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Paris-Bound Flight From SFO Diverted Due to Bomb Threat

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A Paris-bound flight that departed from San Francisco International Airport has been diverted to Montreal, officials confirmed late Monday. Passengers on the plane tell NBC Bay Area the flight was diverted due to a bomb threat.

A Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport spokesperson said police were investigating and checking out the plane.

Air France Flight 83 departed from San Francisco at 3 p.m. and was scheduled to arrived at Charles de Gaulle/Roissy airport in Paris at 10:35 a.m. Tuesday.

No other information was immediately available.


Change in 'Silent Night' Lyrics Draws Ire in Stratford

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A Stratford elementary school music teacher's decision to have students try singing different lyrics to "Silent Night" was met with disapproval after a parent called in to complain on a morning radio show.

The lyrics of "holy night" in the popular Christmas carol were substituted with "solstice night."

"First of all, solstice night sounds like its witchcraft, winter solstice, but it's absolutely ridiculous," Bob Tamas of Stratford said. "Absolutely ridiculous. This is the Christmas season, let's sing Christmas carols."

One parent was so upset she called WPLR's "Chaz and AJ in the Morning" to complain on Friday, prompting the show hosts to create a Facebook page "Abolish Super Sensitivity."

According to Superintendent of Stratford Public Schools Janet Robinson, the version with the "solstice night" lyrics had not been performed and the songs for a concert at the end of January have not yet been selected.

"The music teacher at Chapel Street Elementary School pulled the lyrics offline and tried out the song with fifth and sixth graders in class," Robinson wrote to NBC Connecticut in an email.

"We had no complaints and the principal knew nothing about it, until a parent called a morning radio show and complained on air. She never brought her concern to the principal or anyone else at the school," she continued, adding that the DJs didn't check their information with the district.

Some Stratford residents say the lyrics change is a sign of a society that has become too politically correct.

"I think it's crazy, it should be holy night," Patricia Duphiney said. "Christmas right now is all about gifts and stuff, that's not the meaning of Christmas, but holy night is holy night."

"I think they should sing the song the way it was meant to be sung, period," Tamas said.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Swastikas Found in Milford Neighborhood

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Police are searching for the person who painted several swastikas in a Milford neighborhood.

The swastikas were found Monday morning, the first full day of Hanukkah, in an area near Woodland Drive.

A tree, a street sign and a crosswalk were all vandalized with the Nazi symbol, according to police.

Police said there does not appear to be a direct target, but they are increasing their patrols in the neighborhood.

"Police are out investigating it as an act of violence with a hate message," Milford Police Officer Michael DeVito said.

Investigators believe the swastikas were painted sometime overnight.  Officers have already tried to clean up what was a black swastika found on a tree on Woodland Drive.

Neighbors said it was a troubling sight, especially at a time when many in the community are just now beginning to celebrate the season.

“It affects a lot of people and it's very hateful," Brittney Alves said. "It's a very hateful thing to do.”



Photo Credit: Viewer Photo

Person Hit By Train Dies in Milford

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One person has died after being struck by a train in Milford.

A person was tresassing on the tracks just west of the Milford train station when the individual was hit by a train and killed. The incident happened at about 1:45 a.m.

There were 48 passengers on the train coming into Milford from Grand Central station in New York City. The train was scheduled to pull into the station at 1:51 a.m.

Customers were delayed by 90 minutes because they had to transfer to another train.

No one on the train was injured.

The identity of the person and the circumstances of how they came to be hit by the train is unknown.

Otherwise, there was no further impact to the morning train commute.

Teen Killed in New Haven Shooting

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Police are searching for the gunman in a possible drive-by shooting that left a 19-year-old male dead in New Haven.

Officers responded to 14 Clinton Ave. just after 1 a.m., and found Jonathan Aranda, 19, shot in the chest and in cardiac arrest, authorities said. Aranda was rushed to Yale-New Haven Hospital, but he died about a half hour later.

Police are looking for a light green or grey Honda Civic or Accord that was last seen speeding away from the scene. Officers have no description of the suspect(s) in the case.

The road is closed as New Haven Major Crimes detectives interview witnesses and collect evidence.

Anyone with information is asked to call New Haven Police at 203-946-6304.


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West Hartford Package Store Robbed at Gunpoint

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Police are looking for an armed robber who held up a West Hartford package store at gunpoint Monday night.

Officers were already on their way to the Wise Old Dog liquor store responding to a report from the store clerk who called to say he saw two suspicious men wearing dark clothes and ski masks near the package store when the clerk called back to say he was robbed at gunpoint, police said. The package store is located at 610 South Quaker Lane.

The robber came into the store and brandished a chrome-colored handgun and demanded money, so the store clerk gave him cash, police said. Then he took off on foot and was last seen running north on South Quaker Lane.

A Connecticut state police K9 unit attempted to track him down, but investigators said he may have gotten away in a vehicle waiting for him.

Police said there are two suspects, but it's unknown how the second person may be involved.

The armed robber was described as a man who is about 5-foot-8 and about 20 to 30 years old, police said. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants and white and blue sneakers, according to police. Police also described a second suspect wearing all dark clothing.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Criticism of Deadly Police Shooting

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A former South Florida police chief is disagreeing with the way officers took down an armed bank robbery suspect in Miami Beach last weekend during a fatal police-involved shooting.

David Ward, a former Miccosukee police chief and Miami-Dade police homicide detective, specialized in investigating police-involved shootings like the one that killed 51-year-old David W. Winesett on Alton Road Saturday, Dec. 5.

"I don’t believe that they needed to shoot him; that’s my opinion," Ward told NBC 6.

Ward said the first mistake he noticed during the encounter, which was captured on video, is the officers' proximity to Winesett. He argued that more distance would have protected police from the razor blade Winesett was carrying.

"The officers are taking up strategic positions. I don’t agree with the female officer being in this position because she’s entirely too close," Ward said.

Police previously said Winesett, a convicted serial bank robber who escaped from a halfway house, passed a note to a Bank of America teller Saturday asking for cash and claiming he had a bomb. He also armed himself with the straight-edged razor and hid in a local barber shop, refusing to come out.

When asked if, under those circumstances, Ward could sympathize with the officers responding, he said that’s what they train for.

"It’s a little bit more complicated because you’re going to detonate and a lot of people are going to be injured. You certainly don’t want to be — again, I keep going over it — you don't want to be this close, if he has a bomb," Ward said.

Winesett was fatally shot as a Taser was deployed. Ward argued this was another mistake.

"What I don’t believe he did was call out what we're supposed to do, (which) is 'Taser, Taser, Taser,'" Ward said, of the officer who fired the Taser. "And that may have prevented that one officer from having that finger in that trigger."

Ward said he knows it was a tense situation but said shooting should always be the last resort.

"The analogy is protect and serve, not shoot to kill, and that’s what we should be doing," he said.

Miami Beach Police Chief Dan Oates said Winesett raised the blade toward officers right before he was shot. Miami-Dade police have taken over the investigation.



Photo Credit: Miami Beach Police
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Man Shot With Taser Dies in Custody

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Video has been released showing officers using a Taser on Phillip Coleman, a 38-year-old Chicago man who died in police custody in December 2012.

Coleman was arrested at his home in the West Pullman neighborhood on Dec. 12, 2012, for allegedly beating his 69-year old mother, according to police. Surveillance footage shows officers using a Taser on Coleman and dragging his body down a hallway while Coleman is handcuffed. 

"I do not see how the manner in which Mr. Coleman was physically treated could possibly be acceptable," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement upon releasing reports and video connected to the incident. "While the Medical Examiner ruled that Mr. Coleman died accidentally as a result of treatment he received in the hospital, it does not excuse the way he was treated when he was in custody."

Police said Coleman became combative after being taken into custody and even spat blood at officers. But family members deny he was actually coughing up blood because of injuries suffered during the fight.

"Something is wrong here – either the actions of the officers who dragged Mr. Coleman, or the policies of the department," Emanuel said. "I have not received a sufficient answer on either from IPRA’s former leadership, and as a result I do not consider this case to be closed or the investigation into what happened that night to be over."

Coleman died from a fatal reaction to an antipsychotic drug, but an autopsy showed he had more than 50 bruises and abrasions to his body. Coleman's family said he was suffering from a severe mental breakdown at the time of the incident and needed to be hospitalized, not taken to jail.

"This matter is under investigation, as it should be," said Interim Police Supt. John Escalante. "Independent of the facts that led to his arrest or the actions at the hospital, we are held to a higher standard and we must strive to live up to it every day. While the independent investigation is ongoing we will be doing our own review of our policies and practices surrounding the response to mental health crises."

The video was released the same day the Department of Justice announced it will investigate the Chicago Police Department, spurred by the events surrounding the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in October 2014, but not limited to that alone.

Footage of McDonald's shooting lit a fire of protests in which citizens called for the mayor’s resignation.


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Trump Calls for 'Closing That Internet Up'

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Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump said one way to stop ISIS from communicating online is to close the Internet.

"We're losing a lot of people because of the Internet," Trump said Monday at a campaign rally in South Carolina.

"We have to go see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what's happening. We have to talk to them about, maybe in certain areas, closing that Internet up in some way."

ISIS has used the Internet to recruit new members online from around the world. No other presidential candidate or intelligence officials has suggested such an approach. 

"Somebody will say, 'Oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech,'" Trump said at the event. "These are foolish people."



Photo Credit: AP
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SoCal Shooter Not Seen at High Rise

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Investigators looking into a report that someone resembling one of the San Bernardino shooters tried to enter a downtown Los Angeles high-rise building in recent weeks determined that man was not 28-year-old Syed Rizwan Farook, who went on a rampage with his wife Wednesday that killed 14 and injured 21 at a holiday luncheon.

Building management said someone who looked like Farook and another man unsuccessfully tried to enter the 53-story tower at 601 Figueroa Street, sources told the NBC News Investigative Unit. Mayor Eric Garcetti confirmed that the city passed along information  about the report to the FBI to determine whether there was any link to Wednesday's  shooting.

The FBI said later Tuesday that the individual, described by a building security guard, was not Farook. The security guard had seen a photo of Farook after the San Bernardino shootings and thought he turned away from the building, according to the FBI.

Garcetti said the report and follow-up investigation illustrate a heightened awareness of potential public safety threats following the attack.

"Don't be paralyzed, but be vigilant," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "Be a part of this."

Law enforcement sources told NBC News they were investigating the report as part of a look at possible other plans by Farook and wife Tashfeen Malik. The couple were killed hours after the massacre in a gunbattle with police, which occurred around the same time Malik pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group on Facebook, authorities said.

Investigators are attempting to determine whether the attack was part of a broader plot, and if so, who might have financed it. NBC News has confirmed that the attackers received an unusual $28,500 deposit in the weeks before the shootings, but details regarding the source of the money were not immediately available.

On Monday, the FBI said Farook and Malik had been radicalized "for some time" and did target practice before the rampage. ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the San Bernardino massacre but said the assault was perpetrated by followers of the group.

The FBI is investigating the massacre as a terrorist attack that, if proved, would be the deadliest by Islamic extremists on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001. FBI Director James Comey has said there was no indication yet that the plot was directed by any other foreign terrorist group, though he would not rule out that future possibility.

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd and Toni Guinyard contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Facebook/LA Times via Getty Images
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Milford Man Strikes Police K-9 During Arrest

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A Milford man being accused of domestic violence struck a police K-9 while he was being placed under arrest, police said.

Over the weekend, Milford police responded to a domestic violent complaint on 80 Cornflower Drive, according to a statement.

Nicolas DeMayo, 47, began to fight with the responding officers after he tried to flee when officers tried to arrest him. During the altercation DeMayo struck a K-9 unit, police said.

DeMayo was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, assault on police and cruelty to animals. His bond has been set for $10,000. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Surge of Warmth Arrives this Weekend

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Today was the coolest day of the week, as temperatures will rise steadily heading into the weekend. The biggest forecast challenge is clouds, not precipitation.

That says something about the state of the weather pattern this December. No major storms are expected through the end of the week.

A blend of clouds and sunshine is expected tomorrow, with temperatures closer to 50 degrees.

Thursday looks like a fairly gloomy day with a few sprinkles. Clouds will dominate. Highs will be in the middle 50s.

The familiar blend of clouds and sunshine returns Friday, when temperatures will reach the middle and upper 50s.

This weekend looks more like October than it does December.

Lots of sunshine is expected on Saturday and temperatures will respond in a big way. Highs are projected to be in the upper 50s.

Clouds will blend with sunshine on Sunday and it will be very warm for the time of year.

Temperatures will be in the middle 60s degrees inland and in the lower 60s at the shoreline.

The record high temperature in the Hartford area is 60 degrees set back in 1984. In the Bridgeport area, the record high is 58 degrees set in 1990.

More record-challenging warmth is likely on Monday as temperatures remain in the 60s, though rain is expected.


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Marshal Evicting Residents Due to Forclosure Discovers Fire

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The New Haven County State Marshal was headed to 31 Southwind Lane to evict residents in an apartment there Tuesday morning when he discovered the unit was on fire.

Firefighters responded to a reported building fire that originated from an end apartment in a four-unit condominium at about 7:09 a.m. When firefighters got there, they saw flames coming from the second-floor window. Crews attacked it "aggressively" from the inside, quickly extinguishing the blaze, fire officials said.

No one was home when State Marshal Ed DiLieto arrived and discovered the fire. The residents were facing eviction resulting from foreclosure on the home and were notified of eviction on Nov. 18, DiLieto said. Tuesday is the day they would have been forced out.

Neighbors told NBC Connecticut the couple works as therapists and were at work when this happened. No one was home at the time of the fire and no one was injured.

The occupants' cat was rescued and returned to its owners.

There was smoke and water damage.The adjoining apartment had some minor smoke damage, but the tother three units are habitable.

It's unclear at this time if fire officials are investigating this as arson.

The fire is now under control. Firefighters stayed to put out hot spots.

The fire marshal's office responded and is investigating the cause of the fire.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Police Investigate New Britain Shooting

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A 30-year-old man is suffering non-life-threatening injuries after a shooting in New Britain Monday night.

The shooting happened at 139 North Street in New Britain at about 8:26 p.m. Police said it doesn't appear to be random.

Anyone with information is asked to call New Britain Criminal Investigations Division at 860-826-3133.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

'Unfounded' Threat Prompts Heightened Patrols at Hall High

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A threat of a possible school shooting slated to happen at Hall High School in West Hartford on Tuesday was unfounded, according to police.

West Hartford police learned of the threat Monday night. The threat indicated that there was going to be a school shooting at Hall possibly on Tuesday.

After investigating Monday night, police verified it was an "unfounded rumor that was perpetuating itself." However, West Hartford police has stepped up patrols at the school "due to the volatility of this type of incident."

"We take any and all rumors or threats very seriously and will investigate all of them," Lt. Ted Stoneburner, spokesperson for West Hartford police, said.

West Hartford Assistant Superintendent Andrew Morrow emphasized that school safety is a top priority for a district and said school leaders take situations like this seriously.

"We are thankful for students who have come forward sharing information as they are an essential component in maintaining that school safety," Morrow said.

A notice from Hall High School Principal Dan Zittoun Monday night assured parents "we are confident there has been no threats made by a Hall student toward other students" despite a rumor that it was the case. He said said he believed it resulted from a "bad game of 'telephone' and combined "unrelated incidents earlier in the week that did not involve threats to Hall students."

West Hartford police don't anticipate any problems at the school.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Crews Respond to Lebanon Structure Fire

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Crews are responding to a structure fire in Lebanon.

The fire broke out at 521 Tobacco Street.

Bozrah firefighters have sent an engine and tanker to provide mutual aid.

No further information was immediately available.

Muslims Have Strong Negative View of ISIS: Study

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Eleven countries with significant Muslim populations, including Lebanon, Jordan, Indonesia and Turkey, have negative views of ISIS, according to a recent Pew study. 

The one exception was Pakistan, where a majority — 62 percent — had no opinion about the terror group. Still, 28 percent said they had an unfavorable view of ISIS, and just nine percent said they had a favorable view.

"In no country surveyed did more than 15 percent of the population show favorable attitudes toward Islamic State. And in those countries with mixed religious and ethnic populations, negative views of ISIS cut across these lines," said the study, released after Paris terror attacks. 

Republican front-runner Donald Trump on Monday called for a "complete" shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S. as a national security measure until U.S. leaders "can figure out what is going on." Trump's proposal includes tourists and Muslims entering the U.S. on visas and comes after last week's rampage in San Bernardino, carried out by a Muslim couple who authorities believe had been radicalized into following an extreme form of Islam.



Photo Credit: AP

Troopers Seize Marijuana, $5,000 at Traffic Stop

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State Troopers seized over an ounce of marijuana and $5,000 after stopping a speeding vehicle travelling east of I-84, police said.

A car was going 87 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone on I-84 near exit 70. Police could smell marijuana after stopping the vehicle and launched an on-scene investigation. 

Cops found 1.3 ounces of marijuana along with $5,000. The driver, William Alonzo, 36, of Lawrence, Massachusetts and the passenger, Melvin Difo, 29, of Lawrence, were taken into custody.

Alonzo faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, interfering with an officer, and reckless driving. His bond is set at $10,000. Difo faces a possession of a controlled substance charge and his bond is set for $5,000.

Alonzo and Difo are expected to appear in court on Dec. 8.

It was not clear if either had an attorney.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

High Surf Closes San Diego Area Pier

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Ocean Beach Pier was closed for most of the day Tuesday due to high surf, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue officials.

Video showed huge waves crashing on the nearly 50-year-old pier. Lifeguards were on alert because of a high surf advisory in effect through late in the day. 

Surfers and swimmers have been warned of 8- to 10-foot waves and strong rip currents along the coastline.

By 3 p.m., officials had reopened the pier after minor repairs to the railing.

On Monday, lifeguards used the San Diego Fire-Rescue helicopter to rescue a surfer who was stranded two miles from where he went into the water.

The man was a little shaken up, cold and suffered a few scratches according to Lt. John Sandleyer.

“He seemed like he had good experience and that always pays off when confronted by a situation like that,” Sandleyer said.

NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said the high surf was expected until the evening for beaches south of La Jolla.

The reason for the high surf is because of a Pacific storm system, while the high tide is tied to a new moon.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: NBC7
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Plainville Business Owner Stole $275K From Clients: Police

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The owner of a Plainville condo management company and one of his employees were arrested after police say the men stole over $250,000 from clients. 

Devin Hill, 36, the former owner of D&H Management on Whiting Street in Plainville, was arrested after police launched an investigation into missing funds for several Connecticut-based condominium associations. 

Lieutenant Nicolas Mullins of the Plainville Police Department said evidence found that Hill conducted 133 unlawful cash withdrawals, diverted 343 checks, and wrote 105 checks to a fraudulent account, in total wrongfully appropriating $275,572 between January 2014 and March 2015. 

Dereck Cutone, 26, a former employee of D&H Management and another unnamed employee after there were  identified as a co-conspirators.

Hill was charged with larceny in the first degree, two counts of conspiracy to larceny, and first degree identity theft. Cutone was charged with second degree conspiracy to commit larceny.

Both Hill and Cutone will appear in court on Dec. 21. Hill's bond is set at $150,000 and Cutone's at $5,000.

It is unclear if Hill or Cutone has an attorney. 



Photo Credit: Plainville Police Department
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