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Serious Motorcycle Crash on Route 8 in Torrington

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Police are investigating a serious motorcycle crash on Route 8 southbound in Torrington.

Following the crash, Route 8 southbound was shut down near exit 46, but state police said traffic is now getting by.

The extent of injuries are unclear

State police are at the scene.

No additional information was immediately available. 


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Photo Credit: Shutterstock

3 Injured, Shots Fired During Fight at Strip Club

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Police are investigating after shots were fired during a fight outside a Bridgeport strip club early Sunday morning.

According to police, three people were injured in the brawl at the Scruples Lounge on North Avenue. Police said the fight began inside the club and moved to the parking lot.

The victims received non-life threatening injuries and police said that, although shots rang out during the skirmish, no one was wounded by gunfire.

Police said the suspects fled the scene before officers arrived. Witnesses could not provide a description or tell police what had happened.

Authorities are investigating. 


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Photo Credit: Google Maps

Amid Problems, Anthem Extends Deadline Again

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Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has extended its payment deadline again. 
 
Due to a massive backlog in new enrollees, the insurance company is now giving customers until Jan. 31 to pay their bills.
 
The company has come under fire as customers around the state are continuing to express frustration.
 
"I'm scared to death," said Les Schwanfelder of New London, who is without health insurance for the first time in 38 years.
 
Schwanfelder's old Anthem plan was dropped because it wasn't Affordable Care Act compliant. So enrolled in a new one in November and paid the bill to make sure she was covered by Jan. 1. But to date, she has heard nothing from Anthem.
 
"To this day I have heard nothing. I have not received e-mails, letters, nothing from Anthem," Schwanfelder said.
 
She is not alone. Thousands of other Anthem customers have also been trying to get through to the the company but phone lines have been jammed.
 
"I do get offended when I call and I'm put on hold for a very long time," she said.
 
The company admits there's a backlog. 
 
It's been so bad they've extended the payment deadline multiple times.
 
So many, like Schwanfelder, haven't received an insurance card or valid ID number.
 
"I cannot refill any of my long term prescriptions," she said.
 
In a memo to customers, Anthem apologized and tried to ensure people that any application received before Dec. 23 will be processed for January 1 coverage.  
 
"We also know that you are experiencing long wait times with Anthem’s call centers," the memo states. "We thank you for selecting Anthem and apologize for your inconvenience as we continue to work to process all January applications."
 
The state attorney general's office is looking into a number of complaints they have received.
 
"We have been in communication with Anthem as well as the state Insurance Department and Access Health CT and are working to determine why the company is experiencing problems and if there is any way for us to assist consumers in this situation," said Jacie Falkowski, a spokeswoman for Attorney General George Jepsen.
 
The memo also states that customers can still be covered even if they don't have their ID card.
 
"If you do not yet have a temporary ID card, as long as you have made your payment, your physician, pharmacist, or other provider can call our provider service line to verify coverage and obtain a guarantee of payment for services covered under your specific benefit plan," according to Anthem's memo.
 
The State Insurance Department has posted a link to Anthem's frequently asked questions.
 

Globes Honors "Hustle," "Slave"

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"American Hustle" dominated the film categories Sunday at the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards. The art-heist caper received the most trophies, winning best motion picture, best actress Amy Adams, and best supporting actress Jennifer Lawrence in a comedy or musical.

The gritty, pre-Civil War epic "12 Years a Slave" was handed the Globe for best picture, drama.

With seven nominations each, "Hustle" and "Slave" were expected to be the night's big winners. But by the time the ceremony credits rolled, "Slave" had been snubbed in every other category bar best dramatic picture.

Also unexpected was the love showered on freshman TV series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," which won Andy Samberg the best actor in a TV series, comedy or musical award. The Fox show also beat enduring hits "Big Bang Theory," "Modern Family," "Girls" and "Parks and Recreation" to be named best comedy series.

"Breaking Bad" matched "Brooklyn Nine-Nine's" two wins, taking best dramatic TV series, and best actor for it's star Bryan Cranston. "It's such a lovely way to say goodbye to the show that meant so much to me," Cranston said, adding the exposure from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association would mean "the world can now share in 'Breaking Bad's' mirth and merriment."

Returning hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey ably helmed a ceremony which at times veered from the laugh-inducing (Melissa McCarthy's Matt Damon impersonation) to the downright confusing (Jacqueline Bisset's rambling acceptance speech).

The "SNL" alums delivered an opening set of jokes laced with enough barbs to deflate bloated Hollywood egos, but not enough to puncture the fun of an evening more freewheeling than the self-reverential Oscars.

No star was safe, big or small, from their caustic quips. Referencing the multi-generational celebrity wattage in the room, Fey said to Matt Damon, "Tonight Matt, you're basically a garbage person."

"American Hustle" took an early lead in the proceedings, delivering stars Adams and Lawrence to the winner's circle. Adams teared up at the podium. "I always cry when I am not supposed to and when a director asks me to, I can’t," she said, before thanking "Hustle" director David O. Russell for writing "such amazing roles for women."

Lawrence continued to dominate acting award categories a year after she swept the Globes and Oscars with her role in "Silver Linings Playbook." Visibly shaken, Lawrence was surprised at her reaction to the win. "I don't why it is so terrifying cause it's such a good thing," she said with a trembling voice, adding to the room, "Don't ever do this again, its so scary."

Matthew McConaughey accepted his best actor in a dramatic picture award for "Dallas Buyers Club" by reciting the first lines he ever uttered onscreen. "Alright, alright, alright," he said, quoting Wooderson, his stoner character from 1993's "Dazed and Confused." McConaughey beat heavy-hitters Tom Hanks ("Captain Phillips"), Robert Redford ("All Is Lost"), Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave") and Idris Elba ("Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom") to claim the prize.

McConaughey's "Dallas" co-star Jared Leto received the supporting actor in a motion picture Globe for his gender-bending role in the 80's AIDS drama.

Awarded best actor in a musical or comedy for "The Wolf of Wall Street," Leonardo DiCaprio thanked his "visionary" director Martin Scorsese for the mentorship he had received. It was that film's only award on the night. Scorsese failed to get a Globes' directing nomination, with the category ultimately going to Alfonso Cuaron for "Gravity."

"Gravity" star and audience favorite Sandra Bullock lost to critically-praised Cate Blanchett, who walked away with the best actress drama award for her work in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine."

2014 Golden Globes: Full List of Winners

Jacqueline Bisset was awarded the Globe for actress in a supporting role in a TV series or mini-series and delivered a rambling speech containing elongated periods of silence, a semi-bleeped expletive, some familial wisdom: "Like my mum used to say - go to hell and don't come back," and advice for up and coming actors: "If you want to look good you have to forgive everybody," Bisset said as the music swelled in an effort to usher her from the stage.

"Behind the Candelabra," HBO's Liberace biopic starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon was awarded best TV mini-series or motion picture. The best actor win for his embodiment of the flamboyant entertainer brought Douglas' career Globe tally to four. Thanking fellow nominee in the same category Damon, Douglas referred to his co-star as "the bravest, most talented actor I have ever worked with," and the only reason he was not onstage was because Douglas got to wear "more sequins."

"Her" scribe Spike Jonze won the best screenplay trophy, and Disney's "Frozen" was named best animated feature. The Golden Globe for best foreign language film went to "The Great Beauty," from Italy.

In the music categories, best original score went to "All Is Lost," and rock group U2 won best original song for "Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom."

Netflix received its first major award season love when Robin Wright was announced as best supporting actress in a TV series, drama, for her icy portrayal of a ruthless Beltway wife in "House of Cards."

Another surprise winner was co-host Poehler, who was awarded best actress in a TV series, comedy or musical, for her work on NBC's "Parks and Recreation." "I never win," a beaming and delighted Poehler gushed.

The Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement went to Woody Allen. The prolific director, notorious for not attending award ceremonies throughout his career, was again not in attendance. Diane Keaton, Allen's longtime friend and muse, accepted the honor on his behalf.

"We don’t often associate people in show business with friendship," Keaton said."These encounters with the extraordinary – though wonderful – rarely become 45-year-old friendships." Adding that it filled her "with pride, affection and love" to accept the award for Allen, Keaton sang the following verse as an acceptance sign-off: "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. A circle is round it has no end, that’s how long we will be friends... Here's to Woody!"



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Fire Forces Residents from Hartford Home

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Fire forced more than a dozen people out of their home on Capen Street in Hartford this morning.

Fire broke out just before 9 a.m. and arriving crews saw smoke coming from the third-floor window.

“I smelled smoke coming through my window so I ran back down the stairs and I stuck my head out the window to see if it was this building on fire,  but it wasn’t. It was my building on fire,” Mariah Fisher, of Hartford, said.

Crews were able to keep it from spreading to the rest of the building and everyone who lived there made it out safely.

But it still led to some frantic moments as they rushed to get out.

Crews expect to be there for a few more hours, putting out hot spots.

The cause is still under investigation.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Cops Acquitted in Fatal Beating

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Two former police officers were acquitted of all charges Monday in the 2011 beating death of a homeless man at a Fullerton, Calif., transit station.

It took a single day of deliberations for jurors to reach their verdicts regarding the culpability of former Fullerton Officer Manuel Ramos and former Cpl. Jay Cicinelli in the death of 37-year-old Kelly Thomas.

Ramos, the first police officer in Orange County to be charged with murder while on duty, was found not guilty of one count each of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cicinelli was found not guilty of one count each of involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force.

Charges against a third former Fullerton police officer, Joseph Wolfe, will be dropped in light of the not guilty verdicts, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said outside the courtroom.

Reaction was emotional on both sides after the verdict was read. Ramos and Cicinelli began to cry when they were acquitted, with Cicinelli hugging his attorney. Thomas’ father, Ron, burst into tears, kicking or stomping his foot.

The Kelly Thomas Case: Timeline | Fullerton Police Ignored Misconduct, Report Finds

"Where do we really find justice any more in our justice system?" Ron Thomas said after the verdict. "It has been proven right here today that they will get away with it. They will get away with it."

"This is so egregious ... the audio, the video ... any bad cop can now just walk around and do what he wants to any of us," Thomas said. "We're all in trouble now."

The case ignited outrage in the community and led to the recall of three Fullerton City Council members, the departure of the city’s police chief and a scathing report that accused the department of ignoring misconduct among its ranks.

Dozens of people attended the trial each day wearing yellow ribbons and buttons bearing Thomas' image.

"It's a disappointing day. It's a sad day," Julie McDonnell, a concerned citizen and 22-year resident of Fullerton, said outside the courtroom. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the outcome we wanted.”

Just hours after the ruling, the FBI announced it would examine the evidence and testimony in the trial to determine if more investigation is needed.

"In 2011, the FBI opened an investigation to determine if Mr. Thomas' civil rights were violated during the altercation with Fullerton police officers. With the conclusion of the state court trial, investigators will examine the evidence and testimony to determine if further investigation is warranted at the federal level," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in a statement to NBC4.

The American Civil Liberties Union also called the verdict "disappointing."

“Today’s not guilty verdict in the criminal trial of Fullerton police officers Jay Cicinelli and Manuel Ramos, who were charged in the beating death of Kelly Thomas is disappointing, and demonstrates the need for civilian police review boards in Fullerton and elsewhere in Orange County,” said Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California.

In a statement, the Fullerton police chief said he respects the jury’s decision and referenced changes made in his department since Thomas’ death.

“We respect the jury's verdict, and appreciate the consideration the jury gave to the evidence. We understand that there may be a wide variety of reactions to the verdict and encourage anybody who wishes to express their feelings to do so respectfully,” Chief Dan Hughes said.

“Over the course of the past two and a half years the City of Fullerton Police Department has taken significant steps to make it the best department possible. As Fullerton’s new Police Chief, I will make sure those efforts continue so that our police department serves the community with honor, integrity and professionalism."

Read: Kelly Thomas "Just Trying to Survive"

Jurors were handed the case on Jan. 9 and entered into deliberations on Monday, hours before the verdict came down.

The trial included five weeks of testimony highlighted by a key piece of surveillance video and audio recordings from the night of July 5, 2011, when Kelly Thomas encountered officers as they investigated a report of someone trying to break into vehicles near the Fullerton Transportation Center.

The video shows the confrontation escalate to violence involving six officers and Thomas, who suffered from schizophrenia. Thomas could be seen on the ground crying out for his father nearly 30 times, apologizing and begging for air.

Thomas struggled with officers, but only because he "was just trying to survive," the district attorney told jurors, adding that Thomas was never informed of intent to arrest him.

Thomas was taken to a hospital and placed on life support. He died at a hospital five days later.
Investigators later determined that Thomas was not responsible for the break-in attempts.

Read: Kelly Thomas Was "In Fight That He Started"

Defense attorneys claimed Thomas was a violent, unpredictable man who was to blame for the altercation because he was combative and ignored officers’ orders.

The coroner's report determined Thomas died from chest compression during the struggle.



Photo Credit: Getty

Counselor Shaves Boy's Heat Haircut

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A southwest Florida counselor stirred up controversy after he picked up a pair of hair clippers and shaved a student’s head in school, according to affiliate NBC 2.

School officials at Harns Marsh Middle said that 11-year-old student Danny Valdes' haircut was too distracting and gang-related. The student was placed into in-school suspension.

Valdes’ head was designed by his stepfather, who owns a barbershop, for a Miami Heat game that he attended. His head was designed with the Miami Heat logo, Miami skyline and 305 writing.

"I wanted to get my hair like that to show how proud I am of my Heat," Valdes told NBC 2.

Valdes attended the Miami Heat game during his winter break but kept the haircut when he returned to school last week.

The assistant principal then called the boy's stepfather, Arnaldo Fernadez, to notify him.

"I told her when he gets home from school I'll cut his hair and I'll make it toward their regulations," Fernandez said.

A school counselor then shaved the student’s hair with a pair of hair clippers so he could return to class, saying his stepfather said it was OK.

The 11-year-old student agreed to the haircut so he wouldn't miss class, but his stepfather said he never gave the school permission.

The school district released a statement on Friday saying:

"While the school counselor followed the wishes of the student and instructions of the student's stepfather that were provided over the phone in the presence of several witnesses, the district acknowledges the action taken by personnel were not appropriate."

The boy’s mother is upset at the situation and said she will be switching her son to a different school.



Photo Credit: WBBH- NBC2

Fundraiser for NYC Rep. Arrested

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A fundraiser for Staten Island congressman Michael Grimm has been arrested in connection with an alleged campaign finance scheme, authorities say.

Diana Durand was arrested by the FBI Friday, accused of using straw donors to allegedly funnel more than $10,000 into the Grimm campaign. She also allegedly lied to federal agents when questioned about the scheme and her alleged violations of the $4,800 campaign limits, officials said.

The fake donor, described as a personal friend of Durand, told authorities that Durand suggested she donate to Grimm’s campaign and that she promised to reimburse her, according to the FBI. 

Durand’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.

Grimm, a Republican, has not been charged with any wrongdoing. His attorney William McGinley said: "We are saddened that the government took the extraordinary step of arresting a single mother on these allegations, and hope the matter will be resolved quickly. The complaint does not allege any improper conduct by Congressman Grimm, and he denies any wrongdoing.”

The FBI said it has emails Durand wrote about the alleged campaign scheme.

“I was hoping for my birthday you will just let me forget about paying you back …… Just kidding,” Durand allegedly wrote in one.

Prosecutors said she then wrote the donor a check for reimbursement which was cashed on April 6, 2010.

The criminal charges filed out of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn show the criminal investigation into fundraising linked to the Grimm 2009-2010 campaign is ongoing. In August 2012, questions began to surface about the fundraising activities of an illegal immigrant rabbi and thousands of dollars he allegedly helped raised for the congressman. To date, that rabbi has only been charged in connection with lying on immigration documents.

A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch declined to comment on the charges filed on Friday or the broader investigation.



Photo Credit: AP

Wanted Felon From Florida Arrested in Canton

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A fugitive felon from Florida was arrested at a Chinese restaurant in Canton on Monday evening.

Police said 43-year-old Mei Wang Cheng is wanted in Florida for robbery with a firearm, burglary with a firearm and kidnapping with a firearm. The circumstances surrounding the charges are unclear.

He is now also charged as a fugitive from justice.

Canton police and the United States Marshals Service received a tip Monday and arrested Cheng around 6 p.m. at the Chinatown Restaurant at 250 Albany Turnpike in Canton, authorities said.

Cheng is being held on a $1 million bond and will appear in Hartford Superior Court before being extradited to Florida.

NH Nightclub Reopening Three Months After Murder

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 Three months after a woman was murdered inside a New Haven club, it's reopened under a new name and with resistance from the mayor and the victim's family.

At a Monday press conference Mayor Toni Harp said she was outraged that the State Department of Consumer Protection failed to revoke or suspend the Primo Gentleman's Club liquor license.

Primo Gentleman's Club was renamed from Key Club Cabaret, though the owners are the same.

She called the club an establishment that causes trouble in the community.

In the early morning hours of October 26th, New Haven police say 28-year-old Adrian Bennett entered the club and shot six people, killing 26-year-old Erica Robinson.

The mayor says New Haven police have responded 17 times over the past quarter to the cabaret club for liquor violations and other violations and worries that nothing at the club has changed.

"The plan that is in place, that does not give me hope that there might not be violence in the future," said Harp.

The mayor also called on the state legislature to look at procedures and protocols in place that allow a club facing certain issues to reopen.

Two Sought In Credit Card Theft From Waterford Gym

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Police in Waterford are looking for help in identifying a man and a woman who allegedly used stolen credit cards to make purchases at a local business.

The credit cards were stolen from the woman's locker room at the Planet Fitness Gym in Waterford, according to police.

Anyone who can identify the pair or have more information in this case are asked to call Waterford Police at 860-442-9451.



Photo Credit: Waterford Police Department

Flooding, Asbestos Pose Problems for Orange School

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A custodian at the Peck Place School in Orange arrived last week to find the building had flooded, and now the school is facing an even bigger problem: asbestos.

"He had one inch to two inches of water everywhere on the floors,” said Orange Superintendent of Schools Lyn McMullin. “As we started to look into the classrooms, obviously a pipe had broken. We looked into two classrooms were the pipes had broken, the ceilings came down, insulation was everywhere."

School officials thought they could just move students out of those two classrooms, but the flooding caused floor tiles to start popping, which raised the issue of asbestos.

"The tiles don’t have asbestos, but the mastic is that is used to adhere them is, so in order to repair the floor, you have take all of that out, and that requires an abatement," said McMullin.

Student and teachers were moved to the Race Brook and the Turkey Hill schools. Since it’s not clear how long the abatement will take, the school district has worked out a deal to send students to Yale’s West Campus on the Orange-West Haven line.
Fire marshals checked the building Monday to make sure it’s elementary-school friendly and that exits are easily accessible.

"Tomorrow, we’ll have the police do the same in terms of Code Red," said McMullin.

Parents are happy to hear that students and teachers will all be reunited in one building.

"There are three second grade classes and they’re all separated,” said parent Karen Lynn. “Some of the teachers are here, some are at Turkey Hill and there’s no familiarity anymore, so for the comfort of our children."

Meanwhile, students said they can’t wait until they can get back to Peck Place permanently.

"We’re at a whole bunch of schools, so we want to go back to Peck so we’re all together," said student Rhiannon Leandres.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Police Investigate Bristol 7-Eleven Armed Robbery

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Police are investigating an armed robbery at a Bristol 7-Eleven early this morning.

A man with a knife robbed the convenience store at 200 Riverside Avenue around 4 a.m., police said.

He ordered the cashier to give him all the money in the register and the cashier handed over an undetermined amount of money.  The cashier was not injured, police said.
    
The robber was last seen heading west toward Mellen Street. 

He is around 5-feet-4 and was wearing a blue winter jacket, a wool cap with black and white zig-zag stripes, jeans and sneakers.  He also appeared to have a T-shirt covering his face.

Several Bristol officers, including a K-9 officer, responded to the scene and quickly began a search for the robber. 

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to call the Bristol Police at 860-584-3011.
     
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Possible Copper Theft in Southington

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Police are investigating a possible copper wiring theft from a business near Curtis Street and Lazy Lane in Southington just before 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

Police said they are looking for a burglar.

No other details are available.



Photo Credit: NBC

Gracie Gold on "Top of the World" After Championship Win

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Fresh from her big win at the U.S. National Championships, figure skater Gracie Gold paid a visit to the "Today" show to talk about her victory and making it to Sochi.

"I was on top of the world," Gold told host Savannah Guthrie. “I’m still on cloud nine. I was so proud of how I skated and I was able to earn my spot to Sochi."

The 18-year-old Illinois native took home the gold Saturday at the U.S. National Championships in Boston, defeating runner-up Polina Edmunds by 18 points. Proper training and trusting her coach helped her prepare for the event, she said.

"I felt really well trained going into nationals," she said. Gold finished second last year.

Both Gold and Edmunds earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, but controversy swirled around the final pick for the figure skating team in Sochi that was announced on Sunday. Mirai Nagasu, who placed third on Saturday was passed over for two-time national champion Ashley Wagner, who finished fourth.

“I really wish that we had four or five spots going to Sochi,’’ Gold said. “It’s so hard just to have three. The ladies' field in the U.S. is so deep, and they’re all wonderful skaters. There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience."



Photo Credit: AP

FBI Looks Into Homeless Man's Death

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Hours after two former police officers were acquitted of all charges in the 2011 beating death of a homeless man at a Fullerton, Calif., transit station, the FBI announced Monday it would examine evidence in the trial to see if further investigation is needed.

Jurors reached the verdicts in just one day regarding whether Fullerton Officer Manuel Ramos and former Cpl. Jay Cicinelli were responsible for the death of 37-year-old Kelly Thomas. Both were found not guilty.

"In 2011, the FBI opened an investigation to determine if Mr. Thomas' civil rights were violated during the altercation with Fullerton police officers. With the conclusion of the state court trial, investigators will examine the evidence and testimony to determine if further investigation is warranted at the federal level," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in a statement to NBC4.

Jury Finds Ex-Officers Accused in Kelly Thomas Death Not Guilty

Ramos, the first police officer in Orange County to be charged with murder while on duty, was found not guilty of one count each of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cicinelli was found not guilty of one count each of involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force.

Charges against a third former Fullerton police officer, Joseph Wolfe, will be dropped in light of the not guilty verdicts, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said outside the courtroom.

The Kelly Thomas Case: Timeline | Fullerton Police Ignored Misconduct, Report Finds

"Where do we really find justice anymore in our justice system?" Ron Thomas, Kelly’s father, said after the verdict. "It has been proven right here today that they will get away with it. They will get away with it."

The case ignited outrage in the community and led to the recall of three Fullerton City Council members, the departure of the city’s police chief and a scathing report that accused the department of ignoring misconduct among its ranks.

Protesters gathered Monday night outside the Fullerton Police Department to rally against the officers’ acquittals. Demonstrators also rallied at the Fullerton Transportation Center, the site where police fought with Thomas in the summer of 2011 in the violent caught-on-camera confrontation.
 



Photo Credit: Getty

14-Year-Old Shot Near Hillhouse High School in New Haven

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A 14-year-old student was shot outside Hillhouse High School in New Haven after a basketball game on Monday evening, according to police, and extra police are expected today.

Police received the report of shots fired at Dixwell Avenue and Munson Street around 8 p.m. on Monday. The intersection is a few blocks away from the school, which is located at 480 Sherman Parkway.

There they found a ninth-grade high school student suffering from two gunshot wounds. Police said the victim was shot in the hand and a bullet also grazed his leg.

His injuries are considered non-life threatening and police said an ambulance brought him to the hospital for treatment.

The shooting happened just after a basketball game at the Floyd Little Athletic Center that had drawn a crowd of 2,000.

Spectators were in the process of leaving when the gunshots rang out and scattered, police said.

Responding officers surrounded the school and blocked off the Sherman Parkway at Henry Avenue and Munson Avenue. Police taped off the athletic center and an ambulance arrived on Munson Street to transport the victim.

Nine officers, including several New Haven police school resource officers, along with school security, were present during and after the game and responded to the incident, according to police.

Police have not identified any shooting suspects and are actively investigating.

Authorities said two adults were arrested, but the arrests were for interfering with police.

Police said they found a gun on the ground near where they made the arrests but have not been able to connect it to the shooting.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

YouTube Video Reveals Pot Garden, Leads to Drug Bust

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The 46-year-old Connecticut man whose YouTube video shows him surrounded by marijuana plants is facing a string of charges after police say they found drugs, packaging materials and more than $1,000 in cash at his storage unit in Clinton.

William Bradley was arrested on Monday and charged with multiple counts of narcotics violations after police discovered marijuana, oxycodone, hashish and cocaine in a storage unit on Nod Place in Clinton.

In a YouTube video posted in October, Bradley stands among marijuana plants as tall as he is. He takes viewers on a tour of “Hope Garden,” identifies himself by name and asks for donations.

Bradley says in the video that he has terminal cancer and wants to give away the marijuana to other cancer patients. He says without donations, he’ll be forced to sell it instead.

“As you can see, God has gifted me with an abundance and it’s more than I need, so I want to take the extra and give it to people that need the help,” Bradley says in the video. “I want to be able to help people like myself, and I don’t have the money to do that.”

Bradley directs the donations to a post office box in Westbrook.

“Maybe have a fundraiser,” he suggests in the video. “Go to your church or synagogue or mosque or organization or school or anywhere, start a collection, so that we together can help people, help people that need this medicine.”

Connecticut has legalized medical marijuana and organizations have been approved to serve as designated growers.

"I need to get my marijuana license so that I don't have to be a criminal anymore and I need help financially," Bradley says in the video.

After searching Bradley’s storage bin on Monday, police said they seized more than two pounds of marijuana, more than 20 grams of hashish, two bags of cocaine, four oxycodone pills, $1,017 of drug money and drug paraphernalia including packaging materials, scales, drug notes and a cellphone.

Police confirmed that Bradley is the person in the video.

Bradley is facing multiple drug charges, including possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of hashish with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia and operating a drug factory.

Police said Bradley had been previously arrested and was found in possession of more than 10 pounds of marijuana in 2008.

He’s being held on a $5,000 bond and is due in Middletown Superior Court on Tuesday.

Bradley has posted other videos of the marijuana garden, most recently in November.

See more videos here.



Photo Credit: YouTube

Poop Scoop in Avian Cholera Fight

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Wastewater managers battling an avian cholera epidemic that has felled 200 birds at a popular Silicon Valley bird-watching spot have hit on a stinky solution -- draining a pond and carting away poop from the bottom.

With warm winter weather temperatures expected to be "record setting" this week in the low 70s, officials from the South Bayside System Authority, which operates the pond in Redwood City, say that the odors could be "greatly enhanced."

"To mitigate what we can, we have heavy equipment ordered and coming in to try and keep the area as fresh as possible, but it is going to smell," Authority Manager Dan Child said. Mostly, it will stink for the 50 to 100 daily bird watchers and early-morning walkers in the area, he said, as well as the nearby homeowners and office park employees.

Foul odors have been emanating from the pond since crews began suctioning out the water on Friday because of the "several inches of bird excrement" on the bottom of the pond.

Since that process began, Child said the number of visitors to the pond has "drastically dropped." Extracting the water may take about a week, but fully draining, drying and refilling the pond may take all the way through summer and into the fall at the earliest, Child said.

This is the first avian cholera outbreak at this spot. But Child suspects that the birds flew over from an East Bay Regional Park District's pond at the Hayward Regional Shoreline, which has grappled with the disease both this year and last.

State Dept. Fish and Game Lt. Patrick Foy said that avian cholera is "very common" in California and the location of where it breaks out "fluxes from year to year." He added it's not a "huge biological issue, but something we have to manage." Aside from Hayward and Redwood City, the Woodbridge  Ecological Reserve and the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, both in San Joaquin County, had avian cholera deaths this season in California.

A bird watcher noticed a plethora of dead ducks at the Redwood City pond at 1400 Radio Road over the winter holidays, Child said, and it wasn't until Monday that a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lab in Wisconsin came back with the results of avian cholera.

Avian cholera typically erupts in wild fowl living in wetlands, which often have a lot of bacteria in the soil and water during the outbreak. Once the bacteria gets introduced, infected birds will die within six to 12 hours, according to "Avian Cholera in Waterfowl," which ran in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases. Ponds are natural homes for this disease because birds live in close quarters, according to Fish and Game.

On Tuesday, wastewater management crews resumed the weeklong work of draining the man-made pond. Child said he had the choice not to drain the pond and let the ducks die, but that "wasn't an option for me."

Child could not begin to estimate how much this would cost his water authority. But he did say that draining the pond would have no real human impact - no one drinks the wastewater - other than affecting the bird watchers who will have no birds to watch for several months.

The pond was created in 1998 on the west side of the treatment plant to eliminate dust from the dry barren dirt in the area. The pond is kept fresh by a flow of recycled water from the treatment facility to replace water lost by evaporation and by allowing a certain amount to overflow back to the treatment plant.



Photo Credit: Peggy Bunker

Police Make Child Porn Arrest at State Veterans Home

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A 55-year-old man is facing charges after state police found child pornography at his residence at the State Veterans Home in Rocky Hill, authorities said.

According to police, Stanley Garten, of the State Veterans Home at 287 West Street in Rocky Hill, was identified as a suspect in a State Police Computer Crimes Unit child pornography investigation launched in June 2013.

Police said the investigation revealed child pornography files on Garten’s computer, which were confiscated during an Oct. 29 search and seizure.

Garten turned himself in to police on Tuesday. He’s charged with obscenity, promoting a minor in an obscene performance and possession of child pornography.

He was released on $75,000 bond and is due in court Jan. 28.


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