Man allegedly pulled gun, threatened victim after being mistaken for employee at Beach Park auto shop

Joseph M. Burns produced a pistol and made threatening comments toward the victim, Covelli said.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Police say a man pulled a gun and threatened another person who mistook him for being an employee at an auto shop in Beach Park Monday afternoon.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 3:50 p.m. Monday to a business in the 39300 block of North Lewis Avenue in Beach Park.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said a call was made for a man with a gun.

Deputies arrived and spoke to the victim, an adult man.

The victim had entered the store and saw a man standing inside who he believed was an employee.

The victim walked up to the man to ask for help with something.

The man, Joseph M. Burns, 48, of the 13700 block of 91st Street in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was not an employee.

Covelli said that Burns became “enraged” for some reason after the victim asked him a question.

An argument ensued and Burns produced a pistol and made threatening comments toward the victim, Covelli said.

Sheriff’s deputies located Burns on the property, detained him and located his firearm.

He was charged with two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault and disorderly conduct.

Burns was released after posting 10% of a $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on October 20.

 

Missouri farmer pleads guilty in the murder of 2 Wisconsin brothers

Garland Nelson, of Braymer, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 24-year-old Justin Diemel and 35-year-old Nicholas Diemel, of Shawano County, Wisconsin.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A northwest Missouri man pleaded guilty Friday to killing two brothers from Wisconsin after they came to his farm in 2019 to collect a debt from a cattle contract.

Garland Nelson, of Braymer, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 24-year-old Justin Diemel and 35-year-old Nicholas Diemel, of Shawano County, Wisconsin.

He was given two life sentences without parole, which will run consecutively.

In exchange for his plea, charges of abandonment of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, armed criminal action and tampering with a motor vehicle were dropped. the St. Joseph News-Press reported.

In 2020, one of Nelson’s defense attorneys said the state planned to seek the death penalty if Nelson was convicted in the killings. Despite that the Diemel family was “shocked” he pleaded guilty, but Brady Kopek, the Caldwell County prosecutor, saidt he deal had been on the table for a year.

The brothers’ father reported them missing July 21, 2019, after they didn’t return from a visit to Nelson’s farm, where they had gone to collect a $250,000 debt. Nelson was supposed to be caring for cattle for the brothers, according to court records.

The Diemel family sent livestock to Nelson's farm to be cared for and sold between 2018 and 2019. The animals were neglected and many died but Nelson charged the family full price, according to court documents.

When the Diemels asked for their money back, Nelson intentionally sent a damaged check to Nicholas Diemel, which prompted the brothers' visit to his farm.

Prosecutors said Nelson shot the brothers and drove their pickup truck off of his farm. He told authorities he put the men's bodies in 55-gallon barrels and burned them. Nelson told investigators he dumped the remains on a manure pile and hid the barrels on his property, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Kansas City, Missouri.

The remains were later found in Missouri and in a livestock trailer in Lincoln County, Nebraska, that had been purchased in Missouri.

When Nelson confirmed the details of the murders on Friday, it was the first time most members of the Diemel family heard what happened. Some family members cried and Pam Diemel, the victims' mother, left the courtroom.

“I’m sick to my stomach right now,” Pam Diemel said after the hearing. “Life is very empty without them here.”

In 2020, the families of the victims reached a $2 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Nelson, his mother, Tomme Feil, and the family's cattle business, J4S Enterprises.

At the time of the brothers’ deaths, Nelson was on parole after serving 17 months in federal prison for an October 2016 conviction for cattle and insurance fraud. Prosecutors said he sold more than 600 head of cattle that did not belong to him, causing more than $262,000 in losses.

 

Mike Shepard (left) and Mark Shepard (right)

Texas warden and brother shot 2 migrants for no reason, one dead

The migrants were just standing near a water tank along a farm when Mike and Mark Sheppard, both aged 60, opened fire on them from a pickup truck.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Texas immigration jail warden and his twin brother ( both white ) have been arrested for allegedly shooting two migrants, one of them fatally, when the victims stopped to drink water near the US-Mexico border, authorities said.

The fatal confrontation took place on Tuesday night near the town of Sierra Blanca in West Texas.

The migrants were standing near a water tank along a farm when officials said Mike and Mark Sheppard, both aged 60, opened fire on them from a pickup truck. It is believed that the incident was racially motivated.

The bullets killed a man and injured a woman, who was taken to the Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso for treatment. The victims have not been named as of Friday.

The Sheppard twins were taken into custody in connection with the deadly shooting. The Texas Department of Public Safety said they face manslaughter charges, adding that the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Border Patrol were assisting with the investigation.

Surviving witnesses told the authorities that the Sheppard brothers shouted profanities at them and told them in Spanish to come out after they had taken cover.

The driver of the pickup truck leaned across the hood and fired at least two shots, fatally striking a man in the head and hitting a woman in the abdomen, the Intercept reported .

When interviewed by officials, the Sheppards claimed they were out hunting either grouse or javelina. They said they made no effort to determine what they had shot and drove off to attend a county board meeting.

According to reporting, until this week Mike Sheppard served as the warden of the West Texas Detention Center — a notorious private immigration jail located in Sierra Blanca, about 4 miles from the scene of the shooting.

A spokesperson for LaSalle Corrections, which operates the facility, said the warden there had been fired “due to an off-duty incident unrelated to his employment.”

A scathing 2018 report by the Intercept alleged that officials at the Sierra Blanca facility, helmed by Mike Sheppard, had verbally, physically and sexually abused 80 African detainees there.

Sheppard himself was accused of punching a man in the face and kicking him while he was handcuffed, yet he was allowed to retain his job despite formal complaints that were filed with the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and local authorities.

The Texas Democratic Party said that attacks on migrants were the result of Texas Republicans’ “violent fearmongering of undocumented migrants.”

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from El Paso, said she would like the deadly shooting in Sierra Blanca investigated by the DOJ as a hate crime.

“Migrants fleeing persecution in their home countries should not have to fear for their lives here.” Escobar tweeted. “I’m devastated by this news out of Hudspeth County. Time and time again inflammatory, demonizing Republican rhetoric turns into action.”

 

Shock Video: Suspect Edmund Clarke Attempts to Behead Man With Scissors, Knives in Florida

By Edward Era Barbacena

A man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was stabbed more than 40 times by a suspect who was attempting to behead him inside a shop in Florida this week, according to reports.

The horrifying incident unfolded on Monday evening in Punta Gorda, a city in Lee County.

The victim and suspect entered The Trading Post at Burnt Store Marina to grab a bite to eat when things took a shocking turn.

The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Edmund Clarke, grabbed scissors from a counter and started stabbing the victim.

Clarke then retrieved several knives and continued slashing his victim for several minutes in an “attempt to behead him,” authorities say.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) released surveillance footage showing the moments leading up to the barbaric attack.

“Deputies arrived on scene and located a victim who had been stabbed more than 40 times in the head, neck, and torso,” LCSO explained in a statement.

“The victim was airlifted to Gulf Coast Medical Center, where they underwent emergency surgery.”

Clarke reportedly knew his victim as he had worked for the man’s family for many years.

“The arrest report says the victim had picked up Clarke at the hospital after the victim’s father asked him to fly down from Chicago. Clarke had been in the hospital for abdominal pain,” WINK reports.

“The arrest report says one person explained that Clarke became enraged after leaving the hospital and appeared as though he was hallucinating while making accusations toward someone.”

Clarke has been charged with Attempted Murder.

 

Vietnamese American nail tech has 5 percent chance of survival after allegedly racist attack, family says

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Vietnamese American man is fighting for his life nearly a month after a vicious assault outside a pub in Toledo, Ohio, left him with a severe traumatic brain injury.

California native Phong Tran, 43, was punched and found unconscious outside Ye Olde Cock N Bull on N. Huron St. at around 2 a.m. on Sept. 1. Police on Tuesday released body cam footage that shows witnesses who came to his aid.

Tran suffered a severe traumatic brain injury that has since forced him to undergo multiple surgeries. As of Sept. 23, he remained on life support, with doctors giving him a 5 percent chance of survival.

“I’m angry. Angry and sad. Because this is a senseless, senseless crime. My brother didn't bother anyone,” Tran’s sister, who did not want to be identified, told WTOL.

Tran’s family believes the attack was both unprovoked and racially motivated. Andre Pitts, 25, has been charged with felonious assault in connection with the incident.

“Something like this should not happen to anyone, nobody deserves to be like this ever,” Tran’s sister told WTVG in another interview. “Especially if it was unprovoked and he was out with a friend having a good time.”

Tran, who is known to his community as PT, worked as a nail technician in Northwood. He has one daughter “to fight for,” his sister said.

“I just want to bring justice for my brother. He deserves at least that,” she added.

Tran’s family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with Tran’s medical expenses. As of this writing, the campaign has raised $11,415.

Pitts, who is being held at Lucas County Jail, is due back in court on Thursday. His charge is expected to be upgraded to murder if Tran does not survive.

 

Man wanted in series of violent attacks targeting women in O.C. arrested in San Mateo County, charged with hate crime

Johnny Deven Young, 25, of Anaheim, was taken into custody recently on an a warrant in San Mateo County and has been charged with four felony counts 

By Edward Era Barbacena

A man who described himself as an “incel” wanted in connection with several violent attacks against women in Orange County has been arrested in San Mateo County, officials announced Tuesday.

Johnny Deven Young, 25, of Anaheim, was taken into custody recently on an a warrant in San Mateo County and has been charged with four felony counts of assault with great bodily injury, four felony counts of illegal use of tear gas, four felony enhancements for the personal use of a deadly weapon, and eight felony hate crime enhancements. He also faces five misdemeanor counts of violation of civil rights, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

He was transported to Orange County jail last week after being convicted on the misdemeanor case in San Mateo County. He also has a prior misdemeanor hate crime conviction in Nevada, officials said

Young would allegedly record himself making sexually explicit comments to women and would sometimes spray them with a chemical agent, officials had previously explained.

The criminal case against Young involves four women and a man who tried to stop one of the assaults.

In one case last November, Costa Mesa police discovered two victims were at a local bar and had been separated. A 29-year-old woman later saw a 24-year-old man on the ground and stopped to help him when a man confronted her.

The suspect, later identified as Young, began “verbally harassing” the woman, using “explicit language, saying he wanted to see her genitals, and asked to have sexual relations with her,” police said.

The man who was on the ground saw Young harassing the woman and ran to help her. But as the man approached, Young allegedly used a chemical agent to spray the man and the woman, police said.

Young was able to get away before authorities arrived.

Months later, Costa Mesa police learned about a video posted on social media of a man confronting women with sexual explicit language and later spraying them with a chemical agent.

The video showed two different incidents: In one, the man, later identified as Young, verbally harasses a woman and follows her through a parking structure. The second incident involved several woman sitting on a bench at the Triangle retail center in Costa Mesa, police said.

Investigators learned Young has a history of targeting or stalking women outside of clubs, bars and in fitness centers. He allegedly approached and followed women while using explicit language and said he wanted to have sex with them while recording the encounters.

Two victims had previously come forward and described their encounters with Young, during which they said they were pepper sprayed by the defendant.

Police had been searching for Young and his white and green Chevrolet cargo van. He was previously described as a transient with ties to Orange and San Diego counties and had last lived in

Las Vegas.

Young’s bail was set at $500,000 and his arraignment was continued to Oct. 10. He faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in state prison if convicted on all counts.

“No one should have to live in fear that they could be indiscriminately attacked and then publicly humiliated on the Internet because of their gender,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “This behavior is disgusting and the celebration of this behavior by like-minded individuals is completely unacceptable. These charges send a very strong message to that entire community that we will not tolerate violence against women in any form.”

 

Tucson cops kill hispanic man after he points gun at police dog’s head

Francisco Javier Galarza was killed after pointing a gun at police dog Kiro's head.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Arizona police shot a suspect to death after he pointed a handgun at a police dog’s head, video shows.

The Tucson Police department released body cam footage Tuesday of Francisco Javier Galarza aiming a semi-automatic at a K9 named Kiro, as the dog brought the runaway suspect to the ground.

Police instantly opened fire on the man, killing him with several shots.

According to the department, Galarza was wanted on a felony arrest warrant for home invasion and bank robbery.

The 49-year-old was spotted entering a convenience store just before noon on Aug. 25. Police confronted him in the parking lot, but Galarza immediately tried to run away.

“Police! Get down!” Officers can be heard telling Galarza several times in the video as he runs.

Officer Barry Peterson, a 15-year veteran, released Kiro, who tackled Galarza to the ground.

From both body camera perspectives, Galarza can be seen pointing the gun at Kiro.

“Gun,” an officer says before Peterson and another officer discharged their own guns, killing Galarza.

Multiple agencies are reviewing the footage to determine whether the deadly use of force was warranted in the case.

Francisco Javier Galarza 

Galarza has a lengthy criminal history record in Pima County, News13 reported.

In 1992, he was sentenced to three years in prison. Two years later, he was convicted of drug possession and was sentenced to four years.

In 2000, Galarza was convicted of vehicle theft. A year later, he was convicted on six counts of robbery armed and armed robbery and received an 11-year sentence. Upon release, he was convicted of armed robbery again and sentenced to another 7.5 years.

Evil Tennessee mom Megan Boswell suffocated her own 15 month-old daughter with aluminum foil

 

Evil Tennessee mom Megan Boswell suffocated her own 15 month-old daughter with aluminum foil and dumped her into a trash can while still alive

Evelyn Boswell — who went missing in December 2019 but was only reported missing two months later — was discovered in a trash can on her grandfather’s property,

By Edward Era Barbacena

United States is probably the worst country on Earth when it comes to cases  juvenile murders and child abuses. And white American adults adults as parents or guardians are probably the most inhumane creatures ever existed capable of harming and taking lives of their own children.  For the past 3 year, more and more incidents of children being killed by their evil white step mothers, own mothers and inconsiderate Fathers.

A 15-month-old Tennessee girl who was found dead in a backyard was buried alive by her mom after being suffocated with a blanket and aluminum foil – then shoved upside down in a trash can, authorities said.

“It was my belief (the can was) placed there recently,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Brian Fraley told a court Friday.

“I observed a leg (with) a foot attached … on top of the trash. It was consistent with an infant of the described age of the missing victim.”

“It was my belief (the can was) placed there recently,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Brian Fraley told a court Friday.

“I observed a leg (with) a foot attached … on top of the trash. It was consistent with an infant of the described age of the missing victim.”

Her mom, Megan Boswell, faces a slew of charges, including two counts of capital murder, aggravated child abuse and neglect, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse and making false reports.

Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, the chief medical examiner for Knox and Anderson counties, told the court that the death was a homicide caused by asphyxia in four places, WJHL reported.

The forensic pathologist said Evelyn was still alive when she was placed inside the trash can – wrapped tightly with a blanket and aluminum foil.

“The disposal of this child was remarkable,” Mileusnic-Polchan reportedly testified.

“She was sort of compressed in the can … (in an) accordion-like position. There was a severe overextension of her head and neck … an extreme extension,” she said.

“(The blanket) was not just haphazardly placed (around her body). It was tightly wrapped (to) prevent her from breathing … The blanket left imprints on (Evelyn’s skin),” Mileusnic-Polchan added.q

Fraley, the TBI special agent, previously testified that Boswell also had claimed that her daughter died accidentally while co-sleeping with her and her then-boyfriend, according to WJHL.

On Friday, Mileusnic-Polchan said the girl was too old to have died in such a manner.

“This was not an accidental asphyxia. The manner of death was a homicide,” she said, adding that “this was not a child dying in her sleep.”

She added that decomposition and the infestation of maggots prevented investigators from determining if blunt force trauma was a factor in the death, but that the skeleton did not show damage, WJHL reported.

The hearing was held to discuss which images could be used as evidence after the suspect’s attorney, Brad Sproles, argued that some were too graphic and would possibly sway the jury.

District Attorney General Barry Staubus argued that the photos do not show open wounds, blood or facial expressions and are important for the case.

Judge James Goodwin examined each photo and omitted one after saying there was something that “absolutely bothers” him, making him worry about the jurors. He also disallowed several others, WJHL reported.

The child’s mother allegedly lied about the disappearance several times.

“Every time we talk to her, her story changes,” Sullivan County Sheriff Jack Cassidy said previously, according to Crime Online.

On Feb. 18, 2020, when an AMBER Alert was issued, Boswell reportedly told authorities that Evelyn’s dad, Ethan Perry, had the child and she planned to pick her up, the news outlet said.

But investigators determined said that Perry, a military member stationed in Louisiana, did not have the child.

Boswell has continued to maintain her innocence in the shocking case.

She was previously charged with lying to authorities about the disappearance.

 

Devan Johnson, of Harrah, left, and Brandon Killian, of Oklahoma City,

Two Oklahoma White Men Plead Guilty to Racially-Motivated Hate Crime

Devan Johnson, of Harrah, left, and Brandon Killian, of Oklahoma City, are accused in the June 22 attack on 36-year-old Jarric Deshawn Carolina

By Edward Era Barbacena

The US Department of Justice announced today that two men, Devan Nathanial Johnson, 28, and Brandon Wayne Killian, 31, pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime in Shawnee, Oklahoma. 

On Jan. 18, 2022, a federal grand in the Western District of Oklahoma returned a two-count Indictment charging both defendants, who are white, with physically assaulting a Black man — as well as the Black man’s white friend — in the parking lot of the Brickhouse Saloon in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The indictment alleges that the assault occurred because of the Black man’s race and color.

According to statements made before District Judge Bernard Jones at the plea hearings in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma this week, both defendants admitted to assaulting the Black man in the parking lot of the bar on June 22, 2019, because the man was Black. The assault resulted in bodily injury to the victim.

“These two defendants are being held accountable for subjecting a Black man to a brutal and racially motivated assault,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Convictions like these make clear that the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who violently assault others because of their race or the color of their skin.”  

“The defendants targeted a Black victim for a brutal attack simply because of the color of his skin,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Hate-fueled criminal conduct is morally reprehensible and can never be acceptable in a civilized society. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to combat all hate crimes.”

“Violent acts of hate and racism have no place in our community and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Division. “The FBI will continue to use all authority granted to us by federal law to investigate crimes motivated by bias, and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.”

At sentencing, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $ 250,000 for the violation. Both defendants will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of their crime.

Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Troester and Special Agent in Charge Gray made the announcement.

The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Barry for the Western District Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Avner Shapiro of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

 

American white couple murdered an Asian man whom they accused of stealing 

The were identified as identified as 25-year-old Logan David Slack and 25-year-old Fotini Anest West— who are responsible for the death of Michael Chang-Beom Lee, 43.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Two people have been formally charged with murder after a man was found dead in an Inver Grove Heights home early Saturday morning.

Police officers went to a home in the 2100 block of 78th Court East shortly after 2 a.m. after a 911 call was made and the caller can be heard saying, “they are trying to get into my house,” before the line went dead.

Michael Chang-Beom Lee, 43, was found dead in his bathroom.

According to ABC5, two people inside a vehicle near Lee’s home told one of the responding officers that an SUV they didn’t recognize had just driven off. A short time later, another officer saw an SUV matching the witnesses’ description and stopped it near 80th Street and Barbara Avenue.

Michael Chang-Beom Lee

The two occupants of the SUV were identified as 25-year-old Logan David Slack and 25-year-old Fotini Anest West—who had blood on her arms and chest.

West told officers an Asian man attacked her and Slack brought her to safety, which the officer initially believed. However, responding officers to Lee’s home radioed and asked the officer who pulled Slack and West over to check their shoe soles to see if they matched the bloody prints found at Lee’s home.

The couple was taken to the police department where Slack explained he had dropped West off at Lee’s home for an erotic massage. However, West came outside a short time later and said Lee assaulted her and wouldn’t pay for services.

That’s when Slack grabbed a gun from the SUV, forced their way into the home, and ran after Lee, who hid in a bathroom. A police complaint then states Slack fired his gun and shot Lee in the back, saying Lee had tried to grab West through a hole in the bathroom door.

The couple then grabbed Lee’s phone to stop him from calling 911, made sure they got paid, then fled the scene. Authorities found the murder weapon and Lee’s smartphone in the SUV.

Both Slack and West are each charged with intentional and unintentional second-degree murder.

 

Russian man lights himself on fire to protest Putin’s draft

By Edward Era Barbacena

Shocking video footage shows a Russian man lighting himself on fire Monday to avoid being conscripted into the war with Ukraine.

Less than a week after Putin announced the “partial mobilization” of up 300,000 reservists, Russian news outlet YA62 shared footage of a man in the southeastern city of Ryazan dousing himself in flames.

“At the Ryazan bus station, a man set himself on fire,” the post read.

“He shouted that he did not want to participate in a special operation in Ukraine.”

After the flames fizzled out, the man can be seen being escorted to an ambulance by police.

Although the protestor was able to walk to the ambulance crew, there are conflicting reports about his condition. One eyewitness told YA62 that he escaped with minor injuries, while the magazine Novaya Gazeta wrote that he had burns on over 90 percent of his body.

The attempted self-immolation is just the latest in a series of protests against the draft, as thousands of Russians attempt to flee to bordering countries.

Within hours of the Ryazan incident, a draft officer in the Irkutsk region of Siberia was shot by a would-be conscript.

The shooter, who identified himself on video as 25-year-old Ruslan Zinin, reportedly told terrified bystanders that “nobody is going to go anywhere. We’re all going home now.”

The brutal invasion of Ukraine has now entered its 8th month — despite Russian state correspondent Alexander Sladkov admitting on television that the country’s army had already suffered “huge” losses.

“‘We’re winning on points. But we’d like a knockout,’” he said.

Gas leak in the Baltic Sea The gas leak at Nord Stream 2 seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm.

Gas leak in the Baltic Sea

The gas leak at Nord Stream 2 seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm.

By Edward Era Barbacena

After the three gas leaks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, the Danish Defence deployed the frigate Absalon and the pollution control vessel Gunnar Thorson, as well as a helicopter capacity.

Following the three gas leaks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, prohibition zones have been established around the leaks for the sake of the safety of ship and air traffic.

Nord Stream 1 has two leaks northeast of Bornholm, Nord Stream 2 has one leak south of Dueodde. The leaks were discovered by the Danish Defence F-16 interceptor response unit. 

 The defense is supporting in connection with the authorities' efforts regarding the leaks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The frigate Absalon and the pollution control vessel ship Gunnar Thorson are on their way to carry out water monitoring at the exclusion zones, and the Danish Defence are also supporting with a helicopter capacity. In addition, the patrol ship Rota was in the area last night.

The Danish Defense has no further comments at this time.

Here is the video from the Danish Defence helicopter SAR emergency at Roskilde:

 

 

A Colorado police officers abandoned a handcuffed hispanic woman in squad car parked in rail tracks as speeding train approaches 

Yareni Rios-Gonzalez suffered mutiple fractures including skull fracture  as the unidentified cops fled from the scene 

By Edward Era Barbacena

A young Colorado woman detained by police was seriously injured after getting hit by a freight train as she sat in the back of a patrol car. The cop, who parked his car on the train tracks, has been placed on paid leave as officials investigate the accident.

On Friday, Sept. 16, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez was taken into custody by an officer from the Platteville Police Department on suspicion of felony menacing, possibly an act of road rage in Fort Lupton, Colorado, involving a gun. Once he detained her, he placed the young woman in the back of his cruiser.

While the police officer and two other cops from the Fort Lupton Police department searched Rios-Gonzalez’s truck, a train traveling northbound struck the patrol car with the suspect in it, leaving the Greely, Colorado, resident in serious condition.

A video of the incident has been released. It shows one officer shouting at another, “move your car” before the other cop looks at the car, turns to look at the train, and then walks off the tracks just before the locomotive smashes into the police cruiser.

The TSA agent sustained nine broken ribs, a fractured sternum, a broken arm, and many other injuries to her head, back, and legs. Though her injuries are severe, a report on Sunday, Sept. 18, said she was expected to live.

The young woman has now secured an attorney, who said his client was “frantically” trying to escape the vehicle.

“She was frantically trying to get out,” personal injury lawyer Paul Wilkinson told 9NEWS in an interview. “Of course, the doors were locked.” 

He continued, “She’s definitely upset about what happened. She doesn’t understand why she was left in the car. She was yelling to get their attention and could see the train coming.”

Law and Crime reports that Platteville Police Chief Carl Dwyer did not reveal the officer’s name or any additional information regarding the collision, but shared he was placed on paid leave.

“The Town of Platteville continues to work cooperatively with CBI and CSP during their investigation regarding this incident,” he shared with FOX 31.

911 calls help piece together what lead to Rios-Gonzalez being placed in the patrol.

The person who initiated the call claimed a woman in a silver Toyota Tundra truck “pulled a gun” on the caller during a tailgating event.

Three agencies (FLPD, Weld County’s Sheriff Officer, and PPD) were looking for the silver truck, with the latter locating a vehicle that fit the description first.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said in a statement, “The driver of the vehicle pulled to a stop just past the railroad tracks, with the patrol officer behind the car on the tracks.”

It further read, “Two Ft. Lupton officers arrived on the scene and the team conducted a high-risk traffic stop and detained a lone female occupant (age 20, Greeley) placing her in the back of the Platteville patrol car detained on suspicion of felony menacing.”

“While the officers cleared the suspect vehicle as part of the investigation, a train traveling northbound struck the PPD patrol car,” it continued.

The CBI also stated the officers performed life-saving measures on Rios-Gonzales after the crash, before she was taken to the hospital.

Chatter captured on the radio recording, secured by KUSA, suggests the officers on the scene held Rios-Gonzalez “at gunpoint.” But that was not revealed in the CBI’s report.

The radio chatter also captures the frantic moments after the accident.

One officer from Ft. Lupton says, “Dispatch, Lupton 346: patrol car was just hit by a train.”

“Dispatch, Lupton 346: get medical emergent [sic],” the cop continued.  “The suspect was in the vehicle that was hit by the train.”

“Copy,” the dispatcher replied.

The officer whose car was struck said, “Just advising … we can’t get the doors open on the unit, and the female passenger is inside my unit.”

A bifurcated approach will be taken during the investigations of this incident.

The CBI has launched an investigation into Rios-Gonzalez. The Fort Lupton Police Department is investigating the initial 911 call that prompted the search for the truck. Lastly, the Colorado State Patrol is looking into the “serious-injury traffic accident” caused by the train ramming into the car.

Ed Obayashi, a California sheriff deputy, who specializes as a police tactics expert said he could not “fathom” why the officer would park his patrol vehicle on the tracks and believed the negligence opens the department up to a civil lawsuit.

“I can’t fathom why he would leave his vehicle on the tracks with the subject inside. Why didn’t you move the vehicle off the tracks? That’s going to be the biggest question,” he said.

“Those who are in your custody,” the expert continued. “You’ve detained them or they’re in the back of your patrol car, you have a duty of care towards that subject,” the expert posited.  “In other words, since you have assumed control, physical control, over them and their movements, you are by definition responsible to protect them in any situation.”

 

California police arrest man plotting to conduct 'Las Vegas-style' mass shooting

By Edward Era Barbacena

Authorities in Northern California arrested a 37-year-old man Sunday on suspicion of planning to commit a "Las Vegas-style" mass shooting.

The SWAT Team with the police department in the city of Chico, located about 85 miles north of Sacramento, arrested Dallas Marsh shortly before 9 a.m. Sunday without incident near a Super 8 Motel where he was staying.

The Chico Police Department said in a statement that he has been charged with criminal threats of death/great bodily injury and threats of violence against peace officers.

Additional charges of battery against a peace officer were also applied against Marsh who under police custody threaten to kill officers and their families and beat one of them with a table while being interviewed.

The arrest follows an investigation by the local department's Violence Suppression Unit that uncovered evidence that Marsh was making criminal threats to kill specific individuals, including law enforcement officers, and was planning a mass shooting similar to the one carried out by Stephen Paddock on Oct. 1, 2017, when he killed 60 people among a crowd attending a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip.

From a 32nd floor hotel room that overlooked the strip, Paddock fired hundreds of bullets that also left more than 500 injured.

Specifics of the planned attack and its intended targets were not released, but police said the Violence Suppression Unit has obtained evidence of Marsh's intent to carry out the mass shooting.

 

Former Canadian child actor imprisoned for murdering her own mother

Ryan Grantham has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of his mother in court 

By Edward Era Barbacena

A former B.C. child star has been sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his mother.

Ryan Grantham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in March for the death of Barbara Waite.

She was found dead in her Squamish home on April 1, 2020.

Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years.

Grantham will not be eligible to apply for parole until he has served 14 years. He was also handed a lifetime firearm prohibition.

In his sentencing hearing in June, it was revealed Grantham had plans to drive to Ottawa and kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after he killed his mother.

In court, the Crown read out the agreed statement of facts that said Grantham shot his mother in the back of her head while she was playing the piano.

The next day he then loaded his car with guns, ammunition, Molotov cocktails, camping supplies and a map to Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, where Trudeau lives.

The documents said Grantham talked about killing Trudeau to police when he was arrested and he wrote about it in his journal.

In the days leading up to his mother’s death, Grantham recorded himself on camera appearing to walk through the killing. In another video he described what happened. The video was shown in court.

The actor most recently appeared in the B.C.-shot CW television show Riverdale, and has a long list of credits including The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasus, Supernatural and iZombie.

 

Racist from Mississippi  charged with federal hate crime for allegedly burning cross to threaten Black family

Axel Cox, 23, of Gulfport is charged with hate crime and arson violations for burning a cross in his own front yard to threaten and intimidate a Black family that lived next door.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A 23-year-old man from Mississippi was charged on Friday with a hate crime after allegedly burning a cross in his yard to threaten and intimidate a Black family.

Axel Cox faces one count of criminal interference with the right to fair housing and one more of using fire to commit a federal felony for allegedly burning the cross in the front yard of his Gulfport, Miss., home, according to a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Court documents allege that on Dec. 3, 2020, Cox made “racially derogatory” remarks to his Black neighbors while burning the cross to intimidate them, interfering with their housing rights.

Cox faces up to 10 years in prison for interference with housing rights and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison for using fire to commit a federal felony. Each charge also carries a fine of up to $250,000.

“This is another stark reminder of how bigotry, racism, and hate-fueled violence are alive and well in our country. Mississippi is no exception,” Vangela Wade, president of the Mississippi Center for Justice, told The Associated Press.

“The fight to dismantle Mississippi’s deeply entrenched culture of injustice and a better tomorrow continues. We are thankful for the courage of the members of the federal grand jury to indict this hate crime.”

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will prosecute the case against Cox alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Cabell Jones for the Southern District of Mississippi.

 

Man with 48-year grudge caught peeing on ex-wife’s grave every day by her kids

By Edward Era Barbacena

A white man with an apparent 48-year grudge has been going each morning to urinate on the grave of his ex, much to the horror of her furious kids, who realized something was wrong when they discovered bags of poop left at their mom’s final resting place.

“I felt like getting out and killing him,” said Michael Andrew Murphy, 43, told The Post of what it was like to catch the man he says has been desecrating the burial site of his mom, Linda Torello.

Torello, 66, died of cancer in 2017 and is buried just over the state line in the cemetery at Tappan Reformed Church in Orangetown, NY.

Murphy and his sister first noticed a plastic bag of poop at their mother’s grave in April and thought it was something left by mistake by a dog walker.

But then it happened again.

The siblings called the cops, who took a report. Determined to figure out what was going on, the pair got permission from a cemetery manager to place trail cameras in the trees to see if they could catch the vandal.

When they checked the camera footage, they spotted the gross grave visitor: a man who was briefly married to Torello in the 1970s.

The footage was too blurry and grainy to take to authorities, so a week ago, Murphy and his sister got up at 5 a.m. to drive to the cemetery and laid in wait. Murphy set up his smartphone on a nearby headstone to take better photos and hid behind a small shed.

Murphy said the video and pictures he and his sister got indicated that the man drove to the cemetery almost every morning between 6:14 a.m. and 6:18 a.m. with his current wife, got out of the car, walked to Torello’s grave and peed on it.

“I can’t get my wife to go out to dinner but this guy gets his wife to go along with him to desecrate my mom’s remains every morning!” Murphy fumed.

“I was shaking while I was hiding. My sister was crying. … I was sick I was so angry,” he said of the situation, which was first reported in the Daily Voice.

Murphy claims he’s gone to the cops at least three times and they refuse to let him speak to a detective.

A woman who answered the phone at the Orangetown Police station Saturday referred a call from The Post to the police captain who she said is not in on weekends.

“I don’t know if the man owns a dog, or is sh-tting in a bag himself, or is getting some dog sh-t,” Murphy said. “All I know is that he’s using my mother’s grave as his toilet every morning.”

The man, whose name The Post is not revealing since he has not been charged, did not respond to a call from The Post.

The pissy man left Murphy’s mother when she was pregnant and never had anything to do with his biological daughter, the son claims, except for one time earlier this year when he ran into the daughter and said he wished she were dead and cursed her and her mother.

“He could have been peeing out there for five years and we wouldn’t have known it,” Murphy said. “We only found out because of the feces.”

 

American cannibal Mark Latunski admits to eating man named Kevin Bacon

Now he’s sinking his teeth into rotting in prison.

By Edward Era Barbacena

This is probably one of the worst and carnal crimes that a white man have done. A cannibal from Michigan pleaded guilty to killing and eating part of a man named Kevin Bacon after meeting him on a dating app three years ago, according to a report Friday.

Mark Latunski copped Thursday to murdering and mutilating the 25-year-old hairdresser, whom he lured to his home in Bennington Township in December 2019, according to Mlive.com 

Latunski, 53, admitted to stabbing Bacon in the back, then removing parts of his body before taking them to the kitchen and chowing down on them, according to the outlet.

Latunski reportedly told cops he cut off Bacon’s testicles and ate them after meeting him on Grindr, a hookup app for gay, bisexual and trans men.

After the hard-to-stomach killing, Bacon’s corpse was found hanging from the rafters of Latunski’s basement with rope tied around his ankles, his throat slit and body parts removed, according to the outlet.

The guilty plea came against the recommendation of Latunski’s attorney, Mary Chartier, who has said he has a history of mental illness, the outlet reported.

Bacon’s family first grew nervous when he failed to show up to a breakfast on Christmas Eve 2019.

Investigators later found his car in a Dollar General store parking lot, then tracked him to Latunski’s house on Dec. 28, 2019.

A court hearing on Oct. 18 will determine whether Latunski is convicted of first- or second-degree murder, or manslaughter.

 

Philadelphia Racist  Ex-Cop Convicted In 2017 Fatal Shooting Of Unarmed Black Man

Eric Ruch Jr. was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and not guilty of third-degree murder for killing 25-year-old motorist Dennis Plowden.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A jury convicted a former Philadelphia white police officer on Wednesday of the 2017 fatal shooting of a 25-year-old unarmed Black man in what was described as the city’s first murder trial in almost half a century for a civilian’s death at the hands of law enforcement.

Eric Ruch Jr., 34, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime in the killing of Dennis Plowden. The jury found Ruch not guilty of third-degree murder. The ex-officer was denied bail, and his sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 17.

Ruch was in an unmarked police vehicle on Dec. 27, 2017, when he spotted Plowden driving a car the officer claimed he believed was connected to a homicide case, and he called in for more backup. But prosecutors argued that Ruch’s message to other police officers contained no information indicating that anyone confidently knew the vehicle may have been involved in a homicide.

The increase in police cars led to a high-speed chase that prosecutors said lasted about 2½ minutes, until Plowden crashed into several parked cars and a pole. Plowden was reportedly dazed and sitting on the ground while raising his left hand to try to obey police commands when Ruch shot him in the head. Plowden was shot about six seconds after Ruch arrived on the scene.

Ruch and other officers who were at the scene, none of whom was equipped with a body camera, claimed that they believed Plowden was using his right hand to reach for a weapon in his jacket. But prosecutors accused the officers of lying, arguing that Plowden could not pose a threat when he was dazed, on the ground and defenseless. There was no gun found on the man after he was shot.

The Philadelphia Police Department fired Ruch about 10 months after the shooting. Former Police Commissioner Richard Ross, who was responsible for the firing, said that Ruch used “poor tactics” and went “too far” in killing Plowden, according to WCAU-TV.

A grand jury in 2020 recommended four criminal charges against Ruch, including one for first-degree murder. The first-degree charge was later thrown out.

Ruch’s prosecution was one of three homicide cases brought against police since progressive Larry Krasner became Philadelphia’s district attorney in 2018. The other two are pending and accuse Ryan Pownall in the death of 30-year-old David Jones, as well as Edsaul Mendoza in the death of 12-year-old Thomas “TJ” Siderio. Pownall and Mendoza were also dismissed by the police department after the killings.

Before Krasner, the last time Philadelphia held a murder trial for law enforcement in the death of a civilian was almost 40 years ago, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. A jury acquitted former police officer John Ziegler in 1984 in the fatal shooting of a teenager.

In a statement on Wednesday, Krasner thanked the jury and he thanked his team for their work on the case. He said he will “say more about this trial” upon Ruch’s sentencing in November. Plowden’s family had already won a $1.2 million wrongful death settlement from the city.

 

'Racist Covington Kid' Nicholas Sandmann Loses Defamation Suits Against Major Media Outlets

Sandmann, who was 16 when footage of him and a Native American elder went viral, lost against several outlets including The New York Times and ABC News.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Nicholas Sandmann lost his defamation lawsuits against several major media companies on Tuesday.

The racist white teenager, who was 16 when a video of him and Native American elder Nathan Phillips went viral in 2019, plans to appeal the ruling after a federal judge struck his cases against The New York Times, ABC News, NBC Universal Media, CBS News, Gannett and Rolling Stone, according to Insider.

Court documents showed the lawsuit centered on Phillips’ claims that Sandmann blocked his path. These claims were widely reported on by major outlets including CNN and The Washington Post, both of which Sandmann eventually sued and settled with for undisclosed sums in 2020.

The encounter itself occurred at the Indigenous People’s March in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 18, 2019. Footage showed Sandmann and fellow students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, who participated in the anti-abortion March for Life, coming across Phillips and other Native Americans at the Lincoln Memorial.

One video showed Phillips playing a drum as Sandmann stood before him with a smile on his face. Some of the students wore “MAGA” hats, with others interrupting the Indigenous meetup by raucously yelling and dancing to the music.

The footage went viral, and many saw Sandmann’s self-assured smile as a mockery of the event.

Phillips claimed in subsequent interviews that Sandmann blocked him from moving. Sandmann claimed in 2020 that he was actually trying to “defuse the situation” by “remaining motionless and calm,” according to CNN.

While further footage emerged on Jan. 19 that showed a separate group yelled offenses at the Indigenous group before Phillips even approached Sandmann, the initial video unwittingly made the teenager famous — with extensive punditry on major news outlets spurring him to sue.

Federal Judge William O. Bertelsmann summarized in court on Tuesday that Sandmann’s arguments regarding any potential defamation were “objectively unverifiable and thus unactionable claims,” however.

“The media defendants were covering a matter of great public interest, and they reported Phillips’s first-person view of what he experienced,” said Bertelsmann. “This would put the reader on notice that Phillips was simply giving his perspective on the incident.”

Bertelsmann, who acknowledged that Sandmann’s case was filed during nationwide racial tension, clarified Tuesday that his ruling was made “with no consideration of the rancorous political debate associated with these cases.”

Sandmann, who delivered a pre-recorded speech at the Republican National Convention in 2020 and had then-President Donald Trump claim he was “smeared by the media,” responded to the ruling with a Twitter thread on Wednesday.

“Obviously, the ruling yesterday was a disappointment for my family and I,” tweeted Sandmann. “I’m appealing the decision in the sixth circuit. Here’s why: Judge Bertelsmann revisited the statements that I ‘blocked Nathan Phillips’ and ‘would not allow him to retreat.’”

“His job was to rule on the legal issue of what those statements were,” Sandmann continued. “If they were factual claims, I could proceed and a jury would then decide if they were defamatory. But if they were opinions, it is protected speech that I cannot sue for.” Sandmann maintained that the media outlets’ claims were facts, not opinions, and thus grounds for a suit.

 

Beyond Meat suspends COO after he was arrested for biting a man's nose

Police arrested the vegan food purveyor's COO Doug Ramsey on charges of "terroristic threatening" and third-degree battery on Saturday night. 

By Edward Era Barbacena

CNN: Beyond Meat suspended its chief operating officer after he was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of biting a man's nose during a fight following an Arkansas football game.

Police arrested the vegan food purveyor's COO Doug Ramsey a white man on charges of "terroristic threatening" and third-degree battery on Saturday night. Ramsey was released on an $11,000 bond the following day, according to court records.

The company didn't respond to requests for comment on the arrest. It later released a brief statement announcing that Ramsey's "has been suspended effective immediately."

Fayetteville, Arkansas, news station KNWA, citing a police report, said Beyond Meat's Ramsey "punched through the back windshield" of a Subaru that had hit the tire of his Bronco. The incident took place in a parking garage near Razorback Stadium at the University of Arkansas.

The driver of the Subaru told police that Ramsey "pulled him in close and started punching his body." Ramsey also bit the driver, "ripping the flesh on the tip of the nose," the news report said.

Ramsey joined Beyond Meat in December last year, pivoting from a three-decade career at Tyson Foods.

Beyond Meat had been a market leader in the plant-based meat space, alongside rival Impossible Foods. It was a Wall Street juggernaut after its IPO in 2019, but since then has struggled to deliver on sales goals.

Shares have fallen more than 90% from their 2019 high.

On Tuesday, the stock was trading at around $16, a record low since its debut at $25 per share.

In its most recent earnings report, the company blamed inflation for disappointing sales and downbeat outlook. Beyond Meat has long said it hopes to scale up enough to bring the price of its plant-based offerings in line with animal-based products. But in an earnings call with analysts, CEO Ethan Brown said the company wasn't there yet. The price of Beyond's "beef" sells for $8.35 a pound, compared with USDA ground beef, which sells for $4.90.

"That is a very difficult proposition when consumers have very high levels of inflation going on and their buying pow

 

Racist School  Bus Driver James O'Neil Fired And Arrested After Being Caught Pushing 2 Black Students On Video

By Edward Era Barbacena

A white stupid bus driver in Morgan County, Georgia, has lost his job after a video showed him straight-up shoving a pair of young Black siblings.

The incident went down on Sept. 9 and stemmed from the bus driver — James O’Neil — instructing a 6-year-old boy to sit at the back of the bus.

According to the Morgan County Citizen, this went against the regular practice of younger children sitting toward the front of the bus, as high school students sat toward the back.

After the 6-year-old objected, the bus driver proceeded to shove him, according to another student’s video footage.

In response, the boy’s 10-year-old sister objected by yelling, “Stop pushing my brother!”

O’Neil responded by telling her to “shut [her] mouth,” and he proceeded to then aggressively push the 10-year-old while saying, “What a pain in the neck you guys are. Get back there.”

“How is it he was just terminated! He should be charged with assault! Go to jail!! He pushed this kid and assaulted his sister!!! I am appalled,” she wrote beneath the video, seemingly referencing the school system’s initial statement on the situation.

“The Morgan County Charter School System was made aware of an incident Friday afternoon involving a bus driver and students. We took immediate action, including notifying the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, who we are working with during the investigation. We cannot share further details or comment due to this being a personnel issue; however, the driver was terminated,” a spokesperson noted in a statement, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.

In addition to the district officials, the children’s parents, Blake and Nequania “Nene” Carter, spoke out and alleged that the situation was racially motivated.

“My son is terrified, he was scared, he called for his older sister as you could hear he was crying… he was horrified. You’re supposed to be protecting him,” Nene Carter said, according to Sis2Sis. “I don’t know why he told them to sit in the back of the bus because the high schoolers sit back there, and normally the primaries sit right behind the bus driver.”

Following an investigation, O’Neil was ultimately arrested this past Friday.

 

Driver admitted to intentionally killing teen at North Dakota street dance after political dispute

Court papers say 41-year-old Shannon Brandt a white man confessed to a 911 dispatcher and police that he killed 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson due to a political dispute.

By Edward Era Barbacena

According to court papers, it was not an accident but apparently a politically motivated attack.

The fatal vehicle-pedestrian incident happened early Sunday morning, Sept. 18, in McHenry, North Dakota, about 120 miles northwest of Fargo and 54 miles north of Jamestown.

Prosecutors allege moments before he was killed, 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson called his mom to come rescue him because 41-year-old Shannon Brandt was chasing him in the city of McHenry, where the street dance had just wrapped up.

By the time she could get there, her son was dead.

Brandt was officially charged Monday with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.

18-year-old Cayler Ellingson

"He was the one who called 911 to report the crash," said North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Bryan Niewind.

 Court papers show Brandt called 911 around 2:30 a.m. Sunday and told the 911 dispatcher that he just hit Ellingson, claiming the teen was part of a Republican extremist group and was calling people to come get Brandt after a political argument.

Ellingson's mom told police her son called her just before the crash, asking if she knew Brandt, which she does. She does not believe her son knew him.

"We are still trying to determine what, exactly, transpired at the time of crash and prior to that as well," explained Niewind.

Police say Brandt was drunk when he hit and killed Ellingson with his SUV in an alleyway.

"We do not know of any witnesses. We are still making attempts to interview potential witnesses from the street dance, people that were present prior to the crash happening," Niewind said.

A judge ordered Brandt held on $50,000, which he objected, saying he's not a flight risk.

"I have a job, a life and a house and things I don't want to see go by the wayside — family that are very important to me," Brandt told the judge.

If convicted on the vehicular homicide charge, Brandt would face a minimum of 10 years in prison because of a DUI on his record.

The maximum for the crime is 20 years.

Troopers say as the investigation develops, they could recommend more serious charges.

A gofundme has been set up to help pay for Ellingson's funeral expenses.

 

CNN's legal pundit tragically drowned

Page Pate dies at 55

By Edward Era Barbacena  

CNN: Page Pate, a prominent defense attorney and longtime CNN legal contributor, has died at 55.

Pate died after being swept out to sea by a rip current off the coast of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where the family has a home.

Glynn County Fire-Rescue Acting Chief Vinnie confirmed that Pate was swimming with his teenage son off the island when the current pulled him out, according to The Brunswick News.

Pate’s son was able to reach shore safely.

“In memory of our friend and CNN contributor Page Pate. May his memory be a blessing. Thinking of his wife Elizabeth, his sons Chatham and Asher, his parents Robert and Mary Elizabeth, and his brother Lane,” CNN’s Poppy Harlow tweeted.

“First responders received a call about two swimmers in distress at Gould’s Inlet beach, just after 2 p.m., said DiCristofalo, who confirmed the two swimmers were Pate and his son,” CNN reported.

“A rescue boat pulled Pate from the water and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, DiCristofalo said. Gould’s Inlet beach is known for its rip currents, according to DiCristofalo.

“I don’t have direct information whether they were together and got drawn out,” added DiCristofalo.

“Once the shock wears off, it’s just hurt,” his law firm, Pate, Johnson and Church, said in a statement. “And there’s no easy way about getting rid of that, except for time and grieving. “Though he was a formidable, sometimes intimidating, attorney in the courtroom, Page had an easy smile, an earnest laugh, and a great sense of humor.”

He was also “a founding member of the Georgia Innocence Project” and “a member of the Federal and Atlanta Bar Associations, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association,” along with “numerous other organizations dedicated to advancing justice and the legal profession,” the law firm added.

“Some of Page’s happiest moments were on trips with his sons, whether long hikes on the West Coast or taking in Nascar races,” said the statement from his law firm.

“He graduated with honors from the University of Georgia Law School in 1994. Pate was a trusted legal voice for many local and national media organizations, including CNN, where he appeared frequently to provide insight and perspective as a criminal defense and constitutional law attorney on high-profile cases,” CNN reported.

The Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers released a statement saying its members were “shocked and saddened to hear the news of Page Pate’s passing. The GACDL community sends thoughts of peace and comfort to his family and friends. Page was a larger-than-life person and attorney.”

He was a “fierce advocate for the criminally accused and unjustly convicted,” the organization said in a statement.

“Above all else, we will remember Page’s kindness and generosity, always willing to give anything he could to help, whether it be a personal matter or professional, and never asking for anything in return,” the organization said.

“The Georgia Innocence Project family is heartbroken at the passing of our dear friend, colleague, and board member,” GIP said in a statement. “A fierce advocate for the criminally accused and unjustly convicted, Page was a visionary founding member of the Georgia Innocence Project 20 years ago. He remained active with our organization over the years, consulting on cases, advising on media strategies, and raising awareness about wrongful convictions and GIP’s work.”

“Above all else, we will remember Page’s kindness and generosity, always willing to give anything he could to help, whether it be a personal matter or professional, and never asking for anything in return,” they added.

 

The Jan. 6 rioter and white supremacist who wore a 'Camp Auschwitz' sweatshirt gets 75 days in jail

Keith Packer  of Newport News, Va., stormed the U.S. Capitol while wearing an antisemitic "Camp Auschwitz" sweatshirt over a Nazi-themed shirt. He has been sentenced to 75 days of imprisonment.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Virginia white man who stormed the U.S. Capitol while wearing an antisemitic "Camp Auschwitz" sweatshirt over a Nazi-themed shirt was sentenced on Thursday to 75 days of imprisonment.

Robert Keith Packer, 57, declined to address U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols before he sentenced him during hearing held by video conference. The judge noted the "incredibly offensive" message on Packer's sweatshirt before imposing the sentence.

"It seems to me that he wore that sweatshirt for a reason. We don't know what the reason was because Mr. Packer hasn't told us," Nichols said.

Photographs of Packer wearing the sweatshirt went viral after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. When FBI agents asked him why he wore it, he "fatuously" replied, "Because I was cold," a federal prosecutor said in a court filing.

Packer's sweatshirt depicted an image of a human skull above the words "Camp Auschwitz." The word "Staff" was on the back. It also bore the phrase "Work Brings Freedom," a rough translation of the German words above the entrance gate to Auschwitz, the concentration camp in occupied Poland where Nazis killed more than 1 million men, women and children.

Sweatshirt lay on top of more antisemitic clothing

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst said she learned on Wednesday that Packer also wore an "SS" T-shirt — a reference to the Nazi Party paramilitary organization founded by Adolf Hitler — under his sweatshirt on Jan. 6. Packer "attacked the very government that gave him the freedom to express those beliefs, no matter how abhorrent or evil they may be" when he joined the mob supporting then-President Donald Trump, the prosecutor said.

Packer "wanted to support the subversion of our republic and keep a dictatorial ruler in place by force and violence," Furst told the judge.

Defense attorney Stephen Brennwald acknowledged that Packer's attire was "seriously offensive" but argued that it shouldn't be a sentencing factor because he has a free speech right to wear it.

"It's just awful that he wore that shirt that day. I just don't think it's appropriate to give him extra time because of that because he's allowed to wear it," he said.

Brennwald added that Packer was offended and angry to be labeled a white supremacist "because he doesn't see himself that way at all." The defense lawyer said Packer wanted him to sue House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for linking him to white supremacy during a press conference several days after the riot.

Packer declined to speak during Thursday's hearing because he didn't want his words "splashed out there" on social media, his lawyer told the judge.

Packer one of more than 850 people charged with federal crimes related to Jan. 6

Packer, a resident of Newport News, Virginia, pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, which carries a maximum sentence of six months of imprisonment.

Packer told the FBI that he was about 10 to 12 feet away from a rioter, Ashli Babbitt, when a police officer fatally shot her as she tried to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door leading to the Speaker's Lobby.

"He told the agents he heard the shot and saw her fall back from the window she was trying to climb through," Furst wrote in a court filing.

Furst said Packer didn't express any remorse during his FBI interview.

"He was more interested in relaying how he received hate mail and how he was 'hounded' by the media for interviews," she added.

Packer's younger sister, Kimberly Rice, wrote a letter asking the judge for leniency. She said her brother's sweatshirt "could be considered in poor taste" but added that "freedom of expression" isn't a crime.

Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 75 days of incarceration followed by 36 months of probation. Brennwald sought a probationary sentence with no jail time.

FBI agents arrested Packer a week after the riot. He has remained free while awaiting sentencing.

Packer is a self-employed pipe fitter. Prosecutors say he has a lengthy criminal record, with approximately 21 convictions, mostly for drunken driving and other motor vehicle violations.

More than 870 people have been charged with federal crimes for their conduct on Jan. 6. Approximately 400 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanor offenses. Over 250 riot defendants have been sentenced, with roughly half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years.