CNN - 2 teenagers were charged with attempted homicide Saturday in Pittsburgh, a day after allegedly opening fire in front of a church where a funeral was taking place, injuring 6 people.
The shooting erupted Friday outside Pittsburgh’s Destiny of Faith Church. 5 people were shot & 1 person was injured while trying to escape from the scene.
Pittsburgh police arrested 19-year-old Shawn Davis & 16-year-old Hezekiah Nixon. Davis & Nixon are being held at the Alleghany County Jail, police said.
Both individuals were also charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault & firearms charges.
Police were alerted to 2 ShotSpotter activations shortly after noon Friday. The first alert indicated 5 rounds shot & the second alert indicated 15 rounds shot, Ford said. Once at the scene, responding officers determined the gunfire was heard outside the church. It’s believed at least some of the people shot were attending the funeral.
Pittsburgh Police Commander Richard Ford said the incident appeared to be “obviously a result of a targeted shooting.”
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A man has been charged with murder in the death of a 9-year-old girl who was shot when fights broke out in the courtyard of an apartment complex in New Jersey’s capital city.
Isiah Roberts, 19, of Trenton, also faces two counts of aggravated assault and two weapons offenses, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday. It wasn’t known if he’s retained an attorney.
The shooting occurred around 7:30 p.m. Friday in the courtyard of the Kingsbury Square apartments in Trenton. Police responding to reports of fights and possible shots fired there found the victim, Sequoya Bacon-Jones, who had been shot once. She was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead there a short time later.
Authorities have said they don’t think the child was the intended target, but the investigation is ongoing. It’s also not clear if the shooting was related to the fight.
"The Root of All Happiness" is a new visual from Barry MARZ off of his forthcoming album titled "HAPPY," which drops on March 19.
"In the album, I detail my overall positive outlook on the positive and negative events that have occurred in my life recently," Barry says. "Each song details a numerous amount of events in an artistic way, with hopes of teaching people that it’s ok to be positive and happy."
"The Root of All Happiness" was directed by Momma Marzy
A monthlong mission in Ohio recently turned up 45 missing children and led to 179 arrests, authorities said.
In an operation dubbed Autumn Hope, the US Marshals Service in Ohio and Virginia tracked the children, including a “high-risk” 15-year-old girl from Cleveland who was linked to suspected human trafficking, authorities said Monday.
Twenty other children were also located as authorities checked on their well-being.
During one of the missing children recoveries, a loaded gun was recovered. A 15-year-old boy had two warrants and is suspected in multiple shootings and a murder, authorities said.
Two other juveniles were found in West Virginia during a traffic stop, leading to the arrest of an adult male who was charged with concealment/removal of a minor child in Jackson County.
Autumn Hope was conducted by the marshals in conjunction with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and state and local agencies in Ohio.
“My thanks to all personnel who have stepped up for this operation,” said Peter C. Tobin, US Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio. “These are the same personnel who hunt down violent fugitives every day. I’m incredibly proud of them and pleased that they were able to apply those same skills to finding missing children. I know Operation Autumn Hope has made a difference in a lot of young lives.”
The US Marshals have conducted similar operations before, including in Ohio.
Last month, they said 35 missing children, between the ages of 13 and 18 from the Cuyahoga County area, were located during Operation Safety Net. Just over 20 percent of the found cases were tied to human trafficking.
That same month, the marshals also announced the arrest of 262 suspects, including 141 gang members, and the recovery of five missing children in Oklahoma.
Thirty-nine children were found in Georgia during Operation Not Forgotten in August and eight missing kids were recovered in Indiana in September as part of Operation Homecoming.
The marshals have found missing children in 75 percent of cases the agency has received — and 72 percent of those cases were recovered within a week, officials said.
Since 2005, the agency has recovered more than 2,000 missing kids.
Fresh off of the collaborative release of “A Time Called Forever” EP with leeandrewyoung, Barry MARZ spits beautifully crafted lyricism on his new single "We Were Gods," over a self-produced instrumental while imagery aiding the lyrics is shown behind him in the music video for it. Barry touches on many topics while staying true to the theme that in the beginning of time, we were seen and respected as Gods.
Directed By Momma Marzy.
Both "We Were Gods" and "A Time Called Forever" are available on all streaming platforms:
CNN Reports
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- At least 132 people were killed and 520 wounded in twin suicide car bombings in central Baghdad Sunday, officials said -- the deadliest attack on civilians in Iraq this year.
Two car bombs detonated in quick succession near Iraqi government buildings about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, as the Iraqi work week began, an Interior Ministry official said.
Among the wounded were three American security contractors, the U.S. Embassy told CNN. The embassy would not give any more details.
One of the bombs exploded outside Baghdad's governorate building. The second was outside the Justice Ministry, about 500 meters (1,600 feet) away. The Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, which is about 50 meters from the Justice Ministry, also sustained severe damage.
Plumes of smoke billowed from the sites of the attacks as victims fled, some with blood streaming down their faces. The streets were strewn with debris, including charred cars and chunks of concrete from damaged buildings. Some government buildings and others in the area were heavily damaged.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki surveyed the carnage shortly after the explosions.
"The cowardly attack that took place today should not affect the determination of the Iraqi people from continuing their battle against the deposed regime and the gangs of criminal Baath party and the terrorist al Qaeda organization, who have committed the most heinous crimes against the civilians,'" al-Maliki said in a statement.
President Obama condemned the bombings as "outrageous attacks against the Iraqi people."
In a White House statement, Obama called the bombings an attempt to "derail Iraq's progress" and pledged that the United States would be a "close friend and partner" as Iraq prepares for elections in early 2010.
According to the statement, Obama spoke Sunday with al-Maliki and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to express his condolences and reiterate U.S. support.
The bombings came a day after the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, visited the country for the first time, and on the same day Iraqi officials were due to try to break a logjam holding up a new election law. Iraqis are supposed to go to the polls January 16, but parliament still has not passed the legislation, putting the balloting in limbo. The original deadline for parliament to pass the law was October 15, because Iraq's electoral commission says it needs 90 days to organize the process.
Iraq's parliament failed Wednesday to reach agreement on a new electoral law, so the issue was supposed go to the Political Council for National Security on Sunday. It is not clear if the bombings will derail the political council's discussions.
Al-Maliki vowed to punish "the enemies of the Iraqi people who want to spread chaos in the country and derail the political process and prevent the parliamentary elections from taking place as planned" in January.
He said holding the elections as scheduled would send the strongest response and message to the "enemies of the political process who are supported from the outside."
Susan Rice, the ambassador, completed a two-day visit to Iraq on Saturday that included a condolence stop at the Foreign Ministry, where a huge bombing killed more than 100 in August.
Security was tightened around Baghdad in the wake of the August 19 attack, which Iraqis dubbed "Bloody Wednesday." Blast walls were erected around the city and more checkpoints were set up.
Iraqi journalists grilled officials on TV on Sunday, demanding to know how the new attacks could have taken place given the new security measures.
An Iraqi official said the government was working to bolster security, but regional cooperation was needed to help fight suicide bombers.
"We are calling on international and U.N. envoys to come and find out why Iraq is being targeted this way," said Ali al-Dabbagh, the Iraqi government spokesman.
The spokesman said Iraq's setbacks are mainly caused by a fledgling intelligence that has "not been completed."
The European Union condemned "this terrorist attack" and sent its condolences to the families of the victims, the Swedish presidency said in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry, near the site of Sunday's blasts, was one of six places attacked on August 19. That day's attacks killed at least 100 people and wounded hundreds more. The area is close to the heavily guarded Green Zone that also houses the U.S. Embassy.
The August attacks shook confidence in the abilities of Iraqi security forces who took over securing urban areas from U.S. troops over the summer.
The Iraqi government has blamed Syria for harboring former Baath party members, who it said planned the August attacks, and asked for their handover.
Relations between the two neighbors were strained after the bombings. Each withdrew its ambassador from the other's country.
Security in the capital was tightened after the August bombings, and a decision to normalize the situation in Baghdad by taking down blast walls was reversed and checkpoints increased.
Iraqi and U.S. officials have warned of a possible increase in violence ahead of the country's national elections.
Read more…
Prisoners in police cells will be asked to fill in questionnaires with 41 questions about issues such as comfort and quality of food
DailyMail Reports
It was once considered something of a punishment.
But a night in the cells is now followed by a 'customer satisfaction' survey, with those detained in custody asked to rate the 'services' on offer behind bars.
The hotel-style questionnaire asks their views on the brightness of the cells and the quality of the food on offer.
The survey will be given to 1,000 detainees as part of a pilot scheme by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. Detainees will be invited to judge the quality of a variety of aspects of their incarceration, including the food, how 'safe' they felt, cleanliness, lighting and air temperature, and the provision of towels.
The questionnaire begins by stating: 'Devon & Cornwall are committed to providing the best possible service to people who are detained in custody.
'We would be grateful if you could complete the following survey and return it to the custody centre.'
Recipients of the questionnaire are asked a total of 41 questions, the results of which will eventually be entered into a database for analysis by senior officers.
One officer in the force, who did not wish to be named, said: 'It is a bit rich really. These people are in the cell for a reason, it's not like
they've come here on holiday. They are starting to treat the emergency cell buzzer like a room service hotline.'
He added: 'We are getting asked all sorts - to get them celebrity magazines, to put aircon on, to bring them a salad. It's not funny after a while.'
But Chief Inspector Ivan Trethewey, the force's head of custody, who is behind the project, told Police Review magazine yesterday: 'It does not mean we will be providing steak dinners as a result. There could be some valuable learning points, however.
'I wanted a reality check: what I think the service is that we are providing versus what detainees tell us we are giving them.'
The survey is being given to those currently in custody across the force and posted to others detained in June and July.
Dave James, secretary of Devon and Cornwall Police Federation, said: 'You would not get a questionnaire that detailed in a Holiday Inn.
'However, if it is being done as a one-off to identify best practice and to enable people to learn from areas of concern, I can understand it.'
Chief Inspector Trethewey said the scheme, which started on August 1, would cost 'a couple of hundred pounds at most'.
Superintendent Chris Brown, head of the force's criminal justice unit, said: 'We must also be mindful that not all those in our custody are charged with a crime, and indeed for some the custody centre is used as a place where members of the public, not guilty of any crime, can be assessed under the Mental Health Act.'
But Tory MP and former prisons minister Ann Widdecombe - who moved to Devon last year - added: 'This is a nonsense. If cells are not cleaned properly then you know they will be dirty.
'You don't need a prisoner to tell you that - or anything else for that matter.'
The questions in full:
Q1 What Police station were you held at recently?
Q2 How old are you?
Q3 Are you? Male/Female
Q4 Have you ever been held in police custody before?
Q5 How long were you held at the police station?
Q6 Were you given information about your arrest and your entitlements when you arrived there?
Q7 Were you told about the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Codes of Practice (the rule book)?
Q8 If your clothes were taken away, were you offered different clothing to wear?
Q9 If you used the toilet, were the following things provided on request? Toilet paper/Sanitary wear/soap/water/towel
Q10 How would you rate the condition of your cell for Cleanliness/ Ventilation/ Temperature/ Lighting
Q11 Did staff explain to you the correct use of the bell/buzzer?
Q12 If you were held over night, were you given bedding?
Q13 If you requested a shower, was this allowed?
Q14 If you requested outside exercise was this provided?
Q15 Were you offered anything to eat or drink?
Q16 Was the food/drink suitable for your dietary requirements?
Q17 If requested were you given reading material?
Q18 Was someone informed of your arrest?
Q19 If requesting a phone call, was this allowed?
Q20 If you were denied a free phone call, was a reason for this given?
Q21 Do you think you were treated fairly?
Q22 Were you interviewed by police officials about your case?
Q23 Were you kept updated as to the progress of your stay in custody?
Q24 How long did you have to wait for your solicitor to attend?
Q25 Were you officially charged?
Q26 Did you feel safe in the Custody Suite?
Q27 Were you handcuffed or restrained whilst in the custody suite?
Q28 Were you told how to make a complaint about your treatment, if you needed to?
Q29 Do you have any other comments to add about safety in the custody suite?
Q30 When you were in police custody were you on any medication?
Q31 Were you able to continue taking your medication whilst there?
Q32 Did someone explain your entitlement to see a health care professional, if required?
Q33 Were you seen by any of the following healthcare professionals during your time there? Doctor/Nurse/Paramedic/Psychiatrist
Q34 If requested were you able to see a healthcare professional of your own gender?
Q35 Did you have any drug or alcohol problems during your time in custody?
Q36 Did you see, or were you offered the chance to see a drug or alcohol worker?
Q37 Were you offered relief or medication for your immediate symptoms?
Q38 Please rate the quality of your healthcare whilst in police custody - Very good, good, bad, very bad.
Q39 Did you have any specific physical healthcare needs?
Q40 Did you have any specific mental healthcare needs?
Q41 Do you have any other comments to add about your time in police custody?
Read more…
HipHopWired Reports
Chicago rapper Kanye West has had one of his music videos turned into a short film and is set to be released in September on iTunes.
Spike Jonze, who was also responsible for the “Flashing Lights” video will be the manpower behind the film titled, We Were Once A Fairytale. Originally the film was set to be the music video for West's single, “See You In My Nightmare” featuring Lil Wayne off his last album, 808s and Heartbreak. The 15-minute short has already premiered as it was featured at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June. According to Jonze, the film was made in the course of 24 hours.
The actual story shows Kanye playing himself, which is more character than any role he could be given, in a club drunk basically boasting about how great he is. He engages a woman whom he later has sex with before passing out. When he comes to, he realizes that the woman was actually a hallucination and he was actually getting it in with a pillow.
As with the “Flashing Lights” video, it does become weird, or creative, as he goes to vomit and rose petals come out. While in the restroom, West finds a knife and digs into his stomach which revealed more petals and as he digs deeps he uses his hands to pull out a rodent that has resemblance to a demon. Realizing the demon is attached to him through an umbilical cord, he rips the two apart then hands the demon the knife who then stabs itself through the stomach.
Yea, that's some trippy shit.
Read more…
Former Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam artist Tru Life turned himself in to authorities last night (June 23) to face a charge of 1st degree murder, according to reports.
The charge is possibly tied to a brutal stabbing incident last week that left one man seriously injured, and an 18-year old teen dead.
As reported by AllHipHop.com, police were initially investigating Tru Life’s brother for a retaliation attack in the non-fatal shooting of Michael Slater.
The individual, whom police suspect is a drug dealer, was shot in the stomach outside of club Pacha.
Several hours after the crime, police claim five gang members ambushed 30 year old Jason Black and the teen at a Manhattan apartment complex.
Both men were stabbed repeatedly in the chest and face. Black survived the assault, while the unidentified teen succumbed to his wounds.
At the time, police theorized that the back and forth violence was the result of a feud between Jason Black and Tru Life’s brother.
1st degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life in prison under New York law.
If an official or witness is not the victim, the distinction can also be decreed for murders involving multiple parties or tortuous killings.
Tru Life’s last music effort, “Wet ‘em Up,” was heard as a selection on the soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto IV.
At press time, Tru Life could not be reached for comment.
Source : ALLHIPHOPRead more…
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