WebProNews

Tag: Crime

  • Jaguars Player Tries to Use Gum as Currency

    Jaguars Player Tries to Use Gum as Currency

    Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Dwayne Gratz was arrested early Sunday morning after attempting to “purchase” several items at a grocery store at the Ocean Reef Suits in Miami Beach, Florida. Gratz was out of cash at the time, and decided to attempt to use bubble gum as legal tender.

    According to a Miami Beach Police Department report, a seemingly besotted Gratz became agitated after a store employee refused to accept his gum as currency. Other patrons were startled, and began to exit the establishment, which prompted the clerk to contact the authorities. At this point, Gratz refused to leave the store.

    The two officers who arrived on the scene reported that Gratz had bloodshot eyes, and smelled of alcohol. The 2013 third-round draft pick refused to vacate the premises, after being given multiple opportunities, and bluntly told police, “No. I’m not leaving.”

    Gratz was then arrested at 5:53 a.m., and charged with disorderly intoxication and trespassing, which are both misdemeanors. The Connecticut alum spent the night in a Miami-Dade county jail, and was released Monday after posting a $1,000 bail.

    Gratz grabs an interception vs. the Miami Dolphins during the 2013 preseason:

    Gratz must know by now that one cannot pay for goods and services with Big League Chew:

    Jaguars coach Gus Bradley commented that any punishments Gratz might be dealt for his gum-bartering concepts would be handled internally.

    “He (Gratz) had an unfortunate situation over the weekend. It’s not good, what took place, but it is a matter that we have to investigate even more. … I want to talk to him and then we’ll handle it within,” Bradley remarked.

    Headed to Miami to move that gum:

    Gratz has logged a team-high five pass breakups, so far this season.

  • Woman Who Met Mother on Facebook, Murdered Her, and Stole Her Baby Gets Life

    A 31-year-old Texas woman will spend the rest of her life in prison after pleading guilty to a crime involving Facebook, kidnapping, and murder.

    Adriana Lisa Castillo Perez has been given life without the possibility of parole for the murder of Leslie Escobar Perez and subsequent kidnapping of her baby, two-week old Abcde Perez.

    According to Amarillo Globe-News, Adriana Perez first met her victim on Facebook, in a group dedicated to buying and selling baby items. She apparently saw a post from Leslie Perez, who was gushing about her new baby.

    A. Perez reportedly contacted L. Perez and offered her free clothing and a crib – and the two planned to meet at L. Perez’s home.

    The Amarillo Globe picks it up from there:

    The two arranged to meet at Leslie Perez’s home on December 23, where authorities said Adriana Perez stabbed her multiple times and fled with Abcde.

    Authorities found Leslie Perez outside the home where she had crawled after being stabbed.

    “She … fought for her life,” McDonough said. “She fought for that baby.”

    A neighbor reported a strange vehicle had been at the family’s home earlier in the day. The neighbor described the vehicle to police and authorities broadcast an alert to nearby law enforcement agencies.

    Adriana Perez was stopped as she drove to Pampa by a Gray County Sheriff’s deputy later that night. She had the infant and the murder weapon in her possession, McDonough said. Abcde had not been injured.

    It’s hard to find a silver lining in a story as screwed up at this one – but the fact that Abcde was so young at the time of the crime means that she won’t remember it. The victim’s family is reportedly content with the sentence.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • ‘Slender Man’ Stabbing Suspect Fit to Stand Trial

    One of two adolescents charged with stabbing a classmate to appease the fictional internet entity The Slender Man, has been deemed fit to stand trial, a Wisconsin judge ruled Wednesday.

    On May 31, the teen, now 13, along with a friend, lured their 12-year-old classmate into a wooded area in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where they allegedly held her down and stabbed her 19 times. The victim crawled away and was discovered by a cyclist.

    Judge Michael Bohren heard the report of the 13-year-old defendant’s present psychological assessment, but didn’t directly act upon it, after defense attorney Anthony Cotton countered that he hadn’t gotten the chance to speak with his client. Bohren advised Cotton to talk with the teen and return to court on Tuesday.

    While being interviewed by the police, the two attackers admitted that the stabbing was the first step toward becoming “proxies” to The Slender Man. The 13-year-old defendant said she believed that The Slender Man lived in a mansion in Wisconsin, where she and her accomplice could live, after they completed a murder. Both were charged as adults for first-degree intentional homicide, and are facing up to 65 years imprisonment each.

    Attorney Cotton declined to comment on the hearing, and had been previously concerned over his client’s mental well-being. Though, his defendant was said to have looked more stable than during earlier hearings – she was dressed casually Wednesday, while sitting calmly. She had previously made court appearances in jail clothes, and would writhe in her seat.

    Wayward tweens like the Slender Man:

    Commenting on the defendant’ss mental status back in August, Dr. Brooke Lundbohm told the Waukesha County court that the tween is “standing mute.” Lundbohm revealed that the 13-year-old likewise believes in unicorns, thinks she has mind-control capabilities similar to the Vulcan race of Star Trek lore and has conversations with Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort. She is likewise afraid to mention much about The Slender Man, for fear he would harm her or her family. She also claimed to communicate with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

    According to Kenneth Robbins, a psychiatrist hired by the defense, the defendant was described as being “giddy,” was laughing inappropriately while being interviewed and seemed unconcerned about a lengthy prison sentence.

  • Adrian Peterson Loses Nike Sponsorship Following Plea

    Nike has ditched Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

    “Adrian Peterson is no longer a Nike athlete,” said a Nike spokesperson in a very brief statement.

    Peterson’s Nike deal was already suspended, following the star’s indictment. In September, a grand jury indicted Peterson on felony charges of reckless injury to a child. Police accused Peterson of injuring his four-year-old son with a switch.

    Earlier this week, Peterson pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor reckless assault. He’ll be fined $4,000, given 80 hours of community service to perform, and will be placed on probation. He’ll avoid jail time.

    It looks like Nike was waiting for the whole this to be resolved before coming to a definite conclusion regarding Peterson’s future with the company. But now, will the case pretty much wrapped up, Nike is dropping the high-profile athlete.

    Of course, the legal side of things is only part of Peterson’s troubles. His future in the NFL is now in the hands of commissioner Roger Goodell. Peterson, of course, wants to start playing again as soon as possible – but the NFL has already declined his request for immediate reinstatement.

    At this point, whether or not Peterson sees the field this season is completely up in the air.

    As for Nike, this is the second NFL athlete it has been forced to part ways with. Nike terminated a deal they had with former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice after that video emerged showing him knocking out his then-fiancee in an elevator.

    Image via Nike, YouTube screenshot

  • 911 Butt-Dial Features Robbery Details, Bon Jovi

    A couple of cowboys will likely be riding their steel horses all the way to the clink after accidentally butt-dialing 911 shortly after they allegedly stole a man’s TV.

    Aaron Burrell, 37, and Yvonne Thyberg, 35, of Roswell, New Mexico detailed their crime to no doubt incredibly amused dispatchers after accidentally dialing 911 during their getaway.

    Here are some of the gems that police picked up from the unintentional broadcast:

    “You basically robbed them, dude.”

    “That was an adrenaline rush for a minute. You know what, that’s the first thing I’ve stolen.”

    “Yeah, we picked up this f-cking TV set totally and we f-cking wheeled it out the house.”

    “We should have gotten a lot more, but you know what, I’m looking at it like this – we got away safe, clean.”

    At one point, the couple starts blasting Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” because of course they do. You really can’t make this up:

    In all, police have about 45 minutes of material from the butt-dial. Burrell even led police directly to the house, saying “we rolled over to Hervey Street and took it out of the f-cking house.”

    The funny thing about this – other than every single thing about this – is that this happens a lot more than you might think. A few years ago, a couple of idiots who had just stolen a bunch of video games from Target butt-dialed police, unknowingly detailing their crime to officers for over an hour. A couple of years ago a guy butt-dialed 911 during a drug deal. And just last year, Florida Man butt-dialed 911 and detailed a murder plot.

    Be careful, criminals. Your passcode won’t help you when it comes to making emergency calls.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Googler Arrested in Nude Photo Extortion Scheme

    The FBI has arrested an “Internal Technology Resident” at Google after he allegedly obtained nude photos of a Texas college student by way of a Gmail scam and subsequently used them in an attempt to extort more nude photos.

    23-year-old Nicholas Rotundo has been charged with three felonies – two for cyberstalking and one for computer intrusion. He faces up to 11 years in prison.

    Authorities paint a pretty bizarre picture of Rotundo’s scheme. According to police, he obtained the original nude photos by way of an email scam. Apparently Rotundo posed as a researcher operating a “breast perception study.”

    From The Smoking Gun:

    In a series of e-mails sent to the victim, Rotundo claimed to be conducting a “breast perception study,” a research project that “involved the public’s perception of different breast types.” Candidates, he initially wrote, were “required to submit nude photographs of their breasts in order to be considered for participation in the study,” which paid $4500. The sender’s name on the e-mails from [email protected] was “Women Study.”

    According to court documents, at least a few women fell for the scam. The Texas student at the heart of the case sent four nude photos to Rotundo after he upped the ‘offer’ to $8,500.

    More from Smoking Gun:

    Five weeks after sending the naked photos, [the victim] received an ominous e-mail from a new address, [email protected]. The sender, “John Smarting,” claimed to have “stumbled across” her naked photos, images that he claimed, “I would hate for anybody else to see.”

    Attached to the January 26 e-mail was one of the nude images, which “Smarting” said he forwarded “for reference.” Referring to a distinctive piece of jewelry seen in the photo, “Smarting” stated, “Wearing that necklace really hurt plausible deniability.”

    “Hope you’re having a good Sunday! I’ve stumbled across some pictures of you. The type that I would hate for anybody else to see, and I can make sure that nobody else does. However, I’m gonna need you to help me fill out the set. Could you help me?” read one of the emails.

    Rotundo went on to demand images like “1 in-focus, high-resolution photo of your feet” and “1 in-focus, high-resolution photo of your pussy, with something inserted.”

    He threatened to release her nude photos online if she failed to comply.

    During their investigation, the FBI found that the Texas student wasn’t the only woman Rotundo allegedly violated.

    Additionally, other e-mails contained attachments “with the keystroke activity of two female victims as well as periodic photographs of those two victims taken surreptitiously via the web cameras of their laptops.” In subsequent law enforcement interviews, the two victims both said that they had once provided their computers to Rotundo “after he had agreed to fix issues they were having with their laptops.”

    According to officials, Rotundo made no real attempts to cover his tracks, and was relatively easy to locate once they received the complaint. I think it’s safe to say that his days at Google are over.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Man Texts Probation Officer Looking to Buy Pot

    On average, Americans send and receive over 40 text messages every day. With all of that texting, one is bound to screw up every once in a while and text the wrong person.

    Let’s just call this the most unlucky instance of that.

    WALB is Albany, Georgia says that Alvin Cross Jr. has been sentenced to a couple years in prison after making a really, really costly texting mistake.

    Among others in Cross’ phone likely sits his dealer and his probation officer. I’ll let you guess which one got the message when he texted “You have some weed?”

    The text led to a raid of Cross’ home, in which police found a sack of cocaine. He has reportedly been sentenced to a year in prison for the cocaine, and another year for probation violation. No word on why Cross was on probation in the first place.

    While you may think this couldn’t happen to you, do note that even the famous can make the wrong-medium-for-ordering-drugs mistake.

    Image via Joshua Blount, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Melissa Jenkins’ Family Reacts To Guilty Verdict

    Melissa Jenkins was abducted in March 2012 and was sexually assaulted and killed.

    On Wednesday morning, her relatives and friends found some relief and closure when the jury returned with a guilty verdict for one of her attackers.

    Allen Prue was found guilty of first degree murder, conspiracy and attempted kidnapping by a jury of his peers, and Melissa Jenkins’ family ended their two-year wait for justice.

    He was accused of luring Melissa Jenkins, a 33-year-old mother, out of her home by faking car trouble. He then, with his wife Patricia, sexually assaulted and killed her in cold blood.

    “Well, I was getting a little nervous last night at 8 p.m. when they were still in there. But it ended quick this morning,” said Linda Gadapee, Melissa Jenkins‘ aunt.

    Martin Beattie, Melissa Jenkins‘ uncle, said, “No one wins. It is another chapter that is taken care of. But we do know that Allen Prue will never hurt another person again. They let him out in chains and it was a good feeling the family needed.”

    Her relatives say that the guilty verdict in the trial of Melissa Jenkins’ killer brings a little closure, but the pain of losing Melissa in that way may never go away.

    “We don’t get Melissa back, but that monster is off the streets,” said Eric Berry, Jenkins’ cousin.

    Vermont doesn’t have the death penalty, but some of Melissa Jenkins’ loved ones say they wish it did.

    Residents of St. Johnsbury say their town was changed by the brutal crime that happened in their streets.

    “It really upset people and it is two years later and I still get choked up over it. It was totally needless and people think about it they remember it. She was a nice lady and her poor son is going to have to go through life without her,” said Randall Loiacono, of St. Johnsbury.

    Now, attention will focus on Melissa Jenkins’ other killer, Prue’s wife, Patricia. Hopefully the friends and relatives of Melissa Jenkins can continue to find closure as they move forward.

  • Facebook Sure Would Like the DEA to Stop Impersonating People

    Though the US Justice Department thinks the Drug Enforcement Agency has the right to impersonate people on Facebook for “law enforcement purposes”, Facebook sure would like them to stop.

    Facebook has sent a pointed letter to DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart asking that the DEA “cease all activities on Facebook that involve the impersonation of others.”

    “Facebook is a community where people come to share and interact using their authentic identities. As our Chief Product Officer recently explained, this core principle is what differentiates Facebook from other services on the internet. And requiring people to use their real identities on Facebook is ‘the primary mechanism we have to protect millions of people every day, all around the world, from real harm.’ The DEA’s deceptive actions violate the terms and policies that govern the use of the Facebook service and undermine trust in the Facebook community.”

    What deceptive actions, exactly?

    Facebook’s letter stems from recent reports of highly questionable behavior by DEA agents and the case’s recent rise into the national spotlight. Earlier this month, BuzzFeed reported on Sondra Arquiett, a woman who claims DEA agents stole her identity and gave it new life on Facebook after commandeering her cellphone upon her arrest in 2010. She was subsequently sentenced to probation for a small role in the sale of drugs.

    According to reports, the agents “created the fake Facebook account, posed as her, posted photos, sent a friend request to a fugitive, accepted other friend requests, and used the account ‘for a legitimate law enforcement purpose.’”

    That last little bit about “legitimate law enforcement purposes” comes from the Justice Department, who is standing by the DEA’s actions.

    This is the story with which Facebook has framed its letter.

    “Most fundamentally, the DEA’s actions threaten the integrity of our community. Facebook strives to maintain a safe, trusted environment where people can engage in authentic interactions with the people they know and meet in real life. Using Facebook to impersonate other abuses that trust and makes people feel less safe and secure when using our service,” says Facebook.

    Of course, the creation of fake accounts is 100 percent prohibited by the company’s terms of service.

    Facebook is asking the DEA to confirm that it has stopped any such impersonation tactics.

    Image via DEA, Twitter

  • FCC Says Marriott Jammed Guests’ Wi-Fi, Will Pay $600K Fine

    FCC Says Marriott Jammed Guests’ Wi-Fi, Will Pay $600K Fine

    The FCC and Marriott have come to an agreement on allegations that the hotel chain puprosefully jammed its customers’ Wi-Fi. The civil penalty will amount to $600,000 for the largest hotel company in the world.

    The whole thing started with a complaint, which the FCC received in March of 2013. The complainant, who had recently stayed at Marriott’s Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, said that Marriott was “jamming mobile hotspots so that you can’t use them in the convention space.”

    Marriott admitted to (how’s this for clever wording) using “containment features of a Wi-Fi monitoring system”, which prevented many guests from using their own Wi-Fi networks – either through a personal hotspot or third-party device. Because of course they did.

    At the Gaylord Opryland hotel, Wi-Fi is included in your $18-per-night resort fee, but you can upgrade to “enhanced high speed” internet for just $6.99 a day. Because of course you can.

    And from GigaOm:

    Marriott also offers services like custom private networks for its business customers, which can cost anywhere from $250 to $1000 per wireless access point.

    Because of course they do. Shucks, sure would be a shame is something were to happen to your hotspot…oh damn, there it goes.

    Despite being a dick move, this is also illegal. From the FCC:

    “Section 333 of the Communications Act provides that ‘No person shall willfully or maliciously interfere with or cause interference to any radio communications of any station licensed or authorized by or under this Act or operated by the United States Government.’ The Bureau previously has indicated that the use of jammers to interfere with Wi-Fi transmissions violates Section 333.3.”

    Long story short, if you notice your hotspot isn’t working in a hotel, you might not want to chalk it up to coincidence. If you think that Marriott were the only ones doing this, well, I envy your optimism.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Uber Driver Reportedly Smashed a Passenger’s Head with a Hammer

    It’s Monday, and on-demand car service Uber is facing another PR nightmare after a driver in San Francisco allegedly smashed a passenger in the side of the head with a hammer.

    The incident happened last week, and the San Francisco Chronicle first reported it on Friday. According to police, 26-year-old Patrick Karajah has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury. There may also be an attempted murder charge forthcoming.

    Here’s what went down, according to the Chronicle:

    Karajah allegedly picked up the victim and his two friends from a bar at about 2 a.m. Tuesday. While driving the two men and one woman to their destination, he got into a dispute with the victim over the route he was taking, according to court documents.

    Karajah, who was driving for the basic UberX service, stopped near the intersection of Ellsworth Street and Alemany Boulevard and forced the victim and his friends to get out, according to documents.

    Once the victim was out of the vehicle, Karajah struck him on the side of his head with a hammer, and then drove away, authorities said.

    The victim was found “slipping in and out of consciousness on the sidewalk, suffering from severe fractures and trauma to the head.”

    “We stand ready to assist authorities in any investigation,” said Uber in a statement. Uber confirms it has terminated the driver’s account.

    As Uber, as well as other competing companies like Lyft, face challenges from state regulators over the legality of their business models, safety issues have also arisen at an alarming rate. You may remember earlier this year when an Uber driver was accused of sexual assault in D.C. That wasn’t the first instance of an Uber driver reportedly attacking a passenger. In July, an Uber driver took riders on a high-speed chase, again in DC. Then in June, an Uber driver reportedly kidnapped a drunk woman and took her to a motel, where he slept with her in the room and “fondled her over her clothes and suggested he wanted to have sex, but didn’t force it.”

    As I’ve said before, attacks aren’t just an Uber problem – regular old taxis have their share of incidents on the record. But Uber, and companies like it, rely on the schtick that they a cut above taking a taxi – an easier and safer option. So when an Uber driver beats someone in the skull with a hammer it’s a pretty big blow to its credibility.

    But stories like this don’t seem to be hampering Uber’s growth too much. According to reports from the city itself, ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are killing the taxi business in San Francisco.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Hot Car Death: Mom of Toddler Passes Polygraph Test

    Every summer, it’s the same thing–no matter how many awareness videos are shared, we hear of hot car deaths involving young children. When the tragic news broke that 22-month-old Cooper Harris from Georgia died on June 18 after being left in a car all day long, many people assumed it was a horrible accident, as no parent would do such a cruel thing on purpose, right?

    Unfortunately, an investigation revealed that may not be the case, as dad Justin Ross Harris researched hot car deaths and how to survive in prison in the days before his son’s death, plus he and wife Leanna Harris had two life insurance policies on Cooper. Leanna also reportedly asked her husband whether he had said “too much” during the initial investigation, which led many people to question whether she had taken part in the plot that allowed her son to die such an agonizing death.

    See a picture of young Cooper below.

    Harris has eight charges against him, including two murder charges. Leanna hasn’t been charged with anything related to the hot car death yet, but she did hire criminal defense attorney Lawrence Zimmerman, who is attempting to clear his client’s name. A polygraph test was administered to Leanna, and according to her lawyer, she passed.

    Leanna reportedly answered “no” to the following questions, and she passed the test with “no indication of deception.”

    — Prior to June 18th, did you know that your husband would leave your son in that vehicle?

    — Did you plan or arrange with your husband to leave your son in that vehicle?

    — Did your husband tell you that he was going to leave your son in that vehicle?

    As you can see from the tweets below, the news that Leanna Harris passed the polygraph test was met with shock and suspicion.

    Even though Leanna Harris hasn’t been charged in the hot car death, Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds indicated that the investigation is ongoing. “Whether or not it leads us to anyone else remains to be answered,” Reynolds said earlier this month.

  • Woman Beaten by Angry Taco Bell Breakfast Seekers

    Much to the delight of people who hear ‘waffle taco’ and think ‘perfect start to my day’, Taco Bell began offering breakfast back in March. Thanks, in part, to a social media blitz and marijuana, probably, Taco Bell breakfast got off to a fast start. In the past couple of weeks, the company has even expanded its breakfast menu to include more items, like the biscuit taco – which is exactly what you think it is. McDonald’s isn’t in danger of losing its fast food breakfast crown or anything, but it’s clear that people love their Taco Bell.

    Now, police in Tucson are saying that Taco Bell breakfast – or rather the lack of it – is at the center of a brutal attack this past Sunday.

    A woman (called ‘Jane’ for anonymity) stopped at Taco Bell around 10:30ish on Sunday, hoping to get some lunch. After completing her order and pulling away, a nightmare began.

    I’ll let KGUN9 in Tucson pick up the story from here.

    “And within seconds I hear someone laying on the horn,” she said.

    It was the SUV and the couple behind her in line. Soon they were alongside her.

    “And there’s a black male hanging out the window and he yells, ‘You f*cking bitch,’” she said

    As Jane dialed 9-1-1 she lost sight of the SUV and pulled onto a side street, where they were waiting. With a rock the man broke Jane’s driver side window.

    “He then used that rock and hit me on the left side of my head by my ear and punched me in my mouth and nose,” she said.

    The beating left jane with a broken nose and broken teeth.

    According to KGUN, detectives believe that the motivation for the seemingly random crime is Taco Bell breakfast and timing. Apparently, while Jane was completing her order, Taco Bell switched from their breakfast to lunch menu – preventing the people in the SUV from getting the waffle tacos they so desired.

    Police have yet to find the attackers. On a related note, I think I’m going to go back to bed.

    Image via Taco Bell, Facebook

  • Senator: Give Cops Body Cams If You Want Federal Funding

    Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) wants police across the nation to be equipped with body cameras, and she thinks a good way to make that happen is to tie compliance to federal funding.

    “I would like to see us say, ‘If you want federal funding in your community, you’ve got to have body cams on your officers,’” said McCaskill at an event in Missouri, according to CNN. “And I think that would go a long way towards solving some of these problems, and it would be a great legacy over this tragedy that’s occurred in Ferguson, regardless of what the facts say at the end as to whether or not anyone is criminally culpable.”

    McCaskill, who was recently tapped to lead a Senate hearing on the militarization of local police departments next month, has seen her state the center of controversy over the past few weeks. As you’re probably aware, the story of Mike Brown’s death at the hands of a Ferguson, MO police officer and the subsequent protests and police response has dominated the national dialogue.

    Like other proponents of police body cameras, McCaskill made the argument that the technology not only protects citizens from police malfeasance, but also protects police officers from false allegations.

    “Everywhere I go people now have cameras,” said McCaskill. “And police officers are now at a disadvantage, because someone can tape the last part of an encounter and not tape the first part of the encounter. And it gives the impression that the police officer has overreacted when they haven’t.”

    McCaskill’s opinions of police cameras are shared by many, as evidenced by a recent petition on the White House’s We The People petition site. That petition called for a “Mike Brown Law,” which would require all police officer in America to wear body cameras.

    “The law shall be made in an effort to not only detour police misconduct (i.e. brutality, profiling, abuse of power), but to ensure that all police are following procedure, and to remove all question, from normally questionable police encounters. As well, as help to hold all parties within a police investigation, accountable for their actions,” said the petitioner.

    Within days, the petition topped the 100,000 signature threshold. As of today, it sits with over 150,000 signatures.

    A select number of police forces around the country have already begun equipping cops with cameras – most notably the force in Rialto, California.

    Those cameras have been recording for about a year – with drastic results. Incidents of ‘use of force’ by police dropped 60 percent, and the number of complaints against officers fell 88 percent.

    Both the LAPD and NYPD are also assessing the possibility of body cameras.

    Though most feel that body cameras would do more good than harm, it’s important to note that it in no way represents a silver bullet to the unbalanced police/citizen relations in the country.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Florida Man Charged with Beating Autistic Kid at Party After Video Winds Up on Facebook

    An 18-year-old Okeechobee Florida resident has been arrested and charged with child abuse “without bodily harm” after police identified him in a disturbing video posted on his Facebook page.

    Andrew Wheeler can be seen repeatedly punching, kneeing, and dragging an unnamed 16-year-old boy in the midst of what appears to be a house party. According to police, the video was tagged with Wheeler’s name and when they watched it, they were able to identify him as the attacker. The victim in the video is reported to have autism.

    Be warned, the video is hard to watch.

    WPTV in West Palm beach has some more details about what happened that night.

    The victim told detectives he was invited to a party on SW 9th Street in Okeechobee last Friday where he drank alcohol and was then told to go outside and fight someone.

    The teen said when he refused 18-year-old Andrew Wheeler was called.

    After Wheeler arrived, the victim says Andrew began beating the teen. In the incident report he claims Wheeler followed him outside, choked him until he lost consciousness and struck him in the face.

    The boy was found in the middle of the road and taken to a local hospital. He apparently suffered a concussion, multiple contusions, and a sprained neck.

    Though admitting to police that he “lost control of his temper,” Wheeler maintains that he was called to the house to make a drunk guy leave. He claims that he was told the boy was assaulting others, and that he even tried to take a swipe at Wheeler when he was told to leave.

    Kids – don’t beat the shit out of helpless people. Don’t record each other beating the shit out of people. And for the love of all that is sane, don’t post videos of you beating the shit out of people on Facebook.

    You know what, let’s just stick with don’t beat the shit out of helpless people. Police might want to reconsider the “without bodily harm” designation after they watch the video a few more times.

    Image via YouTube screenshot

  • Ferguson: Twitter Suspends Anonymous Account That Possibly Outed Wrong Guy, Anon Ceases Doxxing

    As tensions spill over in Ferguson, Missouri, over the police shooting of an unarmed teen and the subsequent protests and police response, Twitter has suspended the account of an Anonymous chapter which claimed to have outed the officer involved.

    Five days ago, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer. Accounts of the incident vary, but what is known is that Brown was unarmed at the time. The Ferguson Police Department has declined to release the name of the officer who killed Brown, citing concerns for his safety.

    That doesn’t sit well with the protesters, who took to the streets Wednesday and were eventually fired upon with rubber bullet and tear gas. It also didn’t sit well with the operator of the @TheAnonMessage Twitter account, who promised to dox the officer (reveal his identity) since the police department wouldn’t.

    Early on Tuesday, the account tweeted out the name of the officer, as well as photos taken from his Facebook account.

    Turns out, it may have been the wrong guy. The St. Louis County Police Department tweeted that the man outed by the Anonymous account is not even an officer with Ferguson or St. Louis County PD.

    “Do not release more info on this random citizen,” they asked.

    Other Anonymous accounts, including the most-popular one, @YourAnonNews, are still up and running and while supporting the cause, they make it clear that they were not responsible for revealing anything.

    Thus is the nature of Anonymous – fragmented. It’s not one centralized group, instead a collection of independent operators all flying under the same flag, if you will.

    The operators of the original @TheAnonMessage account have apparently launched a backup account, @TheAnonMessage2. They say that “censoring us is an act of war.”

    But they also say they are holding back on the doxxing for now.

    As the country looks to Ferguson, President Obama has called for an “open inquiry” into the shooting and reports indicate that the FBI will soon take over operations from the local police department.

  • Mother of the Year Films Son Setting Himself on Fire for Idiotic Challenge, Say Police

    While some people have been dumping ice water on themselves to get attention on Facebook, others have been setting themselves on fire.

    Over the past couple of months, a disturbing and utterly moronic trend has swept across social media. It’s called the “Fire Challenge”, and it involves dousing yourself with some sort of flammable liquid and setting yourself on fire. Participants usually take the challenge in the shower, or at least near some source of water so that they can quickly put out their flaming bodies.

    Of course, this doesn’t always work according to plan. The following video is a bit graphic, but here’s what people are doing to themselves:

    That incident, which went viral late last month, has now resulted in an arrest. According to Charlotte, North Carolina’s WCOS-TV, 41-year-old Janie Talley has been charged with contributing the the delinquency of a juvenile after she let her son set himself on fire.

    Yep, she was there for that. And the kid on fire is her son. she reportedly was “aware” of his intentions and even “facilitated the recording”.

    The first known “Fire Challenge” video popped up in 2012, but the stupidly idiotic display of unfathomable human ignorance has seen a resurgence in the past few months. Facebook, for its part, has put extra emphasis on removing the videos as they spread on the network, but kids continue to accept the “dare” and post the proof online.

    The kid in the video is ok. He sustained “minor burns” according to police, but did have to undergo surgery.

  • World of Warcraft-Obsessed Couple Convicted of Child Abuse

    Officials in Orange County, California say that one couple’s World of Warcraft obsession contributed to their horrible treatment of two children.

    Lester and Petra Huffmire, both 41, were convicted of two felony counts of child abuse, two misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment, and one misdemeanor count of contributing to delinquency of a minor. They were sentenced to five years and three years and four months, respectively.

    According to the District Attorney’s office, a call from a neighbor prompted police to conduct a welfare check at the Huffmires’ trailer. When they arrived, they found a pretty grisly scene – two girls, aged 10 and five, with matted hair, covered in dirt, and severely malnourished.

    Apparently, the Huffmires had been neglecting them for nearly three years, but did not allow them to ever leave the trailer.

    The trailer, by the way, was apparently beyond disgusting. The DA’s office called it “unsanitary and uninhabitable.”

    Specifically, “kitchen appliances covered in mold and cobwebs, stacks of trash, debris, mold, and feces throughout the home, a pile of used condoms under a stuffed teddy bear, and inoperable toilets.”

    Police said that the couple played World of Warcraft “all day”.

    The poor girls have only been identified as “relatives” of the Huffmires, not their children.

    h/t Business Insider, Image via Thinkstock

  • Microsoft Is Scanning Email for Child Porn Too

    Google’s not the only one automatically scanning your communications for traces of child porn.

    A Pennsylvania man has been arrested after he attempted to send child porn via a live.com email address. The arrest came after Microsoft tipped the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the illegal images, which officials subsequently found in the man’s OneDrive account.

    This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention. Like Google, Microsoft lets you know in its terms of service that automated processes are looking for child porn.

    “In many cases Microsoft is alerted to violations of the Code of Conduct through customer complaints, but we also deploy automated technologies to detect child pornography or abusive behavior that might harm the system, our customers, or others,” says Microsoft.

    Also, Microsoft has openly discussed this practice for years. This isn’t even the first instance of Microsoft alerting authorities to child porn. A little over a year ago, a Florida man was charged with 15 counts of child pornography possession after police found more the 3,000 images on his SkyDrive – thanks to a tip from Microsoft.

    But the conversation has been ramped up recently, thanks to the recent bust of a Texas man for emailing child porn – a bust facilitated by a Google tip.

    Google has spent the past few days explaining that their automated systems are looking for child porn, and only child porn.

    “It is important to remember that we only use this technology to identify child sexual abuse imagery, not other email content that could be associated with criminal activity (for example using email to plot a burglary),” said Google in one of the best corporate statements ever.

    Dedicated privacy hawks might argue that any sort of intrusion, whether well-intentioned or not, is unacceptable. But I’d be willing to bet that the majority of people are happy with child porn busts, and are ok with the automated scanning that facilitates them. Of course, this sentiment would quickly change if it turned out the scanning went far beyond this narrow scope. Other than ads, of course – we know Google scans message keywords to target ads.

    Image via Microsoft

  • Ohio Walmart Shooting Bystander Collapses and Dies

    Ohio Walmart Shooting Bystander Collapses and Dies

    An innocent bystander collapsed and later died while fleeing a shooting incident at a Walmart store in Beavercreek, Ohio Tuesday.

    Beavercreek police shot John Crawford, 22, of Fairfield, Ohio after he refused to stop waving a gun at shoppers. He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where he later died. Crawford’s girlfriend believes he was brandishing a toy gun, and the incident is under investigation. Police Chief Dennis Evers said officers acted appropriately when they shot Crawford.

    Angela D. Williams, 37, of Fairborn, collapsed as she fled the police confrontation with Crawford, and died of what is believed to be a heart attack. According to the Greene County Coroner’s office, Williams was “apparently running from a dangerous situation inside the Walmart store when she collapsed. She was taken to Soin Medical Center where she died at 9:14 p.m.”

    Williams was to be married Saturday and had children from the ages of 10-years-old to 18-years-old.

    Bill Robinson, administrator of Villa Springfield, the nursing home where Williams worked, issued a statement – “Angie was a free-spirited person, she was a very compassionate person. As far as her abilities here, she was a nurse who went above and beyond. A huge part of our team. It’s very somber and a lot of emotions are going through the building right now. Sadness, shock and heartache. It’s devastating today in our building.”

    Police said a 911 call was received saying Crawford was waiving a “rifle-type weapon” at Walmart customers, including children. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been brought in as an outside party to investigate the shooting, and has yet to reveal if the gun Crawford had was real or a toy.

    Both officers involved in the shooting are presently on paid administrative leave. BCI spokeswoman Jill Del Greco said, “BCI is going to look at the entire situation and look at what happened and what led up to the incident and how the officers responded. We will not make a determination of if the shooting was justified or not.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Pointing Lasers at Aircraft Is a Pretty Bad Way to Cure Boredom

    You’ve probably seen those posters, plastered across middle schools everywhere, advertising fun things to do instead of doing drugs. You know, fly a kite; read a book; bake a cake! All of these things also stand in for things to do when bored, instead of shooting lasers at aircraft.

    Except let’s throw in drugs. Most drugs are a much better uses of your time than interfering with aircraft.

    “Lasing aircraft,” as the FBI calls it, is some serious shit. A 26-year-old Buttonwillow, California man has been sentenced to one year, nine months in prison for pointing lasers at a Sheriff’s helicopter.

    From the Justice Department:

    According to court documents, Scott used two different laser pointers to strike Air-1, a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, over a six-month period. Scott explained his actions by stating that he was bored. The lasers emitted powerful green or purple beams. As a result, the pilots of Air-1 suffered flash blindness that lasted a few minutes, causing disorientation. The pilots were ultimately able to pinpoint the origin of the beams and, with the help of patrol deputies, identified Scott as a suspect. Both laser pointers in this case exceeded the legal power emission limit. One of the lasers was 17 times more powerful than what is legally permissible.

    Ars Technica notes that Scott may have gotten off easy. The harshest sentence for a so-called “laser strike” happened earlier this year, when a man was give 14 years in prison for the offense.

    Lasing aircraft has been a federal offense since 2012.

    “Boredom is no excuse for pointing a laser at an aircraft. Scott’s sentence reinforces our message to the public: This activity is a violation of federal law and is a serious risk to public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller of the Sacramento FBI. “Scott may have been located and arrested, but stopping such reckless activity is the only way to ensure public safety. Everyone is encouraged to discuss the risks of this activity with their families. Please report anyone shining a laser at an aircraft to 911 immediately.”

    And when she says report it, she really means it. In June, the FBI expanded a pilot program that rewards people – in actual money – for providing information on intentional laser pointing. The reward can be a high as $10,000.

    It’s a much bigger problem than you probably even know. There were 3,960 reported laser strikes on aircraft reported last year alone. The FBI says that these laser strikes have been described as “a camera going off in a dark room.”

    I think we can all agree that flashbanging the people operating giant, flying hunks of metal is an all around terrible idea.

    Image via FBI, YouTube