Battleground Virginia: Romney and Obama woo military veterans (+video)
Mitt Romney and President Obama stormed through the key battleground state of Virginia Thursday with their eyes on a politically prized group of voters: veterans. Mr. Romney, the GOP’s presidential nominee, gave a speech to some 200 people at an American Legion post in Springfield, Va., a city that…
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A Massachusetts man has been charged with assault and battery and four counts each of assault with a dangerous weapon, a civil rights violation, and assault with the intent to intimidate based on race after he allegedly tried to run over a group of Black children in the wake of a "racially charged" playground fight with a group of white children, KIRO7 reports.
Police responded to the incident on April 10, when someone called 9-11 saying Shane Belleville, 36, tried to run over him and a group of friends over.
"I was extremely dismayed to learn the details of this incident, from the children being racially divisive toward each other to the abhorrent behavior and alleged hate crimes committed by the suspect in this case," Holbrook police Chief William Smith said in a statement. "This type of behavior has no place in our community, and I am calling for our community members in Holbrook to come together to recognize the gravity of what took place in our town."
Police say the incident began that afternoon with an argument between two children, ages 7 and 8, on a school playground.
"The incident escalated, with racial epithets being used, and the altercation became physical, though no serious injuries were reported," police officials said. "At one point, one of the juveniles called a relative and asked a man, later identified as Belleville, to come assist them."
Belleville reportedly arrived after the dispute settled down. When a group of Black children were leaving the scene, he allegedly drove his truck onto the paved path and confronted them, resulting in shouting match where a teenage girl allegedly spat on him, prompting to retaliate by slapping her in the face. He then allegedly got back in his truck and drove in reverse towards the group, spewing racial epithets in the process.
He was arrested five days later. He was later released from jail after posting $750 bail.
An Asian father was punched by a random stranger in a New York City racist assault.
The 33-year-old victim was driving with his children in Lower Manhattan on Saturday evening when he stopped the car for his son who had become ill, police told the New York Post.
Another man jumped out of his own vehicle and approached the man, whom he slurred as a "dumb f*cking ch*nk" and told to move his car.
The assailant then punched the father and his vehicle window, according to police, and then he got into his gray Acura and drove away.
The attack is under investigation as a possible hate crime amid a nationwide spike in violence against Asian-Americans.
The prosecution began their closing statements in the Derek Chauvin trial Monday, prompting legal experts to summarize and explain why it's ok to believe the police and still vote to convict.
"You can believe your eyes that it's a homicide," prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell explained in opening statements.
In the statements, he walked through all of the people encouraging Chauvin to stop, including his own colleagues, who could be overheard on bodycam video asking if they should roll George Floyd on his side.
Chauvin pleaded not guilty to three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges.
See the comments from legal experts responding to the closing argument and including info below:
Prosecutors must lead jurors to water AND make them drink by walking them through statutory elements. You NEVER wa… https://t.co/2ZGs9zrF9H— Laura Coates (@Laura Coates)1618847444.0
"No compassion was shown on that day." "George Floyd needed oxygen that day more than he needed compassion."— Katie S. Phang (@Katie S. Phang)1618843184.0
Prosecution: George Floyd did not get a trial when he was alive & he’s not on trial here.— Joyce Alene (@Joyce Alene)1618844105.0
Graham v. Connor comes up again #DerekChauvinTrial Remember you judge Chauvin’s force not from HIS or bystanders’… https://t.co/6iGlKeLEpR— Laura Coates (@Laura Coates)1618847838.0
Impressed with prosecution’s closing argument here. He methodically uses evidence to show Floyd’s repeated complian… https://t.co/i7NmcMJSZr— Barb McQuade (@Barb McQuade)1618845388.0
"Believe your eyes. You can rely on the experts who testified, too."— Katie S. Phang (@Katie S. Phang)1618845267.0
“Make no mistake, this is not a prosecution of the police. This is a prosecution of the defendant. And there’s noth… https://t.co/dZ766lG1i0— Josh Campbell (@Josh Campbell)1618843690.0
George Floyd’s final words to “Mr. Officer”, as he referred to Chauvin, were, “Please, I can’t breathe.”— Glenn Kirschner (@Glenn Kirschner)1618843142.0
“Mr. Officer” 💔— Preet Bharara (@Preet Bharara)1618843056.0
“A pain compliance technique used without the opportunity to comply is simply the infliction of pain and not an aut… https://t.co/hV8klRa5gu— Laura Coates (@Laura Coates)1618847988.0
#DerekChauvinTrial https://t.co/XfEhRyv6bs— NovEmma (@NovEmma)1618848728.0
Second Degree Murder: Defendant caused Floyd's death. The fact that other causes may have contributed to his death… https://t.co/69JavV470x— Katie S. Phang (@Katie S. Phang)1618845417.0
Name the trial where the jury deliberated during riots & a Congresswoman demanded the jury convict or the riots wou… https://t.co/gQh4AcPuxZ— Robert Barnes (@Robert Barnes)1618719726.0
Prosecution’s reminds the jury about the use of force continuum: Force must be reasonable when it starts. Force mu… https://t.co/DWKW6OBhVO— Laura Coates (@Laura Coates)1618848457.0
Watching closing arguments in the Chauvin case: “Face down on the pavement for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. The paveme… https://t.co/twREBA7ixV— Glenn Kirschner (@Glenn Kirschner)1618843047.0
This is not an anti-police prosecution. This is a pro-police prosecution. Again, his calculation is that a normal… https://t.co/MDxa9pCgL9— Harry Litman (@Harry Litman)1618843870.0
Prosecution brushes off unruly crowd defense, says Chauvin is trying to put the blame on the bystanders for showing… https://t.co/y6o5LSUEe8— Joyce Alene (@Joyce Alene)1618848149.0
Here’s how the prosecutor began his closing arguments: His name was George P. Floyd, Jr. and he was born on Octobe… https://t.co/smi2D6crT1— Laura Coates (@Laura Coates)1618842767.0
#DerekChauvinTrial Prosecution much more comfortable arguing the Third - Degree murder charge than the Second-Degre… https://t.co/AwkqJDEbxq— Shanlon Wu (@Shanlon Wu)1618847971.0
I watch these videos and keep thinking that this was all over an allegedly counterfeit $20 bill.— Asha Rangappa (@Asha Rangappa)1618844707.0
Prosecution just reminded jurors that this all began w/ an alleged counterfeit $20 bill, & asked jury to question w… https://t.co/NVjgCn3O9j— Laura Coates (@Laura Coates)1618848624.0
The prosecutor is doing a really solid job here. not exactly low-key but not swinging for the fences. if anything… https://t.co/5ZyrWIFTzN— Harry Litman (@Harry Litman)1618844508.0
“This is not an anti-police prosecution. This is a pro-police prosecution.” Smart framing.— Asha Rangappa (@Asha Rangappa)1618843920.0
"We don't need to show that the defendant intended to cause George Floyd harm." — Prosecution describing their burden under the law— Adam Klasfeld (@Adam Klasfeld)1618846774.0
Prosecution closes: “This wasn’t policing. This was murder”— Joyce Alene (@Joyce Alene)1618848813.0
It was as if George Floyd's left lung had been surgically removed, that's how much the lung capacity was reduced.— Harry Litman (@Harry Litman)1618845964.0
State has concluded its Closing Argument: “This case is exactly what you thought when you saw it first, when you sa… https://t.co/AXC2eji2oY— Katie S. Phang (@Katie S. Phang)1618849123.0
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