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Evangelist Billy Graham, 'America's Pastor,' Dies at 99

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Billy Graham, one of the nation’s most powerful preachers who helped usher evangelical Christianity into the American mainstream through televised sermons, best-selling books, political appearances and stadium revivals, died Wednesday at the age of 99.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association confirmed his death to NBC News. Graham, who long suffered from cancer and other ailments, died at his home in North Carolina.

In his final decade, Graham had suffered Parkinson’s disease and loss of hearing and vision, which forced him to substantially retreat from the public eye. He had been hospitalized several times since May 2011 with pneumonia and respiratory problems, most recently on November 20.

President Donald Trump honored Graham on Twitter Wednesday morning, writing, "The GREAT Billy Graham is dead. There was nobody like him! He will be missed by Christians and all religions. A very special man."

In his final years, even when his brown hair transformed to a shock of white and the finger swiping that punctuated his most passionate speeches faded to milder gestures, Graham continued his decades-long legacy of counseling American leaders and using his influence to gently nudge the course of national politics. During 2012 presidential race, Graham prayed with both President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, as he had with a long string of other presidents and their rivals, but threw his support behind Romney, urging his followers to “vote for biblical values this Nov. 6 and pray with me that America will remain one nation under God.” He also weighed in on the gay marriage debate, urging North Carolinians to vote for a state marriage amendment that would firmly ban same-sex unions—an amendment that passed by a comfortable margin but later made moot by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. As he always had, he faced criticism from both sides, some decrying his meddling in secular politics, and others arguing that he did not wield his influence more forcefully in one direction or the other.

It was the sort of criticism he had faced throughout his years as an ordained minister that saw the civil rights movement, which he supported, the sexual revolution of the 60s, which he opposed, wars and disease, economic prosperity and decline.

His influence, however, had always been more religious than political and was far less partisan than that of other evangelical leaders of his time. Throughout his career, he developed relationships—often close relationships—with Republican and Democratic presidents. He spent time in Kennebunkport, Maine, with President George H. W. Bush and his family, and was by the Clinton’s side during Bill's tumultuous second term. In an interview with Time magazine, Graham said he tried to emphasize to all the leaders he grew to know and love, the need for them “to have love for the people who were opposed to them.”

Bush remembered his "good friend" in a statement, writing, "Billy Graham was America's pastor. His faith in Christ and his totally honest evangelical spirit inspired people across the country and around the world. I think Billy touched the hearts of not only Christians, but people of all faiths, because he was such a good man. I was privileged to have him as a personal friend. He would come to Maine to visit with Barbara and me, and he was a great sport. He loved going really fast in my boat. I guess you could say we had that in common. Then we would come home and talk about life. He was a mentor to several of my children, including the former president of the United States."

"Rosalynn and I are deeply saddened to learn of the death of The Reverend Billy Graham," former president Jimmy Carter said in a statement. "Tirelessly spreading a message of fellowship and hope, he shaped the spiritual lives of tens of millions of people worldwide. Broad-minded, forgiving, and humble in his treatment of others, he exemplified the life of Jesus Christ by constantly reaching out for opportunities to serve. He had an enormous influence on my own spiritual life, and I was pleased to count Reverend Graham among my advisers and friends."

But those political ties proved problematic when his close friend Richard Nixon resigned in the Watergate scandal, leaving Graham devastated and baffled.

Graham preached to more than 215 million people and is credited with converting more than 2.5 million people to Christianity, according to the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, which he founded in 1950. He crisscrossed the globe, from the Congo to New York City, where he attracted more than 200,000 people in his final “crusade” in 2005. It was Graham who founded Christianity Today to help unify the country’s evangelical movement and made the “My Answer” column a regular feature in more than 200 newspapers. Fifty-six times, Graham earned a spot on Gallup’s list of the top 10 most admired men in the world, surpassing runner-up Ronald Reagan by a massive margin.

William Franklin Graham Jr. was born near Charlotte, N.C. on Nov. 7, 1918. At age 16 he met an evangelist who inspired him to become a preacher and soon enrolled in Bob Jones University, a religious college in Greenville, South Carolina. He continued his studies at Florida Bible Institute and later Wheaton College in Illinois where he met his future wife, Ruth McCue Bell, the daughter of missionaries. His rise to prominence is traced to the front-page coverage that the Hearst newspapers gave to his 1949 Los Angeles revival.

Graham preached about the sinfulness of man, the wrath of hell, but the promise of redemption from a forgiving and loving God. Though some of his views were divisive, his message was often one that encouraged unity and he was therefore often called upon in moments of national tragedy to offer comfort to the grieving. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he addressed the nation from the National Cathedral, proclaiming that “God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious or political background may be.”

Graham celebrated his 95th birthday on November 7, 2013, surrounded by hundreds of well-wishers. In a video, that was recorded over the past year and played at the party, Graham delivered what is being characterized as his final sermon. He spoke of Jesus Christ's saving power and expressed concerns about America's future.

"Our country's in great need of a spiritual awakening," he said. "There have been times that I've wept as I've gone from city to city and I've seen how far people have wandered from God."

Graham lost his wife Ruth in 2007 and will be buried by her at the Bill Graham Museum and Library. and is survived by their five children—Virginia Leftwich, Anne Morrow, Ruth Bell, William Franklin and Nelson Edman—19 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.



Photo Credit: Getty Images, File

Former Bacon Academy Student Arrested After Instagram Threat

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Colchester police have arrested a teen after investigating a threat posted on Instagram that referenced Bacon Academy and the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Police said they started investigating Monday after a comment was posted on Instagram that implied that Bacon Academy would be the target of an active shooter.

Officers identified possible suspects and said they obtained a confession from a former student who said he had posted the comment as a prank.

Police identified 18-year-old Nicholas Burtis as the suspect and said he does not own or have access to firearms. The School Resource Officer was notified of the threat and arrest.

Online court records say Burtis was charged with second-degree breach of peace.

Burtis could not post bond and was taken to court, according to police. It’s not clear if Burtis has an attorney.

Seventeen people were killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

A.C. Petersen Celebrates Record Warmth With 70-Cent Ice Cream

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A.C. Petersen in West Hartford is celebrating the record-breaking warmth with 70-cent ice cream cones today.

The restaurant on Park Road in West Hartford launched the deal in celebration of the forecast for 70-degree weather.

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The record for today was 63 degrees, set in 1930. It was broken this morning in the Hartford area when the temperature reached 64 degrees.

The all-time February record is 73 degrees. It was set in 1985.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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Person Struck by Train in Fairfield

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A person was hit by a train near the Fairfield Metro Station, according to an alert from Metro-North Railroad.

More details on the incident were not immediately available.

Grasmere Avenue is closed near Kings Highway due to the incident.

Travelers on Metro-North should expect delays of up to 20 minutes.

NBC Connecticut will provide updates as they come into the newsroom.



Photo Credit: NBC Washington

Ariz. Couple Denied Adopted Children Food, Water: Officials

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Four children in Arizona were denied access to food and water and from using the bathroom while being locked inside a room by their adoptive parents, authorities said, NBC News reported. 

Benito Gutierrez, 69, and Carol Gutierrez, 64, were booked on charges of child abuse Tuesday after the children were found living in the horrifying conditions, according to a Pima CountySheriff's Office press release.

Police were led to the Gutierrez's home after one of the children escaped through a bedroom window and asked to use a phone at a nearby Family Dollar on Saturday.

The children, whose ages range from 6 to 12, were regularly denied access to food, water, lights, or bathroom facilities for up to 12 hours at a time, according to the release. The kids were removed from the home.



Photo Credit: Pima County Sheriff's Office

Mueller Asking If Manafort Promised WH Job to Receive Loans

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Federal investigators are probing whether former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort promised a Chicago banker a job in the Trump White House in return for $16 million in home loans, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

Manafort received three separate loans in December 2016 and January 2017 from Federal Savings Bank for homes in New York City and the Hamptons. Stephen Calk, who was announced as a member of candidate Trump's council of economic advisers in August 2016, is the president of Federal Savings Bank.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team is now investigating whether there was a quid pro quo agreement between Manafort and Calk. Manafort left the Trump campaign in August 2016 after the millions he had earned working for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine drew media scrutiny. Calk did not receive a job in President Donald Trump's Cabinet.

Federal prosecutors said in court filings they have "substantial evidence" that loans made from the bank to Manafort were secured through false representations made by Manafort, including misstatements of income. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a Calk spokesperson did not return multiple calls and e-mails over a period of several weeks requesting a response.



Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Newtown Police Investigate Medical Waste Dumped on Road

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Newtown police are trying to identify a person who dumped used medical waste and equipment on the side of the road multiple times over the past year.

Police said the investigation began when a resident who lives on Plumtrees Road near Taunton Hill Road reported that someone has been throwing used ostomy bags on the side of the road.

Investigators determined someone had littered the bags in the area at least seven times over the past year.

Ostomy bags or pouches are used to collect waste from the body after a surgery that redirects a system, commonly the bowel or urinary tract.

Police are looking to identify a suspect. Anyone with information should contact the Newtown Police Department.



Photo Credit: Newtown Police Department

Reports of Hunting Nearby Brought Naugatuck Police to Maple Hill School

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Police are at Maple Hill School in Naugatuck Wednesday after reports of someone hunting in the area, but said students are not in danger.

At 12:12 p.m., officers responded to reports of gunshots in the Longview Terrace area, near water company property, after a resident who lives nearby reported that someone wearing camouflage was hunting.

Because of the close proximity to Maple Hill School, police contacted the school, which was placed in lockdown for around an hour as a precaution.

Police said the area of the water company property is not a legal hunting area.

After searching the area, police had no contact with the person described and determined that students of Maple Hill School were not in danger.

The lockdown was lifted around 1:15 p.m., but police will remain at school for the rest of the school day and will continue investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Naugatuck Police Department at 203-729-5221 or the NPD Confidential Tip Line at 203-720-1010.




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Commercial Truck Strikes Elderly Woman in Suffield

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A commercial truck struck a pedestrian in Suffield on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Suffield police responded to Warnertown Road in West Suffield around 2:57 p.m. for a collision. 

Initial reports indicate that the commercial vehicle struck an elderly woman who was walking. The pedestrian was conscious and alert at the scene, while the driver had no injuries, Suffield police said. 

The woman was brought to the hospital for evaluation and further emergency care. 

Warnertown Road was closed for all northbound traffic at Mountain Road and at the Massachusetts state line for all traffic traveling southbound out of Southwick, Massachusetts. 

All roads have since been reopened.

An investigation is ongoing. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Students Who Survived Fla. Shooting Rally for Gun Laws

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Students from Stoneman Douglas High held a rally inside and outside the capitol building in Tallahassee, Florida, demanding stricter gun laws.

Father of Killed Fla. Student Gives Emotional Plea to Trump

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Andrew Pollack, whose daughter was murdered in the Parkland school shooting, gave an emotional plea to President Donald Trump during the listening session Wednesday on public safety.

Lyme Couple Alarmed by Their Dealings With Home Security Company

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A Lyme couple looking to have a home security system until they sold their home was alarmed when they faced trouble canceling their contract with the company.

Ronald and Elaine Wojcik liked the comfort that came with the 24-hour monitoring service provided by Safe Home Security. When their alarm monitoring contract came up for renewal in 2016, they reluctantly signed a new 3-year agreement even though they were in the process of selling their home in Lyme.

“I told them at that time my house has been for sale for a full year. You can see the sign out front,” Wojcik recalled telling the company’s representative. “If I sign, I’ll need to terminate it.”

The Safe Home Security salesperson told the Lyme man he could stop the service when his home sold, according to Wojcik.

When the house sold four months later, Wojcik faxed over the bill of sale and deed to the property by the 60-day deadline like the company representative instructed him to do.

“They immediately said over the phone, ‘Oh no, you can’t do that. You can’t terminate this.’ I said, ‘Well, then you better talk to your salesman’,” Wojcik said.

Sometime after that conversation, Wojcik said a “securities” charge appeared on his bank statement.

At first, he assumed it was for his new security company, but he later discovered Safe Home Security was continuing to bill him $42.55 every month for alarm monitoring services for a house he no longer lived in or owned.

Nearly a year and a half after the charge, Wojcik spotted another $42.55 electronic withdrawal from his account for security systems. He said the old security company was still deducting money for the old alarm system.

“They said, ‘No. We’re just going to keep with withdrawing it. You owe us another a year and half of $42.55 each month,’ and I’m not receiving any services,” Wojcik said.

The company said Wojcik owed $750 worth of charges for a security system he no longer had.

Despite requesting a stop payment on the charges by his bank, Wojcik said Safe Home Security tried to withdraw money again as recent as two weeks ago. The bank put a hold on those funds before the company quickly refunded the $42.55 monthly charge back into the couple’s account, according to Wojcik.

NBC Connecticut Responds went over the couple’s contract and under the early cancellation section, it states, “Clients may cancel prior to completion of primary or renewal term upon receipt of ninety percent of stated terms. Applicable for sale of home, death and transfers. All cancellation requests must be in writing.”

When NBC Connecticut Responds reached Safe Home Security to resolve the issue, a spokesperson said the company “would not resolve anything if NBC Connecticut Responds was involved.”

Safe Home Security declined to speak or provide a statement to NBC Connecticut.

The Wojciks says it’s not about the money at this point, but the principle.

“Personally, I’d be very happy right now if they’d just terminate their attempts to try and withdraw money,” Wojcik said.

Here’s a few suggestions, if you are in a similar situation:

  • Unless it’s in the written contract, don’t assume a verbal promise is valid.
  • Companies don’t have to make good on anything a salesperson says unless it’s in writing.
  • Don’t sign any legal documents without reviewing them first.
  • It’s not a bad idea to show the contract or documents to a legal professional.


Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Blumenthal Says Trump Proposal Could Hurt 9/11 Responders

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Senator Richard Blumenthal is sounding the alarm on a federal budget proposal that would affect 500 Connecticut first responders who went to Ground Zero on 9/11.

"Over 20 men in the West Haven Fire Department made the trip down to ground zero after the towers fell," West Haven Fire Lt. William Heffernan said. "I saw firsthand the destruction and the carnage that was there."

In the rubble of the World Trade Center, Heffernan and thousands of first responders were exposed to chemical toxins that can cause cancer and respiratory illnesses.

"Every day we read about another soul who has passed away," Heffernan said. "Another member who is sick and dying from the effects of all the toxins."

Heffernan joined Blumenthal in speaking out against President Donald Trump's budget proposal that reorganizes the program that monitors the health and oversees benefits for thousands of 9/11 first responders and survivors.

"If it aint broke, don’t fix it," Heffernan said.

Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, has proposed separating the World Trade Center Health program from the direction of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

"That’s bureaucratic nonsense to save a relatively small number of dollars," Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal and a group of bi-partisan tristate lawmakers said the change would deprive 9/11 first responders and survivors of the occupational health experts who are familiar with their medical conditions.

"The federal government should not be disrupting and dismantling the World Trade Center Health Program," Blumenthal said.

Most of West Haven’s 9/11 firefighters go for annual check-ups at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.

"They go down and monitor us and they keep track of all the documentation and they track different diseases, who has cancer, who has lung disease and things of that nature so every time I go down and get checked I feel better as long as nothing is wrong," Heffernan said.

New York Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Peter King, who were original sponsors of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2015, issued this statement.

"This proposal from OMB is downright irresponsible. These heroes deserve the best care, and this proposal from Director Mulvaney means that will not happen. It needs to be withdrawn immediately. We know Director Mulvaney did not support the reauthorization when he was here in congress, we just hope he is not purposefully trying to sabotage it because this suggestion is either incompetence or is being done on purpose. We fought for years to pass the Zadroga Act and you can count on that same passion and energy to make sure this proposal is never enacted."



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Message Prompts Police Presence at Sheehan High School

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Police will be present at the Mark T. Sheehan High School in Wallingford on Thursday out of precaution after an "inappropriate" message was found on a whiteboard in the school.

The school's principal said an "inappropriate" message was found written on a classroom whiteboard on Wednesday morning. 

School officials were alos informed of "comments that were circulating among some students," Sheehan Principal Rosemary Duthie said.

The school worked with Wallingford police to investigate and according to their findings, Duthie said, there is no reason for concern. 

Duthie said there will be a police presence at the high school on Thursday following the investigation to allay any concern.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

California Rape Suspect Consumed Poisonous Mixture During Chase: Police

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A man wanted in connection with a Los Angeles-area rape died Wednesday at the end of a pursuit in Ventura County after authorities say he consumed a lethal mixture while driving on a freeway.

The man likely consumed a poisonous mix of sodium chloride and potassium cyanide before striking a median on the 101 Freeway near Seward Avenue, authorities said. The man earlier told officer he was suicidal, according to the California Highway Patrol.

He died at the scene. No officers were injured.

Details about the crime for which the driver was sought were not immediately available, except that it occurred in January, according to police. The man was identified as 33-year-old Jonathan Hanks, of Camarillo, according to Los Angeles police. 

The 101 Freeway was closed in both directions near Seaward Avenue for the investigation.

Authorities said earlier that shots were fired, but later said there was no gunfire. 

Editor's Note 2/21/2018, 12:13 p.m.: This story has been updated to accurately report the day the man died.





Photo Credit: KNBC-TV/NBC

Man Killed Off-Duty Md. Officer Who Helped Woman in Domestic Dispute

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An off-duty Prince George's County police officer was killed Wednesday morning after a neighbor being threatened by her estranged husband asked for the officer's help and the man shot him, police say. 

The alleged attacker, 37-year-old Glenn Tyndell, also was killed. 

Cpl. Mujahid Ramzziddin lost his life helping the woman as he was off duty in his own neighborhood, Chief Hank Stawinski said at a news conference. 

"He saved her life by giving his own," Stawinski said. 

"A gutless coward took the life of a very important member of our community," Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said, her voice raised in anger. 

"Officer Ramzziddin gave his life trying to save the life of another," she continued. 

Ramzziddin was a Marine Corps veteran, a father of four and his mother's only son, officials said. He served on the Prince George's County police force for 14 years. He was 51. 

Tyndell, of Largo, had a protective order against him and was due in court for an emergency hearing on Wednesday, sources tell News4 and court records show. 

He had a history of domestic violence, Stawinski said.

"There does appear to be a history of domestic incidents, and they span multiple jurisdictions," the police chief said.

Tyndell had three open warrants for assault. Court records show he was arrested for violating a protective order in March 2013 and arrested for assault in September 2010.

He worked for Metro as a mechanic, police said. 

A neighbor went to Ramzziddin for help after her estranged husband threatened her outside her home on Chadsey Lane about 10:20 a.m., police said. Ramzziddin immediately responded to the woman's plea. 

"Shortly thereafter, he found himself in a confrontation with a man armed with a shotgun," Stawinski said. 

The man, later identifiend as Tyndell, shot Ramzziddin five times, killing him, Stawinski said at a news conference Wednesday night. After the shooting, he took Ramzziddin's handgun, Stawinski said.

A witness driving past said he heard more than 10 shots. 

"It was a scary, scary situation," he said.

Tyndell left the scene in a black SUV. A short time later, Charles County sheriff's deputies saw him on Berry Road and began to pursue him. The chase led back into Prince George's County, where additional officers assisted. 

On Indian Head Highway at Old Fort Road in Fort Washington, about 10 miles from where Ramzziddin was shot, Tyndell jumped out of the SUV and shot at the officers. 

Police believe Tyndell used Ramzziddin's handgun to fire at the officers.

The officers shot back, and Tyndell was fatally wounded. 

No other officers were hurt. Tyndell's estranged wife also was not hurt. 

Tyndell had children of his own, his father, James Tyndell told News4. They are 11, 8 and 6, their grandfather said.

James Tyndell argued that people in his son's life had provided false information about him to police. 

Officials said they were heartbroken by Ramzziddin's death.

"With broken hearts, we are announcing that one of our officers was shot and killed today. The brave officer was shot while stepping in to protect a woman threatened in a domestic situation. Please keep his family and our department in your prayers," the department said on Twitter earlier Wednesday. 

Neighbors also said they were shaken by the crime. 

“I’m a retired officer myself who has also been in the line of fire," one woman said, near tears. "This hits pretty hard for me to know that one of my fellow brothers have been killed." 

Ramzziddin was a devout Muslim and a member at Masjid Muhammad, a mosque in Northwest D.C.

"It’s understandable that he was doing something that he always does and that is try to be useful, try to be helpful," said Talib Shareef, the Imam at Masjid Muhammad.

"He was a good brother. Good father. Good Muslim," said Sabir Saleem, a retired D.C. officer and Ramzziddin's friend.

Many officers on foot, in squad cars and on motorcycles responded to the shooting scene, Chopper4 footage showed. Several roads in the area were shut down. 

As Ramzziddin's body was taken via ambulance to the state medical examiner's office in Baltimore, first responders lined highways to salute and honor him. 

Less than two years have passed since the last time a Prince George's County police officer was killed.

Officer Jacai Colson was killed outside the District III police station in Palmer Park on March 13, 2016. A fellow officer accidentally shot him during a chaotic shootout.

Michael Ford opened fire on officers as his brothers used their cellphones to record video of the gunfight. Ford told his brothers to send video of the attack on the police station to the entertainment website WorldStarHipHop.com, prosecutors said. Ford's brothers pleaded guilty for their roles in the shooting. His trial is pending. 

More officers were shot and killed in 2017 after they responded to domestic disturbances than were shot in the line of duty in any other circumstance, according to data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Seven of the 128 officers who died on the job last year were shot as they responded to domestic disturbance reports.

"As most law enforcement officers have been informed during their training or know intuitively from working the streets ... domestic dispute calls or intra-family offenses were the most dangerous type of call for the responding officers," a report from the organization says.

In the D.C. area, Prince William County Officer Ashley Guindon was shot and killed on Feb. 17, 2016, her first day on the job, as she responded to a domestic violence call. Two other officers were hurt. 

"Any officer realizes your next call could be your last," Guindon's uncle Mark Guindon previously told News4.

Over the course of Ramzziddin's career, he was assigned to District III, District IV, the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement Unit and the Gang Unit. He was part of the Harbor Unit when he was killed.

Ramzziddin's funeral will be held Friday at the Diyanet Center of America in Lanham, Maryland, according to Shareef.

Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story. 



Photo Credit: Prince George's County Police Department/NBC
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Hartford Receives $100,000 Grant for Children Safety Plan

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The City of Hartford is receiving up to $100,000 in grant money to refine a plan that would use ShotSpotter technology help to identify and treat children who are exposed to gun violence and associated trauma.

The grant is a result of the city’s participation in Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge, where more than 320 cities around the country competed. The challenge asked mayors to propose bold, inventive solutions to the toughest problems cities face.

On Wednesday morning Mayor Luke Bronin announced Hartford had been selected as one of 35 national finalists.

"In communities all across the country, young people are being exposed to gun violence at incredibly distressing rates and that is true right here in the city of Hartford," Bronin said.

According to the mayor, last year there were over 100 shootings confirmed throughout the city meaning many more children in the proximity were exposed to the violence.

"Whether it is mental health challenges or poor performance in school there are so many ways that are well documented that exposure to trauma can affect a child's growth and development," Bronin said.

ShotSpotter is an acoustic detection system that covers all residential neighborhoods in Hartford.

Hartford Police Deputy Chief Brian Foley said the technology has improved the way they police crime, bringing them within a foot of the incident.

"What we learned is 80 percent of the shootings that occur in the city never got reported, where before ShotSpotter we were only getting 20 percent of the shootings," Foley said.

Hartford Police Chief David Rosado said this is an opportunity to balance those crime-solving advancements with bettering the community.

"We are proud to leverage our technology that we have to make sure we identify children that are at risk," Rosado said.

How exactly children will be identified and treated is still being discussed. Bronin said directly communicating the ShotSpotter results to early learning centers and schools in the vicinity could be an option.

In October, four cities will receive $1 million awards and one will receive a grand prize of $5 million to put their final proposals into practice.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Rain on Thursday Gradually Mixes With Sleet and Snow

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NBC Connecticut meteorologists say we're in for a little bit of everything on Thursday following record-breaking warmth on Wednesday. 

Rain will develop on Thursday morning and gradually mix with sleet and snow. Temperatures will drop through the 30s and some accumulations is possible in parts of the state.

We could see 1”-3” of snow in the hilltowns on Litchfield County with icy roads developing by midday and afternoon.

A coating or even a bit more is possible in the valley locations around Hartford. Most of the accumulation will be on grassy surfaces but some slick spots late in the day may also be possible.

Thursday night will have partial clearing with temperatures low in the 20s.

Residents waking up on Friday morning will see cloudy skies with a bit of mix going to rain into the afternoons. Temperatures will be high in the 30s.

Saturday will be a bit warmer with high in the 50s and clouds with some sun. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Stonington Students Face Charges for Sending Racy Images

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Teens in Stonington accused of sexting on social media and sharing images of one of their classmates are facing charges.

Authorities said five Stonington High School students used Instagram direct messaging to share graphic pictures, including at least one that showed a fellow classmate. The teens have been charged with unlawful dissemination of an intimate image.

Some teens from nearby high schools told NBC Connecticut they’re worried their peers don’t recognize the seriousness of this kind of action.

"They just don’t have respect for people. They share everything not knowing how much it could hurt somebody," Eli Genese, a Westerly High School junior, said.

The names of the teens involved aren’t being released because of their age.

Stonington police said it’s important for parents to warn their children to never share these kinds of images online or in person because doing so can result in significant, potentially criminal consequences.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Fla. Deputies Will Carry Rifles on School Grounds: Sheriff

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Deputies will carry rifles on the grounds of local schools in Broward County in the wake of the Parkland school shooting, Broward Sheriff Scott Israel announced Wednesday.

Israel said that only deputies who are "qualified and trained" will carry the rifles on school grounds.

"When they are not carrying the rifle, until we look for gun locks and gun lockers, the only place when they're not slinging the rifle, that will be allowed to be stored, will be in their locked police vehicle," said Israel.

The practice was implemented Wednesday morning, Israel said at a news conference.

"Schools as soft targets need to be fortified," Israel said.

Israel said he spoke with Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, who supported the idea.

One of the shooting survivors, Chris Grady, spoke with Runcie Tuesday on local radio station WLRN on Tuesday said he was against the idea. "I do not feel safe when I see armed officials. Why would you want the student body to have to walk around that," Grady said.

A reporter asked if officers will carry AR-15’s, and Israel said some would.

The AR-15 is the weapon used in the tragic shooting that left 17 dead at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14.

"It will be done safely," said Israel, "We need to be able to defeat any threat that comes onto campus."

Israel's announcement comes after President Donald Trump suggested arming 20 percent of teachers and coaches with firearms to overpower potential shooters.

A 2013 Cleveland State University College of Urban Affairs review showed that, at the time, putting one armed guard at every school building in the nation would cost about $13 billion a year.

The review was conducted after the NRA proposed the idea following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in which dozens died.

When scaled up to better reflect student populations per school buildings, the cost would increase to about $23 billion a year – some $500 per student for armed security.

In the Broward County School District, where the Parkland tragedy occurred, there are about 15,000 teachers. The proposal to arm about 20 percent – about 3,000 – of those teachers with a Glock 17, a popular weapon, would cost more than $1.4 million, not taking into account the cost of ammunition.

Teachers would also have to be educated on gun safety, the cost of which can be about $200 per training day.

Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho rejected the idea of teachers with weapons.

"I respect teachers too much, and I respect their voice too much and I respect the voice of students who, unequivocally, who yesterday in Tallahassee and over the past week have told me they want to feel safe but they want teachers to teach," Carvalho said.

Runcie said that "we don't need to put guns in the hands of teachers."

"You know what we need. We need to arm our teachers with more money in their pockets," Runcie said.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he does not support arming teachers and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., agreed saying Trump’s suggestion on arming them was "a terrible idea."



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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