Is Donald Trump rooting for Hunter Biden to be acquitted on charges of illegal gun possession, even after years of ranting that the “Biden crime family” belongs in jail? It would make a certain twisted sense: “See, the fix was in all along!” the former president could claim if Hunter is exonerated. “Just like my trial was rigged! Joe Biden has corrupted the judicial system!”
Maybe the MAGA base would buy it. The facts, of course, make the argument ludicrous. There’s no evidence whatsoever that the president attempted to influence the Manhattan district attorney’s prosecution of Trump. Quite the opposite: Joe Biden’s Department of Justice declined to pursue charges related to the Stormy Daniels hush money allegations, while it has indicted New Jersey Democratic senator Robert Menendez (on bribery charges and other accusations) and Texas Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar (on charges of bribery, money laundering, and acting as a foreign agent), and just finished presenting its case against Biden’s younger son in a Wilmington, Delaware, courtroom. “The Merrick Garland Justice Department isn’t going after our enemies,” a top Democratic strategist says. “They go after the people who they think have broken the law.”
Some prominent Democrats, including Maryland congressman Jamie Raskin, have been pointing out the hypocrisy of Republicans decrying the Trump prosecution as partisan while Hunter Biden stands trial. You will not, however, hear that point being made by the Biden campaign itself. The quickest way to shorten a conversation with someone in Bidenworld has always been to bring up Hunter’s troubles. He remains a sensitive subject, for both political and personal reasons. When I asked Ted Kaufman, Joe Biden’s longtime friend and his successor as a Delaware senator, about the complicated line between presidenting and parenting, the answer was quick and curt. “I’m not going to get into that,” Kauffman said. “Let me make something clear: He has demonstrated time and time and time again how much he cares for Hunter. He’s one of the most incredible fathers.”
Joe Biden’s decency and empathy should indeed help his cause, particularly in contrast to Trump’s lack of both qualities. Yet voters, understandably, care most about what the White House can do for them. That’s why the economy, immigration, abortion, and democracy so often rank among the top priorities in the presidential campaign. So Biden’s team would be fine with Trump’s campaign burning up more time and energy on issues that motivate only MAGA. “How many people do you think are going to the ballot box and voting based on Hunter? Like, zero-point-zero,” a Biden insider says. “Voters vote on what’s better for them and their lives.”
In the weeks since Trump’s conviction on 34 counts, another theory has been bandied about inside Bidenworld: In a race that will likely be decided by a sliver of votes in a handful of swing states, the more Trump and allies like Steve Bannon and Megyn Kellyfulminate about retribution—or about using the federal government to go after not just the Bidens but perhaps Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama—the more the American judicial system itself could become a contributing, indirect issue for voters who say they are still on the fence.
Trump’s authoritarian rants, inflamed by his anger over his Manhattan conviction, can help the Biden campaign amplify two of its existing, important themes: that the Republican candidate cares only about himself, and that his reelection would return chaos to the most powerful office in government. The key in successfully selling that message, however, will be connecting Trump’s norm-destroying rage to his ability to damage everyday American life, in areas from reducing job growth and access to affordable health care to worsening climate change and the tax gap between the rich and everyone else. “Yes, I want Democrats to be talking about Trump’s conviction,” says Jim Messina, who managed Obama’s successful 2012 reelection run and is an outside adviser to Biden’s 2024 reelection bid. “I also think you can walk and chew gum at the same time. We’re still losing the economic argument. Hillary’s great failing in 2016 was not that she didn’t make Trump’s behavior clear—it was not making people understand why it hurts them economically. And we’ve just got to do that.”
What a jury decides about Hunter Biden is unlikely to factor into that campaign equation. But Trump’s threat to aggressively weaponize the judicial system just might.
YouTube is updating its policy on firearm videos to keep potentially dangerous content from reaching underage users.
The video-sharing platform, which is owned by Google, announced this week it will prohibit any videos instructing how to remove firearm safety devices. Videos showing homemade guns, automatic weapons and certain firearm accessories like silencers will be restricted to users 18 and older.
The changes take effect on June 18 and come after gun safety advocates have repeatedly called on the platform to do more to ensure gun videos aren’t making their way to the site’s youngest users, potentially traumatizing children or sending them down dark paths of extremism and violence.
YouTube, which has a large community of so-called “gunfluencers” who are known to often promote firearms and accessories, already prohibited content that intended to sell firearms and accessories or instruct viewers how to make their own. It also does not allow livestreams that show people handling or holding firearms.
The video streaming platform said that while sometimes content does not violate its policies, it might not be appropriate for underage users. There are exceptions for videos that show firearms that are of public interest, such as news clips, war footage or police footage.
Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project, said the change was welcome news and a step in the right direction. But she questioned why the platform took so long to issue a new policy, and said her group will look to see how effectively YouTube enforces its new rule.
“Firearms are the number one cause of death for children and teens in America,” said Paul, whose group has long sought stronger age controls on online gun videos. “As always with YouTube, the real proof of change is whether the company enforces the policies it has on the books. Until YouTube takes real action to prevent videos about guns and gun violence from reaching minors, its policies remain empty words.”
Last year, researchers at Paul’s group created YouTube accounts that mimicked the behavior of 9-year-old American boys with a stated interest in video games. The researchers found that YouTube’s recommendations system forwarded these accounts graphic videos of school shootings, tactical gun training videos and how-to instructions on making firearms fully automatic.
One video featured an elementary school-age girl wielding a handgun; another showed a shooter using a .50 caliber gun to fire on a dummy head filled with lifelike blood and brains. Many of the videos violated YouTube’s own policies against violent or gory content.
“We have heard firsthand from young individuals that YouTube’s algorithm is driving them to the world of illegal and 3D-printed firearms, which is having a direct impact on the safety of Manhattanites,” Bragg said in a statement.
YouTube said the policy changes were designed to reflect new developments, like 3D-printed guns, which have become more available in recent years. YouTube requires users under 17 to get their parent’s permission before using the site; accounts for users younger than 13 are linked to the parental account.
“We regularly review our guidelines and consult with outside experts to make sure we are drawing the line at the right place,” said company spokesman Javier Hernandez.
Along with TikTok, YouTube is one of the most popular sites for children and teens. Both sites have been questioned in the past for hosting, and in some cases promoting, videos that encourage gun violence, eating disorders and self-harm.
Several perpetrators of recent mass shootings have used social media and video streaming platforms to glorify violence, foreshadow or even livestream their attacks.
(FOX40.COM) — A man who carried a gun in Downtown Sacramento was arrested on Saturday night after he was accused of threatening visitors, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Around 6:32 p.m., SPD responded to reports of an individual armed with a firearm at the 2000 block of Q Street. Upon arrival, officers said they secured the area and gathered information about the suspect’s description and whereabouts. Police said a man who matched the description exited a nearby business.
A search of the building he came from led to the discovery of a gun hidden in the bathroom, according to SPD. Joshua Hernandez, 27, was arrested and booked in jail for firearms-related charges after he was medically cleared.
In addition to Hernandez, several others were arrested at the scene. Alex Boswell, 37, was arrested for alleged possession of narcotics and a firearm. While officers detained Hernandez, SPD said a 27-year-old woman attempted to stop them from arresting him and was also taken to jail for alleged obstruction.
MINNEAPOLIS — For Minnesota law enforcement, getting guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals is a big goal.
Each year, investigators with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office confiscate hundreds of weapons used in crimes. So far this year, that number is 106. The guns have been tied to robbery and drug cases, or taken from a felon in possession of a firearm.
The last two years, they seized more than one weapon a day. Those guns are held as evidence until the cases move through court, then they’re melted down.
Captain Steve Labatt, the forensic laboratory director, rattled off guns on the list of destroyed inventory.
“Pistols, revolvers, Derringers, semi-automatics, rifles, Thompson rifle, more pistols, more Derringers,” said Labatt. “As those items of evidence go through the court process, and the person is found guilty, and the court rules that guns are seized and don’t get to go back to the owners or the person, they come here to our lab for destruction.”
This round included more than 470 guns. Mostly attached to crimes. Some were unwanted and turned in by families. In all, it totaled 660 pounds.
“You don’t want them back on the street. And we are beyond our capacity for storing evidence in our crime lab,” Labatt said, when asked why the department destroys guns connected to crimes.
It took Labatt’s team about 10 days to remove the plastic and wood from the weapons. Then they were ready.
“The foundry employees, under our watchful eyes, opened the boxes and would hand load the guns into the foundry. We started with handguns first, and then we put in the long guns, the shotguns in, some rifles. And then at that point, once a temperature got rolling pretty hot it was, we’ve just keep filling it up and filling it up,” Labatt said.
The result? Several heavy blocks with a message embossed on the top: “Each block represents approximately 50 guns off the streets of Hennepin County.”
“It’s a great representation of the work that’s been done,” Labatt said.
The Sheriff’s Office made sure its task forces got a block to commemorate their hard work.
WCCO asked about guns used in murders and was told those are kept for life per state statute.
Jennifer Mayerle happily returned to Minnesota and WCCO, where she began her career as an intern. The Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist joined WCCO as a reporter in May 2014. She also anchors “WCCO Saturday Morning” from 8-9 a.m.
Glass fell from the window of a high-rise building in downtown Denver after it was shot at on Saturday night.
The Denver Police Department and Denver Fire Department were both alerted to shots fired near the 600 block of 15th Street on Saturday around 8 p.m., Denver police officer Siena Riley said.
One window on the 25th floor of office high-rise building Block 162 at 675 15th St. appears to have been damaged by gunfire, she added in an emailed statement. Responders at the scene cleaned up shattered glass that had fallen to the street. Representatives of the building told officers that they would board up windows on Saturday night.
However, on Sunday, police received calls about loose and falling glass. “Officers had to go back out there and request more glass be cut and the windows be boarded up,” Riley said.
No injuries have been reported, and no suspect information is available.
“Right now, it is unknown where the shots came from,” Riley said.
(FOX40.COM) — Over 100 guns were turned in at a gun buyback event, according to the Stockton Police Department.
“It was a successful turn out with 113 firearms turned in,” SPD said in a post on social media. “The majority of the firearms were legally owned, however, they were no longer wanted and had since been unsafely stored.”
113 guns were turned into the Stockton Police Department at a gun buyback event on April 27, 2024./Stockton Police Department
Stockton police said they hosted the event to collect guns that were no longer wanted, to prevent them from landing in the wrong hands and turning into crime guns if they are stolen during burglaries.
[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for the end of Shōgun.]
Just before he’s forced to commit seppuku in the final moments of Shōgun, Yabushige demands to know how Toranaga’s plan to overthrow Ishido will play out. At this moment, Shōgun shows us a glimpse of tens of thousands of soldiers across five armies amassed on a battlefield. The entire series has seemingly been building up to this point — the training of the cannon regiment, Toranaga’s half-brother shifting his alliance, the Regents all signing a declaration of war — and yet just before the battle is set to begin, Ishido is delivered a note letting him know that the heir’s army will abstain from the battlefield. Without the heir’s banner, the other Regents will turn on him before the battle even begins. But this is just Toranaga’s plan; Shōgun never actually shows us any war.
It’s subversive never to have any war in a historical war epic, with Toranaga’s subversion delaying his impeachment vote (and any declaration of war) until the ninth episode. Most movies or TV shows in the genre set up the narrative to give the viewer a satisfying and violent conclusion to the tension that’s been building, like the final stand in TheReturn of the King, the faceoff in Braveheart, or even the last stand of The Last Samurai (which is also about a Western military man landing in Japan, and shares some crew with Shōgun). In essence, no matter how brutal and bloody the fight is, an explosive battlefield is the natural climax to the story arc. These movies and shows also often land on one implied conclusion: War, no matter how disgusting it may be, is a justified, even virtuous endeavor.
But while the war genre often posits a “good side” to root for over the evil one, Shōgun complicates the conception with Toranaga, who spends most of the series plotting in the background toward an alliance with key adversaries rather than preparing to fight them. Toranaga is cunning, ruthless, and willing to sacrifice his closest friends if it means he can avoid an all-out war. His motivations are what make Shōgun such a compelling show — while at the same time forcing audiences to reexamine their expectations of a historical war epic.
For Toranaga in Shōgun, there’s only one evil side: war itself. In his final speech to Yabushige, Toranaga describes his dream: “A nation without wars. An era of great peace.” Key to his calculus, however, is his willingness to sacrifice those dearest to him to achieve this peace. From the moment Ochiba returned to Osaka, Toranaga had been prepping Mariko (and her thoughts about death) to make a final appeal to gain allegiance from the heir’s army. And, knowing since the pilot that Yabushige was bound to betray him, Toranaga’s orchestration of Mariko’s sacrifice was his personal trolley problem — only in his version, the question is between sacrificing one life or setting 10,000 trolleys against another 10,000 trolleys on the same tracks.
Photo: Katie Yu/FX
Photo: Katie Yu/FX
In other shows, this setup wouldn’t quite work. Audiences are used to war being a mass of bodies hacking and slashing and shooting each other with the idea that sacrifice is necessary and just as long as both parties are armed. Individual deaths of beloved characters, however, are usually framed as the face for the heaps of lost lives. But Mariko walked into Osaka with a plan. With how close she came to committing seppuku, her sacrifice is likely one of the potential outcomes of the plan she discussed with Toranaga. When she willingly absorbs the blast of the bomb through the door, it’s absolutely heart-wrenching for the viewer and Blackthorne. His grief on screen, along with Father Alvito’s and Buntaro’s, is devastating to see unfold in the finale. In most media properties, the audience would walk away wishing the character was saved in time from their terrible fate, forced to be content with the revenge in their name. In Shōgun, we’re asked to accept her decision and not demand a bloodbath as retribution.
In this light, Toranaga seems ruthlessly Machiavellian, since he seems perfectly fine with innocent death. When Uejiro the gardener removes the rotting pheasant and is put to death by the village as a smokescreen to protect his spy, Toranaga treats Blackthorne’s distress as childish. Similarly, when the Erasmus is sunk at the end of the series, Toranaga routs the whole town of Ajiro, sticking severed heads of fishermen on a sign as punishment for the destruction of the boat — even though it was he, personally, who hired the men who spread gunpowder across the deck of Blackthorne’s beloved ship. Even his son’s graceless death is only audibly acknowledged by Toranaga as a way to buy time and delay the oncoming war.
Avoiding war seems to be Toranaga’s top priority throughout the series, though he never fully states it outright until his final confrontation with Yabushige. Throughout the show, he declines to share his feelings publicly, instead letting other characters in his council lead discussions — even if he’s manipulating their moves from behind the scenes. When his oldest friend and advisor threatens seppuku, Toranaga stands by his decision to surrender to Osaka, knowing that Hiromatsu’s death will set his battle-averse plans in motion. Even in his final interaction with Yabushige, who demands to know if Toranaga plans to reinstate the shogunate, triggering a return to a single military ruler for all of Japan, he forgoes the chance to monologue: “Why tell a dead man the future?”
Shōgun is sparing but decisive about the horrors of war that Toranaga wants to avoid. Violence is efficiently brutal in the world of the show. Even in the flashback to Toranaga’s early glory days, Shōgun is careful not to valorize war or his part in it; while his own soldiers brutally behead fallen enemies lying in bloody piles of limbs on the battlefield, a young Toranaga looks on, unwavering in his demeanor. Threatened by the arrival of Ishido’s main man Nebara Jozen in episode 4, Toranaga’s son Nagakado makes the rash decision to unload their newly minted cannon regiment on the interlopers. As the cannons in the distance roar, the camera cuts quickly to Jozen, his men, and their horses being torn to shreds in some of the goriest effects put to television. While there is a fair amount of swordplay skirmishes throughout the series, this cannon demonstration is one of the only depictions we get of mass warfare, and the results are truly terrifying. Amid the viscera, the audience can actually hear the feet of Nagakado’s men squelch in the blood-soaked mud as they creep in to finish everyone off. Compared to the hand-to-hand combat we’ve seen in the woods, where men drop from a single slash or stab, this preview of war is significantly more gruesome, particularly when you add in the full rifle regiments.
Photo: Katie Yu
Shōgun is careful to avoid the glorious charge into battle, upending the viewer’s relationship to political struggle. When Hiromatsu commits seppuku to protest Toranaga’s surrender to Osaka, he does so to prevent Toranaga’s other generals from sparking their own uprising. Toranaga clearly wants to stop him but can’t, the way Hiromatsu would do anything for him and must. Later, Toranaga reveals that he knew Hiromatsu’s actions would spark Yabushige and Blackthorne to head to Osaka on their own, which allows him to send Mariko with them as part of his true plan. Toranaga’s pained stoicism in this scene is revealing, and the tears in his eyes are the first time viewers see his facade crack. Even if Toranaga carries the weight of every death in service to his cause, he’s still unwavering in his ultimate goal.
That brings us back to Mariko’s standoff at the Osaka castle gates. As she tries to fight her way forward with her naginata, she’s relentlessly beaten back by Ishido’s men. After her defeat, she declares her intention to commit seppuku publicly for not being able to fulfill Toranaga’s orders, and it’s that moment that primes Ishido to release the Regents and their royal court as hostages — not her actual fight. In her actual fight, just before she picks up her own polearm, we see the pointless death of her armed escorts again and again as Ishido’s men slaughter them. Even when it looks like they may turn the tide, Mariko’s guards are cut down by arrows from men stationed on the castle walls. The battle is over in seconds, ending with one of Toranaga’s men bowing to Mariko while being speared directly through the heart from behind.
It’s hard to ignore the message of intentional protest by death. For those not directly involved, war — particularly period warfare like Shōgun — tends to be a tragedy that occurs in a faraway place, out of sight and out of mind. Even if her men remain nameless, Mariko’s sacrifice instead places tragedy immediately on the doorstep of Japan’s capital in the most unavoidable way possible. When looking to calculate what the cost of war is, it’s no longer a tally of nameless soldiers dying far away. It’s now the immediate loss of someone everyone in the show — and of course, the audience — holds dear to their hearts.
And the audience spends the entire last episode dealing with Blackthrone’s grief and acceptance. Shōgun defies the natural story arc by ending with a whimper; it’s in that precise moment of audience discomfort that viewers are forced to reckon with how much they want to see violence play out on screen, and perhaps even contend with how readily they are willing to accept war in real life.
In a way, Shōgun is both a critique of war and of the media’s portrayal of it. But the show is always clear that every decision demands some sort of sacrifice. “It’s hypocrisy, our lives,” Yabushige states, cliffside, as Toranaga draws his sword to second his seppuku. “All this death and sacrifice from lesser men just to ensure some victory in our names…” Yabushige in this moment exists almost as an analog for the audience, questioning Toranaga’s methods. “If you win, anything is possible,” Toranaga replies, echoing a sentiment uttered by Blackthorne earlier. And winning, Shōgun seems to imply, can happen before war even breaks out.
A girl in her late teens died in the lobby of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department station late Sunday after, officials say, she got hold of a deputy’s gun and shot herself.
The department has not released the girl’s name, and officials said late Sunday that it was unclear how she was able to take the deputy’s weapon.
The incident happened around 7:40 p.m., when the teen walked into the lobby of the sheriff’s station at 150 N. Hudson Ave. in the city of Industry, according to a news release.
Officials said she did not have a weapon when she entered the building, and that at some point she caused a commotion, making noise and banging on glass.
Then, the girl allegedly got into “some kind of altercation” with a deputy, took the deputy’s gun and used it to kill herself, officials said.
Authorities said the incident may have stemmed from a family disturbance nearby.
No deputies were injured, officials said. It was not immediately clear whether anyone else was in the lobby at the time.
TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Troy Police Department has reported that they are conducting an ongoing gun and narcotic investigation with other law enforcement partners, including the DEA and the FBI. This investigation led to a police presence in the area of Eighth Street and Hutton Street on Tuesday.
Detectives report that they were observing a vehicle occupied by two suspects involved in the investigation in the area of Eighth Street when both suspects fled on foot. One suspect was apprehended but the other has not been located.
The police department says there was evidence recovered from the scene that will be processed as a part of the investigation. They also report that the escaped suspect appears to pose no danger to the public.
Troy PD explains that charges are pending for both suspects as detectives continue their investigation. Police ask anyone who has information regarding Tuesday’s incident or any ongoing investigation to contact them at (518) 270-4421.
Stick with NEWS10 as more information becomes available.
HARRIS COUNTY – A student has been ‘emergency expelled’ from Klein ISD after reportedly bringing a loaded gun to campus.
In an email to parents, representatives for the district said a loaded handgun was recovered at the school after administrators and district police received an anonymous tip.
The student was immediately located and detained, and no injuries were reported.
“The student has been emergency expelled from the district and is facing felony charges. The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities, and we will continue to work closely with local law enforcement and school administration to ensure a secure learning environment for all,” the email said in part.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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FILE -Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson introduces Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, second from right, after making remarks Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. A federal judge on Friday, March 8, 2024 rejected a challenge to a Washington state law that cleared the way for lawsuits against the gun industry in certain cases. The measure was one of three bills signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee last year seeking to address gun violence. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge on Friday rejected a challenge to a Washington state law that cleared the way for lawsuits against the gun industry in certain cases.
The measure was one of three bills signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee last year seeking to address gun violence.
It requires the industry to exercise reasonable controls in making, selling and marketing weapons, including steps to keep guns from being sold to people known to be dangerous or to straw buyers. It allows the attorney general or private parties, such as the family members of shooting victims, to sue for violations or damages under the state’s Consumer Protection Act.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association, challenged the law in U.S. District Court in Spokane, saying the measure violates the Second Amendment as well as the free-speech rights of its members.
U.S. District Judge Mary K. Dimke rejected the lawsuit in a decision Friday, saying the organization had not established legal standing to challenge the measure. She noted that its members were neither being sued under the law nor had expressed an intent to violate its terms.
“This law protects Washingtonians from gun violence by ensuring that gun industry members face real accountability when their irresponsible conduct harms our communities,” Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is running for governor, said in a news release.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, based in Connecticut, did not immediately return a message seeking comment after business hours Friday.
In 2005, Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, shielding the gun industry from liability in some circumstances. States, however, are allowed to create exemptions from that federal law, Ferguson said. Washington and four other states — Delaware, New York, New Jersey and California — have done so.
The other bills signed by Inslee last year included one banning the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles and another imposing a 10-day waiting period on firearms purchases.
Legal challenges to the sales ban as well as to the state’s ban on the manufacture and sale of high-capacity magazines, adopted in 2022, are pending.
There have been 10 mass killings — nine of them shootings — in the U.S. so far this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. At least 47 people have died in those killings, which are defined as incidents in which four or more people die within a 24-hour period, not including the killer — the same definition used by the FBI.
Authorities in Stanislaus County arrested four men and seized drugs, a stockpile of firearms and ammunition and material to make bombs as part of a months-long investigation into outlaw motorcycle clubs in the region, law enforcement officials announced last week.
The probe into the motorcycle clubs began last year following acts of violence stemming from a dispute between dozens of rival Hells Angels, Salida Nomads and Mongol members, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities declined to elaborate on what the violence entailed and what may have prompted the fight since the investigation is ongoing.
On Feb. 28, law enforcement executed 12 search warrants, raiding locations across San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties including a Hells Angels clubhouse in downtown Stockton, said Sgt. Luke Schwartz.
They siezed 50 firearms, ammunition, gun silencers, paraphernalia that contained the clubs’ names, narcotics and material to make explosives, the Sheriff’s Department wrote in a news release.
Four Modesto men — Vincent Ball, 62, Anthony Vincent Soria, 37, Alfeiri Mishell Taneiya, 26, and Emilio Diaz Martinez, 35 — who authorities allege are affiliated with motorcycle clubs, were taken into custody. They were arrested on suspicion of possession of a steroid, an assault weapon, a silencer and narcotics as well as manufacturing and selling metal knuckles and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the news release.
(FOX40.COM) — A man pulled a loaded gun on an officer during the process of being arrested for retail theft at Target, according to the West Sacramento Police Department.
Earlier this week, officials said that Target Assets Protection contacted the West Sacramento Police Department (WSPD) about a shoplifter and an accomplice who was in the store “concealing merchandise” in a bag.
Upon arrival, officers said that one person suspected of retail theft exited the store and attempted to hide in the grass on the Clarksburg Trail. He was arrested and taken into custody.
A separate WSPD officer entered the Target store to contact the accomplice who was reportedly seated in the Asset Protection office. When the officer attempted to handcuff the accomplice, he allegedly began to fight the officer. During the altercation, police said the suspect removed a loaded Glock handgun from his backpack which was later confirmed to be stolen.
The suspect dropped the gun during the fight, and a Target Assets Protection team member kicked the gun out of the way, according to police. The officer eventually handcuffed the suspect.
(FOX40.COM) — A man accused of holding a gun while leaving a “threatening note” on the door of a stranger’s home in Sutter County was arrested on Friday, according to Sutter County Sheriff’s Office.
At around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Sutter County deputies said they responded to a call on N Street in Live Oak about someone outside their front door with a gun. Per the reporting party’s Ring camera footage, the man was seen holding a firearm and using the tactical light on the firearm as a flashlight.
Before leaving the residence, the man left a note that “threatened the family.” Deputies said the reporting party and their family could not identify the man and didn’t have any knowledge of any prior threats to the family.
On Wednesday, Sutter County detectives said an investigation helped them identify the man as 29-year-old Javier Arteaga-Tinoco and issue a warrant for his arrest. The next day, SCSO received an anonymous tip which led to the arrest of Tinoco as he walked outside of his residence. He was booked into Sutter County Jail.
This man is suspected by TCU police of trying to break into an off-campus student apartment while armed, about two miles south of Texas Christian University.
TCU Police
Police at TCU are asking for the public’s help in finding two men they say recently tried to break into an off-campus student apartment, with one carrying a gun, according to a social media post.
The attempted break-in happened in the 3100 block of Sandage Avenue, almost two miles south of campus, according to police. They tried to open a back door around 4 a.m., though police did not specify what day the attempted break-in happened.
The social media post comes weeks after TCU police warned of a night prowler in neighborhoods south of campus. According to a separate social media post, no crimes were committed but police wanted students to call 911 if they saw anything suspicious.
Anybody with information on the attempted break-in or who recognizes the man in the image shared by police is asked to contact TCU police at 817-257-7777.
A TCU spokesperson did not respond to a Star-Telegram request for more information.
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James Hartley is a breaking news reporter with awards including features, breaking news and deadline writing. A North Texas native, he joined the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 2019. He has a passion for true stories, understated movies, good tea and scotch that’s out of his budget.
A student who allegedly carried a firearm onto the premises of a Mesquite charter school was hospitalized on Monday morning after being shot by local police.
Officers responded after learning that someone had brought a gun to the Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy’s Oates campus, the Mesquite Police Department wrote on Facebook.
“Officers responded and attempted to negotiate with the subject,” the police department wrote. “During the process of negotiating, an officer involved shooting occurred. No students or officers were injured. The suspect was transported to a local hospital for injuries sustained during the incident.”
Following the shooting, the local police and the Mesquite Fire Department began a reunification plan. Parents were directed to receive their students at a nearby Baptist church.
Officers had been dispatched to the campus at around 8:49 a.m., according to Mesquite police. At some point, the initial “person with a gun” notice was switched to an active shooter call.
The Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy issued a statement letting community members know that, aside from the student suspect, no injuries had occurred.
“Everyone on campus is safe and secure,” district Superintendent Shubham Pandey wrote.
Pandey also noted that an investigation will be launched. After review, the academy may decide to bolster its security procedures.
“We’re just thankful a tragedy was avoided and nothing worse occurred,” Mesquite Fire Department Capt. Travis Block said during a news conference, according to The Dallas Morning News.
An Arlington officer who killed an armed driver police said failed to comply with orders during a traffic stop on Interstate 20 shot the man three times and yelled “I’ll kill you,” according to bodycam footage Arlington police released in a news conference Tuesday.
The Arlington motorcycle cop, whose name has not be released pending criminal and internal affairs investigations by the department, pulled over 49-year-old Sean McKay on Thursday afternoon on I-20 near Green Oaks Boulevard for driving erratically, police say.
McKay had a criminal history, including a capital murder charge, weapon violations, and drug charges, according to Arlington Police Chief Al Jones.
The officer originally intended to conduct a traffic stop due to illegal plates that McKay had on the black Cadillac he was driving, Jones said at the news conference. As seen in the bodycam video, the officer — who was on a motorcycle — directed McKay to pull over to the right of the freeway. Instead, McKay swerved across several lanes on the highway and pulled over on the left shoulder.
When the officer also pulled over to the left shoulder, he was heard yelling at McKay to get out of the car. He told McKay to keep his hands on the steering wheel and said, “You don’t do that kind of bull [expletive] with me.”
A Kennedale police officer also pulled over to assist the Arlington officer, according to Jones.
McKay responded to the Arlington officer by apologizing and said he crossed several lanes on I-20 as he was trying to help someone. He is heard in the video repeatedly apologizing to the officer.
As McKay is explaining himself to both officers about why he crossed the lanes, the Arlington officer is heard in the video saying, “I told you to go across that way and you went ahead this way… Your vehicle smells like weed. You got a gun in the car? Do you have any weapons in the car?”
McKay shook his head as the Arlington officer asked a second time if he had a weapon in his car. The only other occupant in his vehicle was a dog he had in the back seat, according to Jones.
Jones could not confirm at the news conference whether drugs were found in McKay’s vehicle.
“You should’ve done what you were told man,” said the officer, to which McKay replied, “I didn’t see you.”
The Arlington officer then tells McKay to turn the car off and to give him the keys. Instead, McKay turns his car on, according to the video.
“I just told you to turn the car off and give me the keys,” the Arlington officer said in the video. The officer then tells McKay to step out of the car and attempts to grab the driver.
“Don’t do that. Don’t touch me,” said McKay.
The Arlington officer is heard in the video repeatedly telling McKay to turn the vehicle off and to step out of the car, to which the driver refuses.
“I’m not doing anything wrong, sir,” McKay said after refusing to comply.
“You just turned the car on when I told you to turn it off,” said the Arlington officer.
Both officers attempted to get McKay out of the vehicle and the Arlington officer told him, “You got a gun in the car? Quit reaching around.”
McKay is then seen in the video moving over to the passenger seat and grabbing a handgun. The Arlington officer aimed his gun at McKay and ordered him to put his hands up. McKay repeatedly says “don’t do it” while holding his gun, the video shows.
Both officers are heard asking McKay multiple times to put his hands up. At one point, the Arlington officer is heard yelling, “I’ll kill you. Put the gun down.”
McKay said, “I know you will, don’t do it” as he again refused to put his gun down. He then said, “step away from my car,” just before the Arlington officer fired his gun at him three times.
The driver was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said Thursday.
The Kennedale officer did not fire her weapon, according to Arlington police. Neither of the officers were injured. The dog that was inside McKay’s vehicle was not injured.
“This is a very stressful situation,” said Jones at the conference. “They’re [officers] put in these unfortunate situations. We’re asking our residents to comply with us so that we don’t have these types of outcomes.”
When asked by a reporter about the Arlington officer telling McKay he would kill him, Jones said he does not think that was the officer’s intention.
“I’m sure the officer wasn’t thinking that he wanted to kill Mr. McKay. What he wanted Mr. McKay to do was to comply with the orders that he’s given. Mr. McKay had several opportunities… Those two officers pretty much begged him to drop the weapon several times and he failed to comply,” Jones said.
Jones added that the situation could not have de-escalated when a weapon was drawn by the driver.
“When they saw that gun, that became a deadly situation. There is really not that much room where they could have de-escalated,” said Jones.
Officers do not have to wait for someone to point their gun at them before they fire their weapons, according to Jones.
“It’s an unfortunate situation that I wish could have had a better outcome and that’s why it’s important to comply,” Jones said.
The officer, an eight-year-veteran with the department, has been placed on paid leave per department policy.
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Nicole Lopez is a breaking news reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso, where she studied multimedia journalism. She also does freelance writing.
The investigation started with reports of a student making threats. Then officers found what appeared to be a stockpile of explosives and other deadly weapons.
San Diego police took a Poway high schooler into custody Friday after fellow students alleged that the teen threatened to shoot up their school.
But the teen’s father also became entangled in the criminal investigation soon after, when officers found illegal explosives, untraceable guns and other weapons at the family’s home, police said.
In response to the reported threats, police obtained a gun violence restraining order against the teen, giving them the power to secure any firearms to which the student might have had access, the San Diego Police Department said in a news release. When police searched the home Tuesday morning, officers found the weapons — lots of them, and many illegal ones, officers said.
The teen’s father, 45-year-old Neal Anders, was later arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal firearms, manufacturing assault weapons and possessing a destructive device. The alleged arsenal included untraceable guns, commonly referred to as ghost guns, which do not have a serial number and are often assembled by purchasing parts sold without background checks. NBC San Diego reported that the confiscated cache also included rocket-propelled grenades and other explosive devices.
San Diego police officials said teams continue to work to ensure the safety of the community and students at Rancho Bernardo High School in Poway, where the threat was first reported Friday.
The teen was apprehended soon after other students reported “another student showing concerning videos and making threatening statements against others and the school,” according to an email sent to Rancho Bernardo families from Principal Hans Becker over the weekend.
Becker praised the students who reported the incident for acting responsibly and said that although the school remains safe, San Diego police would be on campus this week “providing a reassuring presence.”
The San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team assisted with the retrieval and seizure of the explosives from the family’s house.
For the second time, actor Alec Baldwin is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge for the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins which occurred on the New Mexico set of the Western movie “Rust.” Baldwin was indicted Friday by a grand jury. This comes after special prosecutors last April chose to dismiss the same charge against Baldwin. Jonathan Vigliotti has the latest on the legal rollercoaster.
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The resolution from Reps. Stefani Lord of Sandia Park and John Block of Alamogordo accuses the governor of violating her oath of office to uphold the state and federal constitutions.
“The point is that she has too much power,” said Lord, founder of the advocacy group Pro-Gun Women. “We’re just trying to say to her, ‘You have too much power, you’re acting like a dictator. … And we’re going to impeach you.’”
In a statement obtained by CBS News, Lord called Lujan Grisham a disgrace to New Mexico. “The rights of New Mexicans are not up for debate,” said Lord. “No matter how hard Lujan Grisham tries to violate the constitution, she will never succeed.”
Block accused the governor of “violating the Constitution to make a political statement,” noting that Lujan Grisham said she expected legal challenges from the outset.
Lujan Grisham spokesperson Maddy Hayden said in an email that the two sponsors of the resolution are more interested in political stunts than crafting meaningful legislation, citing their bills to criminalize necrophilia and offer sex offenders an early release from prison if they agree to chemical castration procedures.
“There’s not much to say in direct response to this inane effort” at impeachment, Hayden said.
Following Wednesday’s filings Representative Stefani Lord posted a statement on X saying, “The rights of the New Mexicans are not up for debate, and no matter how hard Lujan Grisham tries to violate the constitution, I will be there to stand firm against her tyranny.”
It’s unclear whether the resolution, which outlines articles of impeachment, will advance to public committee deliberations in the state House, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 45 to 25.
Gun rights advocates have filed legal challenges to the orders and are urging the New Mexico Supreme Court to block them. The court recently heard oral arguments in the lawsuit brought by Republican state legislators, the National Rifle Association and several residents of the Albuquerque area, who include retired law enforcement officers, former federal agents, licensed firearms instructors and a gun shop owner.
In the federal court system, a judge has allowed enforcement of the gun provision to continue while legal challenges run their course.
Lujan Grisham delivered her second State of the State address on Tuesday, where she called for the following: a gun safety package that bans assault weapons, raises the legal purchase age for all guns to 21, institutes a 14-day waiting period, increasing penalties for felons in possession of a firearm, keeps guns out of parks and playgrounds, and allows law enforcement officers to file Extreme Risk Protection Orders to keep firearms away from people who are a danger to themselves or others.
New Mexico lawmakers convened Tuesday for a 30-day session and could take up a broad slate of firearms proposals from the governor that aim to reduce gun violence, including a permanent statewide ban on firearms in public parks and playgrounds.
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