BRUNSWICK, Ga. - The district attorney who recused himself from the case of a black jogger shot and killed by two white men in south Georgia defended the decision not to seek arrests.
Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot and killed in February while out for a jog in a residential neighborhood. The suspects, Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, told police they were pursuing a "burglary suspect" and that Arbery attacked them.
The two were not initially arrested. However, The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to investigate the case after video, taken by a third person, of the killing became public. McMichael and his father now both face charges of murder and aggravated assault.
George E. Barnhill, the elected District Attorney for the Waycross Circuit, recused himself from the case.
On February 23, Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, insisted Barnhill had a conflict of interest. Barnhill said his son works in the Brunswick DA's office that Greg McMichael worked in as an investigator and later retired from.
Barnhill's letter to Glynn County Police has gotten national attention because in it, he justifies the deadly shooting of Arbery, who was unarmed.
The longtime prosecutor wrote, "We do not see grounds for an arrest of any of the three parties."
It goes on to say Travis McMichael, his father Greg McMichael and the man who he says shot the video, Bryan Williams, were following in "hot pursuit of a burglary suspect, with solid first-hand probable cause."
Attorneys for Arbery's family say he was not a burglary suspect, but rather a jogger who was shot down in a modern-day lynching.
"It screams out for investigation," former federal prosecutor Bret Williams told FOX 5.
The former Assistant U.S. Attorney viewed the video and believes it shows the two men with guns as the attackers, not the jogger.
"Are you supposed to just sit down and be executed? If someone shows up to me with a gun and is pursuing me and gets out with a gun...and I am now at fault because I tried to resist that attack?" Williams told FOX 5.
D.A. Barnhill writes that the video in real-time shows Mr. Arbery "attack" Travis McMichael, but the former federal prosecutor said he disagrees with district attorney's conclusion.
The GBI began investigating the high profile case this week. Director Vic Reynolds has asked for patience as his agency puts fresh eyes on the case.
On this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down Grammy-winning producer, rapper, and very close friend of Kweli -- 88-Keys. In this comprehensive discussion, we get to hear the timeline of how 88 carved out his niche in the game, becoming one of the most sought after hip-hop producers in the industry. The trio discusses 88's upbringing in the Bronx, New York, and move to Long Island, where he attended high school. The producer/rapper details the huge influence that the Native Tongues movement had on him with groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul deeply inspiring his love for hip-hop culture. He talks about how he met record dealer John Carrero, who gave him his first job cleaning records, and eventually became the ear to find all the best beats for sampling -- which John would then market at record shows to legends like Q-Tip, Pete Rock, Large Professor, and others. This would lead to 88 meeting Q-Tip who showed him how to work a beat machine. 88 also gets into the difference between looping and chopping when making beats, his production on Black Star's 'Thieves In The Night', his methods and motivations for sending his works out as demos, and the importance of trusting your ears.
Later, 88 speaks on his long-time friendship with Kanye West, how they met and started hanging out on a daily basis. Talib and 88 also discuss their shared unflinching loyalty to Kanye, despite all the controversy that surrounds him, and perspectives on how much his intentions should matter. 88 also touches on the concept for his album 'The Death of Adam,' as well as his love of Ralph Lauren clothing and his habit of leaving the house geared up with Polo from head to toe for decades. In closing, 88 reflects on his friendship with Mac Miller, details how they met, and Talib asks 88 for his take on the most important drum machine to master for the producers of tomorrow who aspire to put their own stamps on the culture.
TIME STAMPS:
2:50 -- 88 talks about his parents originally being from Cameroon, and growing up in the 80's in the Bronx, New York, then moving to Long Island. He speaks on hiding his African ancestry to not be targeted by bullies, until he learned to embrace it, hating being forced to go to Catholic school mainly due to the uniform he had to wear, and begging his parents to let him go to public school. He also talks about his love of dancing, basically whenever, wherever he hears a beat.
12:08 -- The trio discuss how Long Island has always been under-represented in hip hop, regardless of all the legends that hailed from there. 88 gives his take on why Long island never gets its due props as one of the epicenters of hip hop. They discuss how De La Soul really went out of their way to put the Long Island lifestyle on display. 88 talks about getting made fun of for being such a huge fan of their alternative style, and also talks about meeting the group KMD.
19:02 -- 88 lays out all the stepping stones that took him into the music business. At 14 listening to the radio when Roy Ayer's 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' came on, being the song that Brand Nubian sampled for their song 'Wake Up'. He tells the story of how he hunted down a sealed original copy, buying from John Carrero who would give him his first job cleaning records, then later assisting as the ear to find the best records for sampling, that John would end up selling at record shows to all-time greats like Q-Tip, Pete Rock and Large Professor.
28:35 -- 88 details when he first really found his love for hip hop through the Native Tongues movement with groups like De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest using diverse sampling techniques, colorful imagery, and focus on Afrocentricity. He tells the story of how he met Q-Tip at John Carrero's house helping him find records, which then led to John buying a ton of sampling equipment that he gave 88 access to for his beat making journey that made history.
35:00 -- 88 talks about the difference between looping and chopping when making beats, which leads 88-Keys and Kweli to reflect back on creating the classic Black Star song "Thieves In The Night" and the process behind that beat. The story itself, and 88's idea that Kweli and Yasiin were balling, is a funny moment that has to be heard from the Golden Era of hip-hop.
44:38 -- Jasmin asks how 88 demos his beats to potential buyers. He talks about discontinuing the process of shopping beats in the traditional sense, since he's become an established name in the industry. Letting people with open minds be able to approach him based on trust of his abilities to make something great.
48:36 -- Talib brings up Mos Def's ultra-classic album 'Black on Both Sides', which 88 put his fingerprints on with the production of several tracks. They bring up how 88's 'Speed Law' was originally intended to be the lead single until Jermaine Dupree had some harsh words about it, which then led to Rawkus using 'Ms. Fat Booty' as the album's flagship song. They also discuss 88 hanging out at Talib's recording sessions of his album 'Train Of Thought'.
55:32 -- 88-Keys speaks on his long-time friendship with Kanye West, the funny story of how they met in New York, how Kanye introduced himself as a future star, how they became day-in-day-out friends for four years, meeting Donda West (R.I.P.), and how he's one of the few old school friends who's still in daily contact with Yeezy.
1:14:15 -- Talib asks 88 about him sticking by Kanye's side despite all the controversy that surrounds him. 88 explains that Kayne is completely misunderstood, and has always been the same guy since day one. The two also discuss their shared loyalty to Kanye despite all the controversy that surrounds him, and touch on how much his intentions should matter. They also discuss 88's album 'The Death Of Adam' and tells the story of how the concept came about with people's perception of his mixed-race marriage.
1:26:30 -- 88 speaks on his affinity for Polo clothing that he's had since the early 90's. He outlines early on going to the mall and eyeballing all the designer brands but always landing on Ralph Lauren. He also talks about actually getting called in for doing a photo shoot for Polo in 2006 due to his well known 'Lo-Head' status. From that point on he became immersed in the company's catalog and still follows every collection released.
1:39:16 -- 88 reflects on his friendship with Mac Miller, and details the story of how they met, Mac already knowing well who 88 was, being a huge fan of his resume of works. This led to them collaborating on 5 songs together. Talib asks 88 for his take on the most important drum machine to master for all the aspiring producers out there.
San Diego lyricist and New Crack Era artist, Bubu the Prince, drops off a new EP titled "Eye For An Eye." The four-track project was entirely produced by Syer and features Adonis.
Rich the Kid can rap all he wants about how "Money Talks" but one celeb jeweler's wondering why the Kid's gone radio silent when it comes to unpaid jewelry bills ... according to a new lawsuit.
Peter Marco from Extraordinary Jewels of Beverly Hills is suing the "Plug Walk" rapper claiming he owes a whopping $234,800 in unpaid jewelry that includes bracelets and incredibly fancy watches.
According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Marco says he's been doing business with Rich since at least October 2017. RTK ordered diamond necklaces, crosses and even a couple of Patek Philippe watches worth several hundred thousand dollars. And, for a while, Rich did make payments.
In docs, Marco says Rich wired over several payments but they eventually stopped. Even still, RTK continued ordering jewelry and Marco kept delivering ... but the bills kept piling on and Marco claims he wasn't getting paid. So, he's now suing for what he says he's still owed.
Benny the Butcher came through for yet another VladTV interview, and he admitted that his previous interview has been the biggest of his career. Benny went on to speak about not dropping a project since 2019's "The Plugs I Met," and he explained that he's been busy working on a deal with E1. Benny went on to promise that he has a new album in the works and he stated that he thinks Shady Records is probably sorry they didn't sign him.
1. Abstract (Intro) 2. Empire Strikes Back 3. Wakanda 4. Casper 5. Loud Pack 6. Die Tonight 7. Flower Feet 8. Empty Gas Tank 9. Blessings Ft. JayBird 10. Love Story 11. Future Wife
Jay-Z, Meek Mill and others over at Roc Nation are speaking out publicly to demand justice for the slaying of Ahmaud Arbery -- asking for a speedy trial and conviction of his killers.
Jigga, Meek and other Roc Nation artists -- including Alicia Keys and Yo Gotti -- have signed an open letter they're releasing this weekend, which is made out to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia AG Christopher Darr and District Attorney Tom Durden.
It says in no uncertain terms ... try Gregory and Travis McMichael fairly, but swiftly, so that felony convictions can fall on them. Also, they want another man arrested and tried as an accomplice.
The team writes, "By now, we’ve all seen the crime’s disturbing video, so the facts here are not in doubt: He was unarmed and innocent and the victim of a hate crime. Which is why we call upon you today, as official leaders of the Great State of Georgia, and with the entire world watching, to ensure that a fair trial is conducted, as that can only lead to the appropriate felony convictions of both McMichaels. We also implore you to charge William Bryan as an armed accomplice to the crime." Bryan was the guy who filmed the video.
They go on to say that D.A. Durden must recuse himself from the case because of a conflict of interest -- namely, the elder McMichaels is a former cop and they know each other.
The Roc Nation squad also makes a point that the first necessary step for healing has taken place in the arrest of both McMichaels. They say, "We truly appreciate that you have arrested and charged these men with Ahmaud’s murder, and are hopeful that a trial and conviction will show that, in the state that gave us Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and has been the site of the best and worst of the Civil Rights movement, Dr. King’s words do ring true: 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.'"
Last but not least ... the group is asking for a special prosecutor to be assigned in the case. And, they're asking all this be done expeditiously ... as it is an urgent matter.
Eminem has hailed 2Pac as the “greatest songwriter” of all-time in a new interview.
Speaking during his recent three-hour Shade45 radio show special, titled Music To Be Quarantined By, the rapper explained his love of the late rapper as he prepared to play ‘If I Die Tonight’ from 2Pac’s 1995 album ‘Me Against The World.’
He said: “OK, this next song is from an artist who I feel like might be the greatest songwriter of all-time.
“Debate what you want about MC skills and all that, because he had that too. This is one of them songs by 2Pac that, to me, he was showing you, ‘I can write heartfelt shit and I can write lyrical, crazy shit too.’”
Eminem added of the late rap icon: “‘They say pussy and paper is poetry, power and pistols/ Plotting on murdering muthafuckas ‘fore they get you’ – like, the play on the ‘p’ words and all that shit and how he was doing it was so crazy, mixed with the feel that 2Pac could give you, which is constantly why I feel like he was saying, ‘Can you feel me?’ because you felt ‘Pac.
“You can’t just listen to ‘Pac, you feel ‘Pac. If you listen to him, you gonna feel him.”
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Kicks, punches and grunts echoed through the empty arena. Coaches, commentators and camera clicks resonated like never before. Blood, sweat, swollen eyelids and face masks signaled the return of UFC, the first major sporting event to resume since the coronavirus shuttered much of the country for nearly two months.
UFC 249 ushered in a new look for sports, too. One without fans and amid several safety precautions.
It was definitely different — two fighters adjusted their approaches because of what they heard announcers say — and a welcome reprieve for a sports-craved country that went nearly eight weeks with few live events.
“We did this for you, to bring sports back,” fighter Tony Ferguson told fans following his loss in the main event.
Five hours after President Trump congratulated UFC for restarting the sports world, Justin Gaethje stunned heavily favored Ferguson (26-4) in the finale. Gaethje earned a TKO in the fifth and final round of the headliner that was deemed an interim lightweight title bout. It essentially gives Gaethje (22-2) the right to fight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov next. Nurmagomedov was unable to fight this weekend because of travel restrictions.
“I want the real one,” he said as he threw down the interim belt. “There’s no other fight I want right now.”
"You get one life and I'm living a crazy one and it's so awesome. I can't wait for that challenge (fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov) win or lose, don't care, I'm going to give it 100 % that's all I ever do." -@Justin_Gaethje reacts to winning the interim @UFC lightweight belt #UFC249pic.twitter.com/wlRIqCOR00
The stacked card saw 33-year-old Henry Cejudo, with blood gushing from his forehead and running down his chest, defend his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz and then announce his retirement in the middle of the octagon.
The event also included heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou pummeling another opponent, former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy winning for the sixth time in eight fights and former welterweight champion and fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone losing his fourth straight.
Trump grabbed the spotlight early. His taped message was played during ESPN’s broadcast of the undercard.
“I want to congratulate (UFC President) Dana White and the UFC,” Trump said. “They’re going to have a big match. We love it. We think it’s important. Get the sports leagues back. Let’s play. Do the social distancing and whatever else you have to do. We need sports. We want our sports back.”
UFC 249 was originally scheduled for April 18 in New York, but was postponed in hopes of helping slow the spread of COVID-19.
The mixed martial arts behemoth will hold three shows in eight days in Jacksonville, where state officials deemed professional sports with a national audience exempt from a stay-at-home order as long as the location is closed to the public.
The UFC came up with a 25-page document to address health and safety protocols, procedures that led to Jacaré Souza testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday. His middleweight bout against Uriah Hall was canceled that night. Souza’s two cornermen also tested as positive, the UFC said.
All three men left the host hotel to self-isolate elsewhere, where UFC’s medical team will monitor their conditions remotely and provide assistance with necessary treatments.
The positive results surely increased the focus on the event. Every other sport is watching closely to see how it plays out.
“The whole word is weird right now. Everything’s weird. This event’s weird,” White said. “It’s different. We live in a different world than we did two months ago. The bottom line is the system worked. What you don’t want to do is two days after the fight say, ‘Awe, Jacaré tested positive.’ So it worked. The system worked that we put in place.
“Without sounding like a jackass, we’re really good at what we do. We’re very, very good at what we do. We’ll just get better. The longer this goes, the better the testing technology’s going to get and the faster it’s going to get. We’re going to prove by next Saturday that professional sports can come back safely.”
White didn’t want to postpone any fights. He tried to host the event on tribal land in California and still hopes to create a “Fight Island” for future cards.
He settled for Jacksonville for at least a week — without fans and with social-distancing rules in place.
Judges and broadcasters worked from separate tables. Fighters, trainers, referees, judges, UFC staff and even outside media had to undergo COVID-19 testing to get inside Veterans Memorial Arena.
Many of those in attendance Saturday wore masks and gloves, although several were seemingly exempt from the mandate. Referees, ring announcer Bruce Buffer, other officials inside the octagon and the ring girl were unmasked. Play-by-play commentator Joe Rogan, who initially was supposed to interview winners remotely, ended up doing them inside the octagon.
The cage floor was disinfected between bouts, and the padded parts of the octagon were wiped down between rounds.
Without fans, though, sounds that usually would be muted or completely drowned out filled the desolate arena. Fighters said it affected their bouts. Hardy and Carla Esparza said they altered their approach after hearing commentators during early rounds.
“It’s hard to assess without the crowd,” Anthony Pettis said after beating Cerrone in a wild welterweight fight. “When I land stuff, I hear the crowd and know it was a good one. This time, there was no crowd. I saw his head pop, but there was nothing behind it, so it’s hard to tell.”
Also on the card:
— Cejudo (16-2) caught Cruz (22-3) with a right knee to the face that sent him reeling to the canvas. Cejudo then delivered nearly a dozen unanswered blows before the referee stopped it. Cruz argued it never should have been called because he was working to get back on his feet. Cejudo surprisingly ended his career a few minutes later, saying he wants to spend more time with his family.
— Ngannou knocked out fellow heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds. Ngannou rushed Rozenstruik and delivered a flurry of blows that left Rozenstruik so woozy he had trouble getting into his slides long after the fight ended. It was Ngannou’s fourth consecutive victory totaling less than 3 minutes in the octagon.
— Calvin Kattar (21-4) stopped Jeremy Stephens (28-18) in the second round after consecutive elbow blows, one standing and another on the ground.
— Hardy (6-2) celebrated a unanimous decision over Yorgan De Castro (6-1) in a heavyweight bout.
— “Showtime” Pettis (23-10) beat Cerrone (36-15) in an unanimous decision. Pettis and Cerrone last fought in 2013. Pettis won that one as well. Cerrone has dropped four in a row, including losses to Conor McGregor, Gaethje and Ferguson.
— Aleksei “The Boa Constrictor” Oleinik (59-13-1) beat Fabricio Werdum (23-9-1) in a heavyweight bout featuring a pair of 42-year-olds. It was a split decision that included more toe-to-toe blows than ground grappling.
— Carla Esparza (16-6) edged Michelle “Karate Hottie” Waterson (17-8) in a split decision. It was Esparza’s third straight victory in the straw-weight division.
— Vicente Luque (18-7-1) won for the seventh time in eight fights when he beat Niko Price (14-4) in a bloodbath. The fight was ruled a TKO in the third round after Price developed a nasty cut above his right eye. Luque was ahead on all three cards when it was called.
— Featherweight Bryce Mitchell (13-1) defeated fellow grappler Charles Rosa (12-4) in a unanimous decision.
— Spann (18-5) extended his winning streak to eight by beating veteran Sam Alvey (33-14) in a split decision.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Sean Reed was running from the cops and knew it was not going to end well.
On Wednesday night, a police chase ended when an officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shot and killed Reed following a pursuit.
The last 14 minutes and 44 seconds of his life — the police chase ending and later his cellphone phone recording the blue sky above him and the voices around him — were recorded and broadcast on Facebook Live. Thousands watched it live.
Family members said Reed was 21 years old.
Knowing how the video ends makes it difficult to watch. He apologized to his mother. He ran through a police barricade. He used language some would consider obscene. Shots were heard.
He was a young man on the run and only he knew the real reason why.
Since the fatal shooting, News 8 has learned Reed had a criminal background. He’d been in the Air Force. His family members have publicly mourned his death. Plus, the Marion County prosecutor on Friday called for an independent prosecutor because the chief of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department himself was part of the chase.
The case, in some part because of the Facebook Live broadcast, has created a swirl of protests in Indianapolis and national news reports. Most everyone has an opinion about the fatal shooting by a police officer who has yet to be named, and many of those opinions are posted on social media replaying the video.
Plus, it’s no secret that there is a level of mistrust toward police, regardless of the race of the officer, in the black community.
James Wilson says he didn’t know Reed but has become familiar with his story in the last 48 hours. Wilson founded the nonprofit Circle Up Indy to take on economic, employment and violence issues in Indianapolis.
“I don’t want to speak for Sean and his family by any means,” Wilson said while talking with News 8.
“And I don’t think so much as a race thing in this scenario, but, once again, we don’t know what was going on in Reed’s head by any means. The only thing I seen once again was the visual.”
The video of the chase will be debated for years. The central questions may never get answered: Why was Reed running? Why did police call off the pursuit?
“There is a lot to look at. There is a lot to look at from all perspectives, right? Especially from our community perspective and law enforcement perspective, right? They have to look at things, how they happened, how they unfolded, as they are as they are doing right now, and we in the community, we have to take a look back, a step back and look at it, too. What really happened? What is the real truth, and that is what we are asking for,” Wilson said.
The chief of IMPD, Randal Taylor, said the department’s reputation has taken a hit.
“We recognize and are saddened that this mutual trust that is so valued has been eroded over the last 24 hours,” Taylor during a Thursday press conference in which he also talked about an early Thursday morning fatal police shooting and the death of a pregnant woman in a Wednesday night crash involving an IMPD vehicle.
WISHTV.com has more than an hour of Sean Reed’s Facebook Live post. Reed’s last words were expletives toward the police chasing him.
The next words in the video came from a person believed to be the officer who shot Reed. The officer calls out over the radio there was a police-action shooting. The next words from the same voice, but this time a highly emotional voice, are “Oh, my God” followed by an increasing chorus of police sirens.
When Reed got out of his car and ran did he know that police would shoot? Had he pulled over and stopped instead of running, what would have happened?
“I’m not arguing about what the scenario may be or if he ran or didn’t run or shouldn’t have run, so forth and so on. That is not my place until I have all the clear facts,” Wilson said.
Police say the facts are that shots were fired from both the officer’s gun and a gun found next to Reed.
Black Mafia Family News: Terry Flenory aka Southwest T was released from federal custody in Kentucky today amid the C O V l9 Situation. This Video Gives you all the details you need to know about why he was released and why Big Meech Demetrius Flenory Was Denied.
Lil Durk comes through with his "Just Cause Y'all Waited 2" album. It features Lil Baby, Polo G, Gunna and G Herbo.
Tracklist:
1. Different Meaning 2. Street Affection 3. 3 Headed Goat f. Lil Baby & Polo G 4. All Love 5. Gucci Gucci f. Gunna 6. Viral Moment 7. 248 8. Triflin Hoes 9. Internet Sensation 10. Street Prayer 11. Chiraq Demons f. G Herbo 12. Doing Too Much 13. Broke Up In Miami 14. Turn Myself In 15. Fabricated
Little Richard, considered one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, has died at 87, according to a report from the Rolling Stone.
Little Richard’s son, Danny Penniman, confirmed the musician’s death on Saturday, according to the Rolling Stone’s report.
With hits such as “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Good Golly Molly,” Little Richard became a music legend and is considered to have a major influence on the genre of rock.
Our deepest condolences go out to Little Richard's family and friends.
West Coast emcee Popoff continues to drop off fire freestyles for real hip hop heads. His latest effort it titled "God Sent Me." Give it a listen up top and let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Styles P is gearing up to release a new album titled "Styles David: Ghost Your Enthusiasm." The lead single off of it is Vinny Idol-produced gem called "Time." Peep the official music video.
Baltimore emcee PiFF aka (Pennywise JR/Norm-P) releases a hip-hop mixtape bringing dope lyrics and production. PiFF reached out and secured some amazing features. This mixtape is dedicated to the "BELIEVE" campaign in Baltimore, MD. You get 8 exclusives old and new and a bonus track that will blow your mind! PiFF Records is the label.
1. Bar Code (feat. The Real CEO & DarkNess) Produced By Livin.beatstars.com 2. City Blocks (feat. T.O & Azim) Produced By Ryan Davis) 3. She Wants (feat. Boycott & ManStar) Produced By Colombo 4. Slaughterdale (feat. Roc Sirreal) 5. Sweet 16's (2004 freestyle) Produced By Simeon B 6. Dark God (feat. DarkNess) Produced By Dark Summers 7. Try To Remember (Produced By Simeon B) 8. Bando (Produced By Motrakx) 9. Before I Wake (Produced By Simeon B) bonus track
A day after being arrested by the California Highway Patrol when caught on video drinking wine from a moving tanker truck on Highway 99, Hayward resident Gabriel Moreno, 39, was released from jail Wednesday on the state’s zero-bail order. He promptly got himself rearrested, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department says, just to get a sandwich.
First, the wine escapade.
Sometime Tuesday afternoon, Moreno was driving north on the highway in the Fulkerth Road area, CHP Officer Thomas Olsen said. He pulled alongside a Cherokee Freight Lines rig hauling a tank of wine and caught the driver’s attention, “like something was wrong with the vehicle,” Olsen said.
The trucker pulled to the side of the freeway, with Moreno stopping in front of him. “The gentleman (Moreno) gets out of his vehicle in his underwear only, and runs to the back of the trailer,” the officer said. “That’s when the driver realized, ‘This isn’t right,’ and re-enters the traffic lane. The gentleman jumps on the trailer, which has a ladder on the back, and gets a ride.”
Moreno manages to unscrew a valve to try to drink wine as it gushes from the tank, Olsen said. The driver can’t see this, but does notice that a dashboard gauge shows his truck is losing weight, so pulls over. He’s gone about a mile, to the Monte Vista Avenue area, Olsen said.
Once the rig has stopped, Moreno “jumped down and placed himself beneath the belly of the truck and was just indulging in the wine,” Olsen said. “He was lying on the ground and doing snow angels, basically, as the wine was pouring down on him.”
Moreno then ran a short distance. The trucker already had called the CHP, Olsen said, but a few other reports came in of a man running in the area, covered in blood, which of course was the wine. According to Cherokee, the tanker lost about 1,000 gallons of it, Olsen said.
When CHP officers caught Moreno, he was cooperative, Olsen said, and was booked for felony vandalism and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license.
“We’ve seen a lot of things, and this is right up there,” the officer said. He realized Moreno would be out of custody quickly, though, noting, “in the current environment we’re in (because of the coronavirus pandemic), a lot of people are being released before the reports are even written.”
Sure enough, Moreno was freed Wednesday and was in trouble again “within moments,” the Sheriff’s Department reported in a Facebook post.
It says a sergeant noticed a large crowd in the parking lot of the Community Services Agency at 251 E. Hackett Road in Modesto. It turned out Ceres police officers were trying to detain Moreno, who’d allegedly just tried to steal a truck belonging to a landscaping company. An employee intervened, prevented Moreno from leaving the area and called 911.
Moreno was distressed by his early release “and was unhappy he didn’t get a sandwich as part of the standard meal at the PSC (Public Safety Center),” the Facebook post says. He tried to steal the truck as “a way of getting a return visit to the jail, where he hoped to finally enjoy his sandwich.”
Seriously, that’s what he admitted, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Luke Schwartz said.
But auto theft, too, is eligible for zero bail, Schwartz said, citing the California Judicial Council’s emergency mandate stemming from the COVID-19 health pandemic, to ease crowding for inmate safety.
R. Kelly is offering an odd bit of reassurance ... informing the judge there's no danger of him harassing his accusers if he gets out of jail, because it's impossible for him to communicate with them.
Kelly's legal team fired off a letter that's basically a follow-up to their latest motion requesting Kelly be released on bond to avoid catching COVID-19 behind bars at MCC Chicago.
Kelly's attorneys, Steven Greenberg and Michael Leonard, say there are 6 alleged victims in his federal case out of the Eastern District of NY. We know one of them is Aaliyah ... and, in the letter, Kelly's team points out the obvious -- she's deceased, and therefore, out of even Kelly's reach.
According to the doc, obtained by TMZ, they also say prosecutors have only referred to 2 other accusers as Jane Does ... so Kelly and his team can't even ID them. Likewise, they claim prosecutors have only identified another accuser by a photo -- and team Kelly says it has no clue who she is.
They claim the last 2 women are beyond Kelly's sphere of influence, because they're publicly bashing him. The letter refers to one as a former girlfriend who blasts him daily on social media. They're clearly referring to Azriel Clary, and even include links to her social media posts.
They add that Jane Doe #6 has similarly gone on a negative media campaign against Kelly.
All of this to say, if the judge lets him out ... he'll be on his best behavior because he has no choice. Remember, the judge has already shot down 2 previous motions for Kelly's release on bond.
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