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3/9/26 Better late than never. Two years after it was supposed to
have been installed, a plaque honoring the Capitol's defenders on January 6, 2021 was
bolted to a wall inside the main building, near the spot where the intrusion began. It honors
twenty-one agencies, with the Capitol and D.C. police departments at the top. But thanks to
the obvious political implications, there was no announcement or ceremony. There's only the
photo of a worker-bee affixing the plaque. (Click here for a close-up shot of the plaque.)
Related post
An autistic 28-year old man living in a Maryland group home called his mother
to tell her that he was in a suicidal crisis. Both called Howard County police. Their
response included two officers who were reportedly trained for such crises. They found Alex
LaMorie outside, holding a knife. He approached them. And when he didn't drop the knife as
ordered, three officers opened fire, killing him. They were placed on administrative leave.
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Ivan Miller, a 22-year old Iowa man, admitted killing an older woman who let him sleep in a
shed behind her home. He took her car, but didn't like it. Within days he encountered two
women hiking in the Utah desert. He shot and stabbed them dead, then took their vehicle, which
he much preferred. Their husbands discovered the bodies and alerted police. "License plate
readers and vehicle tracking services" soon led authorities to Miller, who had made his way to
Colorado. He carried a knife and pistol. Miller was facing recent burglary and gun charges in
Iowa, and had been released without bail on a promise to appear.
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Has D.C. purposely undercounted crime? That's the
question that envelops the recent suspension of patrol chief Andre Wright. Last December
the U.S. House Oversight Committee accused then-Chief Pamela Smith of placing "intense
pressure on district commanders to produce low crime statistics by any means necessary."
According to NBC News, Wright, as second in command to then-Chief Smith, was one of the
officials whom the House Oversight Committee blamed for enabling those practices (click
here for their December 2025 report.) Related posts
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3/6/26
Atlanta's "Repeat Offender Initiative" supposedly reduced crime. So Louisville, which is
beset by violent repeaters, is instituting a like approach. In collaboration with State and
Federal agencies, police will seek to arrest the most dangerous offenders, seize their guns,
and gain successful prosecutions. Crime data will be used to identify likely candidates and
tailor the unit's efforts, and an advisory body will track progress and make suggestions.
Related post
Tucson's "Safe City Initiative" offers a
unique way for officers to deal with the trespassers and street drug users that they
often encounter on patrol. As usual, it starts with an arrest. Candidates are hauled off to
a van where a judge (by video) decides how to proceed. Willing candidates are released and
remanded to appear in a "community court." There, a "sentence" of treatment is typically
imposed. While defendants still get a criminal record, their outcomes, mental-health wise,
are reportedly far better.
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3/5/26 His recent triumph in the Republican
primary likely assures that Aaron Spencer will be elected Sheriff of Monroe County,
Arkansas. Only problem is, he faces a murder trial for shooting and killing the man who
had been charged with sexually abusing Spencer's 13-year-old daughter. That killing, which
took place two years ago, happened when Spencer found his daughter, who had suddenly gone
missing, in the car of her alleged abuser, who was free on bond. Spencer admits he fired,
but only after a struggle.
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"More than 2,700 pounds of
methamphetamine, with a street value of $4 million." That, along with over 100 pounds
of marijuana and a veritable arsenal of guns and ammunition were the haul of "Operation
Trash Panda," a major drug interdiction effort by Northern California Sheriff's teams,
with help from other agencies and the Feds. Their efforts, which targeted a major meth
operation with two labs and a storage warehouse, produced "one of the largest domestic
drug seizures in U.S. history." And, as well, eight arrests on State and Federal charges.
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3/4/26 After deliberating less than two hours, a
Georgia jury convicted Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray,
on all counts. That includes two counts of 2nd. degree murder, for the deaths of two 14-
year-old students, two of involuntary manslaughter, for the deaths of two teachers, and
more than two-dozen counts of recklessness and child cruelty. Each murder count alone
carries a 10-30 year penalty, so it seems unlikely that Gray will ever be released. Ditto
his son, who was fourteen when he committed the Sept. 4, 2024 massacre. He faces 55
counts and is yet to be tried.
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Gunfire erupted during an early-morning birthday bash at a Cincinnati nightclub,
wounding nine innocent partygoers, fortunately none fatally. Hosted by hip-hop artist DJ
Fresh, the Sunday, March 1st. celebration was attended by two armed ex-cons, Franeek Cobb,
24, and Derrick Long, 29. Cobb and Long are apparently "on the outs" with one another, and
quickly engaged in a shootout. Both face serious State charges and will be Federally
prosecuted for being felons with guns.
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ICE
agents cannot make arrests without a warrant unless they have probable cause to believe
that someone is illegally in the U.S. and will flee if not taken into custody.
According to 8 USC 1357, both are required for warrantless arrests. And in Oregon, a
Federal judge just issued an injunction ordering that ICE agents gather substantial
information about flight risk during an encounter and not use "copy and paste language" or
post-arrest information to justify warrantless arrests after the fact.
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3/3/26 Her only felony conviction was for writing a bad check.
That happened 17 years ago, and all she drew was probation. Last year, though, the 10th.
Circuit
rejected her challenge to the Federal law that bars gun possession by all felons,
violent or not. So she turned to the Supreme Court. But Melynda Vincent's petition for
certiorari was just denied.
Related post
As the trial of the father of Apalachee High School
shooter Colt Gray comes to an end, 60 Minutes airs a piece about the benefits of
prosecuting parents. Such as the mom and dad of Ethan Crumbley, the 2021 Oxford High School
shooter, who drew ten years for giving their deeply troubled boy the gun. With 84 mass
shootings at schools since the 1999 Columbine massacre, researchers say no. In their view,
what's needed are greatly beefed-up school mental health services, such as were promised by
the billion-dollar Congressional grant that followed on the 2022 Uvalde massacre. Alas,
most of that grant was later rescinded. Related posts
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Seven-hundred ninety-six million dollars. That's what New
York city taxpayers have shelled out for police misconduct over the past seven years. A
whopping $117 million went out in 2025 alone. Of that, $24.1 million was paid to Eric Smokes
and David Warren for their wrongful conviction and imprisonment in a 1986 robbery/murder
in which officers pressured five youths to identify them as the culprits.
Another $18 million was paid out in 2025 to other wrongfully convicted persons. Illegal stop
-and-frisks and abuses of force also produced sizeable settlements.
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3/2/26 A downtown Austin, TX bar was packed with patrons
when 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne drove up about 2:00am Sunday morning. Attired in provocative
Islamic-themed clothing, the Senegalese immigrant and naturalized citizen promptly opened
fire on the crowd with a pistol. He then drove down the street, exited his car and fired at
passers-by with a rifle. In all, two innocent persons were killed and fourteen were wounded,
three critically. Police quickly responded and shot Diagne dead. It's believed that he was
motivated by the U.S. assault on Iran.
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FBI agents who investigated Trump continue to be fired. "At
least" one more was let go last week. Agents at risk include those who looked into Trump's
storage of classified Government documents at Mar-a-Lago resort during his break in office,
and agents who examined his role in the Capitol assault. Firings are reportedly the
handiwork of Kash Patel, the outsider whom Trump installed to lead the FBI. He recently
accused the FBI of having used "flimsy pretexts" to subpoena his telephone records and those
of Susan Wiles, the current White House chief of staff.
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Milwaukee's Office of Community Wellness and Safety (OCWS) oversees neighborhood-based
anti-violence programs. But with homicides up last year - there were 141 in 2025 v. 132 in 2024
- the programs' effectiveness seems doubtful. After all, murder is down in nearly every
other major city. Problem is, Milwaukee's "North Side," where violence rules, is proving
highly resistant to change. What might help? According to a resident, "more police on the
streets." Still, a recent in-depth inquiry disputes the
notion that 2025's lower homicide rates were produced by more policing.
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"I would not tell
my children to lie." Taking the stand at his trial for enabling the massacre, Colin Gray,
father of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, vigorously denied his daughter's
contention that he asked her to lie in court. Specifically, that he didn't know the pictures
his son posted on a wall were a "shrine" to Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz. Agreeing
with his lawyer that he had tried to placate his son, Colin Gray said "...there's this whole
other side of Colt I didn't know existed..."
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Five and one-half years. That's the sentence just handed down to
41-year old Carlos Frate, an ex-Maui, HI cop who pled guilty to Federal civil rights charges
for needlessly and repeatedly Tasering an arrested person.
According to a news report, Frate had also been charged with falsely stating that the
man he Tased (and injured) resisted arrest. In fact, his victim had fully cooperated.
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2/27/26 Robert Cekada has pledged that if selected to lead the ATF, he would
assure that Second Amendment rights are paramount. His written statements reflect an intent
to focus on violent crime, gang members and repeat offenders. But in a break with "Red"
wisdom, he cautions that recent reductions to ATF's budget are "eroding core enforcement
operations and markedly constraining ATFs ability to support state and local
law-enforcement partners."
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In 2025 St. Petersburg, FL had the fewest murders in sixty years. And, according
to Police Chief Anthony Holloway, youth crime is also on a downtrend. Part of the reason, he
says, are public-private partnerships that focus on problem youths. Say, the "Forward
Together" program, which helps direct lawbreaking youngsters away from crime. And the
brand-new "Young Influencer Felony Prevention Program," which repeat offender Charles Price
(founder of "Felons Ain't Failures") is kicking-off in March.
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2/26/26 Minnesota man Tavon Timberlake is "very pleased." His criminal record
stretches back to 2000, when he was convicted of felony drug charges. Five years later
he was convicted of being a felon with a gun and served Federal prison time. After release
he got into trouble for "escaping" from a halfway house. And in 2024 the Feds again caught
him with a gun. But on that charge he can rest easy. With all the Trump-related
resignations, there's a critical shortage of Federal prosecutors. Their repeated delays wore
out the judge, and he called DOJ's bluff. And no, the case can't be refiled.
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During her
testimony in the trial of her father, Colin Gray, Jenni Gray, the sister of Apalachee
high school shooter Colt Gray, said that her dad told her to lie to investigators.
Specifically, that he didn't know that the images and articles that Colt had posted in his
bedroom were of infamous school shooter Nikolas Cruz. (See yesterday's update)
Related post
2/25/26 A traffic stop led to the shooting death of a Missouri deputy two days
ago. Early the next morning his killer, Richard Dean Bird, 45, opened fire on deputies
who had tracked him down. A second deputy was killed and two were wounded. Bird was also
killed. It's not the first time that Bird had shot at police. Bird served prison time in
Kansas for a 2014 incident in which he fired a rifle at a deputy who was investigating him
for a theft. After his 2023 release he moved to Missouri, and was soon charged with a
burglary. But he was let go after paying a small fine.
Related post
Colin Gray, the father of Colt Gray, the Apalachee High School killer,
is on trial for giving his son access to guns despite knowing he was a danger. Marcee,
Colin's estranged wife, testified that Colt stayed with her for a time, and that he became
very destructive and upredictable. Marcee said that she warned her husband to keep guns away
from their son. But she admitted that she never told him about Colin's interest in school
shootings, and specifically, his obsession with Nikolas Cruz. Marcie suffered from chronic mental health problems,
and Colin eventually moved back in with his dad.
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Moved by "the arrests and
detention of United States citizens, including children, at times in the dead of night;
masked agents unleashing chemical irritants on bystanders and non-violent protestors; the
killings of United States citizens by federal officers; and incidents involving racial
profiling," New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill issued an executive order barring the Feds from
entering State property to enforce civil immigration laws, or using State properties,
including parking lots and garages, as a staging ground for that purpose. State employees
are also prohibited from allowing such access. Only exception is with a judicial order.
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2/24/26 Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader "El
Mencho" got his start in San Francisco, where he collected three arrests for drug sales
between 1986 and 1992. After a prison term Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes was deported, and
in time became the infamous leader of Mexico's premier drug cartel. And so he remained until
his death at the hands of Mexican military troops a couple days ago. But his underlings have
viciously fought back and killed dozens of Mexican soldiers. And so the cycle continues.
Related post
Between 2018-2025 citizens filed "at least 43" complaints of misconduct
against Chicago cop Richard Rodriquez Jr. But he remained on a tactical team until yesterday.
That's when a city lawyer suddenly pulled him away from a courtroom where he was being
deposed on one of the many lawsuits spawned by his team's alleged abuses during stops,
searches and arrests. Rodriquez and three colleagues, who were also stripped of their badges,
are now on desk duty. Meanwhile the plaintiffs' lawyer is demanding to know why Rodriquez was
hauled off, and insists that he be promptly brought back so that his deposition can continue.
Related post
Homicides are down across the U.S.; homicide clearances are up.
Indeed, those two factors likely go together. According to LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton,
his agency's ability to clear 78 prior-year homicides in 2025 was a product of 2025's
low murder count. That, in turn, was likely helped along by various factors, including a
higher rate of gun seizures, more arrests for violent crimes, and benefits flowing from
community anti-violence programs. The (very) visible presence of immigration agents might
have also tamped things down.
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2/23/26 About 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb, 22, a small-town North Carolina family called
the sheriff about the disappearance of 21-year old Austin Tucker Martin, who lived with his
parents and older brother in a ranch home northwest of Raleigh. That was about the same time
that two Secret Service agents and a local cop intercepted Martin as he drove into President
Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Martin had a (very long) shotgun, and when he defied
orders to surrender and picked it up, he was shot dead. Martin, who had no known encounters
with the law, passed the time doing artwork, which he displayed online. So the question is:
Why?
Related post
Karl Jacobson was a cop in New Haven, CT for 15
years when he was appointed its chief in 2022. But he suddenly retired in January. That was
quickly followed by his arrest on charges of stealing public funds. According to prosecutors,
Jacobson, an inveterate gambler whose bets exceeded $4 million in a recent year, reportedly
helped finance his hobby with tens of thousands of dollars he snuck out from the agency's drug
enforcement and youth activity funds. He apparently started coming clean after underlings
discovered the shortages, and told Mayor Justin Elicker that the problem was caused by a
"gambling addiction" for which he was seeking help. He's out on $150,000 bond.
Related post
Aurora, CO paramedic Peter Cichuniec
has been serving a five-year prison sentence for a 2019 episode in which the negligent
administration of ketamine caused the death of Elijah McClain. But a judge just ruled that
Cichuniec has proven himself a model inmate and released him on probation.
Cichuniec, though, didn't actually administer the drug. He had ordered the drug be used and
measured it out. But another paramedic actually injected the dose. He, though, was acquitted at
trial. So Cichuniec is appealing.
Related post
"Not Guilty." Had she been found guilty of manslaughter, former small-town
South Carolina cop Cassandra Dollard faced up to thirty years. But a jury just absolved her of
criminal blame for the death of Robert Langley, who "had something in his hands" when he stepped
out of his car after a protracted high-speed chase. (That "something" was $100 cash.) So she shot
him dead. Dollard had worked as a cop at six different agencies during her 30-year career,
and was fired twice. Related posts
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Thirty-three-point-five million. Just south of Chicago lies Dolton, IL. An
incorporated village of about 20,000, Dalton has its own cops. A decade ago they chased a car
that "skidded through a stop sign." Their quarry soon crashed. One occupant, John Kyles, was
killed. His companion, Dwayne Dunlap, sustained "severe, catastrophic and permanent injuries."
A lawsuit led to that judgment against the city. A judge just declared it must be paid,
with interest. That brings the debt to $40.6 million. And yes, it may bankrupt the
community.
Related post
2/20/26 "Rapid Enforcement, Support, Evaluation, and
Triage Center." San Francisco's new approach to combatting the scourge of street drug use is
reportedly coming into effect. Instead of jail, as of April 1 deputies can begin taking persons
whom they arrest for drugs to a new center, where staff will watch over them while they sober up.
Clients are then referred to selected providers for follow-up treatment. At its start, there will
only be room for two-dozen clients. But there's hope for expansion.
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2/19/26 One had been a
Navy Captain. Another, an Army Ranger. Two U.S. Senators and four U.S. Representatives (each
happens to be "Blue") released a ninety-second video that urges members of the military to resist following orders they deem
illegal. In their view, "the threats to the Constitution aren't just coming from abroad, but from
right here at home." Their message was blasted by President Trump, and the Justice Department
moved to prosecute the lawmakers for seditious conspiracy. But a D.C. Grand Jury just turned the
Government down.
Related post
2/18/26 In 2024 an Immigration judge ordered the deportation of
Guatemalan man Oscar Vasquez Lopez. And when red lights flashed in his rear-view mirror on a
Savannah, GA street two days ago, he pulled over. But when Lopez realized the agents' intentions,
he sped away. And ICE chased. Lopez soon rammed a vehicle at an intersection. Its driver, a
teacher going to work, was killed. And the community's very upset. Chatham County police can't
chase except for violent felonies. Had ICE asked for help, cops say they would have cut the man
off without risking a pursuit. But ICE didn't. Meanwhile, Maryland Governor Wes Moore (a
"Blue") just barred the state's cops from 287(g) partnerships with ICE. Its officers will no
longer help enforce immigration laws. Ditto, New Mexico, whose Governor (also a "Blue") signed a
similar measure two weeks ago. Related posts
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2/17/26 Bursts of gunfire upended a hockey game between
high-school teams at a Pawtucket, R.I. arena. Officials say that the father of a high-school
senior burst into the venue and shot five family members, killing the youth's mother, fatally
wounding the youth's sister, and leaving three other family members in critical condition. He
then committed suicide. A December, 2025 shooting at nearby Brown University took two lives and
wounded nine. Related posts
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2/16/26 A deadlocked jury ended the trial of former
Whittier, CA detective Salvador Murillo. In 2020 the driver of a vehicle connected with a
robbery backed his car - it now seems, accidentally - into a vehicle occupied by Murillo and his
partner, Det. Cynthia Lopez. Both ultimately fired on the driver. As it turns out, the man,
Nicholas Carrillo, was unarmed and unconnected with the robbery. But Murillo's shots struck
Carrillo in the back and permanently crippled him. Assault charges were filed against both
officers. Those against Ms. Lopez were dismissed last year. Whether Murillo will be retried
hasn't been decided.
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