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Charges not filed against Catskill officers who tased man who died

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

CATSKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Criminal charges will not be filed against the Catskill police officers who tried to subdue a man with a taser, which led to his death weeks later.In October 2021, officers brought Jason Jones to the police station because he was acting erratically. After police repeatedly asked him to calm down, Jones picked up a bottle of hand sanitizer and sprayed it on himself. Officers then tased him, which caused him to catch on fire. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Jones was taken to the hospital where he died six weeks later.The New York State Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation (OSI) concluded they were not likely to get a conviction if they brought charges. The investigation also found police were warned about the dangers of using a taser around hand sanitizer.OSI said police officers should receive more training on how to use tasers to prevent similar incidents.

Troy firefighters present Tunnel to Towers with $48K check

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An organization that supports military veterans and first responders received some additional funding on Friday. Tunnel to Towers accepted a $48,000 check from the Troy Uniformed Firefighters Local 86. The organization was named after Stephen Siller, a firefighter who lost his life saving others during the 9/11 attacks. It helps cover the costs of home improvements for injured veterans and first responders. It also pays off mortgages for families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Troy firefighters said the support goes both ways."We risk our lives every day, and we have people that do get injured," Eric Wisher, Pres. of Troy Uniformed Firefighters Local 86, said. "Hopefully, we don't want anybody killed, but if we do, we know that this organization's there for our families if something does happen to that effect."The money was raised during the annual 9/11 Ciga...

Niskayuna students learn about energy technology

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

NISKAYUNA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Some students in Niskayuna got a first hand look at some of the exciting technology being used by National Grid. It was part of Community Day at Iroquois Middle School.The students were able to meet Lumos, a robotic dog that the electric company uses to monitor equipment. Engineers with National Grid hope Friday's demonstration helps inspire the innovators of the future. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "National Grid knows that in the future we are going to need more engineers, we are going to need smart talent from the children because we are going to have challenges," National Grid Lead Technology Engineer Dean Berlin said. "We need engineers to build out our network and make the clean energy transition to be able to deliver power here in New York, Massachusetts and surrounding neighborhoods."National Grid also held a "live line" demonstration where students learned more about electrical safety and...

Colorado Rep. Tim Hernández apologizes for not condemning Hamas attacks as Republicans seek expulsion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

A Colorado legislator apologized Friday for not explicitly condemning the deadly terror attacks in Israel last week when he attended a pro-Palestine rally, amid calls from Republicans that he be expelled from the legislature.“People who are harmed and suffering deserve our respect, and I have to apologize for the way that I caused harm to (the) community by not making that explicitly clear,” Rep. Tim Hernández, a Denver Democrat, said in a video posted to social media late Friday afternoon. “… My values have and always will remain as solidarity and appreciation for the fundamental value of human life and a collective fight against oppression.”The video is Hernández’s second public statement since he attended the rally outside of the state Capitol on Oct. 7, the same day that Hamas killed hundreds of people in Israel and kidnapped scores more. The lawmaker got into a heated exchange with an opponent of the rally, and video shows Hernández condemnin...

Officer injured, fire hydrant sheared following pursuit near Burbank airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

A Los Angeles Police Officer was injured and a fire hydrant was sheared after a driver led officers on a brief pursuit in Sun Valley.The short pursuit started around 5:20 p.m. and came to a stop near the intersection of Hollywood Way and Covello Street, several blocks north of the Hollywood Burbank Airport. Video from Sky5 showed water spewing into the air from a sheared hydrant, which appeared to have been knocked off by a black pickup truck that also crashed into a parked vehicle.A worker attempts to stop the flow of water from a sheared fire hydrant in Sun Valley on Oct. 13, 2023. (KTLA)Workers were seen trying to shut off the water feeding to the hydrant.A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that one officer was injured, although the severity of the injuries was not specified. Ambulances were called to the scene, but no patients were transported, police confirmed.Officers could be seen searching the neighborhood, apparently looking for the driver of the ...

3 soldiers of 'Mexican Mafia' convicted of killing man on behalf of imprisoned leader

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

Three Orange County gang members have been found guilty of murdering another gang member on behalf of the Mexican Mafia, according to the United States Department of Justice.Mike Escobar, 40, of Anaheim, James Mendez, 44, of Garden Grove, and Kevin Trejor, 36, of Anaheim were each found guilty of one count of "violent crime in aid of racketeering."The three men all belonged to different street gangs, according to the DOJ, but have been described as "foot soldiers" for the Mexican Mafia — which is comprised of mostly senior members of Latino gangs operating in Southern California and in state prisons.The three carried out a hit on Costa Mesa gang member Richard Velleda, allegedly on behalf of Johnny Martinez, who was identified by the DOJ as a high-ranking member of the Mexican Mafia.Martinez, 47, is currently incarcerated for other crimes, but is a co-defendant in this case. LAPD, FBI announce ‘Mexican Mafia’ arrests According to evidence presented in the eight-day trial, on Aug. ...

Man shoots alleged car burglar after calling police in San Bernardino County 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

A man who called the police to report a man breaking into a car took matters into his own hands on Friday morning. According to preliminary reports from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, deputies from the Fontana Station responded to the 18600 block of Valley Boulevard in unincorporated Bloomington around 8:15 a.m. on calls of a vehicle burglary in progress. The reporting party – identified as 36-year-old Rancho Cucamonga resident Alexander Marquez – made the initial call to authorities saying that Dennis Smith, 24, of Hemet was breaking into a vehicle.  Teens swung ax, head-stomped and eye-gouged Fullerton College security officers, police say “A short time later, Marquez shot Smith,” a release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said. “Deputies found Smith suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower body and immediately rendered medical attention.” He remains hospitalized in unknown condition. Marquez fled into a nearby business ...

Taylor Swift is a human economic stimulus package

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

Taylor Swift isn’t just a great performer - she’s also an economic force unlikely any other seen before.Swift earned an estimated $4.1 billion from her wildly successful ERAS TOUR, according to an associate professor of management at Babson College in Massachusetts.But the economic impact goes far beyond what Swift herself pocketed.Software company QuestionPro surveyed 592 Swifties and, based on their responses, estimated that fans spent around $93 million per show on tickets, merchandise, travel, hotels, food and clothing.This worked out to roughly $5.7 billion over the course of the U.S. tour - which appears to be the most lucrative concert tour ever.“She’s an economic stimulus plan all on her own,” says KTLA consumer reporter David Lazarus.Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour," Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)In August, Swift played six shows at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium which, according to California's Center for Jobs and the ...

Judge tosses charge against Oakland police officer accused of bribery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

OAKLAND — An Alameda County judge on Friday tossed one of the five charges against an Oakland police officer accused of bribing witnesses and later lying about it on the stand.Judge Scott Patton threw out a charge of attempted bribery of a witness against Phong Tran, whose case has represented an early test of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s new Public Accountability Unit and its work to investigate wrongdoings by law enforcement officers and public officials.In striking down the charge, Patton suggested Tran’s statements more closely resembled regular police work, rather than anything nefarious.“That kind of colloquy between a homicide detective and a witness is just not attempted bribery of a witness,” Patton said in a hearing Friday.Still, Patton denied a motion by Tran’s attorney to also dismiss the remaining four counts against the officer, including multiple counts of perjury and bribery of a witness.Prosecutors allege Tran paid an...

Disciplined over his hair, Black student just wants to resume studies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

By Cheyanne Mumphrey and Annie Ma | Associated PressFor more than a month, Darryl George, a Black high school student in Texas, spent each school day sitting by himself in punishment over his hairstyle. This week, he was sent to a separate disciplinary program, where he’s been told he will spend several more weeks away from classmates.In an interview with The Associated Press, George said he has felt discouraged about missing out on his classes and time with the football team.“I feel like I’m missing my full experience of being in the classroom,” George said Thursday.George, 18, was first pulled from the classroom at his Houston-area school in August after school officials said his locs fell below his eyebrows and ear lobes and violated the district’s dress code. His family argues his hairstyle does not break any rules.By the time George is allowed to return to Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas, in November, he will have missed 56 of 67 da...