants who disobey a judge’s request.

“This Court cannot sit idly by and say nothing when a judge turns a court of law into a Skinner Box, electrocuting a defendant until he provides the judge with behavior he likes,” Rodriguez’s opinion continued.

Read more at the New York Post.

Youth pastor in sexual relationship with teen celebrated when she became 'legal': cops

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 13:27:00 -0500

A youth pastor in Colorado had a sexual relationship with a high school senior — and gave the teen a card on her 18th birthday that read, “We’re legal,” according to an arrest affidavit.

Joshua Clemons, a former pastor at Cross Roads Community Church in Parker, was arrested Tuesday by Denver police on suspicion of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. He also faces two of the same counts in Douglas County, police in Parker told the Denver Post.

While working at the church from 2008 through 2017, Clemons allegedly sexually assaulted three victims who were current or former members of its youth program — one of whom was a 17-year-old girl, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the newspaper.

Clemons, who was then married, knew the girl’s age and allegedly had sex with her at his home in southwest Denver several times between September 2014 and August 2015. On her 18th birthday, Clemons marked the occasion by giving her birthday card that, according to an arrest affidavit, contained the phrase: “We’re legal.”

Clemons continued seeing the teen after she graduated from high school and even visited her at Colorado State University before the relationship ended in late 2017, when she claimed Clemons started “stalking” her and showing up at her new church, KMGH reports.

Read more at the New York Post.

Family doctor allegedly guns down neighbors with kids watching

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 14:30:00 -0500

A family doctor in Texas allegedly gunned down a couple of neighbors who were helping his mother move furniture – as the victims’ children watched in horror.

Robert Edward Fadal II, a family practice physician in Seguin, is accused of using a rifle to fatally shoot Tiffany Leann Strait, 30, and her husband, Anthony Ray Strait, 27, as they were helping Fadal’s mother move furniture early Sunday at the doctor’s gated residence, the Seguin Gazette reports.

Investigators were still puzzled over what sparked the shooting, which occurred in front of the Straits’ three sons, the oldest of which just 10 years old.

“At this time, there are no indications there was a feud, disturbance, or anything precipitating or justifying the shooting,” Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Lt. Craig Jones told the newspaper. “There is no indication that there was a dispute between the victims and suspect. We’re still working to understand why this took place.”

Anthony Strait was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Read more at the New York Post.

Hunting pastor using animal caller mistaken for coyote, fatally shot

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 10:38:00 -0500

A hunter in North Carolina who was using an electronic animal caller was fatally shot by man with an AR-15 who said he mistook the sounds for coyotes roaming near his home, police and relatives said.

Michael Seth Marsh, 26, was killed late Monday in a wooded area in Taylorsville, about 60 miles northwest of Charlotte, as he was hunting coyotes with a 12-gauge shotgun, a rifle and an electronic coyote call, the Taylorsville Times reports.

Marsh, who served as the pastor of Russell Gap Baptist Church, was shot several times in the chest with an AR-15 by a man who told police he heard coyotes screaming nearby and believed the animals had trapped something in a tree.

The man, whose identity was not released because he was not immediately charged, said he then fired two shots at the brown and gray movement in the trees. The shooter later called police after he realized he had shot the hunter and not a wild animal.

Marsh was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he could not be saved. Marsh is survived by his wife, Katy, and two children, Braelynn and Isaac.

Read more at New York Post.

Pastor insists nothing happened with bound naked man in car

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 13:12:00 -0500

A Pennsylvania pastor insists he was merely counseling a naked man cops found bound with nylon rope in a parked car on a residential street, saying “I have nothing to hide.”

George Nelson Gregory, 61, was sitting in the back seat of a car parked outside a house in Homestead when cops — responding to a call for a suspicious vehicle — spotted a naked man bound with nylon rope in the front seat around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, KDKA reported.

A witness told police the naked man got out of the car in full view from his daughter’s window.

Gregory told the officers that he and other unidentified man were “just playing” in a consensual setting, adding that they “meet up from time to time to play with each other,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by the station.

And despite being inside a car on a well-lit public street — one witness said he saw the naked man from his daughter’s window — Gregory believed they were in a private setting, cops said.

Read more at the New York Post.

Princeton professor under fire after using n-word in lecture

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 12:16:00 -0500

An anthropology professor at Princeton University allegedly used the n-word multiple times during a lecture this week, prompting a walkout by several students and an expletive-laced in-class confrontation.

Several students told The Daily Princetonian that professor Lawrence Rosen used the word “n—-r” when asking a question Tuesday during his Anthropology 212 course, “Cultural Freedoms: Hate Speech, Blasphemy and Pornography.”

“What is worse, a white man punching a black man, or white man calling a black man a n—-r?” Rosen allegedly asked during a lecture on oppressive symbolism.

Student Devyn Holliday told the student newspaper that Rosen, who did not return a message seeking comment Friday, used the word while describing “what is acceptable as free speech and what is not.”

After asking that initial question, students said Rosen used the word “n—-r” two more times during in-class discussions.

Read more at the New York Post.

Alleged drunk driver to cops: Hey, my Tesla was on autopilot

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 12:50:00 -0500

An alleged drunk driver found passed out in a Tesla on a bridge in California told officers the car was on “autopilot” — an apparent bid to alleviate concerns about him being behind the wheel.

The unidentified motorist was arrested and charged with suspicion of DUI after being found unconscious on the Bay Bridge with a blood alcohol content “more than” twice the legal limit, the California Highway Patrol posted on Twitter Saturday.

“Driver explained Tesla had been set on autopilot,” the post continued. “He was arrested and charged with suspicion of DUI. Car towed (no it didn’t drive itself to the tow yard).”

The tweet did not indicate when the incident took place, but officers told the San Francisco Chronicle that the man was found in the stopped car at about 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 13.

“It’s pretty quick that we get those calls,” Officer Vu Williams of the California Highway Patrol’s San Francisco division told the newspaper. “We always have units patrolling the bridge.”

Tesla officials, meanwhile, said the car’s autopilot function is intended for use “only with a fully attentive driver,” according to a statement to the newspaper.

In September, a writer for Business Insider who reviewed Tesla’s autopilot feature in Australia said he found the system to be “slightly terrifying,” primarily because it runs counter to every previously held instinct behind the wheel.

“Autopilot is certainly not self-driving and can cause some anxiety while you’re getting used to it,” Tony Yoo said of the Tesla Model S P100D. “But once you trust the remarkable technology, you realize that autonomous vehicles are no longer science fiction and it is not just marketing hype to think that we will see it within the next few years.”

This story originally appeared in The New York Post

Army veteran hailed as D-Day hero admits he didn't land in Normandy invasion

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 16:05:00 -0400

A 96-year-old World War II veteran hailed as an American D-Day war hero after surviving a fierce battle against the Germans on the cliffs of Normandy has admitted he was actually in northern Ireland at the time, according to a French nonprofit organization.

George G. Klein was treated as “one of the great celebrities” during the 73rd anniversary of the Normandy battle during a ceremony there last month, where he was honored as one of the 90 surviving members of the elite 2nd Ranger Battalion that battled the Germans on the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on June 6, 1944.

“His good humor and smiles were not feigned: George expressed his joy of returning to Normandy for the second time and meeting the Normans, explaining: ‘I am not a hero. The real heroes are those who have lost life here,’” according to Marc Laurenceau, who runs D-Day Overlord, a French organization dedicated to the Battle of Normandy.

Klein’s return to Europe at a cost of more than $5,000 was paid for by “dozens of donors” and was arranged by the volunteers connected to the group.

“But only weeks after his return to the United States, the extraordinary news is made public: George Klein is not the one he claims to be,” according to Laurenceau’s account, which was posted online Monday. “On June 6, 1944, the American veteran was not among the 2nd Ranger Battalion to attack the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, this formidable German artillery position threatening the landing beaches.”

Klein was nowhere near the beaches of Normandy. Instead, he was in northern Ireland with the B battery of his artillery regiment, the 46th Field Artillery Battalion, 5th Infantry Division.

The discovery is the work of several historians, Laurenceau said, including Marty Morgan and Gary Sterne, who owns a museum dedicated to D-Day and the Battle of Normandy in the French town of Grandcamp-Maisy.

Klein, over the course of two decades, claimed to have been one of the officers within F Company of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, recounting three days he spent fighting German soldiers at Pointe du Hoc and scaling 100-foot cliffs.

Texas high school running back delivers epic message of inspiration

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 13:01:53 -0400

A Texas high school football player secured his place in the post-game interview hall of fame after delivering a motivational speech that would make even the crustiest coach's heart swell and eyes water.

Apollos Hester and the East View Patriots defeated the Vandegrift Vipers 42-41 on Friday and the senior’s infectious personality quickly showed during an interview with TWC News Austin.

“Yeah, they had us the first half, I'm not gonna lie, they had us,” a wonderfully animated Hester said, his voice rising. “We weren't defeated, but they had us. But it took guts, it took an attitude — that's all it takes. That's all it takes to be successful is an attitude. And that’s what our coach told us.”

Nearly 4 million people had viewed Hester’s 2-minute video as of Tuesday and the school district’s athletic director told FoxNews.com that the performance might not even be the teen’s best.

“From what I understand, that wasn’t even his best speech — so I think that says a lot,” said Todd York, athletic director of the Georgetown Independent School District. “It was completely in character for him, it came natural. He just has this charisma about him and it came out at that time.”

Hester, listed at 6 feet tall and just under 200 pounds, plays football and basketball at East View High School in Georgetown and could be a scholarship athlete, York said.

“He’s the type of kid who could receive a scholarship for football,” he told FoxNews.com. “He’s a pretty good player on a good team, so he has that capability.”

York said Hester, who has posted other motivational videos on YouTube, is an example of how other students can learn from their experiences with positive role models.

“First of all, he’s a fabulous young man, but he's also obviously paid attention to what his coaches, teachers and parents have told him,” he said. “He’s been able to bring that out in a very emotional situation after that come-from-behind win.”

Hester, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday, appeared early Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends."

"It's an awesome feeling when you truly believe that you're going to be successful regardless of the situation, regardless of the scoreboard you’re going to be successful because you put in all the time, all the effort, all the hard work and you know it’s going to pay off," Hester told reporter Lauren Mickler. "And if it doesn’t pay off, you continue to give God the glory. If you still lose the game, you continue to get each other’s backs. And that's what we realized — win or lose, we realized that we were going to be all right. It’s going to be OK, we're going to keep smiling."

East Coast braces for '$1B' storm as Hurricane Sandy barrels through Bahamas

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 04:20:00 -0400

Emergency management teams and utilities along the East Coast are bracing for what could be a $1 billion punch as Hurricane Sandy's 100 mph winds barrel toward the heavily populated region between the Carolina coast and Cape Cod.

The Category 2 storm, which has killed 21 in the Caribbean, including 11 in Cuba and 9 in Haiti, and is now hitting the Bahamas. It may combine with other, rain-heavy weather systems to create what meteorologists are calling a "perfect storm" that could wreak havoc from North Carolina to Massachusetts early next week. Sandy will likely maintain its hurricane status as it passes over the Bahamas and may bring tropical storm conditions along Florida’s southeastern coast by early Friday.

Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Weather Underground, called the hurricane a "perfect storm," and predicted early next week that it could cause $1 billion or more in damage.

In Virginia, where the storm may make landfall as early as this weekend, officials from the state’s Department of Emergency Management are advising residents to make preparations in advance and to closely watch local forecasts.

“We are taking the forecast seriously,” VDEM spokeswoman Laura Southard told FoxNews.com. “We are in close contact with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, so we’re getting the best information we can.”

Residents in the storm’s expected path, Southard said, should have a three days’ supply of water on hand, or one gallon per person per day, enough for drinking, cooking and some bathing.

“They should have at least a 3-day supply and food that doesn’t need electricity to prepare it,” she said.

To combat extended power outages, Southard suggested residents purchase battery-powered radios and extra batteries.

“Pay attention,” she said. “Expect that there’s going to be some effect and go ahead and make some preparations.”

Southard said state officials likely will add more employees at its emergency center in Richmond beginning on Saturday.

“It looks like things are coming together,” she said. “And it never, ever hurts to be prepared.”

In New York, Consolidated Edison is warning its 9 million customers in Westchester County and New York City to stay away from any downed power lines if and when the storm strikes the Empire State.

“Treat any downed line as if it’s alive,” Con Ed spokesman Christ Olert told FoxNews.com. “Stay away.”

Olert advised residents to charge portable devices in advance and to have extra batteries on hand in the event of outages.

“We’re watching it and we’ll be prepared,” Con Ed spokesman Chris Olert told FoxNews.com. “We’ll have extra crews available and, if need be, we’ll go to 12-hour shifts.”

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was located about 60 miles southeast of Eleuthera late Thursday afternoon as it neared Cat Island in the central Bahamas. The storm was moving north at 20 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. It was expected to remain a hurricane as it moves through the Bahamas. A tropical storm warning has been extended northward as far as Flagler Beach and a tropical storm watch was issued for the northeastern Florida coast.

"It'll be a rough couple days from Hatteras up to Cape Cod," said forecaster Jim Cisco of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration prediction center in College Park, Maryland. "We don't have many modern precedents for what the models are suggesting."

On Ragged Island in the southern Bahamas, the lone school was flooded, "we have holes in roofs, lost shingles and power lines are down," said Charlene Bain, local Red Cross president. "But nobody lost a life, that's the important thing."

People across the Bahamas formed long lines to stock up on water, canned goods, flashlights and other items, leaving grocery store shelves nearly empty.

Steven Russell, an emergency management official in Nassau, said that docks on the western side of Great Inagua island have been completely destroyed and that the roof of a government building was partially ripped off.

"As the storm passes over Eleuthera and Cat Island, they should get a pretty good beating," he said. "There are sections of Eleuthera we are concerned about."

The massive Atlantis resort went into lockdown mode after dozens of tourists left Paradise Island before the airport closed, said George Markantonis, president and managing director of Kerzner International, which manages the resort. He said the resort is now less than half full, but all its restaurants, casinos and other facilities are still operating.

White House officials, meanwhile, said President Obama has been briefed on Hurricane Sandy and urged people within the storm’s projected path to monitor local weather reports. Federal emergency management officials have been working with local authorities to prepare, spokesman Jay Carney said Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Exit Stage Left: School Skit On Immigration Scuttled Following Complaint

Wed, 19 Feb 2014 14:51:01 -0500

A classroom skit featuring Uncle Sam and an “uninvited guest” without a visa has been scuttled by education officials in Maryland following a complaint by a parent.

The four-page skit, “The Uninvited Guest” by Brenda B. Covert on education website EdHelper.com, details a short story about Uncle Sam and guests at his “Country Haven” for a party. After brief pleasantries, the character who serves as a metaphor for the United States quickly makes it known exactly who is welcome.

“No invitations are needed to come to Uncle Sam’s Country Haven,” Uncle Sam says. “It’s open to everyone who lives here.”

An invited guest then recalls overhearing something about a “visa,” according to the supplemental material.

“Oh, yes. A visa lets people in who don’t live here,” Uncle Sam continues. “People who want to come for a visit just need to get my approval. If I like them and have the space, I welcome them in. I tell them how long they can stay, and if they want to stay longer, I’ll think it over.”

Uncle Sam further reiterates that not everyone is invited to the party, particularly those who “sneak” into it.

“Outsiders who pose a threat to the health or safety of my family aren’t welcome here,” Uncle Sam continues. “I don’t want any drug addicts or drug traffickers to come in, either. No criminals. We have enough problems; we don’t need to invite more!”

One complaint from a parent of a student was received in response to the skit last month, according to Max Pugh, a spokesman for Prince George’s County Public Schools. Pugh declined to identify the name of the school or the teacher who assigned the skit, saying the incident was isolated and not indicative of the district’s curriculum.

“The skit was not performed,” Pugh told FoxNews.com. “It was poor discretion on behalf of the teacher. It was an isolated incident.”

Pugh also declined to say whether the teacher was disciplined for distributing “inappropriate” classroom material. It’s unclear whether the teacher informed the school’s principal about the skit prior to giving it to students, he said. In light of the incident, however, Pugh said district officials will now more closely review supplemental materials prior to disseminating them to its 124,000-plus students, including nearly 50,000 elementary-age children.

“We’re always looking for material that will support our Common Core implementation,” Pugh said in reference to new national academic standards. “And if they do not, we will advise them not to use the materials, of course.”

The district, which has more than 200 schools, characterizes itself as a diverse mix of students from urban, rural and suburban communities. More than one-quarter of all students in the district — 27 percent — were born outside of the United States or speak a language other than English at home. More than 22 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to its website.

The skit was part of a teacher’s social studies lesson plan on immigration in a third-grade gifted-and-talented class, according to a parent of a child who spoke to the Washington Post. The unidentified parent said the teacher obtained the script from EdHelper.com, which bills itself as a “single shop” for educational resources for teachers.

Messages seeking comment from the website and the skit’s author were not returned Wednesday. Kenneth Haines, president of the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association, declined to discuss the skit, referring calls to Pugh. The National Education Association did not return phone calls.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, meanwhile, said the U.S. Constitution offers school officials wide discretion on materials used in the classroom.

"The Constitution gives school officials broad latitude to control what materials are used and how lessons are taught in the classroom, in contrast to the limits the First Amendment places on their ability to censor student speech," the organization said in a statement to FoxNews.com. "The actions taken by Prince George's County Schools in connection with the play appear to relate to their control over the classroom, rather than an attempt to censor student speech, and thus do not appear unlawful."

Gustavo Torres, executive director of Casa of Maryland, a community group founded by Central American refugees and immigrants, was unavailable to comment on Wednesday, but said he was pleased the district responded appropriately to the “horrendous” material.

“The play is horrible,” Torres told the Washington Post. “It is racist.”

Congressman Derided for Laughing at Suggestion to Recite the Pledge of Allegiance

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:49:27 -0500

If the Pledge of Allegiance is a laughing matter, then the joke may be on a California congressman.

A Republican candidate for Congress in California is calling on U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra to "clarify his reaction" after the Democrat was caught on a YouTube video laughing at a suggestion that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited prior to a union meeting in Los Angeles.

The 46-second video was captured by an unidentified staffer who accompanied candidate Ari David to a Service Employees International Union meeting on Saturday. By early Tuesday, the video had been viewed roughly 10,000 times.

David will not be opposing Becerra in November; he is running to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman in a neighboring district. He said he attended the meeting in Becerra's district in hopes of meeting with Waxman, who he said was an invited guest.

On the video, a man off camera can be heard saying: "I'm here for Ari David for Congress. Can we start this meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Hilarity ensues, most notably on behalf of an unidentified woman standing behind a lectern. Becerra, seated on stage, can be seen smiling and stifling his laughter as he bends slightly forward in his chair.

"No, I'm serious," David's staffer continues. "Congressman, shouldn't we say the Pledge of Allegiance if we all want to be citizens? Wouldn't that be appropriate to say the Pledge of Allegiance?"

"Sure, of course," the woman on stage replies. "OK, let's go for it -- you lead."

The pledge is then recited by everyone in the room, followed by raucous applause.

David told Fox News he found Becerra's reaction "completely inappropriate," adding: "I was stunned as an American that one of our members of Congress would act that way.

"Considering these people want immigration reform, shouldn't they say the national anthem before a public meeting with their elected official there?"

If Becerra thought the situation was comical, it was the congressman's "prerogative" to laugh, David said.

"Is it that offensive of a notion to be asked to say the Pledge of Allegiance?" the candidate continued.

Becerra defended the reaction in a statement to Fox News, saying:

"On the morning of February 20th, I was invited to address some 500 people gathered to discuss the human tragedy of a broken immigration system and the need to fix it. At some point during that meeting, a political operative for a congressional campaign asked if we could recite the pledge of allegiance. The meeting was already under way and the question was unexpected. It took us all by surprise. When the speaker explained that he was serious and asked me specifically if we could say the pledge, I said yes and gestured to the moderator, who then led the entire gathering in reciting the pledge."