Tag: Assault and battery

Paul Pelosi suspect charged with attempting to kidnap House speaker and attempted murder | CNN Politics

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The man alleged to have attacked Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been charged with a litany of crimes, including assault, attempted murder and attempted kidnapping, following last week’s break-in at the couple’s San Francisco home, the US attorney’s office and San Francisco district attorney announced on Monday.

David DePape, 42, was charged with one count of “attempted kidnapping of a US official,” according to the US attorney’s office for the Northern District of California. That charge relates to Nancy Pelosi, who DePape told police he planned to “hold hostage,” according to an FBI affidavit also unsealed on Monday.

The attempted kidnapping charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

DePape also was charged with one count of assault of an immediate family member of a US official with the intent to retaliate against the official. That charge relates to a crime allegedly committed against Paul Pelosi and carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

The federal charges against DePape are in addition to state charges, which the San Francisco district attorney said later Monday include “attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, as well as threats to a public official and their family.”

Based on current state charges, DePape is facing 13 years to life in prison, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. She said DePape is expected in court for his arraignment Tuesday.

Jenkins said at her news conference that the Pelosi attack was “politically motivated”.

“Yes, it appears as though this was, based on his statements and comments that were made in that house during his encounter with Mr. Pelosi, that this was politically motivated,” Jenkins said.

CNN reported earlier Monday that Paul Pelosi was interviewed this weekend at the hospital by investigators and was able to provide details of the attack, according to two law enforcement sources and a source familiar with the matter.

Among those conducting the interview were FBI and local law enforcement investigators.

The court filing related to the federal charges against DePape reveal the most detailed account yet of Paul Pelosi’s 911 call while the incident was unfolding.

“Pelosi stated words to the effect of there is a male in the home and that the male is going to wait for Pelosi’s wife. Pelosi further conveyed that he does not know who the male is. The male said his name is David,” an FBI agent said in a sworn affidavit that was unsealed Monday.

Paul Pelosi called 911 at 2:23 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, and police arrived at his house eight minutes later, according to the affidavit unsealed Monday.

Hear details from Paul Pelosi’s coded 911 call that led to his rescue

“When the door was opened, Pelosi and DePape were both holding a hammer with one hand and DePape had his other hand holding onto Pelosi’s forearm,” the affidavit said. “Pelosi greeted the officers. The officers asked them what was going on. DePape responded that everything was good. Officers then asked Pelosi and DePape to drop the hammer.”

At that moment, DePape allegedly pulled the hammer away and swung it, striking Paul Pelosi in the head. Pelosi “appeared to be unconscious on the ground” after the blow, the affidavit said.

Paul Pelosi was later taken to the hospital and underwent a “successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” according to a previous press release from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. They said they expect Paul Pelosi to make a full recovery.

A source familiar with the matter provided CNN with more information about the attack on Paul Pelosi and the extent of his injuries in the wake of the federal criminal complaint.

The source said that DePape struck Pelosi twice in the head. Pelosi needed surgery for a skull fracture and also had serious injuries to his hands and right arm, which led to his shirt being cut off at the hospital to treat his arm, the source said.

Paul Pelosi was sleeping in boxer shorts and a pajama top in the third-floor bedroom of his San Francisco house, the source said, when authorities allege that DePape broke in.

CNN has previously reported that Pelosi managed to keep the line open with 911, the dispatcher could hear a conversation in the background, and that Pelosi was talking in code to help the authorities understand what was happening.

“DePape was prepared to detain and injure Speaker Pelosi when he entered the Pelosi residence in the early morning of October 28, 2022,” the FBI agent said in the affidavit. “DePape had zip ties, tape, rope, and at least one hammer with him that morning.”

DePape has not yet had any court appearances related to the attack.

According to the criminal complaint filed in court, DePape confessed in an interview with local police that he intended to find the House speaker and hold her hostage.

The FBI affidavit filed with the complaint said: “DePape stated that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her. If Nancy were to tell DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps.’”

“DePape was certain that Nancy would not have told the ‘truth,’” the FBI affidavit said.

‘Where is Nancy?’: Assailant shouted before attacking Pelosi’s husband, source says

The affidavit further stated DePape told police that Nancy Pelosi was the “leader of the pack” of lies promoted by the Democratic Party. DePape told police that other members of Congress would see that there are consequences to their actions when Pelosi, with broken kneecaps, would get “wheeled into” the House chamber, according to the affidavit.

The interview was conducted by the San Francisco Police Department on Friday, the day of the attack, according to court filings. DePape was read his Miranda rights before he spoke with the police and confessed to his intentions to kidnap the top-ranking House Democrat, according to the filings.

The federal charges unsealed Monday also further debunk a conspiracy theory about the Pelosi attack that was previously shared on Twitter by its billionaire owner Elon Musk.

The conspiracy theory claimed, among other things, that Paul Pelosi knew his attacker. Musk tweeted a link to an article promoting the theory on Sunday, though he later deleted it.

The FBI affidavit, unsealed Monday alongside the federal charges, says Pelosi told a 911 dispatcher during his call that “he does not know who the male is” that invaded his home.

Galloway explains how the attack on Paul Pelosi complicates Musk’s vision for Twitter

Furthermore, the affidavit said San Francisco Police Department officers interviewed Pelosi in the ambulance on the way to hospital, and he said, “He had never seen (David) DePape before.”

Earlier on Monday, San Francisco Police Department chief William Scott told CNN’s Ana Cabrera that Paul Pelosi didn’t know the suspect. The police chief said the wave of conspiracies about the case were “baseless” and “damaging” to the ongoing investigation.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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October 31, 2022
Rick Scott calls attack on Paul Pelosi ‘disgusting’ but dodges questions about election conspiracies shared by alleged assailant | CNN Politics

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CNN
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Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who chairs the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, on Sunday called the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, “disgusting” but dodged questions about election conspiracy theories that were shared by the alleged attacker on social media.

“It’s disgusting, this violence is horrible,” Scott said on “State of the Union” in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash. “We had a door-knocker in Florida that was attacked. I mean, this stuff has to stop. … And my heart goes out to Paul Pelosi, and I hope he has a full recovery.”

Asked by Bash if Republicans should do more to reject false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, insurrection that were shared on social media by Paul Pelosi’s alleged assailant, Scott did not directly respond.

“I think what we have to do is, one, we have to condemn the violence, and then we have to do everything we can to get people – make sure people feel comfortable about these elections,” the senator said.

“I think what’s important is everybody do everything we can to make these elections fair,” he reiterated when Bash asked him again about it.

An intruder, identified by police as David DePape, 42, confronted the 82-year-old Paul Pelosi with a hammer early Friday morning at his San Francisco home, shouting, “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?” according to a law enforcement source. The assailant attempted to tie Pelosi up “until Nancy got home,” two sources familiar with the situation told CNN.

The alleged assailant had posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid vaccines, the 2020 election and the January 6 attack, and an acquaintance told CNN that he seemed “out of touch with reality.”

Meanwhile, Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, the chair of the House GOP campaign arm, condemned violence broadly in an interview with CBS on Sunday.

“There’s no place for violence period in our society. Physical violence or violence against someone’s property,” Emmer, who heads the National Republican Congressional Committee, said when asked about political violence. “The incident in San Francisco, tragic as it is, I think we need some more information about it. But we should all be feeling for Paul Pelosi and his family. Hopefully, there’ll be a 100% recovery.”

But Emmer refused to commit to pulling advertisements targeting Nancy Pelosi. Nor would he commit to taking down a recent tweet, which included a video of him firing a gun and read, “Enjoyed exercising my Second Amendment rights … Let’s #FirePelosi,” telling CBS that he disagreed that the tweet was dangerous.

“I never saw anyone after Steve Scalise was shot by a Bernie Sanders supporter trying to equate Democrat rhetoric with those actions. Please don’t do that,” Emmer said.

On Sunday, Bash asked Scott if his successor as Florida governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, should attend an upcoming rally in South Florida headlined by former President Donald Trump. The rally will feature Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who, like DeSantis, is also up for reelection next month, but not DeSantis, amid reports that the relationship between Trump and the governor has grown distant ahead of a possible presidential showdown in 2024.

“That’s a choice everybody makes. I mean, I know President Trump is trying to make sure we get a majority back in the Senate,” Scott said.

Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, also predicted the GOP will control “52-plus” Senate seats after the midterm elections.

“Herschel Walker will win Georgia. We’re going to keep all 21 of ours. (Mehmet) Oz is going to win against Fetterman in Pennsylvania. And Adam Laxalt will win in Nevada,” he said, while also expressing optimism about GOP chances in Arizona and New Hampshire and noting that Republicans “have got shots” in Washington state, Colorado and Connecticut.

“This is our year,” Scott said.

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October 30, 2022
Reports: Suspect in deputy’s homicide dies in hospice care

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ROCK HILL, S.C. — A South Carolina man accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy in June has died in hospice care.

Duane Heard died Friday in Rock Hill, new outlets reported, citing the Spartanburg County coroner.

Heard was charged with murder in the death of 25-year-old Spartanburg County Deputy Austin Derek Aldridge, who was among deputies responding to a domestic disturbance call on June 21 west of Spartanburg.

When Aldridge knocked on Heard’s door after a woman reported that Heard assaulted her, Heard came out and shot Aldridge in the head, authorities have said. They described it as an ambush.

Officials said Heard then stole Aldridge’s gun, keys and electric stun gun and fled. Aldridge tried to evade a traffic stop by pretending to surrender, then wrecked his vehicle, running into the woods while repeatedly exchanging gunfire with deputies, authorities said. The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office said Heard was shot twice before his capture.

Prosecutors had said they would seek the death penalty against Heard. He had been receiving treatment for his injuries until he was discharged and booked into the York County jail on Oct. 20.

The coroner said while in custody, Heard’s health deteriorated and he was taken into hospice care.

Aldridge had been a deputy for three years. His widow, Jessica Link Aldridge, was pregnant when Aldridge died and scheduled to deliver in February 2023.

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October 30, 2022
Records: Lying officers unpunished in 2018 inmate death

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Three former Illinois prison guards face life behind bars after the 2018 fatal beating of a 65-year-old inmate in a case marked by the unpunished lies of other correctional officers who continue to get pay raises, records obtained by The Associated Press and court documents show.

Juries convicted Department of Corrections Officer Alex Banta in April and Lt. Todd Sheffler in August of federal civil rights violations owing largely to the cooperation of the third, Sgt. Willie Hedden. Hedden hopes for a reduced sentence — even though he admitted lying about his involvement until entering a guilty plea 18 months ago.

But Hedden’s account of what happened to Western Illinois Correctional Center inmate Larry Earvin on May 17, 2018, is not unique. Similar testimony was offered by six other correctional officers who still work at the lockup in Mount Sterling, 249 miles (400 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.

Like Hedden, all admitted under oath that initially, they lied to authorities investigating Earvin’s death, including to the Illinois State Police and the FBI. They covered up the brutal beatings that took place and led to Earvin’s death six weeks later from blunt-force trauma to the chest and abdomen, according to an autopsy reports.

Documents obtained by The AP under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act indicate that none of the guards has been punished for the coverup. Despite admitting their indiscretions, Lts. Matthew Lindsey and Blake Haubrich, Sgts. Derek Hasten, Brett Hendricks and Shawn Volk and Officer Richard Waterstraat have flourished — three have been promoted, one has been on paid leave, and on average, they’ve seen salary hikes of nearly 30% and increases in pension benefits.

Even if fired from their jobs now, they’d keep the extra money from salary hikes — tied to promotions or contractual agreement — and the accompanying boosts in retirement benefits.

Phone numbers associated with the officers are not connected, or messages weren’t returned. None has responded to a request through the Corrections Department to speak to them.

Corrections spokeswoman Naomi Puzzello said an internal review of the Earvin incident has been postponed until the federal probe is complete. She promised that Corrections will take “all appropriate steps” to punish misconduct. But it has no authority “to take past wages from an employee or impair a pension,” she said.

Banta and Sheffler are in federal custody, awaiting sentencing — Banta on Tuesday and Sheffler on Jan. 6. Hedden’s sentencing has not been scheduled.

Hedden testified in April that he ascribed to “the culture at Western” which called for roughing up troublemakers while escorting them to the segregation unit used to discipline inmates who break rules or threaten prison safety.

Western’s warden was replaced in 2020 in efforts that Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last spring were a part of changing the culture, which also have included initiatives to address the use of force and establish a more affirmative approach to inmates.

Accountability, however, matters, too, said Jennifer Vollen-Katz, executive director of the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog.

“There is a disturbing lack of transparency around staff discipline when it comes to Corrections,”Vollen-Katz said. “It’s really hard to have faith in culture change … when you have staff that behave like this and there seem to be little or no repercussions.”

The Justice Department also has a stake. Lying to the FBI is a felony. Timothy Bass, the U.S. attorney’s lead prosecutor on the case, said he couldn’t comment on whether there would be further prosecutions.

The officers whose stories changed only when the investigation intensified were clear about their reasons when testifying under oath at the trials.

“There’s an unwritten rule, the saying that goes around that ‘Snitches get stitches…,’” Volk testified, explaining his untruthful interview with the Illinois State Police the week following the Earvin incident. “You’re part of a brotherhood with everybody out there and you don’t want to be the guy that snitches.”

Lindsey was in charge of segregation that day and testified he saw Hedden, Sheffler and Banta bring Earvin into the segregation unit’s vestibule, where there are no security cameras. He was among several witnesses who reported seeing Earvin punched, kicked and stomped before motioning to Sheffler through an interior window to stop.

Lindsey told no one what he had seen. When the FBI called in late summer 2018, he lied for “fear of retaliation,” according to his recent testimony.

Since May 2018, Lindsey has been promoted and his salary has increased 42% to $105,756, according to records disclosed by Corrections.

Hasten, too, said he “was just scared of the retaliation,” adding that his wife also works at the prison. His salary has grown 17% to nearly $79,000 even after voluntarily changing to a lower-paying job at Western.

Hendricks and Volk were also in the segregation vestibule with Sheffler, Hedden and Banta. Hendricks testified that he was shocked by the violence against Earvin, who was handcuffed behind the back and face down on the ground. But when asked why he lied to investigators, he admitted: “I didn’t want to tell on my coworker.”

Hendricks has since received a promotion and pay increases totaling nearly 30%.

When state police officers talked to Haubrich, they were focused on rough treatment of Earvin that began in his housing unit. They were unaware that it had continued in the segregation entrance. But like Hendricks, Haubrich volunteered nothing about the brutality he had seen because he “was covering the backs of my fellow officers and brothers.”

Haubrich has been on paid leave from the prison since May 2018, watching his salary increase nearly 30% to $96,396. That’s also the case for Lt. Benjamin Burnett, escorted off the prison grounds days after the attack with Haubrich, along with Hedden and Banta.

Waterstraat, who’s been promoted with a 44% pay increase, didn’t come clean with authorities until faced with a grand jury.

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AP Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed.

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Follow Political Writer John O’Connor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor

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October 30, 2022
Judge dismisses part of assault suit against U of Michigan

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LANSING, Mich. — A judge has dismissed part of a lawsuit filed by eight women alleging sexual harassment and assault by a former University of Michigan lecturer.

Judge Thomas Cameron of the Michigan Court of Claims ruled Friday that the plaintiffs failed to file timely notices of intent to sue the University of Michigan, its board of regents and Bruce Conforth as required by law, The Detroit News reported.

“This is a final order that resolves the last pending claim and closes the case,” Cameron wrote.

Attorney Daniel Barnett, whose firm represents the women, said the decision only dismisses the case against the university and its regents.

A portion of the lawsuit filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court against Conforth remains, Barnett said, as does a state civil rights claim against the university and its board by the women.

Barnett said he plans to appeal the ruling.

The Associated Press left phone messages and sent emails Saturday requesting comment from a university spokeswoman and an attorney representing Conforth.

Conforth taught American culture at the university. He resigned in 2017, university officials said.

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October 29, 2022
Soccer player injured in knife attack calls himself ‘lucky’

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MILAN — Pablo Marí, the Spanish soccer player who was wounded in a knife attack at an Italian shopping center, called himself “lucky” to survive and was being treated Friday following injuries to his back and mouth.

Five people were stabbed Thursday and one was killed after a man grabbed a knife from a supermarket shelf, authorities said.

Police arrested a 46-year-old Italian man suspected in the attack at a shopping center in Assago, a suburb of Milan, carabinieri said.

The 29-year-old Marí, who plays for Serie A club Monza on loan from Arsenal, does not have life-threating injuries but was still receiving medical attention at the Niguarda hospital in Milan.

“He told me he had ‘suerte’ (luck), because, ‘today I saw someone else die,’” Monza CEO Adriano Galliani said after visiting Marí at the hospital late Thursday.

“He had his child in a cart and his wife next to him. … He was probably saved by his height,” Galliani said of the 1.93-meter (6-foot-4) Marí. “He was hit in the back and then he saw this delinquent stab someone in the throat.”

Massimo Tarantino, a former soccer player for Napoli and Inter Milan, was involved in stopping the assailant.

“He was just screaming,” Tarantino told reporters. “I didn’t do anything. I’m not a hero.”

Galliani said Marí also had injuries to his mouth, possibly from gritting his teeth during the attack.

“He had two stitches applied to his lip and injuries to his back, which fortunately did not affect any organs,” Galliani said, adding that Marí was “lucid.”

Marí’s wife was questioned by police as a witness to the attack, Galliani said.

Marí, a center back, has played in eight of Monza’s 11 Italian league games this season and scored the second goal in a 2-0 win over Spezia this month. He spent the second half of last season on loan with Udinese, another Italian club.

Monza, which is owned by former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, hosts Bologna on Monday in its next match. The team is playing its debut season in the top division.

“Pablo is a great kid,” Galliani said. “He had the strength to joke around, telling me that Monday he’ll be on the field. I brought him well wishes from president Berlusconi and all of his teammates.”

A supermarket employee died en route to the hospital, according to the news agency ANSA, which said three other victims were in serious condition. Another person was treated for shock but not hospitalized, police said.

Monza coach Raffaele Palladino also visited with Marí, and Monza issued a statement on Twitter on Friday mourning the victim in the attack.

“All of AC Monza shares deeply in the family’s pain for the loss of Luis Fernando Ruggieri, victim of the madness that took place last night in Assago,” the club said. “Thoughts also go in these hours to the other people injured and their families.”

The motive for the attacks was unknown, but police said the man showed signs of being psychologically unstable. There were no elements to suggest terrorism.

The attack occurred near the Assago Forum, an arena that is slated to host figure skating and short-track speedskating for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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October 28, 2022
These are the women expected to testify against Harvey Weinstein at his second sexual assault trial | CNN

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Reporting five years ago on Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual abuse spurred women to speak publicly about their own experiences with sexual violence in what became known as the #MeToo movement.

Now, in a Los Angeles courtroom, eight women are set to testify in a trial altogether similar to the one that led to Weinstein’s landmark conviction two years ago.

Weinstein, the 70-year-old movie producer, has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges based on allegations of sexual assault at Los Angeles hotels between 2004 to 2013.

Opening statements in the trial began Monday and one woman has already testified about her alleged assault. Three more women are expected to testify directly to the charges, and four other women are expected to testify as “prior bad acts” witnesses, meaning their testimony isn’t directly connected to a charge but can be considered as prosecutors try to show Weinstein had a pattern in his behavior.

He was found guilty in New York in 2020 of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. He has appealed.

Here’s what we know about the women set to testify in the California case and the charges connected to their allegations based on comments from the prosecution, the defense and their testimony.

Weinstein is charged with forcible oral copulation and forcible rape of Jane Doe 4 between September 1, 2004, and September 30, 2005.

Jane Doe 4 has been identified as Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a filmmaker and the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In a statement, her attorneys confirmed she would be testifying against Weinstein in court.

“Like many other women, my client was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein at a purported business meeting that turned out to be a trap,” said Beth Fegan, one of Siebel Newsom’s attorneys. “She intends to testify at his trial to seek some measure of justice for survivors and as part of her life’s work to improve the lives of women.”

Siebel Newsom is a Stanford University graduate who has written, directed and produced several documentaries, including “Miss Representation,” “The Mask You Live In” and “The Great American Lie.” During her time as California’s first partner, Siebel Newsom has advocated for working mothers and launched initiatives focused on closing the gender pay gap, among other efforts.

In opening statements, prosecutor Paul Thompson said the assault occurred when Siebel Newsom was a “powerless actor trying to make her way in Hollywood.” Weinstein invited her to “discuss her career” at the Peninsula Hotel, and in a hotel room, he assaulted and raped her, the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Mark Werksman countered that Siebel Newsom had consensual sex with Weinstein because she wanted his help getting roles and producing films.

Werksman also said Weinstein donated to two of Gov. Newsom’s political races and that Siebel Newsom took her husband to a Weinstein party. “She brought her husband to meet and party with the man who raped her. Who does that?” he asked.

Siebel Newsom has written about the incident with Weinstein in vague terms. In October 2017, just a day after The New York Times published its bombshell report on Weinstein, she wrote an opinion editorial for the Huffington Post saying she believed the report because she had a similar experience with Weinstein.

“I was naive, new to the industry, and didn’t know how to deal with his aggressive advances ― work invitations with a friend late-night at The Toronto Film Festival, and later an invitation to meet with him about a role in The Peninsula Hotel, where staff were present and then all of a sudden disappeared like clockwork, leaving me alone with this extremely powerful and intimidating Hollywood legend,” she wrote.

Weinstein is charged with forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by foreign object and forcible rape of Jane Doe 1 on or about February 18, 2013, in Los Angeles County, according to the indictment.

Jane Doe 1 was a model and actress who was married, had three children and was living in Italy in 2013. She speaks Russian, Italian and English, but her English was not very good at the time, she said.

She was the first witness to testify in the trial and said she was staying in a hotel for the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival when she got a call that Weinstein wanted to see her. She testified she had met him previously in Rome.

He came to her hotel room and tried to rape her, she testified.

“I wanted to die. It was disgusting. It was humiliating, miserable. I didn’t fight,” she testified in court. “I remember how he was looking in the mirror and he was telling me to look at him. I wish this never happened to me.”

Years later, she told her daughter about the assault in an attempt to connect with her about a similar issue, she testified. Jane Doe 1 then went to the police in October 2017 because she promised her daughter she would, she testified.

In the defense’s opening statements, Werksman said she had fabricated the story and argued there was no evidence he went to her hotel room. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged she had no evidence to show the jury that would prove she was with Weinstein that night and said she couldn’t remember everything about the incident.

“I remember a lot but I forgot a lot also,” she said.

Weinstein is charged with sexual battery by restraint of Jane Doe 2 on or about February 19, 2013, in Los Angeles County.

Jane Doe 2 was a 23-year-old model and aspiring screenwriter who had been modeling since she was 12, Thompson said in opening statements.

She alleges she was assaulted during the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival, according to Thompson. She met with Weinstein at a restaurant at the Montage hotel and told him she wanted to be a screenwriter, the prosecutor said. The meeting then moved to a space upstairs, and when Weinstein led her into a bathroom, another woman shut the door behind Jane Doe 2, the prosecutor said.

While she was trapped inside with Weinstein, he allegedly undid her dress, groped her and masturbated, the prosecutor said.

The next day, she went to a pre-scheduled meeting with a Weinstein Company employee and was advised to go on “Project Runway,” a Weinstein-produced reality TV show.

Werksman, the defense attorney, said in opening statements that Jane Doe 2 fabricated her story and noted that she met with the Weinstein Company employee the next day.

Weinstein is charged with sexual battery by restraint of Jane Doe 3 on or about May 11, 2010.

Jane Doe 3 was a licensed massage therapist who often worked with celebrities and athletes, Thompson said.

In 2010, she massaged Weinstein and then went to the restroom to wash her hands, and he followed her into the bathroom, backed her into a corner, groped her and masturbated, Thompson said.

Weinstein had suggested Jane Doe 3 could write a book about her massage work, Thompson said, and afterward an aide to Weinstein paid her $200 for the massage and put her in touch with Miramax’s book division about a potential book deal.

In contrast, Werksman argued that their sexual interaction was consensual and part of an arrangement. He said that Jane Doe 3 gave him four additional massages after the alleged assault.

“She made a deal. Sex in exchange for something of value. Jane Doe 3 and Mr. Weinstein were friends with benefits,” Werksman argued.

Weinstein is charged with four counts related to Jane Doe 5: forcible oral copulation and forcible rape between November 3 and November 9, 2009, and forcible oral copulation and forcible rape on or about November 5, 2010, according to the indictment.

However, prosecutors did not mention her or her accusations in opening statements of the trial, and neither did the defense. The current status of these charges is not clear.

“While we have no comment at this time, our office is tirelessly ensuring all of the victims in this case receive justice,” the district attorney’s office said.

Like in his New York trial, Weinstein’s LA trial will feature testimony from several “prior bad acts” witnesses.

There are four of these witnesses in this case, identified by their first name and initial. Each of these women alleged they were assaulted by Weinstein outside of LA jurisdiction.

In all, the defense argued these witnesses were being used solely to “confuse and overwhelm” the jury. Werksman defended Weinstein’s actions as part of the “casting couch” culture at the time.

The prosecution said the testimony from these women will prove Weinstein’s guilt on the charges.

“Each of these women came forward independent of each other, and none of them knew one another,” Thompson told the jury.

Ambra B. went to Weinstein’s office for a meeting in Manhattan in 2015 and he grabbed her breast and put his hand up her skirt, prosecutors said. She reported the incident to the NYPD, which then directed her to speak with him on the phone and at a hotel restaurant and secretly record their conversations, according to Thompson. No charges were filed against Weinstein.

Werksman argued nothing on the recording was tantamount to a confession and dismissed her as someone playing a “junior G-man” in an undercover sting targeting Weinstein.

Ashley M., a dancer in the movie “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” was alone in a hotel room with Weinstein in 2003 and said he groped her and masturbated on her, according to Thompson.

Werksman argued she did not resist or refuse the interaction at the time.

Natassia M. met Weinstein and briefly interacted with him at an industry party for the 2008 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards and alleges he raped her at her hotel, according to Thompson.

Werksman said there was no evidence of rape and notes they maintained contact for years afterward.

Kelly S. was an actor in 1991 when, in a hotel room for the Toronto International Film Festival, Weinstein raped her, Thompson said. In 2008, at the same festival, she went to his hotel room with the intention of confronting him, and when he allegedly started groping her and masturbating, she left the room, the prosecutor said.

Werksman attacked the idea that she didn’t confront him immediately upon seeing him again in 2008 and said she didn’t report the incident to police until 2018.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported Harvey Weinstein was arrested in the alleged incident involving Ambra B.

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October 27, 2022
Report: Salman Rushdie lives, but loses use of eye and hand

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NEW YORK — Salman Rushdie’s agent says the author has lost sight in one eye and the use of a hand as he recovers from an attack from a man who rushed the stage at an August literary event in western New York, according to a published report.

Literary agent Andrew Wylie told the Spanish language newspaper El Pais in an article published Saturday that Rushdie suffered three serious wounds to his neck and 15 more wounds to his chest and torso in the attack that took away sight in an eye and left a hand incapacitated.

Rushdie, 75, spent years in hiding after Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a 1989 edict, a fatwa, calling for his death after publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous. Over the past two decades, Rushdie has traveled freely.

Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, has been incarcerated after pleading not guilty to attempted murder and assault in the Aug. 12 attack on Rushdie as he was being introduced at the Chautauqua Institution, a rurally located center 55 miles (89 kilometers) southwest of Buffalo that is known for its summertime lecture series.

After the attack, Rushdie was treated at a Pennsylvania hospital, where he was briefly put on a ventilator to recover from what Wylie told El Pais was a “brutal attack” that cut nerves to one arm.

Wylie told the newspaper he could not say whether Rushdie remained in a hospital or discuss his whereabouts.

“He’s going to live … That’s the important thing,” Wylie said.

The attack was along the lines of what Rushie and his agent have thought was the “principal danger … a random person coming out of nowhere and attacking,” Wylie told El Pais.

“So you can’t protect against it because it’s totally unexpected and illogical,” he said.

Wylie told the newspaper it was like Beatles member John Lennon’s murder. Lennon was shot to death by Mark David Chapman outside his Manhattan apartment building Dec. 8, 1980, hours after the singer had signed an autograph for Chapman.

In a jailhouse interview with The New York Post, Matar said he disliked Rushdie and praised Khomeini. Iran has denied involvement in the attack.

———

An earlier version of this report had an incorrect spelling of Salman Rushdie’s first name.

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October 23, 2022
Today in History: October 23, Beirut bombing kills Marines

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Today in History

Today is Sunday, Oct. 23, the 296th day of 2022. There are 69 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Oct. 23, 1983, 241 U.S. service members, most of them Marines, were killed in a suicide truck-bombing at Beirut International Airport in Lebanon; a near-simultaneous attack on French forces killed 58 paratroopers.

On this date:

In 1707, the first Parliament of Great Britain, created by the Acts of Union between England and Scotland, held its first meeting.

In 1910, Blanche S. Scott became the first woman to make a public solo airplane flight, reaching an altitude of 12 feet at a park in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In 1915, tens of thousands of women paraded up Fifth Avenue in New York City, demanding the right to vote.

In 1942, during World War II, Britain launched a major offensive against Axis forces at El Alamein (el ah-lah-MAYN’) in Egypt, resulting in an Allied victory.

In 1944, the World War II Battle of Leyte (LAY’-tee) Gulf began, resulting in a major Allied victory against Japanese forces.

In 1956, a student-sparked revolt against Hungary’s Communist rule began; as the revolution spread, Soviet forces started entering the country, and the uprising was put down within weeks.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon agreed to turn over White House tape recordings subpoenaed by the Watergate special prosecutor to Judge John J. Sirica.

In 1987, the U.S. Senate rejected, 58-42, the Supreme Court nomination of Robert H. Bork.

In 1989, 23 people were killed in an explosion at Phillips Petroleum Co.‘s chemical complex in Pasadena, Texas.

In 1995, a jury in Houston convicted Yolanda Saldivar of murdering Tejano singing star Selena. (Saldivar is serving a life prison sentence.)

In 2009, President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect non-infected patients.

In 2014, officials announced that an emergency room doctor who’d recently returned to New York City after treating Ebola patients in West Africa tested positive for the virus, becoming the first case in the city and the fourth in the nation. (Dr. Craig Spencer later recovered.)

Ten years ago: During a debate with Democratic rival Joe Donnelly, Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock said that when a woman becomes pregnant during rape, “it is something that God intended to happen.” (Other Republican candidates moved to distance themselves from Mourdock, who went on to lose the November election to Donnelly.)

Five years ago: New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a civil rights investigation into the Weinstein Co., amid sexual harassment and assault allegations against its founder, Harvey Weinstein. As Republicans searched for ways to finance tax cuts, President Donald Trump promised that the popular 401(k) retirement savings program would not be touched. Sen. John McCain said he didn’t consider Donald Trump to be a draft-dodger, but told ABC’s “The View” that the system that allowed Trump and other wealthy Americans to use medical deferments to avoid military service during the Vietnam War was wrong.

One year ago: A three-run homer by Eddie Rosario helped send the Atlanta Braves to the World Series for the first time since 1999 with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS. A driver lost control during a Texas drag racing event on an airport runway and slammed into a crowd of spectators, killing two children and injuring eight other people.

Today’s Birthdays: Movie director Philip Kaufman is 86. Soccer great Pele (pay-lay) is 82. R&B singer Barbara Ann Hawkins (The Dixie Cups) is 79. Former ABC News investigative reporter Brian Ross is 74. Actor Michael Rupert is 71. Movie director Ang Lee is 68. Jazz singer Dianne Reeves is 66. Country singer Dwight Yoakam is 66. Community activist Martin Luther King III is 65. Movie director Sam Raimi is 63. Parodist “Weird Al” Yankovic is 63. Rock musician Robert Trujillo (Metallica) is 58. Christian/jazz singer David Thomas (Take 6) is 56. Rock musician Brian Nevin (Big Head Todd and the Monsters) is 56. Actor Jon Huertas is 53. Movie director Chris Weitz is 53. CNN medical reporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta is 53. Bluegrass musician Eric Gibson (The Gibson Brothers) is 52. Country singer Jimmy Wayne is 50. Actor Vivian Bang is 49. Rock musician Eric Bass (Shinedown) is 48. TV personality and host Cat Deeley is 46. Actor Ryan Reynolds is 46. Actor Saycon Sengbloh is 45. Rock singer Matthew Shultz (Cage the Elephant) is 39. TV personality Meghan McCain is 38. R&B singer Miguel is 37. Actor Masiela Lusha (MAH’-see-el-la loo-SHA’) is 37. Actor Emilia Clarke is 36. Actor Briana Evigan is 36. Actor Inbar Lavi is 36. Actor Jessica Stroup is 36. Neo-soul musician Allen Branstetter (St. Paul & the Broken Bones) is 32. Actor Taylor Spreitler is 29. Actor Margaret Qualley is 28. Actor Amandla Stenberg is 24.

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October 22, 2022
Day care workers charged, accused of scaring tots with mask

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HAMILTON, Miss. — Four people linked to viral video footage of Mississippi day care employees using a scary mask to frighten young children are facing charges of felony child abuse, and a fifth person faces two misdemeanor counts, authorities say.

The daycare’s owner, Sheila Sanders, is not facing charges. She has said that at least four of the employees were fired after the video came to light.

The videos — one filmed in September and another this month — were posted on social media. They show a day care worker at Lil’ Blessings Child Care & Learning Center in Hamilton, an unincorporated community in northeast Mississippi, wearing a Halloween mask similar to the one in the “Scream” movies and yelling at children who didn’t “clean up” or “act good.”

Children can be seen bawling, cowering in fear and at times running from the masked employee. Another employee gives directions, singling out which children have acted good or bad. The employee in the mask is shown screaming inches away from children’s faces, the video showed.

Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook said in a news release that four of the women each face three counts of felony child abuse. A fifth woman, he says, faces charges of failure to report abuse by a mandatory reporter and simple assault against a minor — both misdemeanors.

“They can’t use corporal punishment, so we think they were using the mask to try to scare the kids into doing what they were supposed to be doing,” Crook said.

Crook said his office, the county prosecuting attorney and the district attorney met earlier this week with the children’s parents about the case. On Wednesday, at least one set of parents signed felony child abuse complaints, he said, adding a judge issued warrants Thursday for the women.

Crook said all five live in the area. Sierra McCandless, 21; Oci-Anna Kilburn, 28; Jennifer Newman, 25, and Misty Shyenne Mills, 28, are accused of three counts of felony child abuse, the sheriff’s statement said.

Another woman, Traci Hutson, 44, faces charges of failure to report abuse by a mandatory reporter and simple assault against a minor — both misdemeanors, he added.

At a hearing, bond was set at $20,000 each for McCandless and Kilburn and $15,000 each for Newman and Mills. Because she faces misdemeanor charges, Hutson was not required to post bond.

It was not immediately known if any of those facing charges have attorneys who could speak on their behalf.

Katelyn Johnson, a parent, told ABC News that she was shocked after seeing the videos.

She said her 2-year-old son is still showing signs of trauma and has difficulty sleeping through the night, adding of the footage, “it’s not a joke. And it’s nothing to laugh at.”

“Whether they had a mask on or a mask off, their behavior was unacceptable. My blood pressure was raised. It broke my heart for my child. I was angry,” she said.

Crook told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal that the felony charges will ultimately be presented to the grand jury to determine if there’s enough evidence for formal indictments, which could lead to court trials.

“It’s just a shame it happened and this is where we’re at. Hopefully, people will learn from it,” Crook said. “It can tear a community apart. Everybody who was a part of it knew each other in some shape or form. It’s a lot of emotions to deal with, and our job is to cut through those emotions, find the facts and present those facts.”

———

This story was first published Oct. 20, 2022. It was updated Oct. 21, 2022, to correct the name of one of the women charged to Misty Shyenne Mills, instead of Shyenne Shelton.

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October 21, 2022
Doorbell video shows malnourished Texas twins seeking help

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CYPRESS, Texas — A teenager who told Texas police that he and his twin sister were handcuffed and endured horrific abuse escaped their family’s home after he found a handcuff key and hid it in his mouth, authorities said in court records.

The twins, barefoot and holding handcuffs, were seen on doorbell video as they sought help in a Cypress neighborhood, just outside Houston. The video, obtained by Houston TV station KHOU, showed the teens walking door-to-door about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday as they sought help.

The boy was shirtless and the girl was wearing only a plastic grocery bag around her neck as a shirt, according to an affidavit.

Their mother, Zaikiya Duncan, 40, was arrested hours later in Louisiana after police issued a missing children alert for five other children. All seven children, including the twins, are now in Child Protective Service custody, authorities said.

The 15-year-old twins were severely malnourished and told police that abuse had been occurring for months, the affidavit said. They told police that Duncan handcuffed them, forced them to drink bleach and other household cleaners and also sprayed oven cleaner in their mouths “if they talked too much,” the affidavit said.

The twins also told authorities that they were forced to eat and drink feces and urine, according to the affidavit.

Duncan is jailed in Baton Rouge and awaits extradition on charges of aggravated assault. Her live-in boyfriend, 27-year-old Jova Terrell, also faces an assault charge. It wasn’t known whether either had an attorney and they are expected to be extradited to Texas within 30 days, Houston TV station KPRC reported.

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October 21, 2022
Daycare workers charged, accused of scaring tots with mask

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HAMILTON, Miss. — Four people linked to viral video footage of workers using a scary mask to frighten young children at a Mississippi daycare are facing charges of felony child abuse, and a fifth person faces two misdemeanor counts, authorities say.

The videos — one filmed in September and another this month — were posted on social media. They show a day care worker at Lil’ Blessings Child Care & Learning Center in Hamilton, an unincorporated northeast Mississippi community, wearing a Halloween mask and yelling at children who didn’t “clean up” or “act good.”

Children on the video can be seen and heard crying and, at times, running from an employee wearing the mask and another employee gives directions indicating which children acted good or bad. The employee in the mask is shown screaming inches away from children’s faces at times, the video showed.

Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook said in a news release that four of the women each face three counts of felony child abuse. A fifth woman, he says, faces charges of failure to report abuse by a mandatory reporter and simple assault against a minor — both misdemeanors.

The daycare’s owner, Sheila Sanders, is not facing charges. She has said that at least four of the employees were fired after the video came to light.

Crook said his office, the county prosecuting attorney and the district attorney met earlier this week with the children’s parents about the case. On Wednesday, at least one set of parents signed felony child abuse complaints, he said, adding a judge issued warrants Thursday for the women.

Crook said all five live in the area. He added it appeared their intent was to use the mask for behavior modification.

“They can’t use corporal punishment, so we think they were using the mask to try to scare the kids into doing what they were supposed to be doing,” Crook said.

Sierra McCandless, 21; Oci-Anna Kilburn, 28; Jennifer Newman, 25, and Shyenne Shelton, 28, are accused of three counts of felony child abuse, the sheriff’s statement said.

Another woman, Traci Hutson, 44, faces charges of failure to report abuse by a mandatory reporter and simple assault against a minor — both misdemeanors, he added.

At a hearing, bond was set at $20,000 each for McCandless and Kilburn and $15,000 each for Newman and Shelton. Bond information for Hutson was not immediately available.

It was not immediately known if any of those facing charges have attorneys who could speak on their behalf.

Katelyn Johnson, a parent, told ABC News that she was shocked after seeing the videos.

She said her 2-year-old son is still showing signs of trauma and has difficulty sleeping through the night, adding of the footage, “it’s not a joke. And it’s nothing to laugh at.”

“Whether they had a mask on or a mask off, their behavior was unacceptable. My blood pressure was raised. It broke my heart for my child. I was angry,” she said.

Crook told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal that the felony charges will ultimately be presented to the grand jury to determine if there’s enough evidence for formal indictments, which could lead to court trials.

“It’s just a shame it happened and this is where we’re at. Hopefully, people will learn from it,” Crook said. “It can tear a community apart. Everybody who was a part of it knew each other in some shape or form. It’s a lot of emotions to deal with, and our job is to cut through those emotions, find the facts and present those facts.”

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October 20, 2022
Woman charged with sending bee swarm on deputies at eviction

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — A Massachusetts woman who released a swarm of bees on sheriff’s deputies as they tried to serve an eviction notice is facing multiple assault and battery charges, authorities said.

Rorie S. Woods, 55, pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on Oct. 12 in Springfield District Court and was released without bail, Masslive.com, citing court records, reported on Wednesday.

She and other protesters maintain that they were trying to prevent a wrongful eviction. The homeowner, Alton King, brought evidence of a bankruptcy stay to court the next day, at which point “everything should have stopped,” said Grace Ross of the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending.

Woods’ lawyer did not immediately respond to a voicemail left by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Hampden County deputies were met by protesters when they went to the home in Longmeadow on the morning of Oct. 12, according to the official department report.

Woods, who lives in Hadley, arrived in an SUV towing a trailer carrying bee hives and started “shaking” them, breaking the cover off one and causing hundreds of bees to swarm out and initially sting one deputy, according to the report.

Woods, who put on a beekeeper’s suit to protect herself, was eventually handcuffed but not before several more sheriff’s department employees were stung, including three who are allergic to bees, the report said.

When Woods was told that several officers were allergic, she said “Oh, you’re allergic? Good,” according to the report.

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi said Woods could have faced more serious charges if anything worse had happened. “We had one staff member go the hospital, and, luckily, he was all right,” Cocchi said.

The deputies were simply doing their duty, Chief Deputy Sheriff Robert Hoffman said.

“We had a court order that’s been presented to us and it’s our job to effectuate that court order,” Hoffman said. “It was Miss Woods’ arrival with her vehicle and her trailer that really caused things to go haywire.”

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October 20, 2022
Migrant survivors of West Texas shooting detained by ICE

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AUSTIN, Texas — One migrant is dead, another is wounded and at least seven others are languishing in detention three weeks after twin brothers allegedly opened fire on them in the Texas desert, claiming they mistook them for wild hogs during a hunting trip.

Yet, the accused shooters, 60-year-old brothers Michael and Mark Sheppard, who both worked in local law enforcement, were initially released on half a million dollars bail after being jailed briefly on manslaughter charges.

The case has caused outrage among advocates for the victims and survivors, who say their detention violates a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement directive that calls for giving strong consideration to the fact that they were crime victims who cooperated with authorities in determining whether they should be released.

“This is a hate crime that occurred immediately after they were crossing into the United States,” said Zoe Bowman, the supervising attorney at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, who is representing the seven detained survivors.

Michael Sheppard, who was a warden at the troubled West Texas Detention Facility where he was accused of abuse, and his brother, Mark, who worked for the Hudspeth County sheriff’s office, were recently again taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the Sept. 27 shooting.

The sheriff’s office did not say where they were being held or why they were initially released on bond. The case is being investigated by the Texas Rangers, an arm of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border are often victims of crimes, including human trafficking, but most happen south of the border. A clear cut case like this one, in which migrants are the victims of a widely publicized crime on U.S. soil in which charges have been brought against identified suspects, can provide a rare paper trail to protection under a visa for migrants who are crime victims in the U.S., Bowman said.

But despite the August 2021 ICE directive that strongly encourages the release of crime victims while the lengthy visa process is underway, these migrants remain in detention, Bowman said.

Six of the surviving migrants are being held at the El Paso Processing Center — an ICE detention facility — while a seventh is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and is expected to be transferred to the West Texas Detention Facility, the embattled lockup where Michael Sheppard was a warden.

“It certainly seems like they are not putting the needs of these people first by choosing to hold onto them,” Bowman said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials did not respond to phone and email requests for comment on the migrants’ detention.

The migrants told authorities they were drinking water from a reservoir on county land in Sierra Blanca, south of El Paso in the hot, dry Chihuahuan Desert, when two men — identified in court documents as the Sheppard brothers — pulled over in a truck. The migrants said they ran to hide.

Mark Sheppard told investigators he and his brother were out hunting and thought they had spotted a javelina, a kind of wild hog, when they opened fire. “Mark Sheppard told us he used binoculars and saw a ‘black butt’ thinking it was a javelina,” court documents said.

But the migrants told authorities the men in the truck yelled and cursed at them in Spanish, taunting at them to come out, and revved their engine as they backed up. When the group emerged from hiding, the driver exited the vehicle and fired two shots at them.

Jesús Iván Sepúlveda was shot and killed. Brenda Berenice Casias Carrillo was struck in the stomach and seriously wounded.

Silvia Carrillo, the wounded woman’s aunt, told The Associated Press that she heard from her niece via WhatsApp on Sept. 25 that the group was beginning the precarious desert journey from Mexico into Texas and was turning off their phones. When she next made contact with Casias two days later, her niece told her the group had been shot at and she lay wounded, fearing she would die.

Carrillo encouraged her niece to call 911 for help. Also in the group of 13 migrants were Carrillo’s two sons, another niece and a son-in-law. Casias told her they were all okay but another man who was with them — 22-year-old Sepulveda of Durango, Mexico, — was dead.

“I felt like I was going to die, I was desperate and imagined the worst,” Carrillo said.

When authorities arrived in response to her 911 call, Casias was taken to a hospital and the other survivors were questioned by federal and immigration officials. Their testimonies led to the arrest of the Sheppard brothers, after which the witnesses were placed in ICE custody.

On Oct. 7, Carrillo said she spoke to Casias again, this time from the hospital. Casias sounded weak, but said she was slowly getting better and had one more surgery to go.

Casias remains stable and improving and has some legal protection, her attorney, Marysol Castro, managing attorney for Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services in El Paso, said Tuesday. She declined to provide specifics because she said her client is afraid for her safety since learning of the Sheppard brothers’ initial release.

Bowman said she is seeking visas intended for migrants who are crime victims for her clients, but even though the case has been widely publicized it could take months to produce the necessary court documents.

In the meantime she has petitioned, without success so far, for them to be released to sponsors in the U.S. — a decision that is solely at the discretion of ICE authorities.

John Sandweg, an attorney who served as ICE director during the Obama administration, said other factors like the survivors’ role as witnesses could mean that authorities choose to keep them in detention so they are nearby to testify in the case.

Still, on the face of it, he said, “there is not a good reason” why these migrants remain detained.

“The bottom line is that study after study after study and ICE’s own data has demonstrated the effectiveness of alternatives to detention,” Sandweg said, adding that the system “is in critical need of reform.”

Meanwhile, Carrillo said she and relatives of the other survivors await answers on the fate of their loved ones in the country they journeyed to for a better life, and are calling for the shooters to be brought to justice.

“I just want them to do justice for my niece and for Jesus, the man who died,” Carrillo said.

———

Associated Press reporters Jake Bleiberg in Dallas, Texas, and Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.

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October 19, 2022
Union head: Vegas officer killing should bring death penalty

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LAS VEGAS — With police officers filling the courtroom gallery, a man accused of killing a veteran patrol officer stood silently before a judge Tuesday in a case that the top prosecutor in Las Vegas has said might bring the death penalty.

Tyson Shawn Jordan Hampton stood shackled at the wrists, waist and ankles, with a bandage on his left forearm. He faces 27 felony charges including murder, attempted murder, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and discharging a firearm. The 24-year-old’s court-appointed attorneys declined to seek his release from jail on bail and the judge set another court date Nov. 1.

Deputy public defenders Conor Slife and Anna Clark declined after the hearing to comment.

In the court hallway, Steve Grammas, executive director of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, stood surrounded by about 30 police officers and union members and called for capital punishment.

“This should be a death penalty case,” Grammas told reporters. “That is the expression from myself and I believe all of our police officers. We’re all upset that we have to be here to deal with a case because we lost one of our brothers.”

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said separately that a decision about seeking the death penalty will be made in the coming weeks. The last execution of a convicted criminal in Nevada was in 2006.

Hampton, of Las Vegas, also faces a misdemeanor domestic violence charge stemming from allegations he battered his wife before Las Vegas police officers Truong Thai and Ryan Gillihan arrived a little after 1 a.m. on Oct. 13 to answer a 911 call about a street side domestic argument several blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip.

Police body camera video released Monday showed Hampton seated in a blue sedan, refusing to comply with Thai and beginning to drive away before opening fire with a handgun from the driver’s window of his vehicle.

Assistant Clark County Sheriff Andrew Walsh described the weapon as a high-powered “AK-47 pistol” firing military-grade 7.62-caliber ammunition, and said Thai was shot through the side of his ballistic vest. He died at a nearby hospital.

Hampton’s mother-in-law was wounded in the leg, but police said her injury was not life-threatening.

Police said Hampton fired 18 shots, Thai fired five shots and Gillihan fired seven times as Hampton drove away.

Hampton was arrested a short time later a few blocks away and received what police said were minor injuries when a police dog jumped on him to bring him to the ground outside his car.

Walsh said Hampton had the alleged murder weapon in his possession when the K-9 reached him, and police also found a .40-caliber handgun that was not used in the shooting.

The AK-47 is a standard assault rifle developed in the former Soviet Union. It is sometimes referred to as a Kalashnikov.

A funeral with full line-of-duty honors is scheduled Oct. 28 for Thai. In 23 years as a Las Vegas police officer, he served as a patrol and training officer, financial crimes investigator and firearms instructor. The 49-year-old father of a 19-year-old woman also was an avid volleyball player and coach.

Gillihan, 32, a police officer since 2017, is on paid leave pending district attorney and departmental reviews of the shooting.

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October 18, 2022
Hong Kong protester allegedly beaten at Chinese consulate in UK | CNN

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Hong Kong
CNN
—

Police in Manchester have launched an investigation after a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester was allegedly beaten on the grounds of the Chinese consulate in the English city.

A pro-democracy group called Hong Kong Indigenous Defence Force had staged a protest outside the consulate in the northern city on Sunday, in opposition to the Chinese Communist Party Congress happening the same day in Beijing.

Video of the incident shared widely on social media shows a confrontation breaking out on the sidewalk outside the consulate, with loud shouts heard as people rush towards the gated entrance. The video then appears to show one Hong Kong protester being dragged through the gate into the consulate grounds and beaten by a group of men.

The video appears to show local police entering the grounds of the consulate to break up the violence.

Hong Kong Indigenous Defence Force alleges that Chinese consular staff were involved in the alleged beating, and that the protester was taken to hospital in stable condition.

Greater Manchester Police said Monday they were investigating the incident, in which a man “suffered several physical injuries.”

“We understand the shock and concern that this incident will have caused not just locally, but for those much further afield who may have connections with our communities here in Greater Manchester,” assistant chief constable Rob Potts said in a statement.

“Shortly before 4 p.m. a small group of men came out of the building and a man was dragged into the Consulate grounds and assaulted. Due to our fears for the safety of the man, officers intervened and removed the victim from the Consulate grounds.”

“The man – aged in his 30s – suffered several physical injuries and remained in hospital overnight for treatment. He is continuing to receive our support for his welfare.”

The statemented added that currently “no arrests have been made” and that the investigation was ongoing.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Liz Truss described the incident as “deeply concerning.”

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he was “not aware of the situation.”

“Chinese Embassy and consulates in the UK have always abided by the laws of the countries where they are stationed,” he said in a regular news briefing. “We also hope that the British side, in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, will facilitate the normal performance of the duties of the Chinese Embassy and consulates in the UK.”

CNN approached the Chinese Embassy in London for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Video of the scuffle has been shared online by multiple UK lawmakers, who have called for an investigation into the alleged involvement of Chinese consular staff.

“The UK Government must demand a full apology from the Chinese Ambassador to the UK and demand those responsible are sent home to China,” ruling Conservative Party lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith wrote on Twitter.

Conservative Party member of Parliament Alicia Kearns also tweeted on Sunday that authorities “need to urgently investigate,” and that the Chinese Ambassador should be summoned. “If any official has beaten protesters, they must be expelled or prosecuted,” she wrote.

Both lawmakers have previously been vocal critics of the Chinese Communist Party.

Prominent Hong Kong activists have also spoken out. Nathan Law, a former lawmaker and pro-democracy figure who fled to the UK in 2020, tweeted: “If the consulate staff responsible are not held accountable, Hong Kongers would live in fear of being kidnapped and persecuted.” He urged the British government to “investigate and protect our community and people in the UK.”

Britain is home to large numbers of Hong Kong citizens, many of whom left the territory following the introduction of a sweeping national security law in 2020 that critics say stripped the former British colony of its autonomy and precious civil freedoms, while cementing Beijing’s authoritarian rule.

According to an online statement by organizers of Sunday’s protest, around 60 demonstrators had gathered outside the Manchester consulate to protest “the re-election of Xi Jinping.”

The Chinese Communist Party Congress, a twice-a-decade leadership reshuffle and meeting of the party’s top officials, kicked off on Sunday. Chinese leader Xi, who came to power in 2012, is widely expected to break with convention and take on a third term, paving the way for lifelong rule.

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October 18, 2022
Reputed drug dealer accused of raping informant jumps bail

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ALEXANDRIA, La. — A reputed drug dealer accused of raping a woman police informant sent into his house alone in an unmonitored sting has skipped bail and was a no-show Monday at what was supposed to the start of his trial.

Antonio D. Jones’ alleged attack in which he was caught on video forcing the woman to perform oral sex on him twice was reported in an Associated Press investigation last month that exposed the perils such informants can face seeking to “work off” criminal charges in often loosely regulated, secretive arrangements.

“I guess I need to address the elephant that’s not in the room,” Assistant District Attorney Brian Cespiva said during a brief court hearing, adding that federal marshals were actively searching for Jones and “he will be here eventually.”

Jones, a 48-year-old career criminal known as “Mississippi,” had attended previous hearings in the case but was discovered last week to have jumped his $70,000 bail and fled the central Louisiana area. Prosecutors told AP the amount of Jones’ bail had been “pre-set” and was not unreasonably low despite the violent nature of the charges and his extensive criminal history.

But Jones’ disappearance deepened the scandal over law enforcement’s handling of the case and their treatment of the informant, who was sent into the suspect’s dilapidated house in January 2021 to buy meth with hidden video recording equipment that could not be monitored by law enforcement handlers in real time.

“We’ve always done it this way,” Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Parker, the ranking officer in the operation, told AP. “She was an addict and we just used her as an informant like we’ve done a million times before.”

Despite the woman’s cooperation and the alleged attack, she was still charged with possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from an arrest that happened about a month before the sting.

The informant, who declined interview requests and is not being named because the AP does not typically identify victims of sexual assault, is expected to testify against Jones if he is ever found.

The case turns in large part on the footage of the attack, which Jones’ own defense attorney argued was “extremely graphic” and too prejudicial to show to jurors, conceding it depicts “forced oral sex.”

According to interviews and confidential law enforcement records obtained by AP, the dealer threatened to put the crying woman “in the hospital” and even paused at one point during the attack to conduct a separate drug deal.

In court papers that baffled prosecutors, defense attorney Phillip M. Robinson even offered to stipulate that “Mr. Jones had specific intent to rape” the woman, contending it would be “difficult for a jury to maintain neutrality and non-bias” after viewing the “violent sexual intercourse.”

Prosecutor Cespiva told the AP that Jones’ charges were recently reduced from forcible second-degree rape to third-degree rape, or simple rape, to make a conviction more likely. He said prosecutors intend to seek consecutive 25-year terms on each count.

“We want to convict this guy” for the informant, said Rapides Parish District Attorney Phillip Terrell. “She wants this to be behind her.”

———

Contact AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org. Follow Jim Mustian on Twitter at @JimMustian.

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October 17, 2022
California stabbing suspect arrested after 1 killed, 3 hurt

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LONG BEACH, Calif. — A man with a knife was arrested after a series of stabbings in Southern California early Monday that killed a woman and wounded three other people.

Officers near downtown Long Beach responded at around 5:30 a.m. and found the woman suffering from multiple stab wounds, said Brandon Fahey, a spokesperson for the Long Beach Police Department. Fahey did not identify the woman, who was pronounced dead at a hospital.

About an hour later, officers were sent to another reported stabbing, this time about a half-mile (0.8 km) to the south. A man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening stab wounds to the upper torso, Fahey told reporters.

Shortly after 7 a.m., two men were stabbed about a mile (1.6 km) south of where the second attack occurred. They were taken to a hospital with wounds not considered life-threatening, Fahey said.

A man carrying a knife was arrested near the scene of the third stabbing, police said. The suspect wasn’t identified.

Investigators were still trying to determine if all the attacks were related, Fahey said, but police believe there is no ongoing threat to the public.

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October 17, 2022
DA drops plans to seek death penalty in theater shooting

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YORK, Pa. — Prosecutors have dropped plans to seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing a man and wounding a woman when he opened fire inside a movie theater in Pennsylvania almost three years ago.

Anu-Malik Johnson, 23, is charged with first- and third-degree murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangering and related offenses in the December 2019 shooting of 22-year-old Andre White Jr. at Regal Cinemas 13 in West Manchester Township.

York County prosecutors told the court they planned to pursue capital punishment if he was convicted of first-degree murder. Two years ago, a judge declined to bar them from doing so, rejecting defense arguments alleging a lack of evidence and citing the defendant’s age.

The York Dispatch, however, reports that the district attorney’s office asked last week to withdraw its intent to seek the death penalty, citing a mitigation report submitted by the defense as well as “relevant case law and applicable jury instructions.”

Defense attorney Jonathan White hailed the decision, saying he had “hoped and believed” prosecutors would drop plans to seek capital punishment. “I believe they made the right decision,” he said while declining to talk about the contents of the mitigation report.

Kyle King, spokesperson for the district attorney’s office, declined comment, saying his office doesn’t comment on “pending matters.” he said.

Witnesses to the shooting told investigators that White had briefly spoken with Johnson and another man as he headed to his seat, but Johnson later approached the seated victim and opened fire, authorities said. Police said the victim was hit five times.

Authorities allege that the shooter continued to fire as he ran for the exit with his companion. Two bullets struck a woman seated in a row in front of the shooting victim, one injuring her shoulder and the other grazing her cheek, police said. Several other people were later charged with hindering apprehension and other counts in the case.

No trial date for Johnson has been set. White said he believed the case could go before a jury by March.

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October 16, 2022
Wounded officer shot, killed suspect who killed 2 colleagues

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BRISTOL, Conn. — A Connecticut police officer who was wounded in an apparent ambush that killed two of his fellow officers fired the shot that killed the attacker, police said.

In a Facebook post Saturday, police in Bristol said Alec Iurato was hit by gunfire and returned fire on Wednesday, killing Nicholas Brutcher. The state medical examiner’s office said Brutcher, 35, died from a gunshot wound to the neck with spinal cord injuries.

Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy were gunned down outside a home where they had responded to a 911 call about possible domestic violence that authorities said appeared to be a deliberate act to lure police there.

Witnesses said they heard about 30 gunshots during the confrontation.

Iurato was released from the hospital on Thursday. Brutcher’s brother, Nathan Brutcher, was wounded in the shootout. Nathan Brutcher hasn’t been accused of playing any role in the attack.

The bodies of both officers were brought to funeral homes in separate processions Friday, as hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight vigil outside the Bristol police station. In New York, the New York Yankees held a moment of silence in the officers’ honor before Game 2 of their American League Division Series game against Cleveland at Yankee Stadium.

Police officials said all three officers were respected and had received commendations.

Demonte, 35, was a 10-year veteran officer and co-recipient of his department’s 2019 Officer of the Year award. His wife is expecting their third child.

Hamzy, 34, worked eight years for his hometown police force. Like Demonte, he was an adviser to a police cadet program.

Iurato, 26, joined the Bristol department in 2018 and has a bachelor’s degree in government, law and national security.

Nicholas Brutcher was a divorced father of two and a gun, hunting and fishing enthusiast, according to his social media pages.

In a photo posted on both brothers’ Facebook pages in 2016, Nicholas Brutcher is pointing a handgun at the camera while others, including Nathan Brutcher, are holding rifles.

Other photos show Nicholas Brutcher with a 10-point deer he shot and with fish he caught.

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October 15, 2022