Free Republic

COLUMBIA, SC — An S.C. trooper who stopped a man for a seat belt violation outside Columbia and then shot him – apparently without provocation – was arrested Wednesday and charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Sean Groubert, 31, a lance corporal who was fired from the Highway Patrol after the shooting incident, now faces 20 years in prison if convicted of wrongfully shooting the driver, Levar Jones. Groubert was booked Wednesday evening at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. He was fired from the patrol last Friday. Wednesday night, in a hearing at the...

The practice has been controversial since its inception at the height of the drug war more than three decades ago, and its abuses have been the subject of journalistic exposés and congressional hearings. But unexplored until now is the role of the federal government and the private police trainers in encouraging officers to target cash on the nation’s highways since 9/11.

The parents of a San Jose woman killed by police after she allegedly threatened to kill her family are demanding answers and a full investigation by the district attorney's office. Diana Showman, 19, was fatally shot by an officer outsider her home after coming out holding a black power drill. Police were responding to reports of a woman holding an "uzi-type weapon" in the Blossom Hill Road neighborhood. (VIDEO)

Federal Autopsy of Michael Brown Ordered As Unrest in Ferguson Rises By RICHARD A. SERRANO, MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE, MATT HANSEN Citing “extraordinary circumstances” in the Aug. 9 police shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. has instructed Department of Justice officials to have an additional autopsy performed by a federal medical examiner after unrest in the St. Louis suburb escalated again overnight. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials said the protester shot overnight, who is in critical condition, was shot by another protester, not by police. Holder's decision, announced Sunday, is the latest...

A Georgetown lawyer representing members of the Myrtle Beach Hells Angels said in a statement Friday that more than 100 charges against his clients related to arrests in April 2012, have been dismissed. John M. Hilliard III said his clients were charged in what Horry County Police called Operation Red Harvest, where he said allegations included charges of kidnapping and lynching along with various marijuana-related charges against members of the club. “There was never any credible evidence against any of my clients, a fact that I have repeatedly pointed out to the prosecution since the time of the original arrests,”...

An elderly woman's home was raided by police after she was suspected of making anonymous online threats against the Evansville police department and Chief Billy Bolin. The 68-year-old woman, Louise Milan was in the house with her 18 year old adopted daughter when police shattered a glass door and burst in after throwing flash grenades inside. Police came up empty-handed in the search for evidence about who had made the threatening posts but only after damaging Louise Milan’s house, handcuffing her and her adopted daughter and seizing their computers, according to a lawsuit that has been filed against the city...

Regulars at the Vineyard Golf Club in Martha’s Vineyard were gob-smacked when President Obama unexpectedly strolled onto a nearby green and they were immediately frisked.

Bake sales used to fuel school's sports teams and clubs, raising money for the kids going away games, nicer uniforms, field trips and so on. But, a new law limits the amount of sugary treats that many bake sales offer. So, starting this Fall bake sales won't be as sweet anymore. Parents are allowed to sell candy and goodies, but it must meet the smart snack calculator requirement. If it meets all the nutritional requirements, the calories, sugar, fat and sodium, it's ok to sell that cookie. But, if it goes over well it's not allowed and the schools can...

ERIE COUNTY, NY — (EXCLUSIVE) — A family was traumatized when gun-wielding police officers walked onto their quiet property and shot their dog in the head while looking for a man who did not live there. Megan Shimburski, 25, was spending a quiet afternoon with her children at her parents’ countryside East Concord residence on July 25, 2014. It was a normal day, she said, which involved watching her 5-year-old daughter play behind the house with their dog, as her infant son lied in a playpen inside the house. Ms. Shimburski’s parents, John Shimburski and Martha Spaulding, were not at...

The Heritage Foundation recently showed a documentary entitled “One Generation Away: the Erosion of Religious Liberty.” This bold documentary emphasized the importance of preserving our natural liberties, and expressed fear that they could easily be taken away as a secular government grows. rick santorum EcoLight Studios, a Christian movie company owned by former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, will distribute the film in theatres this September to convey an important message—freedom can be taken away far easier than it is given. Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum presented the film at the Heritage event, saying that “The fight to protect our...

The sheriff’s department in Prince Edward Co., Virginia, isn’t returning phone calls about Party. No great surprise. A deputy shot the dog in late June, killing it. The department issued a CYA press release, then dummied up—perhaps in the hope the whole thing would blow over. No wonder: According to a news account, the deputy went to the home of Stephen Carwile to serve a paper in a non-criminal matter. The family wasn’t home. The department’s press release says the deputy “was charged by a vicious dog.” That would be Party—a Golden Retriever. We all know how vicious that breed...

3 Weeks ago, Scott Biumi plead guilty to assault. According to Forsythe News, he was sentenced to 10 years on probation for pointing a gun at teenagers in the drive-through line at a south Forsyth McDonald’s. Scott Biumi, 48, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault stemming from the April 9 incident at the fast-food eatery on Old Atlanta Road. WATCH VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zj33kmgaAc

Ah, another glorious moment in America’s drug war. Three San Antonio Police officers are being investigated for possibly using excessive force, after a May 20 incident in west San Antonio left a man with injuries to his face, skull and neck. Roger Carlos was in the 10600 block of Westover Hills Boulevard taking photos of a building that will soon be home to his wife’s medical practice, when he was approached by three officers around 2:30 p.m. The officers were identified as an undercover drug task force officer and two SAPD SWAT members. According to an SAPD incident report released...

TOTTENVILLE (WABC) -- The New York Medical Examiner has ruled Eric Garner died from a chokehold used by a police officer during his arrest for selling untaxed, loose cigarettes last month, calling it a homicide. The autopsy found that Garner, 43, died as a result of compression of neck, compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police. Mayor Bill de Blasio released the following statement. "On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Eric Garner ... My administration will continue to work with all involved authorities, including the Richmond County...

When it comes to environmental regulation compliance, the Department of Homeland Security isn’t playing — as evidenced by a recent federal raid of a South Carolinian’s home to confiscate a Land Rover that violated EPA emission rules. Jennifer Brinkley said she saw a line of law enforcement vehicles approaching her home and wondered what was wrong, the local WBTV reported. Homeland Security agents then went to her 1985 Land Rover Defender and lifted the hood. “They popped up the hood and looked at the Vehicle Identification Number and compared it with a piece of paper and then took the car...

On July 13, Josie Garcia’s husband was pulled over by Houston PD for failure to use a turn signal. The routine traffic stop lead to a search and prescription drugs belonging to the passenger were found. Both men were subsequently arrested and the SUV was impounded. Charges against her husband were dropped days later. Unfortunately, Garcia’s 14 year old chihuahua, Guero, was along for the ride. As the men were being taken into custody and the SUV towed, Guero was removed from the vehicle and left on the side of Highway 59. Garcia’s husband plead with the officer to let...

The embattled town of Campbell police chief pleaded no contest Friday to a misdemeanor that accused him of using a tea party activist’s information online during work hours to retaliate for a federal lawsuit brought against him. “I understand that there is a political context to this case, but my view of it is not political,” Monroe County Circuit Judge David Rice said. “I view it as a criminal case.” After months of conflict between the town, police and tea party activists, Chief Tim Kelemen in January and March used La Crosse tea party activist Greg Luce’s name, address, phone...

The IRS recently settled a case against it brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). As part of the settlement, the IRS has agreed to monitor church sermons for political content. The suit was filed because FFRF apparently did not like an event called Pulpit Freedom Sunday. Apparently once a year a number of pastors preach on political topics, presumably to rebel against the never enforced Federal prohibition on 501(c)(3) political activities. Technically it is illegal for tax exempt non-profits to engage in political activities, presumably this includes commenting on politics from the pulpit. To date there isn’t a...

--SNIP-- This comes as two NYPD officers were yanked off the street Friday as cops and the Staten Island district attorneys investigated the stunning death of a suspect placed in a banned chokehold. The officers were slated for desk duty pending completion of the probe into Thursday’s death of Eric Garner, 43, as he was brought down by five NYPD officers outside a Tompkinsville beauty parlor. “Loss of life is always a tragedy,” said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton at a City Hall news conference. “Nobody began the day with the expectation it would end the way it did.

Staten Island man dies after NYPD cop puts him in chokehold — SEE THE VIDEO VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: A 400-pound asthmatic Staten Island dad died Thursday after a cop put him in a chokehold and other officers appeared to slam his head against the sidewalk, video of the incident shows. BY KEN MURRAY , KERRY BURKE , CHELSIA ROSE MARCIUS , ROCCO PARASCANDOLA A 400-pound asthmatic Staten Island dad died Thursday after a cop put him in a chokehold and other officers appeared to slam his head against the sidewalk, video of the incident shows. “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!”...