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12/2/25 In 2022 Baltimore man Jason Billingsley gained early
release from a prison sentence for a 2013 rape. One year later he committed another rape, then
murdered his victim. A few days later, Billingsley, who was employed as a maintenance worker for a local
property management firm, used a ruse to enter one of their apartments. He raped the female tenant,
assaulted her husband, then set both on fire. They sued Billingsley's employer for failing to check his
background when he was hired. A civil jury agreed that the firm's hiring practices were indeed negligent.
They just awarded the couple $21.5 million.
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12/1/25 Four persons, including three children ages 8, 9 and 14, were
killed and fifteen others were wounded by a lone gunman who opened fire during a large
birthday gathering at a Stockton, CA banquet hall. Witnesses said that the shooter, who remains
unidentified and is on the loose, was of medium height and wearing "black pants". According to police, he
apparently targeted the event. His motive, if known, has not been released.
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Although he
is schizophrenic and has "over seventy" prior arrests, 50-year old Chicago man Lawrence Reed was
nonetheless released in August after being arrested for aggravated battery. His victim was a social worker
at the psychiatric clinic where Reed was getting outpatient treatment. According to the judge, prosecutors
didn't prove that electronic monitoring wouldn't do the job. That "proof" is now indisputably in. On the
evening of November 17, Reed poured gasoline on a 26-year old commuter train passenger and set her on fire.
Bethany McGee was severely burned. Thankfully, she survived.
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Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the former Afghan soldier who ambushed two members of the National Guard
as they patrolled D.C., was the subject of repeated email warnings sent to the the U.S. Committee for
Refugees and Immigrants last year. In these, a person who knew the refugee warned that his behavior was
extremely erratic and worrysome. Lakanwal chronically abused his wife and children. He also went through
“periods of dark isolation and reckless travel,” repeatedly driving cross-country without any clear purpose.
Lakanwal, the writer suggested, seemed likely to commit suicide.
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Three innocents killed in two months. That was the February-March 2025 toll of police pursuits
in Prince George's County, MD. In each case, the tragic end was produced by a motorist fleeing from a
traffic stop. And now "Zoey's" law - named after one of the victims, a three-year old - intends to put the
brakes on the carnage. Pursuits will need reasonable suspicion that a fleeing person committed or attempted
to commit one of a number of crimes. Officers must watch their speed and cannot simply blow through
intersections. And lights and sirens must be activated throughout.
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Another day,
another pardon. This time, President Trump's blessings are being bestowed on former Honduran president
Juan Orlando Hernandez. Last year a U.S. Federal court jury convicted Hernandez of pocketing "millions in
bribes" in exchange for helping the Sinaloa cartel smuggle hundreds of tons of cocaine into the U.S. His
45-year prison term went along with the life sentences already handed out to his brother and a helper. But a
Trump associate complained that Mr. Hernandez was "trapped" in a nasty scheme hatched by the Biden
Administration. President Trump
apparently agrees. In his view, Mr. Hernandez was treated "very harshly and unfairly." Not so, says a
former D.E.A. agent who worked on the case. He called the pardon "lunacy."
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11/28/25 Spec. Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two Army National Guard members who were ambushed while on foot
patrol in D.C., has died from her wounds. Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is at this writing still clinging to life.
Their assailant, 29-year old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a resident of Bellingham, Washington, fired on them with
a .357 cal. Smith & Wesson revolver. A former Afghan paramilitary, Lakanwal fought alongside U.S.
troops in support of America's withdrawal. According to a childhood friend, Lakanwal had developed "mental
health issues" because of the bloodshed. He emigrated to the U.S. in September 2021 and was reportedly
granted asylum in April.
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Newark PD's two-decades-long history of DOJ slap-
downs just came to a peaceable end. On motion of the Feds, the New Jersey U.S. District Court terminated
a consent decree that NPD entered into in 2016 over (among other things) its officers' use of excessive
force while conducting stops, searches and arrests. Praising NPD's reforms, DOJ's Civil Rights Division
said it looks forward to "the continued, effective policing of the City — in a constitutional manner — to
protect all Americans from crime.”
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Since its inception three months ago, the Fed's push into Memphis has yielded over 2,800 arrests
and 28,000 traffic tickets. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (a "Red") welcomed President Trump's move to flood the
crime-beset city with Federal agents and National Guard troops. Indeed, their presence led to the seizure
of numerous guns and the arrest of many wanted persons. But some citizens resented the intrusion. It also
imposed great burdens on local courts and jails, which lacked sufficient staff and resources to handle
the output. Related posts
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"Over" $63 million bucks. That's how much a 42-year old woman
entrepreneur was ordered to recompense the U.S. Treasury for the funds she stole from the PPP program by
submitting false payroll, tax and bank records on behalf of numerous clients. That scheme, which
Stephanie Hockridge (aka Reis) perpetrated with the help of many co-conspirators, also got her a ten-year
prison sentence.
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11/26/25
Two-hundred fifty million bucks. That's what the Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention
Initiative got last year. But Federal indulgence of neighborhood violence prevention projects is no more.
Under the new Administration, funds previously expended on "street outreach, hospital-based interventions,
and violence interrupters" are being redirected to law enforcement. That's brought on a great deal of
consternation from the "Blues," who insist that these programs helped bring down gun violence. Natch, the
"Reds" disagree.
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He's nineteen. And he just got 65 years. That's the sentence handed down by a Texas jury to 19-year
old Luke Garrett Resecker, whose pickup truck crashed head-on into a minivan two years ago. Six of its seven
occupants, ages nine to sixty, were killed; the lone survivor was paralyzed. Resecker's 17-year old passenger
suffered a brain injury and became mentally impaired. Resecker had THC in his system, and Troopers recovered
THC wax, a vape pen, and marijuana from his vehicle. Recreational pot was (and remains) illegal in Texas.
Related post
Users can become addicted to marijuana. Its daily use "has become a defining — and often invisible — part
of many people’s lives." That ranges from youngsters to a 75-year old man whose body has come to insist that he
toke up each morning. Modern-day pot is far more potent, and even casual use can have profound, negative
effects on memory and sleep. A foggy brain becomes "the new normal." And while THC and CBD are sometimes
prescribed for anxiety and depression, they can easily make things worse. A physician who specializes in such
things cautions that "for most people, the risks outweigh the benefits."
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11/25/25
Just arriving on market, Glock's "Series V" pistols replace its highly popular old line of 9mm. pistols,
which proved easy to convert to full-auto fire with widely available drop-in "auto sears." But according to the "Concealed Carry" website, a like, easily-installed modification
is already being marketed for the new guns.
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Ruling
that the prosecutor was illegally appointed, a Federal judge dismissed the indictment of former FBI
Director James Comey. A well-known nemesis of President Trump, Comey was recently indicted, at the President's
urging, of lying to
Congress when he testified before the Senate in 2020 about Trump's alleged solicitation of Russia's help in
his 2016 campaign. Trump fired Comey, who was then FBI Director, the next year. Comey is also known for
downplaying Hillary Clinton's use of a
private mail server when she served as Secretary of State for President Obama. Related posts
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A chase of a stolen car ended in a horrific crash that took the lives of
Alhambra, Calif. police officer Alec Sanders and a female passenger in the vehicle being pursued. Its driver,
Steven Zapata, 27, was also injured. He faces second-degree murder charges. Officer Sanders, 28, was recently
hired by Alhambra after serving with another agency.
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11/24/25 “It’s not right! This is not right!” That's the reaction of
the grandmother of Ta'Kiya Young, a pregnant, 21-year old woman, to the exoneration of Blendon Township officer
Connor Grubb. In August 2023 he and a partner were trying to corral Ms. Young, an alleged shoplifter, and
officer Grubb opened fire when the uncooperative suspect nudged her vehicle into his torso. Officer Grubb was
charged with murder, manslaughter and official misconduct. But a jury just acquitted him of everything. And the
judge said he was free to leave.
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Eurie Martin was behaving oddly. And he wouldn't comply with orders.
So the deputies tasered him "at least 15 times." But the mentally troubled 56-year old man had a weakened heart.
According to the coroner, the cause of his death was homicide. That tragic event, which happened in 2017, led
to the firing of Georgia deputies Henry Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott. And to their prosecution for
murder, aggravated assault and lesser charges. After two trials, each has been cleared of the felonies. Jurors,
though, hung on the misdemeanors against Copeland and Howell. So for them, a third round is possible.
Related post
In
yet another repudiation of a forerunner's work, L.A.D.A. Nathan Hochman, a proud backer of police, asked
that charges be dropped against two former Torrance cops accused of manslaughter. Matthew Concannon and Anthony
Chavez were indicted in 2023 at the behest of former D.A. George Gascon, who came to office promising to crack
down on rogue cops. But that was after the prior D.A., Jackie Lacey, had ruled that the December 2018 shooting
of Christopher Deandre Mitchell, who was sitting in a stolen car, was justified because, among other things,
his air rifle looked like the real thing. Related posts
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Chicago youths
are beset by lethal gunplay. An evening "brawl" outside a noted theatre devolved into a shooting that left
seven youths ages 13 to 17 wounded. Spent 9mm. cartridges littered the sidewalk. An hour later officers ran
across an 18-year old man and a 14-year old youth lying on the street. Both had been shot. The younger victim
later died from his wounds. Expended 9mm. shells were again found. Mayor Brandon Johnson called these episodes a
"setback...that makes us all feel unsafe." Both were reportedly connected with a "teen takeover" that social
media posts had announced would follow the city's yearly downtown tree-lighting ceremony. Related posts
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Why has homicide dropped? A deep dive by the Washington Post into five major cities -
Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Indianapolis and Los Angeles - credits much of the improvement to
neighborhood-centered efforts that help poverty-stricken youths keep from getting caught up in the criminal
justice system. Say, "YEAH Philly," a Philadelphia group that offers young people tutoring and job skills
training (and, yes, even groceries.) And in Indianapolis, "Indy Peace," a city-funded organization that works
with police to provide services to youths who seem most at risk of turning to violence. In one example, they
helped a 21-year old who had been wounded in a street shooting renew his driver license (it had been suspended.)
Related post
11/21/25 Your license plate is no secret to the Border Patrol. An AP
investigation reveals that immigration authorities analyze information from license plate readers with computer
algorithms that use vehicle origins, routes and destinations to identify those most likely to be transporting
illegal immigrants. License plate information is gathered from a nationwide system of readers maintained by the
DEA and from readers deployed by private firms and law enforcement agencies that get Federal funds. And when a
target is identified, the Feds may ask police to stop the vehicle, which can be done on a pretext, say, for
speed or an equipment violation.
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DOJ is suing California over its enactment of a law that generally prohibits all law
enforcement officers, local, State and Federal, of wearing facial coverings that disguise their identity.
According to DOJ, "an unprecedent wave of harassment, doxxing, and even violence" has placed Federal law
enforcement agents and their families at special risk. A no-mask rule not only makes their situation worse but
also "chills the enforcement of federal law." California law (SB 627)
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An Atlanta-area police chief was arrested by State agents for allegedly using license plate
readers to harass residents. Michael Steffman, 49, who had served as police chief in Braselton (pop. 17,000)
since April, is charged with "stalking, harassing communications, misuse of automated license
plate recognition systems and violating his oath as a public officer." He resigned shortly before his arrest.
Related post
11/20/25 In the "Golden" State, repeat drunk drivers continue to take their
despicable human toll. On Tuesday morning, November 18, a 13-year old pedestrian was struck and killed by a
pickup truck as he stood on a "safety island" on his way to school. Bradley Gene Funk, 59, fled but was soon
arrested. He is reportedly on probation for two prior DUI's. Funk now faces murder charges. And yet another DUI.
(See 11/19 update.) Dangerous traffic scofflaws aren't just California's problem. In New York City, a well-known wig maker was
sentenced to three to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for killing a woman and her two
daughters. Miriam Yarimi, who had amassed "more than $12,000" in fines for recklessness and speeding, was
driving on a suspended license when she blew through a red light in March and collided with the victims' car.
Her victims' lawyer was outraged at her sentence. “I think this doesn’t send any message at all, other than a
lenient message.”
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Another day, another domestic massacre. In Baldwin Park, a Los Angeles
suburb, a 31-year old man burst into the residence of his estranged wife and her parents. Qihao Jin opened
fire, killing the couple, both 61, and critically wounding a 10-year old girl. He fled the scene, then
committed suicide.
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Seven years ago, DOJ slapped down New Orleans cops with a massive report that upbraided them for making
unwarranted stops and arrests, using excessive force, and demonstrating bias against women and minorities.
New Orleans P.D. entered into a consent decree and submitted to monitoring by DOJ's Civil Rights Division. That
supervision has just ended. According to DOJ, it's this year's seventh successful termination of a local police
consent decree.
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11/19/25 Mothers Against Drunk Drivers was founded by a California woman whose daughter was run over and
killed by a drunk motorist. It was Clarence Bush's
fifth drunk driving arrest in four years. And his second in two days. Busch served nine
months in jail. Five years later, the 51-year old man turned left on a red light, causing an accident that injured
another motorist. And yes, he was drunk. Throughout, Busch kept getting his driver licenses back. And he's not
the prime example of California's lenient posture towards drunk drivers. Consider the woman who, according to
Governing, collected fifteen DUI's. And kept driving.
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An expansive application of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law has made Jacksonville "No. 1" among large
cities in the proportion of homicides by civilians during 2021-2024 deemed justifiable. Many took place in
lower-income, high-crime areas where citizens are distrustful of police and fear for their own safety should they
cooperate. According to a criminologist, SYG laws are a handy way for agencies to dump "difficult-to-prosecute
cases, cases that weren’t a lead-pipe cinch to get a conviction.” And as the Wall Street Journal points
out, invoking SYG can also help lower violent crime rates because justifiable homicides aren't included.
Related post
Chicago violence continues.
Around midnight Monday, Nov. 17 three "gunmen" exited an SUV in the city's needy South Lawn neighborhood
(poverty 22% v. 17% citywide) and opened fire on a "crowd" awaiting a bus. A 54-year old woman was struck in
the chest. She's reportedly in "fair condition." So far, no explanations or arrests.
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11/18/25 Indiana is an SYG State. According to 62-year old Curt Andersen, that's the law he
turned to when a pair of strangers created "a commotion" at his front door. Alas, the round he fired through the
door struck and killed Maria De Velasquez, a 32-year old housecleaner. She and her husband were on their daily
routine but had accidentally gone to the wrong house. According to the D.A., Mr. Anderson didn't have sufficient
cause under the law to open fire. He's been charged with felony voluntary manslaughter. It carries up to a 30-
year penalty.
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Nineteen-point-one million. That's what the L.A.-area city of Baldwin Park will pay 56-
year old Daniel Saldana to recompense him for needlessly serving three decades in prison. Prosecutors conceded in
2023 that a former detective had pressured witnesses to identify Saldana, who was a passenger in the vehicle
occupied by the shooter, as being the one who fired the rounds that wounded two teens. But the witnesses
ultimately stepped up and recanted, and the real shooter has been arrested.
National Registry account
Related post
11/17/25 "I don't know what snapped in him today." That's what a neighbor said about a 22-year old man
who opened fire on law enforcement officers responding to a domestic disturbance call at a rural Kansas home.
Three Sheriff's deputies, a Highway Patrol officer and the shooter's grandfather were wounded. All are expected
to recover. Their assailant - the neighbor's husband described him as "a good kid" - was shot dead. Gun ownership
and hunting are reportedly commonplace in the area.
Related post
Neither video surveillance nor gunshot
detection technology (GDT), alone or in combination, were found to have a positive effect on clearance rates
of Chicago shootings. It might be that the frequency of these events overwhelms the police response. However,
when the city's "Strategic Decision Support Centers" get involved, their personnel, who integrate video
surveillance and GDT into a broadscale crime analysis effort, can help inform and deploy officers in ways that
seem to benefit case clearances.
Related post
In the latest immigration sweep, ICE and Border Patrol agents have swarmed into Charlotte, N.C. and are
arresting alleged illegal aliens across the city. Their presence is being heavily criticized by citizens and
local officials, and city police deny any involvement. However, Charlotte has long been on the Federal radar. A
2009 Police Issues essay noted that
Charlotte police "partner with ICE to combat violent Central American gangs." And a 2016 essay quoted a speech in Charlotte by then-candidate Trump that
promised a “New Deal for Black America.”
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One rioter, two
pardons. Daniel Edwin Wilson played a substantial and seemingly violent role in the storming of the Capitol.
But the mass pardon didn't free him. That's because when the Feds searched his home over the Jan. 6 affair they
found guns and ammo. Wilson, they knew, was a thrice-convicted felon, so he was Federally charged (and convicted)
of being an ex-con with a gun, as well. A judge refused to agree that his pardon covered that, too, and Wilson
was returned to prison to serve his separate five-year stint. But President Trump just pardoned him of the gun
charge. Wilson is now truly a free man.
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11/14/25 Memphis officials credit their city's steep crime drop to the surge of State and Federal agents that
accompanied Trump's recent intrusion. More than 2,000 criminals have been arrested, and many outstanding warrants
have been served. But some residents and city employees nonetheless resent the "invasion" and complain that
Black and Latino motorists have been singled out for especially harsh treatment. Related posts
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Youths who
reside in San Francisco's crime-beset Tenderloin district are the focus of a privately-funded effort that
will offer them activities in a "safe refuge" along with educational, job and mental health counseling. Three
local "stories" - of one youth who overdosed, another who was shot, and a third who became a cop - figured
prominently in the program's creation.
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