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Democrats Hold the Advantage in November's Elections: Poll

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Six weeks before the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats hold a 12-point lead in congressional preference among registered voters, with nearly six-in-ten saying they’d like to see significant change in the direction President Donald Trump has been leading the country, according to a new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

The results suggest a political environment where Democrats have the clear advantage in their pursuit to win back control of Congress in November.

One pollster said that Americans are "trying to send the signal that they’re not satisfied." Another said they are trying to show "they want to shake up the status quo."

Still, the same poll shows that Republican enthusiasm about the upcoming election has increased, drawing nearly even with Democrats; that GOP attacks on immigration and Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi are potent in individual races; and that nearly 70 percent of voters are satisfied with the economy.



Photo Credit: AP Photo/Steve Karnowski

Simsbury Fly-In and Car Show Raises Funds for Local Airport

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Thousands are expected to turn out for the 32nd Annual Simsbury Fly-In, Car Show and Food Truck Festival Sunday.

The event is part air show, part car show, and this year organizers have added a food truck festival.

Attendees can expect to see planes old and new on display. This year, there are 750 vintage airplanes and cars.

There are also free seminars, flying demonstrations, a LifeStar helicopter and radio control model aerobatics to entertain the family.

The event started more than 30 years ago as a fundraiser for the Simsbury airport. It’s attracted people from all over Connecticut and even out of state.

Some have been inspired to take up flying and buy or build their own planes.

Admission to the event is free, but donations are appreciated. Parking is available for $10.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Hartford Resident Interrupts Burglary, Suspect Arrested

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A Hartford resident interrupted a burglary at her apartment building Saturday and a suspect has been arrested.

Police said the victim was returning to her apartment at 476 Wethersfield Avenue when she found a man in the hallway holding items stolen from her apartment. The suspect dropped the items and took off when confronted by the victim.

Police responded and found signs of forced entry on the apartment door. Officers picked up a suspect matching the victim’s description nearby.

The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Alex Torres of New Britain.

Car Crashes into Ansonia Building; 1 Person Seriously Hurt

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Several people were hurt, one seriously, when a car crashed into a building on Main Street in Ansonia Sunday.

Ansonia Rescue and Medical Services said three vehicles were involved in the crash near Bridge Street and one of them struck a building. One person was trapped inside and emergency crews had to use the jaws of life to rescue them.

The victim was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital with serious injuries. A second person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, and a third refused care.

The crash remains under investigation.



Photo Credit: Ansonia Rescue and Medical Services

Jewett City Man Dies After Falling Down Waterfall in New Hampshire

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A 23-year-old Jewett City man has died after falling from Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire.

According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 23-year-old Zachariah Petersen was camping with a friend on the side of Cannon Mountain just above a waterfall along Tram Brook.

Officials said Petersen slipped and fell down the waterfall. His friend pulled him from the brook and called for help, but Petersen died of his injuries.

Conservation police said alcohol may have been a factor.

Serious Crash Closes Plainville Avenue in Farmington

Arrest Warrant Signed for Suspect in Killing of Simsbury Jogger: Sources

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Sources close to the investigation confirm that an arrest warrant has been signed in the 2014 killing of Melissa Millan.

Sources also tell NBC Connecticut that a suspect is in custody.

Millan was found dead along Iron Horse Boulevard on November 21, 2014. She had gone out for a run around 8 p.m. the night before.

Millan was stabbed once in the chest.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation said the male suspect walked into the Simsbury Police Department last week looking to confess.

Police interviewed the suspect, who is a registered sex offender, a law enforcement source said.

Millan, who was 54 when she died, was an executive with the MassMutual insurance company in Hartford. The company released the following statement on Friday:

"Melissa Millan was an incredible person and outstanding leader, and we were fortunate to have her as a part of our MassMutual family for more than a decade. We are encouraged to learn that there are developments in her case, and continue to keep Melissa and her family in our thoughts."

Archdiocese of Hartford Addresses Ongoing Sex Abuse Scandal

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The Archdiocese of Hartford is again addressing the ongoing sexual abuse scandal shaking the Catholic church.

In a letter to parishioners released Sunday, Archbishop Leonard Blair acknowledged past sexual abuse cases within the diocese, stating that two priests have been credibly accused of sexually assaulting a minor over the last 20 years, and both faced criminal charges and prosecution.

He went on to say that the abuse has not been “occurring widely” in the Archdiocese of Hartford for at least 20 years, and there has been a zero-tolerance policy in place since 2002.

Blair said there are no credible claims against any current priests.

He also used the letter to ask for forgiveness from any victims of child abuse and their families.

“To those who have been victims of child sexual abuse by clergy, and to the parents, siblings, and friends of those who were abused – I ask, the Church asks – for forgiveness. Healing and reconciliation continue to be an essential but not easy goal, given the terrible effects that these sins and crimes can cause in the lives of victims, to whom the Church owes the deepest expression of sorrow and apology,” he wrote.

Blair said the archdiocese has taken steps to protect children from sexual abuse, including a variety of policy reforms since 2002.

“The protection of children and vulnerable adults and keeping them safe is our highest priority. I hope that this information provides reassurance that the Archdiocese of Hartford has taken and will continue to take these matters very seriously,” the letter read.

See the full letter below:



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Quinnipiac Men's Lacrosse Team Suspended

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The Quinnipiac University men’s lacrosse team has been suspended due to allegations of violations to the student conduct policy, school officials confirmed Sunday.

The school did not specify what violations may have occurred but confirmed the team was barred from practicing or playing in competitions.

“This suspension, which takes effect immediately, prohibits all team activity, including practicing and representing the university in competitions. With the well-being of our students being our top priority, the university has zero tolerance for any behavior that endangers any member of the university community,” wrote Lynn Bushnell, the university’s vice president for public affairs.

More details were not immediately available. Check back for updates.

2nd Woman Alleges Sexual Misconduct by Kavanaugh

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Days before Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee to address Christine Blasey Ford's allegations of sexual assault, a second woman has come forward alleging sexual misconduct. 

Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh, told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh pulled down his pants and exposed himself to her while they were classmates there.

“I remember a penis being in front of my face,” said Ramirez, who says she had been drinking. “I knew that's not what I wanted, even in that state of mind.”

In the last week, three sources familiar with the accusation told NBC about Ramirez's accusation. Ramirez, 53, is the same age as Kavanaugh and they both graduated from the university in 1987. Her sister Denise Ramirez was a year behind them at Yale.

Kavanaugh denied the allegation and the White House called it a "smear campaign" in a statement. 



Photo Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Macy's Shoplifter Bites Worker Who Tries to Stop Her: Cops

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Cops are looking for a woman who allegedly bit a Macy's employee who tried to stop her from stealing clothes at a Long Island store earlier this month. 

Police say the woman pilfered several clothing items from the department store on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington late Sept. 14. A loss prevention employee saw her and tried to stop her, but she bit the worker and fled, possibly in a black BMW with Pennsylvania plates, authorities say. 

Surveillance images show the woman appears to have a tattoo on the upper right part of her back (above). Suffolk County Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest. 

Anyone who recognizes the woman is asked to call 1-800-220-TIPS. 



Photo Credit: Handout

Trump Arrives in NYC, Residents Brace for Days of Gridlock

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President Donald Trump arrived in New York on Sunday for the U.N. General Assembly and residents braced for days of gridlock and high security that will accompany his visit and that of other world leaders attending the meetings. 

Trump's plane touched down in the early evening and his motorcade brought him to Trump Tower. Spectators lined up to watch the motorcade go by, with many snapping photos on their phones. One yelled an obscenity. 

Trump was scheduled to have a dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Manhattan on Sunday. 

The security measures for Trump and about 200 other dignitaries were evident in midtown, where security checkpoints were already in place. 

“We’ll be running 189 motorcades on our highest day, we’ll be using 48 sand trucks, 230 pieces of concrete block and thousands of members of the department,” said NYPD Chief Thomas Galati. 

Some roads were already closed but commuters should expect more throughout the week. See a complete list of road closures here

This was projected to be the slowest traffic week of the year. 

Areas of midtown east near the U.N. will be on lockdown and other streets will have restricted access and lane closures. 

The security even extends to the East River, where NYPD scuba teams checked for threats underwater. 

“It makes you feel safe but it also reminds you of the unrest that’s in the world and keeps you on your toes,” said resident Sam Miller. 

Trump's address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday, and on Wednesday he will for the first time chair the Security Council, with the stated topic of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The subject initially was to have been Iran, but that could have allowed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend, creating a potentially awkward situation for the U.S. leader.
Meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly often come in rapid succession, a wearying test for even the most experienced foreign policy team. Trump has a robust schedule during his stay in New York, including meetings with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Trump's address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday, and on Wednesday he will for the first time chair the Security Council, with the stated topic of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. 

Trump has a robust schedule during his stay in New York, including meetings with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Theresa May.



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York
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Man Who Brokered Trump Tower Meeting Conveyed 'Dirty Offer'

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British-born music publicist Rob Goldstone now believes the infamous meeting he helped arrange between senior Trump campaign officials and a Russian lawyer who promised dirt on Democrats may have been a Russian intelligence set-up, he told NBC News exclusively.

He also agreed that he conveyed a "dirty offer" to the Trump team, and while the dirt "didn't materialize," he believes that's what drew the scrutiny of congressional investigators and special counsel Robert Mueller.

Goldstone had promised Donald Trump Jr. that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, had information that "would incriminate Hillary [Clinton] and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father." He also emailed that it was "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump."

Goldstone hopes his new book, "Pop Stars, Pageants & Presidents: How an Email Trumped My Life," will provide context for his role in the episode.



Photo Credit: NBC News

First Alert: Strong Thunderstorms Possible Tuesday & Wednesday

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NBC Connecticut Meteorologists have issued a First Alert for two rounds of thunderstorms.

The first round of thunderstorms will move through the state Tuesday morning and afternoon as a warm front progresses across Connecticut. 

Much of the day will feature cloudy and rainy conditions with a few embedded thunderstorms by the late morning and afternoon.

Thunderstorms will be capable of producing strong damaging winds, hail, frequent lightning and very heavy rain. 

Expect warm and humid condition after the warm front moves through the state. The warmer temperatures will be here in Connecticut for Wednesday. 

A cold front will move through the state on Wednesday which will lead to a second round of thunderstorm activity.

Cooler and more comfortable conditions will filter into the state after the cold front passes. Temperatures are expected to be in the 60s and 70s to close out the workweek.

Stay with the NBC Connecticut First Alert Weather Team for continuous updates of the severe weather threat.


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Author Bob Woodward Set to Speak at The Bushnell in November

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Author and journalist Bob Woodward is scheduled to speak at The Bushnell in Hartford on November 1.

The event, titled "An Evening With Bob Woodward," follows the release of Woodward's latest book, "FEAR: Trump in the White House," about the Trump Administration.

Woodward's book detailed accounts of disarray and chaos in the White House under President Trump, however, the president and his aides pushed back against the reports in the book.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied the truthfulness of many elements of the book.  Woodward has stood by the reporting in the book.

Tickets to the general public go on sale Friday, Sept. 28.



Photo Credit: NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Fla. Deputy Fatally Shot Wife, Killed Self With 4 Kids in Home: Sheriff

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A Florida sheriff's deputy fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself while their four children were inside the home, NBC affiliate WFLA-TV reported.

The shooting happened at a subdivision in the Pasco County city of Land O’Lakes, located just north of Tampa.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said deputies responded to the home around midnight Monday after a teen called 911 to report a shooting. 

Once inside, deputies found the body of 33-year-old Samantha Keithley on a couch downstairs. Kirk Keithley, 39, a deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, was found dead upstairs with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Pasco County Sheriff's office said.

According to WFLA, deputies said the couple had two children together and one child each from a previous relationship. The children were inside the home at the time of the shooting, but Nocco said they did not appear to witness it.

The children's ages were not immediately clear, but Nocco said the oldest child is 14 years old. 

Nocco said the deputy did not use his service weapon in the shooting and added that there had been no previous 911 calls to the home.

"Domestic violence is a horrendous act that goes on in every community," Nocco said at an early morning news conference. "The moment that any individual goes from protecting people to harming people loses the right, no matter what agency they're with, to call themselves a law enforcement officer."

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP: The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or 800-787-3224 (TTY) provides people in distress, or those around them, with 24-hour support.



Photo Credit: WFLA-TV

Rosenstein, Future in Doubt, to Meet With Trump Thursday

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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet on Thursday with President Donald Trump, the White House said Monday, amid conflicting reports about Rosenstein's fate in the administration.

Trump has been weighing whether to fire him, and a report that Rosenstein, who has been overseeing the special counsel's Russia investigation, was resigning set off hours of speculation in media reports. But press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' statement on the Thursday meeting appeared to demonstrate that Rosenstein would remain secure in his role for at least a few days.

Sanders indicated that Rosenstein, who was at the White House for hours Monday, talked to Trump Monday. The president is in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.

"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories," Sanders said. "Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C."

NBC News worked to confirm multiple reports that Rosenstein was being fired or resigning. Sources close to Rosenstein and the president offered contradictory claims about the deputy attorney general's position in the administration.

After being at the White House for several hours, Rosenstein joined a previously scheduled meeting with high-level White House officials, a Justice Department official told NBC News.

The reports of Rosenstein's departure brought uproar from some Democrats in Washington.

"This looks to me like a slow-moving Saturday night massacre," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said on MSNBC, referring to the Saturday in 1973 when President Richard Nixon's deputy attorney general quit rather than fire the Watergate special prosecutor.

Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said that Rosenstein "should under no circumstances resign."

In a radio interview that aired Monday morning, Trump was asked about Rosenstein's future in light of a recent report that Rosenstein had talked about a way to remove Trump from office. Trump said that he didn't want to comment on it until he got more facts.

"But certainly it's being looked at in terms of what took place, if anything took place," Trump told Geraldo Rivera in an interview taped over the weekend.

Last week, The New York Times reported that Rosenstein talked about wearing a wire during meetings with Trump and invoking the 25th Amendment, which provides a process for replacing the president if he or she is unable to fulfill their duties. A Justice Department official and a source in the room countered the Times report to NBC News, saying that Rosenstein's discussion about wearing a wire was sarcastic.

Rosenstein's ouster would throw the future of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election into doubt. Special counsel Robert Mueller has reported to Rosenstein because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation.

The Times reported that Rosenstein made the suggestions to record Trump and invoke the 25th Amendment in the spring of 2017, after the president had fired James Comey, the FBI director. The suggestions also reportedly came after it was revealed the president had asked Comey to end an investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security advisor, the Times reported.

Rosenstein had written a memo that was used to justify the president's firing of Comey by criticizing his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Rosenstein was afraid he had been used, according to the Times. That report cited people briefed on meetings and conversations or on memos documenting Rosenstein's actions written by FBI officials, including Andrew McCabe, the former acting FBI chief who also was fired, nearly a year after Comey.

McCabe said in a statement Monday that he "had no role" in providing information to media organizations about the aftermath of Comey's firing. He also said he personally made sacrifices to protect Mueller's investigation.

"If the rumors of Deputy AG's Rosenstein's departure are true, I am deeply concerned that it puts that investigation at risk," McCabe said.

Trump has long mulled firing Rosenstein, angry that the deputy attorney general appointed Mueller, whose probe Trump frequently calls a "witch hunt." Rosenstein took over the probe after Sessions recused himself in March 2017 over his earlier interactions with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

It's not clear who would take over the Russia probe if Rosenstein resigned or were fired. The next Justice Department official in line to perform the duties of the attorney general is Noel Francisco, the solicitor general.

Rosenstein told at least one confidant in April that he was prepared to be fired then and confident that he had done his job with integrity, NBC News reported at the time. Trump had been criticizing him publicly and was considering terminating him.

In private conversations, Rosenstein repeated the phrase, "Here I stand," referring to Christian reformer Martin Luther's quote, "Here I stand, I can do no other," sources who spoke to Rosenstein told NBC News.

In May, Rosenstein fired back against news reports that articles of impeachment against him were reportedly being drafted by Republican members of the House in a dispute over documents in the Russia probe.

"I can tell you there have been people who have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time, and I think they should understand by now, the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted," he said in response to a question.



Photo Credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc., File

Hazmat Investigation Underway at Madison Senior Center

West Hartford Police Warn of Kidnapped Grandchild Scam

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West Hartford Police are warning residents about a scam where callers are led to believe their grandchild has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom.

Officers said they responded to a house on Sunday afternoon after getting a report that someone's spouse had left home to pay people who he believed had kidnapped his grandson.

The complainant said that about an hour before police arrived, their spouse received a telephone call on their cell phone leading them to believe their grandson had been abducted, had been harmed and was being held for ransom. The complainant's spouse left their house to follow the instructions of the kidnappers, police said.

The instructions led the victim to different stores to send money that they believed was going to secure the release of their grandson. While the incident was occurring, police looked for the victim before they ultimately were able to find them in a shopping area parking lot, according to officers.

Before the victim was located by police, the victim had sent the alleged kidnappers a few thousand dollars using electronic services including MoneyGram, RIA Financial Services and Western Union, police said. Once officers arrived, the victim was able to cancel two of the transactions before they could be completed. In total, only one transaction for approximately $700 was lost to the perpetrators, officers said.

The incident is still under investigation. Officers are working to identify the individual or individuals responsible.

Police are warning residents that they should be skeptical of calls claiming that relatives are kidnapped and/or have been arrested in a remote state or country. Officers say the scams are not uncommon and often times the victims themselves provide the perpetrators with enough information to make the threats seem legitimate. If possible, residents are urged to call or text the relatives in question to see if the threats are credible. If similar calls are received, residents are told not to mention the names, genders, ages or other descriptive qualities of the relatives in question.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger Fired

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Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer accused of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of her neighbor earlier this month, has been fired by the Dallas Police Department.

The department announced on Twitter that Guyger was "terminated for her actions" by Chief U. Renee Hall during a hearing Monday morning.

"An Internal Affairs investigation concluded that on September 9, 2018, Officer Guyer engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for Manslaughter," the department said.

Guyger, 30, told investigators she returned home at the end of her shift Sept. 6 and found the door, to what she believed to be her apartment, ajar.

In an arrest warrant affidavit, investigators have said Guyger described seeing a “large silhouette” in the apartment and that she gave ”verbal commands that were ignored” prior to firing the shots that killed 26-year-old Botham Jean, her upstairs neighbor. Guyger told investigators she mistakenly believed the apartment was her own and that Jean was a burglar.

Jean’s family and their attorneys dispute those accounts and said information they gathered from witnesses will contradict Guyger’s statements.

When asked last week why Guyger hadn't been terminated, Hall said she wasn't able to terminate the officer. She elaborated Thursday with the following statement:

“There is one overriding reason that I have not taken any administrative or employment action against Officer Amber Guyger. I don’t want to interfere with the on-going criminal investigation into her actions. Here’s why. As an employer, DPD can compel Officer Guyger to provide a statement during a DPD administrative investigation and those statements given to DPD could potentially compromise the criminal investigation. That is not a risk I am willing to take. We cannot let the criminal case be determined on a ’technicality’ rather than the facts. An exhaustive and thorough criminal investigation is essential, and as soon as we are assured that conducting an administrative investigation will not impede on the criminal investigation, we will proceed.”

Darryl K. Washington, one of the three attorneys representing Jean’s family, commented on Guyger's firing Monday morning while at an unrelated "use of force" trial in Dallas County.

“The Dallas Police Department has now stepped in and made a decision which is contrary to the decision Chief Hall said was going to be made just a few days ago,” Washington said. “Obviously there has been enough information presented to the Dallas Police Department that would justify termination, so we’re hoping that now that this has happened, it’s our belief that perhaps the district attorney’s office should have enough information to move forward with an indictment.”

Attorney Lee Merritt said the chief called the attorneys and Jean’s parents last night and explained she intended to fire Guyger.

“She had to answer some tough questions from the family, specifically about why it took so long and she tried to explain the employment process could, in fact, impact the criminal investigation. In other words, if she’s faced to give a statement in protection of her job, that can infringe on her 5th Amendment right and can affect the criminal investigation. It’s a complicated question,” Merritt said.

Merritt said the family sees Guyger's termination as a victory -- especially on Monday, the same day Jean is being buried in St. Lucia. A memorial was held for Jean Sept. 13 in Dallas before his remains were flown to his native St. Lucia.

“The nation of St. Lucia, has turned its attention to that burial service. This comes as a welcome relief, however there’s still a long way to go,” Merritt said.

During a meeting with the Dallas City Council's Public Safety Committee Monday morning, Hall recommended suspending the department's 72-hour cooling off period following an officer-involved shooting. The current cooling-off period gives the officer three days before being compelled to make an official statement on the shooting.

Hall's proposal said those statements should immediately follow an incident and that they should include mandatory drug testing. She also said she wanted to make sure there was communication with the community within five days of an incident and to expand citizen review power.

Lastly, Hall said she wants to expand the department's fairness and bias training to include every officer and not just sergeants and new recruits.

The Dallas Police Association offered no statement on Guyger's termination and said they will withold comment until the ongoing investigation is complete.

Guyger was arrested and faces a manslaughter charge, though Dallas County prosecutors have said they will conduct their own review to determine if a murder charge or other charges are more appropriate.

Online -- Public Safety and Criminal Justice

NBC 5's Maria Guerrero, Ken Kalthoff, Scott Friedman and Cody Lillich contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News
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