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Tag: surrender

  • Kirk killing suspect feared being shot by police and agreed to surrender if peaceful, sheriff says

    Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.”He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.”The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.”Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killingHidden note in suspect’s apartmentInvestigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Investigators looking at whether Robinson had helpLaw enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.Parents said their son became more politicalRobinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

    OREM, Utah —

    Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.

    Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.

    “He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”

    On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.

    Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.

    Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.

    Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.

    “The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”

    Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.

    On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.

    “Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.

    Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killing

    Hidden note in suspect’s apartment

    Investigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.

    There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.

    After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”

    Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.

    Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.

    Investigators looking at whether Robinson had help

    Law enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.

    The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.

    Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.

    Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.

    Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?

    Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

    Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.

    While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.

    Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.

    Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.

    Parents said their son became more political

    Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.

    She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.

    The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.

    Robinson detailed movements after the shooting

    In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”

    The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.

    “To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.

    ___

    Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

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  • Giuliani appears in NYC court after missing deadline to surrender assets

    A combative Rudy Giuliani said a civil case to take his most prized assets was like “a political persecution” before he entered a New York City courthouse Thursday to explain to a federal judge why he hasn’t surrendered his valuables as part of a $148 million defamation judgment.Judge Lewis Liman ordered the former New York City mayor to report to court after lawyers for the two former Georgia election workers who were awarded the massive judgment visited Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment last week only to discover it had been cleared out weeks earlier.The judge had set an Oct. 29 deadline for the longtime ally of once-and-future President Donald Trump to surrender many of his possessions to lawyers for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.The possessions include his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, a shirt signed by New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, dozens of luxury watches and other valuables.When he arrived at Manhattan federal court, Giuliani told reporters that he has not stood in the way of the court’s orders.“Every bit of property that they want is available, if they are entitled to it,” he said. “Now, the law says they’re not entitled to a lot of them. For example, they want my grandfather’s watch, which is 150 years old. That’s a bit of an heirloom. Usually you don’t get those unless you’re involved in a political persecution. In fact, having me here today is like a political persecution.”During the court proceeding, which lasted over an hour, a lawyer for Freeman and Moss and a lawyer for Giuliani disputed whether Giuliani has done all he can to turn over assets.Liman ordered Giuliani to hand over the Mercedes by Monday.Liman originally scheduled a phone conference about the situation, but he changed it to a hearing in Manhattan federal court that Giuliani must attend after learning about the visit to the former mayor’s apartment.Aaron Nathan, an attorney for the election workers, wrote in a letter to Liman that the residence was already “substantially empty” when representatives for his clients visited with a moving company official to assess the transportation and storage needs for the property Giuliani was ordered to surrender.He said the group was told most of the apartment’s contents, including art, sports memorabilia and other valuables, had been moved out about four weeks prior and that some of it had been placed in storage on Long Island.At the hearing, Nathan complained that efforts to get assets were met by “delay and then evasion.”Giuliani spoke directly to the judge at one point, saying he’d been “treated rudely” by those trying to take control of his assets.They have so far argued unsuccessfully that Giuliani should not be forced to turn over his belongings while he appeals the judgment.Liman also denied a request from Giuliani’s legal team to postpone Thursday’s court appearance to next week or hold it by phone, as originally planned.A Giuliani spokesperson, meanwhile, dismissed the legal wrangling as intimidation tactics.“Opposing counsel, acting either negligently or deliberately in a deceptive manner, are simply attempting to further bully and intimidate Mayor Giuliani until he is rendered penniless and homeless,” Ted Goodman, his spokesperson, said earlier this week.Giuliani was found liable for defamation for falsely accusing Freeman and Moss of ballot fraud as he pushed Trump’s unsubstantiated election fraud allegations during the 2020 campaign.The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani accused the two of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines.

    NEW YORK —

    A combative Rudy Giuliani said a civil case to take his most prized assets was like “a political persecution” before he entered a New York City courthouse Thursday to explain to a federal judge why he hasn’t surrendered his valuables as part of a $148 million defamation judgment.

    Judge Lewis Liman ordered the former New York City mayor to report to court after lawyers for the two former Georgia election workers who were awarded the massive judgment visited Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment last week only to discover it had been cleared out weeks earlier.

    The judge had set an Oct. 29 deadline for the longtime ally of once-and-future President Donald Trump to surrender many of his possessions to lawyers for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.

    The possessions include his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, a shirt signed by New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, dozens of luxury watches and other valuables.

    When he arrived at Manhattan federal court, Giuliani told reporters that he has not stood in the way of the court’s orders.

    “Every bit of property that they want is available, if they are entitled to it,” he said. “Now, the law says they’re not entitled to a lot of them. For example, they want my grandfather’s watch, which is 150 years old. That’s a bit of an heirloom. Usually you don’t get those unless you’re involved in a political persecution. In fact, having me here today is like a political persecution.”

    During the court proceeding, which lasted over an hour, a lawyer for Freeman and Moss and a lawyer for Giuliani disputed whether Giuliani has done all he can to turn over assets.

    Liman ordered Giuliani to hand over the Mercedes by Monday.

    Liman originally scheduled a phone conference about the situation, but he changed it to a hearing in Manhattan federal court that Giuliani must attend after learning about the visit to the former mayor’s apartment.

    Aaron Nathan, an attorney for the election workers, wrote in a letter to Liman that the residence was already “substantially empty” when representatives for his clients visited with a moving company official to assess the transportation and storage needs for the property Giuliani was ordered to surrender.

    He said the group was told most of the apartment’s contents, including art, sports memorabilia and other valuables, had been moved out about four weeks prior and that some of it had been placed in storage on Long Island.

    At the hearing, Nathan complained that efforts to get assets were met by “delay and then evasion.”

    Giuliani spoke directly to the judge at one point, saying he’d been “treated rudely” by those trying to take control of his assets.

    They have so far argued unsuccessfully that Giuliani should not be forced to turn over his belongings while he appeals the judgment.

    Liman also denied a request from Giuliani’s legal team to postpone Thursday’s court appearance to next week or hold it by phone, as originally planned.

    A Giuliani spokesperson, meanwhile, dismissed the legal wrangling as intimidation tactics.

    “Opposing counsel, acting either negligently or deliberately in a deceptive manner, are simply attempting to further bully and intimidate Mayor Giuliani until he is rendered penniless and homeless,” Ted Goodman, his spokesperson, said earlier this week.

    Giuliani was found liable for defamation for falsely accusing Freeman and Moss of ballot fraud as he pushed Trump’s unsubstantiated election fraud allegations during the 2020 campaign.

    The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani accused the two of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines.

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | P.A.S.S. Program Keeps Families Together

    Austin Pets Alive! | P.A.S.S. Program Keeps Families Together

    Aug 16, 2021

    Christopher was facing a difficult decision, he knew his cat needed medical attention but like so many, he was struggling to afford the ongoing vet bills.

    Not wanting to have to surrender his family member to the shelter because of this, he turned to our P.A.S.S. Facebook page which stands for Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender, and asked for help.

    Tiger is Christopher’s sweet little orange slice you see here. He was attacked by a dog which left him with open wounds that needed immediate attention. Tiger soon received stitches for his injury with the help of his dad, Christopher. But when the stitches popped and infection set in, Christopher needed help to afford Tiger’s second treatment. The P.A.S.S. community came forward and quickly shared Tiger’s story and donated the funds to help Christopher pay for Tiger’s treatment.

    APA’S P.A.S.S. Program (Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender), aims to provide resources and services to Texas residents who are experiencing challenges to keeping their pets with an overall goal of keeping pets out of shelters and providing the people with a safe, judgment-free zone for anyone in need. P.A.S.S. can provide supported self rehoming, emergency medical vet costs, temporary fosters, behavioral/training recommendations, and food/supply distribution.

    With the help of the amazing P.A.S.S. community, Tiger was able to receive his second treatment and is now recovering safely at home with Christopher, where he belongs. P.A.S.S. members are continuing to support Christopher by giving him tips and tricks on preventative measures (like cutting up a shirt to put on Tiger to keep him from messing with the stitches) until he’s healed completely.

    Lucy, our P.A.S.S. Program Coordinator, found Tiger’s story particularly touching. She stated, “The inspiring part of Tiger’s story (as well as a lot of the successes we see on the page) is how much the community continues to care. The generosity of the shared experience that each case and journey creates always baffles and inspires me.” She and the other moderators of the Facebook page work diligently to keep P.A.S.S. a safe community, free from judgment, so people feel comfortable sharing their stories and can receive the help their pets need.

    Lucy believes, “Pets are family so it’s never an easy choice to surrender or rehome.” Thanks to the P.A.S.S. program, Tiger got to stay out of the shelter and with his dad all while getting the treatment he needed to recover.

    If you feel inspired to learn about more stories like Tiger and Christoper’s, join the PASS program community Facebook today to help pets like Tiger remain with their families!

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