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Missouri police officer fatally shot 2-month-old baby and her mother after relative called police for help, family says

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A Missouri family and community are mourning the tragic death of a 34-year-old woman and her infant daughter who were killed in an officer-involved shooting earlier this month.

Family members say Maria Pike and her 2-month-old daughter, Destinii Hope, were shot to death on November 7 after police were called to an apartment in Independence, Missouri, in response to a domestic disturbance.

Two-month-old Destinii Hope died together with her mother in an officer-involved shooting in Independence, Missouri on November 7, 2024. (Photo: Facebook/Talisa Coombs)

In the weeks for the reason that shooting, local law enforcement has released few details, but eyewitnesses have provided local media with their accounts of what happened.

said Talisa Coombs, the baby’s grandmother Kansas City Star that she was the one who called the police after a physical altercation with the kid’s mother. Family members say Maria Pike has had mental health issues, anger issues and most recently suffered from postpartum depression.

Coombs said that when she called the police, she thought authorities would arrive, arrest Pike and get her the assistance she needed. She told her son and Destinia’s father, Mitchell Holder, that she desired to press charges against Pike for assault.

When police arrived, Holder initially refused to allow them to inside, however the apartment constructing’s assistant manager persuaded him to let two officers inside.

Assistant manager Gavin Delaney told The Star that when police entered the apartment, Pike was sitting within the bedroom closet, holding Destinia, not doing or saying anything.

Destinia’s father, who witnessed the shooting, recounted the moments leading as much as the shooting to his sister, Ashley Greenfield.

Greenfield told The Star that when officers entered the apartment, she and Holder tried to take the baby from Pike as she moved from the closet to the bed. Greenfield stated that when Pike reached for an object on the nightstand, the officer shot the baby in the top while he was still in his mother’s arms.

Holder later recalled his horrified response to the shooting of “The Kansas City Defender.”

“They shot my baby,” Holder said outlet. “It looked like her head had exploded. Her blood splattered throughout my glasses and throughout me. All I could do was scream. I just kept repeating three words – the identical three words – “You killed her!” I screamed it. Time and time again.”

He added that Pike jumped after the primary shot and the officer opened fire on her.

Accounts vary as as to if Pike had a gun when officers entered the apartment.

Local news outlets reported that among the many few details police have released up to now concerning the shooting is that Pike was armed with a knife.

“When we arrived, officers encountered a woman who was ultimately armed with a knife,” said Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman. “As a result of this encounter, two people died, one was an armed woman and the other was a child.”

However, family members say otherwise. Before calling the police, Destinia’s grandmother stated that there have been no weapons in the home. Holder also said he never saw Pike holding a knife in the course of the encounter with police.

“Yes, I was in the room when it all happened,” Holder he said. “From what I saw, I never once saw Maria armed with anything. Honestly, I do not even know where that got here from. I heard crazy things like she held a baby hostage in a closet, that she had a knife, and all this crazy stuff that is not true. I mean, all I can say is that it’s possible she had a knife and I didn’t see it, but all I do know is that I never saw her holding anything – and I used to be there within the room.

Independence police said the investigation has been turned over to the Jackson County Police Involvement Investigative Team (PIIT), a team of detectives that investigates police shootings and use of force incidents.

Chief Dustman said just one officer, a “long-time law enforcement veteran,” fired in the course of the incident. The officer and two other people on the scene were placed on administrative leave.

Capt. Kyle Flowers, who heads the PIIT team investigating the shooting, said last week that investigators had reviewed body camera footage and planned to interview witnesses. According to KMBCthe team will turn over the findings of the investigation to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, but Flowers didn’t specify exactly when that will occur.

Family members have called on authorities to release the body camera footage, which is able to hopefully reveal once and for all whether Pike was armed with a knife on the time of the shooting. They also call for punishment of the officers involved within the shooting.

“Why hasn’t the body camera footage been released?” Amber Travis, cousin of the victims, he said at a community vigil for Pike and her daughter. “Give my family a break.”

“It means a lot that the community feels the same way we do,” Holder he said. “It means the world. It won’t bring her back, but no less than we all know now we have loads of support here.

AND GoFundMe page was created to assist pay for Destinia’s funeral. As of Wednesday afternoon, greater than $3,000 had been raised.

On November 22, Destinii would have turned 3 months old.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Atlanta teen seen in video explodes at AT&T store after mom allegedly disconnects cell phone service, sparking thousands of shocked reactions

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Atlanta Teen Seen on Video Erupting Inside AT&T Store After Mom Allegedly Disconnects Cellphone Service, Drawing Thousands of Shocked Reactions

A teen’s explosive outburst at a cellphone store has attracted hundreds of thousands of views online.

The clip, posted to TikTok by user @wydchichii with the caption “Her mom cut off her phone,” shows the mother-daughter duo at an AT&T store because the teenage daughter pleads together with her mother.

The video begins with the teenager jumping wildly before grabbing her mother by the neck and screaming, “MOMMY, PLEASE!”

Atlanta teen seen in video explodes at AT&T store after mom allegedly disconnects cell phone service, sparking thousands of shocked reactions
A screenshot of a video of a teenage girl screaming and yelling at her mother in a cell phone store. (Photo: X/@NATERERUN)

Outraged by her daughter’s hysterical tantrum, her mother shouts at her: “Shut the hell up!”

The daughter screams loudly and with tears in her eyes: “Please!” together with his arms spread wide, begging his mother to alter her mind. At one point she slams her hand on the table, prompting her mother to again tell her to calm down.

The video cuts to a segment where the mother tries to take her daughter outside and he or she puts her arm round her neck and grabs her, continuing to plead together with her mother.

As the 2 reach the exit, the daughter falls to the ground contained in the store, continuing her fierce protest against her mother’s actions.

The clip ends with the lady and her daughter standing next to an Atlanta police vehicle and appearing to proceed arguing.

The melodramatic breakdown attracted nearly 17 million views on TikTok in at some point and tens of thousands of comments from viewers expressing shock at such a dramatic outburst.

“Having a full tantrum in a store is a terrible job,” one person commented. “She would never get another call from me,” one other person said, referring to what she would do if she were her mother.

This generation is different – ​​somewhat too different for those who ask me,” one other comment said.

Earlier this 12 months, a 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl was charged with allegedly killing her mother after her cell phone was taken from her. A teen has expressed “regret, guilt and self-loathing” for stabbing her mother after the 2 allegedly argued over her mobile phone use.

However, some commenters blame the Atlanta mother for the explosive interaction.

“Parents need to set limits on the amount of time their children use any mobile device. They need to read more,” wrote one person on X.

According to clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, parents should monitor their kid’s phone use as soon as they get their first phone. When children ask for a phone, parents can set strict rules at first that might be relaxed over time.

Love he said Parenting Magazine that it is important for fogeys to look at out for the signs of phone addiction in teens.

“I would be concerned if a young person couldn’t regulate their emotions or fall asleep at night without access to a phone,” she said. “This can be prevented by having some basic parameters around phone access, such as banning phones in bedrooms, during meals, during in-person family gatherings, and so on. However, if it is too late and the young person becomes addicted to the phone to calm down, this should be taken seriously.”

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Kamala Harris Considers Running for Governor in 2026 and Returning to the Presidency in 2028

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Kamala Harris, Will Kamala Harris run again, Will Kamala Harris run for governor of California, Will Kamala Harris run again in 2028, Should Kamala Harris run in 2028, theGrio.com

After a devastating and decisive defeat to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris is keeping her options open regarding her political future once she leaves office next 12 months.

Harris told her advisers and close allies: ‘I’ll stay in the fight’ Policy reports. However, it isn’t known what this fight will appear like.

According to Harris’ inner circle, the vice chairman is considering a run for California governor when Gov. Gavin Newsom’s term-limited term ends in 2026. Harris also hasn’t ruled out running for president again in 2028. However, insiders told the news outlet that it’s unlikely Harris could achieve this each.

While Harris, who left Washington last week for a vacation to Hawaii along with her family and advisers, has loads of time to resolve her next move, those close to the vice chairman have made clear she is going to remain a critical voice of Trump and his recent administration.

Politico notes that another choice for Harris is to create an independent entity as former vice chairman in which she would proceed to travel the country, give speeches and maintain political relationships if she runs for public office again.

Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic strategist who’s a detailed adviser to Harris, told Politico that the vice chairman gained “a lot of political capital” as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024. Although Harris lost the presidential election, including the popular vote, she won the most votes of any presidential candidate Democrats outside of President Joe Biden’s 2020 vote totals.

“You can’t waste this by making rash decisions,” Brazile said.

According to the latest survey conducted by Puck News/Echelon InsightsHarris stays the favorite of influential Democrats in a possible 2028 presidential campaign. The vice chairman won 41% amongst those polled, well above average support for Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Republican Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others.

Kamala Harris, theGrio.com
WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 29: Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris waves during a campaign rally at the Ellipse on October 29, 2024 in Washington, DC. Per week before Election Day, Harris delivered her “closing speech,” a speech in which she outlined her plan for America and urged voters to “turn the page” on the Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Democratic strategist Joel Payne said he “doesn’t see why Kamala Harris doesn’t have a place in the future of the Democratic Party,” noting that she only has 100 days to construct a presidential campaign after President Biden dropped out of the race three months before Election Day .

Meghan Markle shares why she

Even as Democrats pointed fingers at one another after Trump’s victory, Payne added: “I believe Kamala Harris has something to be pleased with. I believe it will be shortsighted to just lay it at the feet of Kamala Harris, which is what happened to Democrats this cycle.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Alabama Grandma Beaten and Killed by Cops – New FBI Documents Revealed Proposing Closure for Black Family After Decades

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Cold Case Records Describe Horrific Murder of Black Woman by Law Enforcement Officers Over Alleged Untaxed Whiskey in 1945, Providing Family with Closure

It was March 23, 1945, when 4 white cops entered Hattie DeBardelaben’s estate in Alabama, accusing her of manufacturing and selling untaxed whiskey.

The 46-12 months-old black mother of seven denied the allegations and consented to police searching her property.

However, law enforcement officials killed her by punching her repeatedly and breaking her neck in front of her 15-12 months-old son, who was arrested for attempting to defend his mother.

Court records describe the horrific murder of a black woman by law enforcement officers over alleged untaxed whiskey in 1945, leading to family closure
Mary and Dan DeBardelaben (left and right), whose grandmother Hattie DeBardelaben (center) was murdered by law enforcement officers in 1945, were ultimately locked up after the federal government released documents referring to the murder and cover-up about their grandmother. (Photos: Facebook and National Archives and Records Administration)

However, an FBI investigation conducted on the request of the NAACP concluded that she died of a heart attack and closed the case several months later. One of the cops involved in her death, Clyde Smith, later became sheriff of Autauga County.

The case remained secret for many years until last month, when the National Archives and Records Administration released 69 pages of documents from a Cold Case Civil Rights Records Act investigation signed by President Donald Trump in 2019.

The pending case of Hattie DeBardelaben was the primary set of records released under the act, providing closure for the victim’s grandchildren, whose parents never told how their grandmother died.

“I cried for days because I couldn’t believe what happened to my grandmother,” said 74-12 months-old Mary DeBardelaben AL.com.

“It was a cover-up,” said her brother, Dan DeBardelaben CNN. “That is exactly what happened – these documents clearly show that.”

The documents, which may be read here, here and here, make clear the horrific law enforcement murder case and the resulting government cover-up that, unfortunately, still continues.

“Hattie DeBardelaben’s name may not be familiar to most people, but her death at the hands of law enforcement officers in 1945 was sadly typical of the violence – and even death – that many black Americans experienced in the Jim Crow South.” – Margaret Burnham, co-chair of the National Security Review Board Civil Rights in preparatory proceedings, said the statement.

“Although federal agents investigated her death on the time, the perpetrators were never dropped at justice. “We hope, however, that the release of these recordings after so many years will provide some answers for her descendants, and at the same time shed light on a dark chapter in our nation’s history.”

Murder

Clyde White, who was an Autauga County sheriff’s deputy on the time, told the FBI that he had received complaints that DeBardelaben was selling illegal whiskey, so he contacted agents of the federal Alcohol Tax Unit, which was the forerunner of today’s Alcohol, Tobacco, and Federal Drug Enforcement Administration. firearms and explosives.

White said he drove as much as the DeBardelaben farm with three ATU agents: John H. Barrenbrugge, J.C. Moseley and L.O. Smith.

White said they only found a quart of whiskey and a couple of empty jugs of stinking whiskey, and decided to arrest her for the whiskey and Edward for interfering with arrest, although he didn’t describe exactly how the boy interfered beyond saying “these white sons of bitches don’t they’ll search this house.

White told FBI agents that they never hit DeBardelaben or her son and nephew and that DeBardelaben walked to the automotive without limping or complaining.

He also claimed that DeBardelaben died suddenly within the backseat of a automotive as they were driving to the Platville County Jail.

However, DeBardelaben’s 15-12 months-old son, Edward Lewis Underwood, gave a really different version of events to the FBI, telling investigators that he had just returned home from school when law enforcement officers stopped on the family farm within the countryside near Selma and asked his mother if she had some whiskey for sale.

He said his mother told officers she did not have the whiskey and that they may search the home although they did not have a warrant.

But then her 16-12 months-old nephew, James Callier, got here home from school and the officers ordered him to sit down on the bottom, but he didn’t seem to listen to them, so considered one of the officers walked as much as him and punched him, prompting Callier to take the seat next to Underwood.

“Leave him alone. She’s going to come back home,” DeBardelaben told police in defense of her nephew, which led to her beating and death.

Edward described a terrifying scene by which the identical policeman who had punched his cousin walked as much as his mother and punched her, knocking her down and causing her to fall onto a pot of boiling water she was using for laundry.

She tried to stand up, but then two ATU agents hit her again, causing her to fall onto a pot of boiling water.

“She stood up again and they each hit her again. This time she fell to her knees, keeping each hands on the bottom.

The agents then lifted her off the bottom and placed her in a chair, where she remained speechless, “panting and grunting like a person whose breath had been cut off.”

Edward said he called his two older brothers who were working within the fields to come back to the home, Johnnie and Bennie DeBardelaban, but after they approached the home, two cops pulled out their guns and ordered them to the bottom while the opposite two cops dragged them mother to the automotive, placing her within the backseat with Edward.

As they drove, Hattie begged the boys to stop and let her drink water from a close-by stream, but they ignored her request and continued driving.

She then began vomiting, so that they stopped the automotive and let her vomit on the side of the road. When she finished vomiting, Edward pulled her back into the automotive and they continued driving, but then she passed out.

They stopped the automotive again and White went to the stream, filled a bottle with water and let her son wipe her face and let her drink, but she was already dying.

“He’s my baby,” were her last words in reference to Edward, her youngest son, who was trying his hardest to assist his mother.

When they arrived at Plattville Jail, she was already dead, so that they locked Edward in a cell and contacted local undertakers to take his mother’s body to the funeral home.

Concealment

Dan Albright, a black undertaker at a neighborhood funeral home in Platville, told the FBI that the sheriff contacted him about collecting the body from the jail around 6:30 p.m. that evening. Albright said her body was still within the back seat of the police automotive and that she was “foaming from her mouth and nose, just like a boar’s foaming.”

He also said the sheriff contacted Dr. James Tankersley, who examined her body while it was still within the squad automotive and determined she had died of a heart attack despite signs of a broken neck.

“The only thing I noticed that was different from the other bodies was that every time we lifted the body, the head fell back,” Albright told investigators. “I didn’t tell the doctor anything in regards to the neck. After examination, the doctor concluded that she died of heart problems.

That evening, at Edward’s request, one other black undertaker, Fred Williams, picked up the body from the unique funeral home in Plattville and transported it to his funeral home in Selma, where the subsequent morning he examined it and determined that she had not died from a broken neck, but he reached this conclusion without performing a neck dissection.

He also emphasized that greater than 12 hours had passed since she was killed and rigor mortis had occurred, which might make it inconceivable to make a full determination.

According to A Medical examination from 2016it’s inconceivable to totally determine whether a neck fracture has occurred without performing a neck autopsy, concluding the next:

According to 1 researcher, rigor mortis, or the stiffening of muscles after death, affects the neck inside hours of death, peaking after 12 hours. Medical examination 2023.

The FBI also interviewed DeBardelaben’s doctor, a white man named J. S. Chisholm, who had treated her for 10 years, and told investigators that her health had all the time been high quality until a few month earlier, when she began complaining of shortness of breath and swollen feet.

He said he diagnosed her with a heart murmur and said she could probably live a standard life, “but it was not unusual for a person in her condition to die suddenly, especially if subjected to any unusual strain or excitement.”

This was enough for investigators to shut the case on June 30, 1945, concluding that the cops had done nothing mistaken, and of their report they stated the next.

After reading the documents of Dan and Mary DeBardelaban, whose father was Bennie DeBardelaban, considered one of the young men working within the fields when their mother died, they finally understood why the family never told them how their grandmother died, even when she visited her growing up within the grave . All seven of her children have since died.

“You know, my dad and his brothers and cousins ​​witnessed what really happened,” Dan told AL.com.

“I’m sure this example was extremely traumatic for my father and was considered one of the the reason why he never said a word nor did he or his other six sisters and brothers seek advice from us about what happened. “

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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