Crime
Filmed in 1.6 seconds: Video raises questions about how soldier escaped charges in connection with black man’s death
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Julian Lewis didn’t stop to see a Georgia State Patrol cruiser flashing blue lights behind him on a rural highway. He still didn’t stop as he reached out the window and turned onto the dark dirt road because the soldier blared his siren.
Five minutes after a chase that began due to a broken taillight, a 60-year-old black man was dead – shot in the brow by a white soldier who fired a single bullet just seconds after forcing Lewis right into a ditch. Trooper Jake Thompson insisted he pull the trigger while Lewis revved the engine of his Nissan Sentra and jerked the steering wheel as if to mow him down.
“I had to shoot that man,” Thompson might be heard telling a supervisor in video captured on a dashboard camera on the shooting scene in rural Screven County, halfway between Savannah and Augusta. “And I’m just scared.”
But recent details of the investigation obtained by The Associated Press and never-before-seen dashcam video of the August 2020 shooting have raised recent questions about how the officer escaped prosecution with only a signed promise never to work in law enforcement again . Use-of-force experts who reviewed the footage for the AP said the shooting seemed to be unjustified.
The investigative file obtained by the AP provides probably the most detailed account of the case yet, including documents explaining why the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the 27-year-old soldier’s version of events didn’t match the evidence. For example, an inspection of Lewis’ automobile revealed that the accident had disconnected the vehicle’s battery and rendered it immobile.
Footage of the chase was never made public. It was first obtained by the authors of a brand new book on racial and economic inequality titled “Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Created the Black-White Wealth Gap.” Louise Story and Ebony Reed shared the video with the AP, which verified its authenticity and obtained additional documents under Georgia’s open records law.
The footage doesn’t include visuals of the particular shooting, which took place outside the camera’s field of view. However, it does show the important thing final moments in which Thompson performs a police maneuver to cause Lewis’ automobile to fall right into a ditch. The officer’s cruiser then pulls up parallel to Lewis’ vehicle and Thompson’s voice barks, “Hey, hands up!” Before he can finish his warning, a shot is heard.
Documents show Thompson fired just 1.6 seconds after the cruiser stopped.
“This guy just came out to shoot” and didn’t give Lewis “even enough time to react” to his orders, said Andrew Scott, a former police chief in Boca Raton, Florida, who wrote a dissertation on police chases.
“This goes beyond a stupid mistake,” added Charles “Joe” Key, a former Baltimore police lieutenant and use-of-force expert who has consulted on hundreds of such cases.
Key also disagreed with the maneuver to disable Lewis’ vehicle, saying it was also unjustified. He considered Thompson’s claim that he fired since the engine was revving at high speeds to be “total nonsense”.
“I’m not a fan of running from the police,” Key said. “But that doesn’t put him in the category of people deserving of being shot by the police.”
Thompson was fired and arrested on murder charges per week after the Aug. 7, 2020, shooting that occurred during summer protests following the police killings of George Floyd and other Black people. The soldier was denied bail and spent greater than 100 days in jail.
But in the tip, Thompson was released without trial. A 2021 state grand jury declined to bring an indictment. The district attorney overseeing the case closed it last fall when federal prosecutors also ruled out civil rights charges.
At the identical time, the U.S. Department of Justice quietly entered right into a non-prosecution agreement with Thompson, barring him from working in law enforcement again – a move that was extremely unusual and brought little comfort to Lewis’ family.
“It’s not good enough,” said Lewis’ son, Brook Bacon. “I thought that the shortcomings that occurred at the state level would be more closely scrutinized at the federal level, but that clearly isn’t the case.”
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The state of Georgia paid a $4.8 million settlement to Lewis’ family in 2022 to avoid the lawsuit.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, which reached a non-prosecution agreement with Thompson, declined to debate the matter, saying only that the Justice Department had communicated with the Lewis family “in accordance with the law and Justice Department policy.”
District Attorney Daphne Totten didn’t reply to requests for comment. Neither Thompson nor his attorney Keith Barber would discuss the case.
Because Georgia law doesn’t require troopers to make use of body cameras, dashcam footage is the one video of the shooting.
“This is a heartbreaking case that shines a light on the complexities and difficulties black families face in interacting with the justice system,” said Reed, a former AP journalist and one among the authors who first obtained the footage.
Lewis worked odd jobs as a carpenter and handyman. Relatives said he helped put a brand new roof and façade on a neighborhood church, and repaired the homes’ plumbing and electrical systems. He often charged family and friends only for the materials.
“He was just a good man with a kind heart,” said Tonia Moore, one among Lewis’ sisters. “Everyone has flaws”.
Lewis also struggled with drugs and alcohol. He served time in prison for cocaine possession and multiple DUI offenses. After the shooting, blood tests showed alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine in his system.
Thompson, who had been policing Georgia highways for six years before the shooting, was described in a performance review as “hardworking and aggressive.” Personnel records show that he was in charge of DUI arrests and preferred to work at night to extend his probabilities of catching impaired drivers.
Days after the shooting, Thompson told GBI investigators that he used a tactical maneuver to finish the pursuit – which he estimated had a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h) – out of concern that the pursuit was approaching a more populated area. It acted immediately after Lewis’ automobile rolled without stopping at an intersection with a stop sign.
Thompson said that when he got out of the patrol automobile next to Lewis’ automobile in the ditch, he heard the Nissan’s engine “revving at a high rate of speed.”
“It appeared to me that the perpetrator was trying to use his vehicle to hurt me,” Thompson said in an audio recording of the interview with the GBI obtained by the AP. He said he fired “out of fear for my life and safety.”
In the dashcam footage, a brief sound like a running engine might be heard just before Thompson shouted a warning and fired his shot. Less than two minutes later, the soldier might be heard saying, “Jesus Christ! He almost ran me over.
According to GBI case records, Thompson fired on the open driver’s side window of Lewis’ automobile, lower than 10 feet away.
Agents on the scene found that Lewis’ front tires were pointing away from the trooper’s cruiser. They also determined that Lewis’ automobile had no power after the Nissan hit the ditch. Lifting the hood, they found that the battery had fallen on its side after the attachment had been broken. One of the battery cables was loose and the engine air filter housing was partially open.
Investigators later conducted a field test of Lewis’ automobile, during which they connected the battery and began the engine. When the agent disconnected one among the battery cables, the automobile’s engine immediately stopped. Similarly, opening the air filter cover resulted in engine death.
Because grand jury proceedings are generally secret, it’s unknown why the panel declined to indict Thompson in June 2021. Georgia gives law enforcement officers the prospect to defend themselves before a grand jury, a privilege other defendants should not have.
Totten, the district attorney, selected to not retry, stating in a September 28 letter to the GBI that “no new evidence was presented in this case.”
For Bacon, Lewis’ son, the dearth of charges is an open wound. He worries that nobody will remember what happened, given nearly 4 years have passed and the variety of other people killed by police in questionable circumstances.
“It’s hard for someone to go back that far, especially if they haven’t heard about it to begin with,” he said. “But these problems haven’t gone away.”
Crime
Diddy allegedly tried to kill a former boyfriend Cassie, prosecutors say in the sexual trade process
The sexual trade process for Sean “Diddy” Combs, 55, founding father of Bad Boy Records and the music mogel began on Monday morning in New York with statements opening each the defense team and the defense of COMPS. The trial has already began with unimaginable claims.
According to New York Daily News, In his comments opening US prosecutor Emily Johnson, he shared with the jury that the anger with the former Girl Cassie and the lack of control over her caused him to consider murder. Apparently, trying out that Cassie was dating one other person, Johnson claimed that Diddy called one in all his bodyguards and went to seek for a boy Cassie (at the moment), with a weapon, intending to kill a man.
“He took the weapon and took his bodyguard – one of his most loyal lieutenants – to wake up one of the employees of the accused in the middle of the night. The accused shouted that he was going to kill a man with whom she was Cassie,” said Johnson. Unable to find a man, Diddy set his view on a brutally assault on Cassa.
“He did what he did countless times earlier. He beat her brutally. Kicking her in the back and throwing her like Ragdoll. All this violence was not enough, but the accused had to make sure that he would have control over Cassie again. So he threatened her,” the accused told Cassie that he would supply you with the option to publicly release sex with sex when he kept her. Nights of her life. ”
Johnson’s opening remarks developed her plan to share twenty years of violence and abuse of each Cassie (Ventura) and other women who allegedly forced sex against their will, and ruthlessly defeated after they didn’t follow, amongst many other crimes. She also claimed that he had a tight ring of fogeys that were aware and complicity in Diddy’s crimes committee.
Diddy’s lawyer, Teny Geragos, said that Combs had committed domestic violence, but he was not at the trial for it, and the movies and data they receive would show consensual, intimate private relations, but no orders of any crimes.
“We accept the full responsibility that in this case there has been domestic violence. Domestic violence is not sexual trade. I want to say it again: domestic violence is not sexual trade. If he was accused of domestic violence, if he was accused of assaulting, he will not be here now,” said Geragos.
She added: “sexual trade, prostitution, tribute, these are federal crimes. Fees for various elements. He is simply not guilty of these crimes.”
Diddy didn’t plead all allegations against him, including sexual trade allegation, racketeers, transport of victims and sexual employees in terms of prostitution and all other related numbers. If he’s convicted, he’ll face prison with a very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very long time.
(Tagstranslat) sean Diddy combs
The federal sexual process of Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose extremely successful occupation was dotted by allegations of violence, began on Monday in New York with the alternative of a jury, which was briefly detained when the hip-hop entrepreneur said he was “a bit nervous” and needed a break in the bathroom.
Three dozen potential jury was questioned by judge Aruna Subramaanian about their response to the questionnaire, which is also to help determine whether or not they is perhaps honest and impartial at the trial through which violent and sexual movies will appear. Opening declarations and the starting of the testimony are scheduled for the next week.
The judge gave a possible sworn to a transient lived description of sexual trade and a conspiracy from tribute to Combs, telling them that he didn’t plead guilty and it was thought that this was not innocent.
At the end of the day, the jury pool was half its size, because some were excluded for personal reasons, resembling the inability to economically endure the process anticipated for two months or because their opinions or previous experience would threaten their objectivity.
The next thirty potential jurors were to be questioned on Tuesday. The jury was not going before Wednesday.
Throughout Monday, Combs, 55 years, sat along together together along together together together along together along together along along together together together together together together along together together along along together along together together together together along along together along along along together along together along along along along together together along together along together together together together together together together along together together together along along together together together together together along together along along together along together along together together together together together along together together together along together along together together together along along along together along along along together along along together along together together together along along along together together along together together together along along along along together together together together together along together along together along together along together along along along along together together together together together together together along along along together together together along together along along along together along together along along together along along together together along together together along together together along along along together together together together along along along together along together together together together along together along along together together along along along together together together together together together along along along along together along together together along along together together along along along together together together along together together together together together along along along along together together together together along together along along together together along together along along along together together together along together together along along together together together along together together along together together along together together along together together together along along together along along together together along along together along along together together together together together together together together together together together along along along along along together together with his lawyers in a sweater above a white shirt with a collar and gray pants that the judge allowed as a alternative of prison clothes. Since his arrest, it took place in a dismal federal blockade in Brooklyn. His hair and goat were almost fully gray because the dye is not allowed in prison.
Unlike the other latest loud celebrity processes, the Combs case won’t be broadcast live, because the federal courtroom doesn’t allow electronic recordings in the middle-what signifies that the artists of the sketch of the courtroom are the eyes of the public in the courtroom.
If he is convicted of all the allegations, he could face the maximum life in prison.
Several potential jury indicated that they saw press reports containing key evidence on this matter: a video with a hip-hop tycoon striking and kicking one amongst his prosecutors in the corridor in the hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. One potential juror described a stationary picture that she saw from the film as “condemning evidence.” This woman was rejected from the consideration.
After releasing one other juror, Combs asked for a break in the bathroom, telling the judge: “I’m sorry your honor, I’m a bit nervous today.”
One potential juror said that she published a “similar” film in social media by a comedian who joked about large amounts of oil for infants found by law enforcement agencies in one amongst the houses of Combs. Has not been released.
The 17-page indictment against Combs-which appears like an accusation document against the mafia leader or the head of the drug gang-he is confirmed that Combs have been involved in twenty years of racketeers of behavior towards women and others, with the help of people in his funeral and employees from his network of corporations.
Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and every group sex was compatible. They say that there was no effort to force people to do it, and nothing that happened was a criminal rocket.
Prosecutors say that girls were manipulated in sexual ends in sexual results with sexual men, which the Combs called “freaks”. To keep women in a queue, prosecutors say that Combs used a mix of influence and violence: he suggested that he would increase their entertainment occupation in the event that they did what he asked – or breathe or not.
And when he didn’t get what he wanted, the indictment says that Combs and his colleagues resorted to violent deeds, including beating, kidnapping and arson. Once, in accordance with the indictment, he even hung someone from the balcony.
One of the 4 alleged victims of the testimony against Combs may not finally take the position of a witness, on Monday he revealed the assistant to the US prosecutor Maurene Comey. She told Subramanian that a lady’s lawyer had personal problems and it was difficult to get and it was clear if the woman would also appear.
“There is no special number that requires her testimony so that we can bear our burden,” said Comey.
Combs recognized one episode of violence, which is considered a key element of the prosecutor’s case. In 2016, the security camera recorded him that he defeated his ex -girlfriend, R&B Cassie singer, in the corridor of the hotel in Los Angeles. Cassie filed a lawsuit at the end of 2023, saying that Combs gave her years abuse, including beating and rape.
Associated Press normally doesn’t call individuals who claim that they were sexually abused, unless they report in public as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.
(Tagstotransate) Diddy
Smokey Robinson was accused of sexual assault by four former employees.
On Tuesday, May 6, a state of $ 50 million was filed within the Supreme Court in Los Angeles against an 85-12 months-old singer by four Jane, accusing him of a sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, genital violence and making a hostile work environment.
In accordance with court documents obtained by People magazineIN The New York PostAND DiversityEach of the explanations was employed as housewives.
In his criticism, the primary Jane Doe claims that his wife, Frances Robinson, had “full knowledge about his earlier activities of improper sexual behavior” and “did not take appropriate repair actions” to forestall his “unnecessary rewind” even after the previous cases of previous cases of sexual assault with other women.
He also claims that the primary sexual assault she experienced took place in March 2023 and that she experienced “repeated sexual assault and sexual harassment” against her.
The second Jane Doe, who said that she worked for a pair in 2014-2020, claims that she was forced to depart after she experienced “repeated sexual assault and sexual harassment” against her, which, he claims, began in 2016.
Jane Doe #3, who said that she worked as a Smokey hostess from 2012 to 2024, also claims that she was forced to resign attributable to repetitive incidents “sexual assault and sexual harassment” as in accordance with the criticism. In addition, he claims within the criticism that Smokey “raped her” from behind “at least 20 times” after forcing her to “lying face down” in a towel.
The fourth hostess within the criticism, who worked for the accused in 2006–2024, said that she was forced to resign after “multiple sexual assault and sexual harassment”, which began in 2007.
The plaintiffs who’re represented by the law company Harris & Hayden are searching for compensation of USD 50,000,000.
At a press conference in the middle of Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, lawyer John Harris described Robinson as a “serial asaulter” NPR Reported. The lawyer added how the Celebrity of the Motown Legend threatened women to silence, especially since they were employees with low salaries “live with payments.” In addition to break, women ask for a trial.
(Tagstranslat) news
