Free Republic

Five fired Memphis police officers were charged on Thursday with second-degree murder over the death of Tyre Nichols - who died three days after being beaten during a January 7 traffic stop. Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith, who are all black, are now in custody. In addition to second degree murder the five were also charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. On Thursday afternoon DA Steve Mulroy briefed the press, saying his team had moved 'swiftly, but also fairly' to review the case that led to the...

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man who was allegedly driving 110 mph on I-95 was pulled over, but took off running, yelling "I'm sorry" to the deputy, the Brevard County Sheriff said. "Apparently Zachary Sibert was in such a hurry that he forgot that his driver's license was suspended, so when Deputy Charles Hill tried to pull him over for speeding, instead of stopping the car like a normal adult, Sibert decided to play ‘frogger’ across I-95!" the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook. Sibert was reportedly a "courteous criminal" though and yelled "I'm sorry" to the deputy as he...

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A New Port Richey man was arrested on a felony charge Saturday after authorities said he threw a hot dog at an officer who was warning him of violating a city ordinance, arrest documents said. Officers said Jason Stoll, 47, of New Port Richey ignored the warnings and continued to sell hot dogs in the roadway Saturday around 12 a.m. after his street closure permit ended. Stoll was asked to put the hot dog down but authorities said he continued his attempt to sell it.

Gascón ally calls the actions "symbolic, pointless, and partisan attempts to aid a floundering recall effort.”. As organizers of an effort to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón say they are working closely with county officials to finalize the petition, three more cities declared “no confidence” in the progressive prosecutor this week. “City leaders are beginning to see what citizens and victims have known: George Gascon threatens the safety of our communities with his pro-criminal policies and actions,” read an email blast from Victims of Violent Crime for the Recall of District Attorney Gascón. “Together, we can recall...

On today’s episode of “Hold My Beer and Watch This!”, a Kentucky man on his way home from work last week saw several police cars with lights flashing surround a vehicle in a McDonald’s parking lot. As he approached the scene, he parked his car about 50 feet away, pulled out his phone, and decided to film whatever happened next. Joe Bennett told Spectrum News 1 in Louisville he immediately thought of videos he had seen this year from around the country in which police actions ended badly. In the Facebook livestream, which was also linked to Twitter, Bennett can...

HUNT COUNTY, Texas (CBSDFW) – Shaun David Lucas, the Wolfe City police officer allegedly connected to the shooting death of Jonathan Price was arrested and charged with murder. His bond was set at $1 million. Price, 31, was shot and killed outside a Wolfe City gas station on Saturday. Described as a “hometown hero”, “standup guy,” and “mentor who worked with children,” most who spoke out publicly about Price said they can’t see any reason why a police officer would shoot and kill him. But that’s exactly what happened on Saturday, after Price allegedly stepped in to help a woman...

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (FOX 9) – One of the police officers arrested and charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd was on his fourth day on the job when the incident occurred. According to Earl Grey, the defense attorney for Thomas Lane, the rookie officer was on his fourth day on patrol. “What would your state of mind be if you work your rear end off to become a cop and four days on the job, you’re accused of murder?” Grey asked, arguing that his client did not aid in a murder. Lane, along with Tou Thao and...

Boston, MA – When Suffolk County’s district attorney-elect Rachel Rollins takes over the prosecutor’s office in January, criminals will no longer need to worry about being held accountable for many offenses – including resisting arrest. “It’s a recipe for disaster,” veteran Boston defense attorney, Robert Griffin, told the Boston Globe. “The problem is the message that you’re sending,” Griffin stressed. “You’re encouraging bad behavior. You’re telling people that we’re not going to do anything about this.” Rollins, 47, has been widely hailed – and widely criticized – for her well-publicized “Charges to be Declined” list, which she has featured on...

First, there were 990 fatal police shootings in 2015. How does this compare to other causes of death? Well, I can’t tell you because so few people are killed by police. The number is so small that it is outside the range of the usual mortality lists. I can say that death by police is not in the top fifty causes of death in the US, so it is relatively rare. It is extremely rare for women, because the overwhelming majority of those killed by police were men. And I would be greatly remiss if I did not highlight that...

ST. LOUIS • Dorian Johnson, the man who was with Michael Brown Jr. when Brown was fatally shot by a Ferguson police officer last summer, has been arrested on suspicion of drug charges and resisting arrest, St. Louis police said. Johnson was arrested on Wednesday and police are pursuing charges. The specifics of where and when he was arrested have not yet been released.

Now One Person is Dead After Reaching for a Gun. On Friday, Arizona’s Cottonwood Police Department released dash cam footage of a brawl between a traveling family from Idaho and a group of cops that quickly turned deadly. The incident happened on March 21st, in parking lot of the Cottonwood Walmart. Police were responding to a call about a Walmart employee being assaulted as she entered the restroom. When law enforcement confronted the people who were identified as suspects, now known as the Gaver family, they weren’t being cooperative at all.

Eric Garner and Michael Brown had much in common, not the least of which was this: On the last day of their lives, they made bad decisions. Epically bad decisions. Each broke the law — petty offenses, to be sure, but sufficient to attract the attention of the police. And then — tragically, stupidly, fatally, inexplicably — each fought the law. The law won, of course, as it almost always does. This was underscored yet again Wednesday when a Staten Island grand jury chose not to indict any of the arresting officers in the death in police custody of Garner...

A Houston Police Department spokesperson said Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson was arrested early Saturday morning for resisting arrest, according to CBS-affiliate KHOU. Peterson was arrested at 2:30 a.m. Saturday after being at a nightclub in downtown Houston, police say. Peterson, who is from Palestine, Texas, remains in a Houston jail on a $1,000 bond, according to information on the Houston Police Department website. Team spokesman Bob Hagan said Saturday that the Vikings “are aware of the situation and are gathering more information.” Check back with WCCO.com for more on this developing story.

SEATTLE -- Seattle police are investigating what they call an assault of an officer in South Seattle. However, a police officer is seen punching a 17-year-old girl in the face during the incident captured by a video camera on Monday. According to Seattle police, the incident began when an officer spotted a man jaywalking in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S. at approximately 3:10 p.m. The man was some 15 feet away from a pedestrian overpass, police said.

Still hospitalized with three gunshot wounds, Chargers linebacker Steve Foley has refused to speak with detectives who are investigating his shooting on Sunday by an off-duty police officer, authorities said yesterday. “An attempt has been made, but we have not been able to get a statement from him,” said Sheriff's homicide Lt. Dennis Brugos. “He chose not to speak to us.” Authorities continued trying to piece together events leading up to the confrontation between Aaron Mansker, a Coronado police officer, and the 30-year-old NFL player. The shooting occurred at 3:41 a.m., near Foley's home in Poway. Investigators have interviewed Mansker,...

PEGGY PEATTIE / Union-Tribune Lisa Maree Gaut was arraigned Thursday in the case involving Chargers linebacker Steve Foley. The charges against her include assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer. Conflicting versions of the controversial shooting of San Diego Chargers linebacker Steve Foley unfolded yesterday during and after a court hearing in which Foley's female companion pleaded not guilty to criminal charges. The prosecutor painted a picture of drunken, criminal behavior in which Foley was wounded by an off-duty police officer who felt he was “trapped” in a cul de sac near Foley's home and in danger...

Portland is set to approve payment of $300,000 to 12 people who claimed police used excessive force during two anti-war marches in March 2003 and during President Bush's visit to Portland in August 2002. A federal judge spent at least five months mediating the claims, and the City Council is set to approve the settlement Wednesday. Plaintiffs argued in two lawsuits that the city, Mayor Vera Katz, then-police Chief Mark Kroeker and several officers violated their rights to free speech and free assembly. They said they were doused by pepper spray at close range and that police fired rubber stingballs...