Officers shoot, kill man near pot farm in Lava Fire evacuation zone | KRCR

Officers shot and killed a man who pulled a gun as they tried to keep him out of a complex of marijuana farms in the Lava Fire evacuation zone.

Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue told The Sacramento Bee that the man was trying to drive into the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision on Monday and pointed a handgun at a group of officers that included a sheriff’s deputy and local police.

“Based upon preliminary information, it appears that there might have been a couple rounds fired from the suspect’s firearm,” LaRue said.

The officers killed the man, who was not immediately identified.

Source: Officers shoot, kill man near pot farm in Lava Fire evacuation zone | KRCR

Derek Chauvin sentencing: Ex-Minneapolis cop sentenced to 22.5 years in prison in murder of George Floyd | Fox News

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin received a 270-month prison sentence Friday for second-degree unintentional murder in the death of George Floyd last spring.

Minnesota District Court Judge Peter Cahill said a 22-page sentencing memorandum would explain his reasoning on the sentence in greater detail.

“Most of it’s going to be in writing, 22-page memorandum – to emphasize the fact that determining the appropriate sentence in any case and in this case is a legal analysis,” he said. “It’s applying the rule of law to the facts of an individual and specific case. As opposed to trying to be profound here on the record, I prefer you read the legal analysis.”

He added that the sentence was not motivated by “public opinion,” “emotion or sympathy” and granted Chauvin credit for 199 days in time already served.

“I want to acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain that all the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family,” Cahill said. “You have our sympathies, and I acknowledge and hear the pain that you are feeling. I acknowledge the pain not only of those in this courtroom, but the Floyd family outside this courtroom and other members of the community.”

Boy, 16, shot outside Greensburg apartment; police make 2 arrests | TribLIVE.com

A 16-year-old boy was shot Sunday outside a Greensburg apartment complex, and police arrested two people Monday, according to Capt. Shawn Denning.

Three people — Issac C. Morton, 20, of Greensburg, a woman and her brother — were walking into an apartment building when Jaron Malik Haten-McCoy, 17, of Greensburg and the 16-year-old boy got out of a car in the parking lot and confronted them, police said. Morton’s group went into the building when the woman told authorities Haten-McCoy shot at them, according to court papers.

Morton and the woman returned fire and called 911. Police said an entrance door at one of the buildings had numerous bullet marks on both sides.

Source: Boy, 16, shot outside Greensburg apartment; police make 2 arrests | TribLIVE.com

Police-reform activists call for decrease in Pittsburgh police funding and increase in community investment

The Coalition to Reimagine Public Safety gathered at the steps of the Pittsburgh City County building on June 19 to discuss their goals towards decreasing the Pittsburgh Police budget, and instead funneling those funds to invest in resources for numerous efforts to combat problems stemming from violence, homelessness, drug use, and mental health. The goal of these policy changes, the coalition said, is to make Pittsburgh more safe and livable for minority communities.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto took office in 2014, and the Pittsburgh Police budget during that year was $74 million. Since then, the Pittsburgh Police budget has increased almost 60% to a budget of $115 million according to a recent report conducted by the Abolitionist Law Center. This number equates to one-fifth of the city’s annual budget. The Coalition to Reimagine Public Safety conveyed at a press conference the desire to decrease the police budget, at minimum, by $40 million to put into other community investments.

Jasiri X, founder of 1Hood Media, discussed the structural and systematic violence that minority communities face, and that violent crimes are often a result of these issues. Without available resources to these communities, the issue cannot be resolved, Jasiri X explained.

Source: Police-reform activists call for decrease in Pittsburgh police funding and increase in community investment

Fear shakes Mexico border city after violence leaves 18 dead

By The Associated Press

Fear has invaded the Mexican border city of Reynosa after gunmen in vehicles killed 14 people, including taxi drivers, workers and a nursing student, and security forces responded with operations that left four suspects dead.

While this city across the border from McAllen, Texas is used to cartel violence as a key trafficking point, the 14 victims in Saturday’s attacks appeared to be what Tamaulipas Gov. Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca called “innocent citizens” rather than members of one gang killed by a rival.

Local businessman Misael Chavarria Garza said many businesses closed early Saturday after the attacks and people were very scared as helicopters flew overhead. On Sunday, he said “the people were quiet as if nothing had happened, but with a feeling of anger because now crime has happened to innocent people.”

“It’s not fair,” said taxi driver Rene Guevara, adding that among the dead were two of his fellow taxi drivers whom he defended and said were not involved in crime.

The attacks took place in several neighborhoods in eastern Reynosa, according to the Tamaulipas state agency that coordinates security forces, and sparked a deployment of the military, National Guard and state police across the city.

Source: Fear shakes Mexico border city after violence leaves 18 dead

Flint woman shot by police during Juneteenth celebration dies – mlive.com

FLINT, MI — A 19-year-old woman shot by police Saturday during a Juneteenth celebration parade in Flint has died of her injuries, according to the Michigan State Police.

The woman, from Flint, was shot by a Flint police officer after she allegedly drove up to the officer and fired at him at about 2:14 p.m., police say.

The officer, who was not injured, then shot the suspect. The incident took place on Saginaw Street near Leith Street.

The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment, where she died of her injuries, police said.

No bystanders were injured during the incident. It took place during the city’s Champions Parade, which honors the city’s athletic greats and community leaders. June 19 also marks Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

The Champions Parade began at noon in front of Flint City Hall and was to proceed north on Saginaw Street to Berston Field House, the historic hub for the city’s African American community.

The Flint police officer who shot the woman was working a “traffic point” at the time to the incident, according to police.MSP is investigating the shooting at the request of the Flint Police Department.

Source: Flint woman shot by police during Juneteenth celebration dies – mlive.com

4 mass shootings in 6 hours leave 39 wounded, 5 dead across US – ABC News

At least four major U.S. cities were reeling from an onslaught of mass shootings over the weekend that left at least 39 people wounded, five dead and police officials alarmed that the surge in gun violence is a prelude to a bloody summer as the nation emerges from the pandemic.

Police in Austin, Cleveland, Chicago and Savannah were all investigating on Sunday mass shootings that erupted over a six-hour streak that began around 9 p.m. on Friday and spilled over into Saturday morning.

“It’s very disturbing what we’re seeing across the country and the level of gun violence that we’re seeing across the country. It’s disturbing and it’s senseless,” Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter, Jr. said at a weekend news conference after one person was killed and eight others, including an 18-month-old baby and two teenagers, were wounded.

On Sunday morning, Savannah police were working to identify the suspect or suspects who rolled up in a dark-colored sedan and unleashed a barrage of gunfire around 9 p.m. Friday on a group of people standing in front of a home in a residential neighborhood of east Savannah. Minter identified a 20-year-old man killed in the ambush as Arthur Milton of Savannah.

He said two of the adults hit in the shooting were in critical condition. The baby and the two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, suffered non-life-threatening wounds.

Minton said investigators collected 60 shell casings from the shooting scene and added that three houses and several cars were damaged by gunfire.

The chief said the targeted home is the same one someone sprayed with bullets on Tuesday, a shooting that left no one injured.

“We don’t think it was a coincidence,” Minter said.

Roughly four hours after the Savannah shooting, gunfire erupted on a street in Austin’s downtown entertainment district, leaving 14 people wounded, two critically, police said.

One suspect was arrested and a second is being sought, said interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon.

Source: 4 mass shootings in 6 hours leave 39 wounded, 5 dead across US – ABC News

Four people were rescued off a boat ‘teetering’ at the edge of a Texas dam, police say – CNN

 

(CNN)When police in Austin, Texas, responded to calls about a boat at the edge of Longhorn Dam earlier this week, they found it teetering over the edge — with four people aboard.

The group was rescued Thursday with the help of the Austin Police Department’s lake patrol unit and other first responders. But the situation could have been a lot worse if the officers hadn’t shown up so quickly, authorities said.
“This would have been very tragic had they gone over the dam,” Austin Police Department Assistant Chief Scott Perry said in a Friday news conference. “It’s a very high dam and there would have been probably severe injuries if not loss of life due to that.”
The group, which was visiting from out of town, was touring Lady Bird Lake on an electric boat Thursday afternoon and got close to the dam’s spillway, Perry said.

They were distracted and didn’t notice the boat had passed two marked buoys notifying them to turn around, officer Bradley Smith, with the police department’s lake patrol unit, said during the news conference. Smith was one of three Austin lake patrol officers who were part of the rescue.”

By the time they realized they were almost at the dam, they tried to turn around to avoid it but the suction was too powerful and pulled them against the dam,” Smith said.

Source: Four people were rescued off a boat ‘teetering’ at the edge of a Texas dam, police say – CNN

After a Year of Protests, Portland Is Ready to Move On. But Where? – The New York Times

PORTLAND, Ore. — Defund the police? City leaders in Portland tried it. A unit in the fire and rescue bureau, one of the first of its kind in a major city, began this year taking some 911 calls about people in crisis, especially those who are homeless.

Instead of police officers with flashing lights and guns, a paramedic and a social worker would drive up offering water, a high-protein snack and, always and especially, conversation, aiming to defuse a situation that could otherwise lead to confrontation and violence. No power to arrest. No coercion.

“Having someone show up and offer you goods rather than run you off is different, and people respond to it — it softens the mood,” said Tremaine Clayton, a burly, tattooed veteran of 20 years at the fire and rescue bureau who helps run the program.

But this spring, just as the project was preparing for a major rollout into more neighborhoods, there was another plot twist: The new policing alternative was itself mostly defunded. The city decided on a go-slow approach, and the promised $4.8 million expansion evaporated.

Violent crime, especially homicide, has spiked in most urban areas during the pandemic, and many police departments are facing new scrutiny about training and bias since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis a year ago.

Source: After a Year of Protests, Portland Is Ready to Move On. But Where? – The New York Times

2 San Diego police officers among 3 killed in wrong-way crash on 5 Freeway | KTLA

Two San Diego police officers were among three people killed Friday after their car was struck by a driver going the wrong way on an interstate highway, authorities said.

The officers were in a blue city-owned Ford Fusion sedan when they were hit by a white Honda Civic going at a high rate of speed in the wrong way down Interstate 5 near the U.S.-Mexico border south of downtown San Diego, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The female driver of the Civic was also killed after her car slammed into the officers’ sedan and burst into flames.

The officers were identified as a married couple, Detective Ryan Park, 32, and his wife, Detective Jamie Huntley-Park, 33.

Source: 2 San Diego police officers among 3 killed in wrong-way crash on 5 Freeway | KTLA

Boom Boom Room in Pittsburgh shut down after being raided by police – WPXI

PITTSBURGH — A South Side club was shut down after a raid by the Pennsylvania State Police on Saturday.

According to police, after numerous complaints about the illegal sale of alcohol at the Boom Boom Room, located in the 1700 block of East Carson Street, police conducted undercover visits and witnessed alleged illegal liquor sales.

The club was raided on Saturday shortly after 2 a.m., and troopers seized approximately 5.16 gallons of malt or brewed beverages and approximately 22.35 liters of liquor.

Source: Boom Boom Room in Pittsburgh shut down after being raided by police – WPXI

Police: Trio Breaks Into 15 Cars, Steals 2 In Washington County – CBS Pittsburgh

CHARLEROI, Pa. (KDKA) – Charleroi and Donora are on high alert after a rash of car break-ins and thefts.

The Charleroi Regional Police chief said it appears there are three people working together. They broke into dozens of cars in Charleroi and Donora in a matter of three hours and got away with two guns.

In surveillance video, you can see a thief trying to get into Pamela Jericho’s parked car on Woodland Avenue in Charleroi.

“That’s a little scary,” said Jericho.

Jericho’s camera caught what Charleroi Regional Police are calling a three-man operation.

Source: Police: Trio Breaks Into 15 Cars, Steals 2 In Washington County – CBS Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Police receive complaints of about 200-300 ATVs riding through city, issue citations – WPXI

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police received multiple complaints about 200-300 motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes riding in large groups around the city on Memorial Day.

Many of them were not supposed to be on the roads in the first place.

Several vehicles were driving dangerously on the streets, running traffic lights and stop signs.

Dozens of riders left the area around Fifth Avenue and Frankstown when officers started a traffic stop for an illegal ATV at around 4 p.m.

Source: Pittsburgh Police receive complaints of about 200-300 ATVs riding through city, issue citations – WPXI

Plane makes emergency landing on busy California highway

The Los Angeles Police Department plane landed on Highway 101 north of Los Angeles.

A Los Angeles Police Department airplane made an emergency landing on a busy California highway Monday without crashing or injuring anyone, authorities said.

Aaron Figueroa, a dispatcher with the California Highway Patrol, said the plane touched down shortly before 7 p.m. local time on U.S. 101 about 35 miles north of Los Angeles.

Only the pilot was on board, and no one was injured, he said.

Source: Plane makes emergency landing on busy California highway

Police officer injured when driver flees traffic stop in Pittsburgh

A police officer was injured when a driver fled a traffic stop in Pittsburgh’s Homewood West neighborhood.

According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, the vehicle was stopped by officers because it matched the description of a vehicle that left the scene of the ShotSpotter alert on the 7300 block of Race Street.

According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, as officers approached the vehicle, the driver drove off, striking one officer’s left leg.

Police briefly followed the vehicle.The officer who was hurt did not require hospitalization.No arrests have been announced.A vehicle was towed on the 800 block of Tripoli Street on Pittsburgh’s North Side, something Pittsburgh Public Safety confirmed was part of the investigation.

Source: Police officer injured when driver flees traffic stop in Pittsburgh

Sohail Farooque: Virginia trooper seizes pounds of crack cocaine, marijuana during I-95 DUI stop in Virginia

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Photo by: Virginia State Police
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A state trooper netted a massive cache of drugs when he pulled over a drunk driver along Interstate 95 in Henrico County early Saturday morning, according to Virginia State Police.

Trooper J. Rivera stopped a car he clocked at 94 mph in a 65 mph zone on I-95 north near the exit for Chamberlayne Avenue, state police officials posted on Facebook.

When the trooper pulled over the driver around 1 a.m., he found 5 pounds of crack cocaine and 25 pounds of marijuana inside the vehicle.

Troopers said 36-year-old Sohail Farooque of Chester was arrested on DUI and illegal drug charges.

Source: Sohail Farooque: Virginia trooper seizes pounds of crack cocaine, marijuana during I-95 DUI stop

Epstein guards admit to falsifying records, will skirt jail time

The two jail employees tasked with guarding pedophile Jeffrey Epstein the night of his suicide in a Manhattan jail have admitted to falsifying records — but will skirt time behind bars under a deal with prosecutors.

Tova Noel and Michael Thomas admitted that they “willfully and knowingly” lied on forms stating that they’d made the required rounds checking on inmates the night of Epstein’s August 2019 suicide

Prosecutors said the guards were sleeping and surfing the web when they should have been monitoring the maximum security federal prisoner, who had recently been on suicide watch at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Under a plea deal announced Friday, they will avoid jail time in connection with their misconduct.

Source: Epstein guards admit to falsifying records, will skirt jail time

One officer dead, another injured in shooting in Champaign | Top Stories | wandtv.com

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) – The Champaign police department confirms with WAND News that 44-year old Champaign police officer Chris Oberheim died after being shot while responding to a domestic disturbance Wednesday morning.

Oberheim is a native of Decatur and previously worked for the Decatur Police Department. He started with the Champaign Police Department in September of 2008.

Source: One officer dead, another injured in shooting in Champaign | Top Stories | wandtv.com

4 police officers shot in Birmingham, Alabama, during search warrant execution – ABC News

Four police officers were shot and a suspect was killed during a police search warrant execution in Alabama.

Two officers were shot, and two were grazed by gunfire during the shooting, the police said.

The incident that led to the search warrant dealt with a shooting that took place around 6:30 a.m. where a man and woman were killed, allegedly in an altercation over a dog, the police said.

Source: 4 police officers shot in Birmingham, Alabama, during search warrant execution – ABC News

Bethel Park Residents On High Alert After 2 Home Break-Ins – CBS Pittsburgh

BETHEL PARK, Pa. (KDKA) – The Bethel Park Police Department alerted residents about two burglaries, and those who live near the burglarized homes were shocked.

Police said someone broke into the homes on Old Ox and Cambridge roads between 3 and 5 a.m. on Friday. Police said the person broke in through the back doors. Neighbors who live on those streets say this is very unusual for their safe neighborhood.

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“Really kind of shocked. All these years I’ve lived here, I’ve never heard of an incident like this and it’s very concerning,” said Laura Shaheen.

Bethel Park Chief of Police Timothy O’Connor provided some information about the burglaries. He said someone took items from the house on Old Ox Road and attempted to steal from the residence on Cambridge Road.

“It’s a quiet street and we’ve never had anything like this happen on Old Ox before,” said Tom Page.

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Police hope someone has security camera footage.

“I spoke to the police, and we have a Ring camera. But we don’t have it activated to record. So that may be something we change to be a little more proactive,” said Page.

Neighbors are staying alert as police continue to investigate.

“We’ll keep our eyes open for anything else that may go on,” said Page.

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If you have any information or security camera footage that can help the investigation, reach out to Bethel Park police. You can email crimewatch@bethelpark.net.

Source: Bethel Park Residents On High Alert After 2 Home Break-Ins – CBS Pittsburgh

Mayor Peduto responds to call to end traffic stops

A call for police departments in southwestern Pennsylvania to end traffic stops has gotten the attention of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.

In its quest to eliminate police shootings of unarmed Black men during “routine” traffic stops, the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) released a letter detailing 14 moving violations that police should bypass on patrol.

In the letter, those violations, operating with expired tags, running red lights, stop signs, speeding and not yielding for pedestrians.

Peduto says his administration is reviewing the letter.

“I think that there is probably a way to incorporate some of what he is talking about into policy and planning with police,” Peduto said.

However, Peduto stopped short of saying he endorses all demands listed in the BPEP letter.

“We look forward to working with B-PEP and the NAACP on reform in policing in Pittsburgh,” Peduto said.

Source: Mayor Peduto responds to call to end traffic stops

Pennsylvania state trooper charged with tampering

Pennsylvania State Police on Thursday announced charges against a trooper in Beaver County who investigators said tried to withdraw a traffic citation that was issued by another trooper.

Trooper Trask Alexander, 29, is charged with tampering with records or identification, tampering with public records or information and obstructing administration of law or other governmental function, state police said.

“Trooper Alexander is accused of attempting to withdraw a traffic citation that had been issued by another trooper to an acquaintance of Alexander’s in November 2020,” police said in a statement.

According to court papers, Alexander filled out a Request For Withdrawal form, three days after his friend was cited. Investigators say Alexander used his friend’s last name and partial citation number, then listed the reason for the withdrawal as “wrong defendant was selected for citation” before faxing it to the court. According to court papers, court officials noticed that the signature did not match the issuing trooper, and notified him of the request.

State police said Alexander is suspended without pay, pending the outcome of the case and an internal investigation.

Alexander is assigned to the patrol section of Troop D in Beaver.

Source: Pennsylvania state trooper charged with tampering

Texas Highway Patrol trooper dies after being shot trying to help a driver – CNN

(CNN)After being shot in the line of duty last week, a Texas state trooper has died, according to a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Trooper Chad Walker, 38, stopped to assist a driver alongside a highway near Mexia, Texas, on Friday when the driver exited the vehicle and shot him multiple times, according to series of tweets from DPS over the weekend.
“Trooper Walker’s horrific murder is a solemn reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day to keep our communities safe,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday night.
Walker was transported to a hospital in Waco following the shooting, DPS said. On Monday, DPS updated Walker’s condition in a statement, saying he was no longer displaying “signs of viable brain activity and he remains on life-support until he can share the gift of life as an organ donor.”
DPS announced Walker’s death Wednesday afternoon.
“Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Chad Walker was committed to protecting the people of Texas. His sacrifice will never be forgotten, and we ask that you keep his family, friends and colleagues in your prayers during the difficult days ahead,” DPS Director Steven McCraw said in a statement announcing his death on Wednesday.
A second-generation law enforcement officer who began his career in 2003, Walker leaves behind a wife and four children, according to DPS.

Source: Texas Highway Patrol trooper dies after being shot trying to help a driver – CNN

SWAT called to Arlington home after neighbor dispute

PITTSBURGH —SWAT was called after a dispute in Arlington Sunday afternoon.

Pittsburgh police responded to the 2800 block of Spring Street around noon for man in dispute with his neighbors.

When officers arrived, they were alerted that the man went inside of his residence. Police say the man refused the commands from officers to come outside.

Police learned the man had warrants after he had barricaded himself inside the house.

Upon the arrival of SWAT, the suspect walked out of the house and surrendered to police without incident.

Source: SWAT called to Arlington home after neighbor dispute

Two apprehended after hitting Pittsburgh police cruiser – WPXI

PITTSBURGH — Two people were arrested after an incident involving several police jurisdictions after a police cruiser that was hit on Thursday.

The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that two people were in custody after an incident on Woodstock Avenue in Swissvale. They were taken into custody in Braddock after bailing from the vehicle.

Pittsburgh City Police confirm the incident initially began after a the suspect’s vehicle made minor contact with a Zone 6 officer’s vehicle at the intersection of Glen Mawr and Hunt streets.

Source: Two apprehended after hitting Pittsburgh police cruiser – WPXI

Bomb squad detonates live Civil War cannonball found in Maryland

A homeowner contacted officials after being given what seemed to be an unexploded cannonball that a family member found near the Monocacy Battlefield.

Bomb technicians moved the cannonball to Beaver Creek Quarry in Hagerstown, where they conducted “an emergency disposal,” according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal.

Source: Bomb squad detonates live Civil War cannonball found in Maryland

Possible ‘prank’ prompted lockdown at Latrobe Elementary School, officials say | TribLIVE.com

 

What police believe may have been a prank 911 call on Wednesday shut down Latrobe Elementary School as authorities investigated a reported threat, according to Greater Latrobe district officials.

The situation was cleared just before 2 p.m. and no one was hurt. Anxious parents who gathered outside the police perimeter on Lincoln Avenue were told that dismissal would happen at the normal time.

City and state police were called to the Cedar Street school just before 1 p.m. Officers searched the building after an anonymous phone call was made to Westmoreland 911 reporting a threat. All district buildings were locked down as a result.

“The agencies believe this threat may have been a prank,” district officials said in a Facebook post.

Latrobe police said they were investigating the source of the call that was found to be not credible. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 724-537-5526. Officers from other nearby departments assisted at the scene.

Source: Possible ‘prank’ prompted lockdown at Latrobe Elementary School, officials say | TribLIVE.com

Pittsburgh police seek public’s help in finding a missing and endangered woman

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police detectives are seeking the public’s help locating a missing woman.

32-year-old Arielle Eyers of East Liberty was last seen Jan. 31 at her home. She was last seen wearing a black and white coat, grey hoodie and black sweatpants.

Source: Pittsburgh police seek public’s help in finding a missing and endangered woman

State Police Locate 82-Year-Old Nila Ross

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

COGAN HOUSE TOWNSHIP (KDKA) — State police have located a missing and endangered 82-year-old woman from Lycoming County.

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Investigators say 82-year-old Nila Ross has been located Monday.

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Source: State Police Locate 82-Year-Old Nila Ross

Minneapolis push to defund police backfires after residents complain of slow response times, increase in crime | Fox News

Minneapolis on Friday backtracked on its original push to defund the city’s police department in the wake of George Floyd’s police custody death after residents begged the city to hire more officers, citing longer response times and increased violent crime.

The City Council on Friday voted unanimously to approve $6.4 million in additional funding that police had requested.

FILE: Demonstrators are taken into custody after curfew in Minneapolis, as protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. 
FILE: Demonstrators are taken into custody after curfew in Minneapolis, as protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day.  (AP)

The department says it only has 638 officers available to work — roughly 200 fewer than usual. An unprecedented number of officers quit or went on extended medical leave after Floyd’s death and the unrest that followed.

With new recruit classes, the city anticipates it will have 674 officers available at the end of the year, with another 28 in the hiring process, the Star Tribune reported

NYPD MAKE ARREST IN SUBWAY STABBING SPREE THAT UPPED PATROLS BY 500 OFFICERS

Days before the City Council vote, Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo promised to update the application process for police recruits to include questions about whether they have lived in Minneapolis, have degrees in criminology, social work, psychology or counseling, and whether they volunteer or participate in programs such as the Police Activities League.

Meanwhile, three City Council members have proposed replacing the police department with a public safety department that would include law enforcement and other services. Yes 4 Minneapolis, a coalition of local community groups, is also collecting signatures to try to get a similar proposal on the November ballot.

The Star Tribune reported the Yes 4 Minneapolis committee is being fueled by a half-million dollar grant from the Washington, D.C.-based group Open Society Policy Center, linked to billionaire George Soros.

Source: Minneapolis push to defund police backfires after residents complain of slow response times, increase in crime | Fox News

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