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Liquor Store Robber Remains at Large

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Police continue to search for the man who robbed a South Windsor liquor store at gunpoint on Friday and have released surveillance photos from the robbery.

A masked man pulled a gun and robbed the Kap-N-Keg on John Finch Boulevard at 10:12 a.m. on Friday, according to police.

He remains at large and should be considered armed and dangerous.

The slim man is around 5-feet-10 and was wearing a mustard colored sweatshirt with a hood and a mask covered the bottom of his face,

He drove off in a small dark car with a Connecticut license plate that included 4AL. The rest of the plate number is unknown.

It’s not clear if he stole cash or liquor.

Anyone with information about who the robber is should call police immediately at 860-644-2551 and not make contact with him.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com and South Windsor Police

Assad Travels to Moscow to Visit Putin

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Syrian President Bashar Assad traveled to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin in his first known trip abroad since the war broke out in his country in 2011, Syrian and Russian media reported Wednesday.

Assad met with Putin on Tuesday to talk about continuing military operations in Syria to wipe out terrorism, a statement posted to the Syrian presidency’s official Facebook page said.

Assad thanked Putin for his support, according to a transcript of their meeting published on the Kremlin website.

Syria’s conflict began in March 2001 after the government used violence to crackdown on largely peaceful protests against Assad’s rule.



Photo Credit: AP
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More Clouds Than Sun, a Few Showers

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A stalled front in central New England is resulting in more clouds than sunshine today. A few showers are drifting by to the north.

A shower can clip northern Connecticut today, in towns like Salisbury, Enfield and Putnam. For most of the state, the day will be dry with temperatures in the lower 70s.

Tomorrow's a similar day, in that skies will be mostly cloudy. A cold front will move through and bring a few showers in the late afternoon and evening. These showers will tend to die out as they move east, so no everyone will get wet.

Temperatures will rise into the lower 70s tomorrow, so it will be mild even with the cloud cover.

Friday brings a return to mostly sunny conditions, though it will be much cooler. Temperatures in the afternoon will only reach the upper 50s!

The pick of the weekend is Saturday, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s.

A second cold front moves through on Sunday, and with it comes more clouds than sunshine. There's a chance for showers. Temperatures will be near 60 degrees.

After the weekend, the weather clears out again and plenty of sunshine returns for Monday and Tuesday.

Through the next 7 days, there's not drought relief in the forecast. The 2015 rainfall deficit is now 7 inches at Bridgeport and 6.5 inches at Windsor Locks. Most of the state is in a moderate drought.

Man Tried to Dump $10,000 in Crack, Heroin Down Bar Sink: Police

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A man wanted for violating parole was arrested at a bar on drug charges after police say he tried to dump around $10,000 in crack cocaine and heroin down a bathroom sink, according to state police.

State police went to The Sports Page Bar, at 14 Central Street in Killingly, at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday to find a man wanted on an outstanding warrant for probation violation, but did not find him in the bar room.

When police checked the men’s bathroom, they found Dwayne Shannon, 31, of Danielson, trying to get rid of a large quantity of crack cocaine and heroin in the sink, police said.

State troopers were able to recover the crack cocaine and heroin and arrested Shannon, who also had around $1,940 in cash in his pants pocket.

Police said he had around 4.5 ounces of crack and 54 bags of heroin, which are worth around $10,000 combined.

He was charged with possession of narcotics and possession of narcotics with intent to sell,

He was held on a $25,000 cash and surety bond and is due in court on Wednesday.
 



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Local Restaurants Sell Flux Capacitor Martini

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Where we’re going, we still need roads, so you might need a designed driver if you indulge in flux capacitor martinis.

The Internet is buzzing today with “Back to the Future” references because it’s a day fans of the 1980s trilogy have been waiting decades for and at least one local establishment is celebrating.

The Wood N Tap will be selling a $4 Flux Capacitor Martini, calling it a “futuristic cocktail at a 1985 price.”

The Flux Capacitor Martini is made with Malibu rum, vanilla vodka, pineapple juice and blue Curaçao and a little dry ice added to it gives it some pop and the appearance of a scientific experiment.

There are Wood-n-Tap locations in Hartford, Farmington, Southington, Rocky Hill, Vernon, Orange and Wallingford.
 



Photo Credit: Nicole Steneri, Go-Media

Parked Car Rolls Backward, Fatally Striking Driver, 84

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An 84-year-old woman is dead after her parked car rolled backward and hit her and a neighbor while they were talking in Stamford, Connecticut, police said.

Stamford Police Department's Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad is investigating the accident that happened in the 2539 Bedford Street parking lot. It was reported to police at about 4:05 p.m. Tuesday.

The 84-year-old woman parked her Oldsmobile Intrigue sedan in the driveway at her condominium and got out to talk to a neighbor, police said. The car rolled down the driveway while they were talking and hit both her and her female neighbor, knocking the women down, police said.

A Stamford Emergency Medical Service ambulance transported the women to Stamford Hospital.

Stamford Hospital's Trauma team treated the elderly driver, but she died at the hospital of her injuries.

The neighbor struck by the car is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at the hospital and is expected to be released, police said.

Police are not releasing the name of the driver until they notify the family.

Stamford firefighters and EMS also responded.

Officers continue to investigate the cause of the crash and ask anyone with information to call Officer Hugh Mullin at 203-977-4712.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Presidential Candidates Aren't Very Popular: Poll

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Beyond the horserace numbers, the approval ratings, and opinions about the Benghazi committee testimony on Thursday, maybe the biggest finding in the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll is how the American electorate -- at large -- doesn't care for the 2016 field.

Every major candidate in the poll, including non-candidate Joe Biden, gets a majority of voters saying they are uncertain/pessimistic about their ability to do a good job as president vs. optimistic/satisfied.

According to the pollsters, there is no precedent for that level of negativity for the entire field in the history of the NBC/WSJ poll on this question.

"We don't like our candidates very much," co-pollster Bill McInturff (R) said in summing up the finding here. "There is no single candidate who got a net-positive rating [on this question]. There is simply no precedent for that." Click through to see the numbers. 



Photo Credit: AP

Police Leaders Join Forces to Reduce Mass Incarceration

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A coalition of 130 police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors has banded together to reduce the number of people in American prisons. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, NYPD Commissioner William Bratton and Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy are among the group, which is backed by organizations as diverse as the NAACP and the conservative Koch Industries.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama will meet with some members of the new organization, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration, described in its own press release as "a surprising new voice" on the issue of mass incarceration.

In a mission statement posted on its website, the group said that stopping crime and keeping people out of jail are not mutually exclusive.

In particular, the organization said, locking up too many people for drug and nonviolent offenses can "kick-start a cycle of incarceration that turns first-time offenders into repeat offenders." 



Photo Credit: Getty

Fire Lieutenant Accused of Threatening Teacher Is Put on Leave

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A lieutenant in the Bridgeport Fire Department who is accused of threatening to kill Southington High School teacher on Tuesday morning has been placed on leave and police said they seized several guns from his home.

Police took Gregory R Daly, 42, of Southington, into custody at his home on Tuesday after he allegedly sent a text message threatening to kill the teacher. 

That message prompted the school district to issue a “secure school status’ at Southington High School, DePaolo Middle School, Flanders Elementary School, Hatton Elementary School, Kennedy Middle School, Derynoski Elementary School and Plantsville Elementary School until 9:40 a.m., when police determined that there was no threat to any of the schools.

Daly, who has no prior record, has a severe drinking problem, according to prosecutors, who said the victim has safety concerns and thinks he poses a danger and needs help for anxiety and depression.

A judge issued a protective order and ruled that Daly cannot have guns or ammunition. 

Daly, a married father of two, has been with the Bridgeport Fire Department fir 16 years, with no prior problems.

He has been placed him on administrative leave pending an investigation into his arrest, Kevin Coughlin, public safety spokesman for the city of Bridgeport, said.

Daly has been charged with first-degree threatening, harassment in the second degree and breach of peace.

He was originally held on $500,000 bond, but the judge lowered bond to $150,000.

He is due back in court on Nov. 4.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Netanyahu: Palestinian Gave Hitler Idea to Exterminate Jews

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked an uproar for suggesting that a Palestinian gave Adolf Hitler the idea to exterminate 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, NBC News reported. 

In a speech to Jewish leaders on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the Mufti of Jerusalem in the World War II era — Haj Amin al-Husseini — had a "central role" in having Hitler adopt the Final Solution. 

"He flew to Berlin. Hitler didn't want to exterminate the Jews at the time, he wanted to expel the Jews," Netanyahu said. According to Netanyahu, Hitler asked the mufti what he should do. "He said, 'Burn them,'" Netanyahu said. 

Contained within a broader speech alleging Palestinian incitement and against the bloody backdrop of recent violence against Israelis, Tuesday's remarks hit a fresh nerve. Politicians and historians condemned the comments. Chief historian of the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, Dina Porat, told NBC News that Netanyahu's claims were simply "not correct."



Photo Credit: AP

Vatican Slams Report Pope Has Curable Brain Tumor

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The Vatican on Wednesday firmly denied an Italian newspaper report that Pope Francis has a brain tumor, calling the article "inexcusable and unconscionable," NBC News reported. 

Quotidiano Nazionale published a front-page story Wednesday headlined "The Pope is Sick." The article alleged the 78-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with "a small dark spot on the brain," which was curable without surgery, according to a translation by Reuters.

The Vatican has issued a series of denials. On Wednesday, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the pope was "in good health" and called the paper's story as "unfounded information."



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Alleged Cop Killer Should Never Have Been on Street: Mayor

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A 30-year-old wanted criminal with 16 prior arrests, mostly for drug offenses, and 12 prior incarcerations allegedly shot a 33-year-old NYPD officer in the front of the head as he encountered the officer, who was responding to a report of gunfire near the FDR Drive in East Harlem, authorities say.

Tyrone Howard, also known as "Peanut," was allegedly part of a group that had engaged in a gun battle on an overpass near East 102nd Street and First Avenue around 8:30 p.m Tuesday. Officers on nearby rooftops who witnessed the gun battle radioed for backup and NYPD officer Randolph Holder and his partner were among those who responded, authorities said.

Howard fled the site of the gun battle, stole a man's bicycle at gunpoint near 126th Street and started riding that bicycle near the promenade, authorities allege. As Holder and his partner scoured the area for potential suspects, they encountered and followed three individuals but soon realized those individuals had nothing to do with the gun battle and continued heading down a walkway.

As they walked down that path, Howard approached the duo on his bicycle, authorities say. According to Bill Aubry, Manhattan chief of detectives, Howard saw the officers, put down his bike, pulled out a gun and fired once, striking Holder in the front of the head. Howard then headed toward Holder's partner, who pulled out his own weapon and fired at Howard, striking him twice, including once in the leg. Howard fled north on the promenade and was apprehended by other officers.

According to law enforcement sources, Howard had three current warrants out for his arrest, including one on a second-degree assault charge. Authorities say they were looking for him in connection with a Sept. 1 shooting at the East River Houses. Police sources call Howard a "major drug player" and say he knew police were looking for him. He was most recently arrested in October 2014 on a drug-related offense and was jailed from that time through February of this year.

"The perpetrator involved here was obviously a hardened, violent criminal who should not have been allowed on the streets," Mayor de Blasio said Wednesday as he called for criminal justice reform.

Holder was taken to Harlem Hospital in very critical condition Tuesday night and later pronounced dead. Dozens of Holder's fellow officers stood outside the hospital and saluted as the ambulance carrying their fallen colleague left. Afterward, many embraced one another.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, reflecting on the deadly police shootings he has seen over the course of his career, says coping with the losses never gets easier.

"It never gets easier. I'll be very frank with you -- it gets worse each time," Bratton said Wednesday, reflecting on the police deaths he's seen over the last 45 years. "Last night was one of those nights -- it was not easy to do."

Bratton spoke about a time in the 1970s when dozens of officers went down every year.

"The challenge for all of us is in the midst of all of our well-intended efforts to deal with racial issues, to deal with criminal issues, narcotics issues, is that we don't let the insanity again take hold of us," Bratton said. 

Howard was released from the hospital into police custody Wednesday, according to Bratton. Aubry said he was expected to be placed in lineups later in the day in connection with the gun battle and the bike theft. He said there was significant video and DNA evidence as well as surveillance video at the scene and authorities were working with prosecutors to establish grounds for a murder charge.

There was no immediate information on whether Howard had an attorney.

At least one gun was recovered at the scene of the gun battle, law enforcement sources said, and authorities believe at least three weapons were used. Police say the murder weapon has not yet been recovered, but that witnesses saw the suspect toss something toward the river as he ran from the officers. They believe the gun is in the water, and NYPD officials say they're confident the weapon will be recovered since the river is shallow at the edge.

The FDR Drive remained closed in both directions between 96th Street and 125th Street for more than 12 hours before it was reopened shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday as investigators scoured the scene.

At a news briefing Wednesday, de Blasio said the tragic shooting should underscore a desperate need for stricter gun laws.

"Our officers do so much every day to protect us and yet they grapple every day with an unrelenting flow of firearms into this city from the outside," de Blasio said.

Holder, a native of Guyana, had five years on the job and worked in the anti-crime unit of PSA no. 5, a command that polices public housing developments in East Harlem and Harlem, according to Bratton.

His father and his grandfather were both police officers in Guyana, and Holder joined the NYPD after he moved to New York.

Speaking outside his home Wednesday, Holder's father said his son has always wanted to be a policeman. He described his son as an easygoing, loving young man who did his duties diligently and with pride.

He also said he had just taken the detective's exam and was looking to move up in the force.

"In each job I think there's danger, no matter the type of work you're doing. There's some kind of risk involved," Randolph Holder Sr. said. "If I had known that was the last time, I would have told him not to go out for duty. If I had known ... stay home."

A funeral for Holder will be held Oct. 28, multiple sources familiar with the arrangements confirm. JetBlue, meanwhile, said it would offer free flights to police officers who wanted to attend.

De Blasio said Holder had an "exemplary record" as a police officer. He ordered all flags in the city be lowered to half-staff in Holder's honor and called for solidarity in the wake of this tragedy.

"Our hearts are heavy and we offer our thoughts and our prayers to his family, who are experiencing unimaginable pain, as we saw earlier when we gathered with them," he said Tuesday, calling Holder "an immigrant who wanted to give back to his city and to his country, who had an exemplary record as a police officer, who did everything the right way."

Bratton especially offered condolences to Holder's father, "who in his time of grief sought to comfort the officers from PSA 5. He was strong enough and brave enough to go in and address them. As they tried to comfort him, he in fact was comforting them."

Holder is the fourth NYPD officer killed in the line of duty in the last 11 months. Brian Moore, 25, was shot in the head while sitting in an unmarked patrol car in Queens last May; he was taken off life support two days later. Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were shot in the head as they sat in their patrol car in Bedford-Stuyvesant in December 2014, days before Christmas.

Before the slayings of Ramos and Liu, the NYPD had gone two years without an officer dying in the line of duty. 

"New York City police officers every day go out and carry themselves like superheroes but the reality is when we're attacked we bleed, when we bleed we die and when we die we cry," Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said.



Photo Credit: AP/NBC 4 New York

Driver Tweets Photo of Teen's Body

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After a deadly crash in Jacksonville, a young driver tweeted, "I jus (sic) killed a man" and shared a graphic image of the 16-year-old's body, leaving the teen's mother devastated and demanding answers.

Trevius Williams was crossing the street around 8:30 p.m. Sunday in the 9300 block of Lem Turner Road in Jacksonville, Florida, when the driver struck him. He died at the scene.

The driver tweeted a photo of Williams' body, which was shared multiple times on social media. Coles told NBC affiliate FCN she was notified by family members that photos of her dead son's body were circulating online.

Williams' mother, Connie Coles, told FCN she does not understand how the driver who fatally struck her son has not been arrested and charged in his death.

Hours before Sunday's deadly crash, the 19-year-old driver tweeted song lyrics that said, "I drunk so much ** lean I feel like I'm off a NyQuil," FCN reports.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirmed that the tweets originated from the driver. The Twitter account has since been deactivated.

JSO said the driver showed no signs of impairment and was not tested for drugs or alcohol at the scene, FCN reports. According to detectives, the driver cooperated with responding officers.

For Williams' mother, that isn't enough.

"I'm angry because detectives told me that there's no alcohol or drugs involved," Coles told FCN of the findings. "How would you know if he wasn't tested?"

JSO said the investigation into Williams' death is ongoing and could not confirm whether the driver is facing any charges, according to FCN.



Photo Credit: WTLV

Police ID Man Killed in Bridgeport Home Invasion

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A 28-year-old man was stabbed and killed during a home invasion in Bridgeport on Sunday night and police are asking for anyone with information about the homicide to come forward and report it.

Police have identified the victim as Jayson Rosado and said four masked man broke into his home and ransacked it. Some of the men were armed.

When police officers responded to Goldenrod Avenue, near the corner of Madison Avenue, at 11:05 p.m., they found Rosado with several stab wounds to the chest, side and stomach.

Detectives are investigating whether anything was stolen from the home.

An ambulance brought the victim to St. Vincent’s Hospital and he died soon after.

Police said this was the 14th this year.

Anyone with information about the fatal stabbing should call Detective Robert Winkler at (203) 581-5224.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Man Stole Cemetery Gates in Naugatuck: Police

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A 39-year-old man is accused of stealing one of the front gates from a Naugatuck cemetery, then coming back and stealing the other.

Police received a report on June 9 reporting that a copper gate worth $2,500 was stolen from the front entrance of Grove Cemetery.

Then on July 18, the cemetery reported that another front gate, worth $5,000, had also been stolen.

Police identified Ryan McCarthy as the suspect and said he sold the metal to a scrap metal company.

He has been charged with third-degree larceny, first-degree criminal mischief and third-degree criminal trespass.

He was held on a $24,000 surety bond and is due in Waterbury Superior Court today.

It's not clear if he has an attorney.
 



Photo Credit: Naugaruck Police

Blunt Force Trauma Evident on Dead Whale on Long Island

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Authorities say blunt force trauma was evident on a dead whale that was found floating about 150 yards offshore on Long Island over the weekend, which could indicate the mammal had been hit by a boat. 

The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Prevention said it will take several weeks before a cause of death is confirmed.

The whale was spotted Saturday morning off Woodland Drive in Lloyd Harbor. It's not clear if it is one of the humpbacks that had been seen swimming in western Long Island waters in recent weeks. 

The whale is the seventh that has washed up in New York this year.



Photo Credit: Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Prevention

Police Describe Suspect Sought in Road Rage Killing of 4-Year-Old Girl

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New Mexico police have released a description of the driver suspected of fatally shooting a 4-year-old girl in the head during an apparent road rage attack on Tuesday afternoon, NBC News reported.

The suspect in the incident on Interstate 40 in Albuquerque is described as either a white male with a dark complexion, or possibly Hispanic; in his mid-20s to early 30s with an average build; and with short dark hair and a goatee, witnesses said.

Four-year-old Lilly Garcia was riding in the family truck with her parents when a late-model maroon or dark red four-door Toyota sedan pulled up beside them and began spraying bullets into the vehicle, police said.

Albuquerque police said the "sportier" Corolla or Camry model sedan had a University of New Mexico Lobos logo and possibly the digits "200," according to NBC affiliate KOB. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Waterbury Hospital Cutting Wages

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Waterbury Hospital is cutting wages and said it’s to balance the budget because of state budget cuts.

The hospital described the cuts as short-term, in light of their pending acquisition.

SEIU 1199 New England, which represents patient-care workers at Waterbury Hospital, issued a statement about the wage cuts.

“Front line caregivers are the people who are caring day in, day out for the patients of Waterbury Hospital while being the lowest paid workers in the building. It is irresponsible to be asking the most from these workers who have made concessions in previous years while management continued to take home wage increases. Management who make six figures and aren’t on the front lines caring for patients should bear the brunt of these cuts,” spokesperson Jennifer Schneider said in a statement.

The CEO’s wages will be cut 15 to 20 percent, while senior managers’ and physicians’ wages will be cut by 10 percent, according to the hospital. Managers’ wages will be cut by 7 percent, while union and non-union worker salaries will be cut by 5 percent.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Biden Decides Against Presidential Run

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Vice President Joe Biden has decided not to run for president in 2016. 

After weeks of speculation about whether he would jump in, Biden announced on Oct. 21, that he would not make a third run for the presidency because he doesn't have enough time to pull together the necessary campaign. 

"What I’ve said time and again is it may very well be that the process, by the time we get through it, closes the window," Biden said during a press conference at the Rose Garden with President Obama looking on. "I concluded it has closed. "

The Vice President's announcement comes a week after a heated debate between the democratic presidential candidates in Las Vegas. Many analysts said that Hillary Clinton's strong performance in that debate, and her adherence to Obama Administration policies effectively closed the door for Biden. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed Biden in third place behind Clinton and Bernie Sanders. 

Biden has been publicly mourning the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau. The vice president's late son died on May 30 from brain cancer.

"Beau is our inspiration," Biden said. "Unfortunately I believe we’re out of time, time to mount a winning nomination for the nomination"

During the announcement, Biden said that he wouldn't sit on the sidelines of the presidential election and would be an active campaigner.

"While I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent," Biden said, signaling that he would play the role of party enforcer and make sure Democratic candidates do not run away from Obama.

"This country will be making a tragic mistake if we walk away and try to undo the Obama legacy," Biden said. "Democrats should not only defend this record, they should run on this record." 

He also decried a political atmosphere that pits Democrats and Republicans as enemies. 

"They're not our enemies, they're our opposition," Biden said before launching into a speech that detailed many of the things he would have focused on as a presidential candidate -- including curing cancer and improving education. 

A group called Draft Biden 2016, which had been running advertisments encouraging the Vice President to run, released a statement after Biden's announcement. 

"We are so grateful for the gigantic outpouring of support from hundreds of thousands of Americans around the country in our effort to encourage the Vice President to run. While the Vice President has decided not to run, we know that over the next year he will stand up for all Americans and articulate a vision for America's future that will leave no one behind."



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
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