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Inmate sends death threats to judges, threatens to blow up St. Louis courthouse

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Richard L. Russell, already serving a federal sentence, pled guilty to new charges. He admits to threatening to murder a federal judge, a former federal probation officer, and blow up the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis.On June 1, 2022, officials at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse received handwritten letters containing death threats, signed by Russell, and addressed to a sitting federal judge and a retired probation officer. Russell had sent these letters to retaliate against individuals involved in his prior court cases. He was already serving a 9-year sentence. Series of failures? Family blames broken system for inmate’s death Russell pled guilty to two counts of retaliating against a federal official, two counts of mailing threatening communications, and one count of threatening to destroy a building by fire or explosion. These charges carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 per count.

Man sentenced to 2 years for stealing IDs and thousands from victims

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. -- A federal judge has sentenced Jamaine D. Brooks, 46, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to two years in prison after he admitted to identity theft and check fraud. In July, Brooks pled guilty to several charges, including possession of multiple IDs, skimming devices, and identity theft. After his release from prison, he will serve three years on parole.Court documents reveal that Brooks used stolen identities to commit financial fraud and make purchases at various Walmart locations and other retail stores. He was arrested in southern Illinois in March 2021, carrying a substantial amount of stolen personal information and equipment for altering checks. Series of failures? Family blames broken system for inmate’s death At the time of his arrest, Brooks had already made over $5,000 in fraudulent purchases using his victims' identities with a significant portion spent at a Walmart in Collinsville, Illinois. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $5,...

En Aurora, el alcalde Mike Coffman enfrenta un enérgico desafío de la izquierda con el concejal Juan Marcano (en español)

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

Read in EnglishCuando Mike Coffman ganó la alcaldía en Aurora en 2019, lo hizo por un pelo—y terminó con el 36 por ciento de los votos en una contienda con varios candidatos para liderar la tercera ciudad más grande en Colorado.En las elecciones del 7 de noviembre, los votantes de la ciudad más racial y étnicamente diversa en el estado decidirán si le darán al excongresista republicano un segundo mandato como alcalde. Enfrenta una reñida contienda contra el concejal Juan Marcano, un demócrata progresista, franco y en su primer mandato, quien se ha convertido en su principal conteniente en el enfrentamiento de tres candidatos.Aunque los candidatos en las elecciones de Aurora no están oficialmente afiliados a un partido político, Marcano y un grupo de candidatos demócratas al concejo municipal que buscan ocupar cinco puestos más en la boleta electoral, esperan reestablecer una tendencia de izquierda en el concejo. En 2021, candidatos respaldados por Coffman cambiaron la mayoría en el ...

Denver school board resurrects proposal to raise members’ pay to $33,000 a year

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

Denver’s elected school board this week resurrected a proposal to nearly quadruple how much money its members can earn for performing official duties, a move that would raise their annual salary cap to $33,000.Denver Public Schools’ Board of Education considered raising members’ compensation, currently capped at $9,000 a year, in February but ultimately tabled the discussion. Now, the board is expected to vote on the revived proposal on Nov. 16, which is after next week’s school board election but before any new members would be sworn in.“We know that having the amount of time that all of us spend as school board members is expensive,” board Treasurer Scott Esserman, who is sponsoring the resolution, said during a meeting Thursday. He called being a school board director a full-time job. There are three seats open this election and at least one new director will join the board after Vice President Auon’tai Anderson announced he would not seek re-election. Incumbents Scot...

Aurora police officer who used neck hold on Elijah McClain should be convicted in his death, prosecutor says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

A Colorado prosecutor told jurors in closing arguments Friday that a police officer who stopped Elijah McClain, put the 23-year-old Black man in a neck hold and then abandoned him as his condition deteriorated should be convicted of manslaughter in his 2019 death.Aurora police Officer Nathan Woodyard is among three officers and two paramedics charged in the death of McClain after protests over the 2020 killing of George Floyd renewed interest in the case. The trial against the two other officers resulted in a split verdict last month with one convicted of homicide and one acquitted.Woodyard was the first officer to confront McClain as the massage therapist walked home from a convenience store in the Denver suburb of Aurora. A 17-year-old 911 caller had reported McClain — who was listening to music, wearing a mask and dancing as he walked — as suspicious.“Elijah McClain was walking home, he was dancing. As he told the defendant he was stopping the music to listen,” Colorado Ass...

Alligators found at homeless encampment in San Bernardino

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

Two small alligators have been relocated to an animal sanctuary after they were found at a homeless encampment in San Bernardino, city officials said.The gators were seized last Thursday after San Bernardino police discovered them at an unspecified encampment and then contacted the city’s Animal Services department.One of two alligators seized from a homeless encampment in San Bernardino, Calif. Nov. 2023 (City of San Bernardino)One of two alligators seized from a homeless encampment in San Bernardino, Calif. Nov. 2023 (City of San Bernardino)One of two alligators seized from a homeless encampment in San Bernardino, Calif. Nov. 2023 (City of San Bernardino)With the assistance of California Fish and Wildlife experts, the alligators were transported to Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Phelan, city officials said.They appeared to be in relatively good health.Alligators are considered exotic animals in San Bernardino and are not permitted to be kept as pets.

'A journey and not a destination': Resiliency, healing a focus 5 years after Borderline shooting

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

Tuesday marks five years since a gunman killed 12 people in a mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks.To commemorate those lost and look back on the progress made in the half-decade since that devastating night, the city of Thousand Oaks is hosting an event focused on reflection and renewal at the Healing Garden at Conejo Creek North in Thousand Oaks at 1739 E. Janss Road.The event, which runs from 3 to 5 p.m., is a chance for survivors, first responders, friends and family of those lost, and the community at large to come together following an unspeakable tragedy that changed all of their lives. For families of the 12 killed on Nov. 7, 2018, the pain is still there for many, even if it isn't always the same as it was in the immediate aftermath. Justin Meek is shown in a photo from his Facebook page.Grief hits each person differently depending on their particular situation, said Laura Lynn Meek, whose 22-year-old son Justin was killed that night. But that doesn't ...

East Palo Alto: Three teenagers arrested after suspected shooting; five guns seized

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

EAST PALO ALTO — Guns, cash and large sums of illegal drugs were seized at the homes of three East Palo Alto teenagers on Thursday in the aftermath of an October shooting, according to authorities.The shooting was reported at a home on the 2300 block of Cooley Avenue on Oct. 13, police said. There were no injuries in the shooting, but home surveillance video captured images of the three teenagers involved.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Peninsula sword-beheading defendant drops insanity plea ahead of trial Crime and Public Safety | East Bay man charged with tossing bombs at SF officers during pursuit Crime and Public Safety | Search for vehicle burglary suspects spurs Peninsula hospital lockdown Crime and Public Safety | Gypsy Hill killings: Conviction in 1976 murder of Peninsula teen at Serramonte mall Crime and Public Safety | Bay Area Hells Angels members arrested on suspicion of attempted murder...

Judge: Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old student can continue $40M lawsuit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

By Ben Finley | Associated PressNEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student in Virginia can press forward with her $40 million against a school system over claims of negligence by school administrators, a judge ruled Friday.The surprise decision by Newport News Circuit Court Judge Matthew Hoffman means that Abby Zwerner could get much more than just workers compensation for the serious injuries caused by January’s classroom shooting.Lawyers for Newport News Public Schools had tried to block the lawsuit, arguing that Zwerner was eligible only for workers compensation. It provides up to nearly 10 years pay and lifetime medical care for injuries.Hoffman disagreed with the school board, concluding that Zwerner’s injuries “did not arise out of her employment” and therefore did not “fall within the exclusive provisions of workers’ compensation coverage.”The judge wrote: “The danger of being shot by a student is not one that is peculiar or unique to the...

Video: Man shatters Oakland bookstore window, steals books

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:01:00 GMT

(KRON) -- A man who shattered the window of an Oakland bookstore Sunday night and stole several books was caught on camera. In the video, which was recorded by a surveillance camera, a well dressed man breaks the window, casually reaches in, grabs a few books, and walks away.The theft occurred at Marcus Books on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The bookshop, which opened in 1960, is said to be the oldest independently owned Black bookstore in the country. Berkeley police release video of fatal police shooting at Toyota dealership in September Apart from the books, nothing else was taken. The owner, however, said she was most upset that a stained-glass window that her brother made for the store was broken. The suspect used a piece of asphalt to smash the window, according to the store owner.KRON4 reached out to the Oakland Police Department for more information. We have not yet heard back.