ThisIsButter

The Deschutes County District Attorney says an 18-year-old involved in an officer-involved shooting in Bend on March 20th died of a self-inflicted wound. Witnesses reported a vehicle traveling at over 90 miles an hour on the Bend Parkway that evening. The driver, later identified as Gabriel Platz, was then involved in a three-car crash. One of the other involved drivers told 911 dispatchers Platz smelled of alcohol. When police arrived, District Attorney Steve Gunnels says Platz was still in his vehicle and officers noticed a handgun on the floor. The DA says Platz disregarded commands to not pick up the gun. Investigators determined Platz was shot by police at the same time he sustained a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident was captured by two officers' bodycams. According to the autopsy, one of the bullets fired by police entered his leg, the other his chest. The self-inflicted wound was to his temple. DA Gunnels says the officer's "use of deadly force was reasonable to defend himself" to other officers and bystanders.

D.C. police on Monday released body-camera video from an officer who shot and seriously injured a man running from members of a crime suppression unit earlier this month in Northeast Washington. The video appears to show part of a nighttime foot chase on a sidewalk, with an officer shouting numerous commands to “let me see your hands.” At one point in the video, which lasts about a minute, the officer warns, “I’m going to shoot you.” Shots are heard during the chase, and the video ends with someone on the ground, seemingly trying to get up. The video appears to depict only part of the events that have been described by police in papers filed in court. On the same night as the video was released, authorities identified the officer involved as D.C. police investigator Bryan Madera. The man who was shot was named in court papers as Deion Hinnant, 31. He was hospitalized, and prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office have charged him with unlawful possession of a firearm by a person with a prior conviction. He was ordered detained and has a hearing on Tuesday. The shooting occurred about 8:50 p.m. in the Langdon neighborhood, just north of New York Avenue. Authorities said officers with the violent crimes suppression unit in an unmarked vehicle saw a man later identified as Hinnant arguing with a person at Bladensburg Road and V Street NE. An arrest affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court says the officers saw Hinnant reach into a satchel he was wearing, “making officers believe that he was in possession of a firearm.” The driver made a U-turn and officers saw that Hinnant “was in fact in possession of a firearm,” and that he began to chase the other person, according to the affidavit. Three D.C. officers got out of the unmarked vehicle and chased Hinnant, “commanding him to show his hands.” Another officer in a marked police car, with lights and sirens activated, assisted in the pursuit. The affidavit says that at one point Hinnant fell to the ground face down, his back toward the pursuing officers. The affidavit says he then got up “and turns his body 90 degrees to the right, in the direction of [an officer].” The court document says Hinnant bent down toward the ground with his right hand, “appearing to retrieve an object.” At that point, a D.C. police officer fired multiple shots at Hinnant, according to the affidavit. Hinnant stood up, the affidavit says, and “a dark-colored object can be observed in his right hand.” The affidavit says he began to run into the drive-through lane at a bank on Bladensburg Road, “where he makes a tossing motion with his right hand upward, the same hand used to bend down and pick up” the object a moment earlier. Police said Hinnant collapsed in the drive-through lane, was detained and then taken to a hospital. Police said they recovered a loaded black Hi-Point 9mm handgun from the scene. Police also said they found suspected drugs, a digital scale and $124 in cash on Hinnant. Police have not said how many times or where on the body Hinnant was struck. The affidavit says ShotSpotter, a device used to detect the sounds of gunshots, alerted police to eight shots at the time and location of the shooting.

Yzail Gauna, 26-years-old, was found to have outstanding warrants during a traffic stop on Friday, April 5 at approximately 11:30 p.m. The warrants were for domestic battery and a probation violation. Body-worn camera footage shows that officers approached the vehicle, occupied by Gauna, three other adults, and an infant in the back seat - the child and occupants were not secured by any seatbelts. When officers asked for Gauna’s name, he provided a false identity. Officers became suspicious and ordered Gauna to exit the vehicle. He ignored commands and became verbally combative. A woman and child were also asked to exit and complied. While arguing with officers, Gauna began reaching into his pants pocket, which contained a knife. Officers commanded Gauna to stop multiple times. The officer then attempted to remove Gauna from the vehicle, and he became physically violent, pushing the officer, and attempting to run away. During the altercation, Gauna grabbed the officer’s Taser, and used it against him, driving it into his collarbone. Officers delivered baton strikes to targeted zones - the thighs, right tricep, and right lat - in an attempt to gain control of Gauna’s right arm and prevent him from reaching for his pocketknife. Officers were able to detain Gauna and he was taken into custody. Following medical clearance, Gauna was booked into the Laramie County Jail on his existing warrants and an additional felony count of aggravated assault on a peace officer.

A suspect who allegedly lunged at officers in New Jersey on Sunday night faces an attempted murder charge, and police released body camera footage of the encounter that left one officer suffering from a stab wound. Officers with the Galloway Township Police responded to a home at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, in response to several 911 hang-up calls, the department said Monday in an updated news release. Upon arriving, officers met with the suspect's mother, who could be heard in the video warning the officer whose body camera was rolling that her son was armed with a knife. "Where is he right now?" the officer asked as the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Keith Kiminski, came around a corner through a doorway, directly at the officer. "Hold on, hold on, hold on," the officer can be heard saying. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" A scuffle then ensued. "Officer Erik Tarnow was immediately stabbed on the right side of his face with a folding pocket knife," police said in the press release, during what they described as "a violent physical altercation." Police added that Tarnow and Officer Hunter Thomas took Kiminski to the ground and fought with him for several minutes before additional officers arrived as backup. Tarnow was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery for his injuries, which was a "significant cut on the side of his face." He is currently in stable condition, police said. Thomas was treated for a minor head injury and was released Sunday evening, police said. "This incident is another reminder of the dangers that our police officers face on a daily basis", Galloway Township Police Chief Richard D. Barber said in a statement. "We are grateful that Officer Tarnow is recovering well, and our department will be here to fully support Erik and his family." Kiminski is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and resisting arrest. He was taken to the Atlantic County Justice facility pending a future court date.

Four Bay Area men were arrested in Vacaville Tuesday after allegedly leading police on a chase during a serial burglary investigation, according to the Vacaville Police Department. Police say Fairfield officers were chasing a truck with four men, all in their 20s from San Francisco, San Pablo and Antioch, they accuse of being involved in multiple car burglaries in the city. The truck drove the wrong way on Interstate 80, causing Fairfield police to stop chasing around 1:30 p.m. At that time, California Highway Patrol's Air Operations helicopter was tracking where the truck drove and led police to the suspects. Video shows the truck plow through cars at a stop light before crashing into a curb and stopping near Elmira Road and Aegean Way. All four men got out of the car and began running, allegedly throwing guns on the ground, but were all arrested shortly after, according to police. Police say they found two loaded, unregistered guns in parking lots nearby and two more in the truck with magazines ranging from 11 to 33 bullets each. Police say three of the men had "active probation terms, one had a prior arrest for Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Peace Officer, and two others had prior arrests for homicide." Each suspect was booked into the Solano County Jail.

Three suspects allegedly responsible for multiple armed robberies in San Bernardino County are in custody after a vehicle pursuit and a foot chase last month, authorities announced Monday. The March 12 incident occurred as detectives with the Chino Police Department were following up on an armed robbery investigation and successfully tracked down a vehicle associated with the case, according to a CPD news release. Authorities requested additional ground units and air support to help with the arrest. When the suspects refused to pull over, a vehicle pursuit was initiated. During the chase, one of the suspects exited the vehicle, discarded a gun and attempted to run. Video of the pursuit captured from the air shows the suspects attempting to evade police in a white-colored vehicle when the driver pulls over and the suspect jumps out. He can be seen scaling a nearby fence and dropping into the parking lot of an apartment complex. As the chopper’s camera follows, the suspect was seen trying to stash the gun on the patio of one of the apartments before eventually being apprehended by officers on foot. “With the assistance of one of our K9’s and Ontario Police Air Support, the suspects were apprehended, the firearm was located, property taken from the robbery was recovered,” police said. No information on the identity of the three suspects was provided or exactly what felony charges they are facing.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has released body-worn camera video from deputies who helped rescue a man from a close call at a local beach. According to the sheriff’s office, the swimmer got caught in a rip current last weekend on New Smyrna Beach. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood had high praise for all the first responders jumped into action to save the man’s life. Lifeguards were able to pull him from the surf but said they found him unresponsive and without a pulse. First responders quickly started CPR and eventually revived the man. Now, he’s expected to make a full recovery. Video released by the sheriff’s office Monday shows the moment deputies first arrived and were met by lifeguards and bystanders walking to shore with the man on a surf board. They can then be seen helping to carry the man to a waiting ambulance as a deputy immediately begins CPR. Chitwood credits the quick work of the first responders in those key early moments for eventually restoring the man’s pulse and saving his life. He’s expected to make a full recovery. The victim recently got a chance to thank the men and women who saved him.

A Fairfax County, Virginia, female police officer was recently surrounded in her vehicle and attacked by a street takeover gang. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis shared the details of the attack that took place early Easter Sunday morning on the officer’s vehicle as she called in for help. The unidentified officer spotted the group doing donuts in an industrial area parking lot in Springfield, Virginia. When she approached the crowd in her vehicle, the large crowd surrounded her, shaking the police cruiser and attempting to break into the doors. “A huge crowd is hitting my car. I need units to expedite,” the police officer is heard saying in a video recording played at a Fairfax County police press conference on Wednesday. Davis said that the videos show the perpetrators “trying to open her car doors” and were “a bunch of masked tough guy wannabe thugs.” “I believe they fully intended to drag her out of that car, but thankfully, they didn’t get into the car, and she escaped unharmed,” he said. Davis added, “This is not going to happen again in Fairfax County.” He clarified that the people involved in the street takeover are “not young people exercising their First Amendment” but are instead “criminals.” Social media and police dash cam videos of the incident showed the crowd mobbing the police car, attacking the doors and windows, and jumping on the roof of the vehicle. One of the videos showed an individual waving a gun in the air. When more officers arrived, the crowd fled the scene. “The police exist to address crime and disorder. This is both crime and disorder. I don’t know anyone who has an appetite for this to continue,” Davis said Wednesday. The police chief shared several arrests of suspects they believe may be connected to Sunday’s incident.

The City of Akron and the Akron Police Department released police body camera video of an officer shooting a teenager in Akron on April 1. The officer responded to a report of a man with a gun who was pointing it at houses. The body camera video shows what happened as Officer Ryan Westlake arrived on the scene at Brittain Road and Ottawa. “Where are you coming from?” you can hear Officer Westlake say on the video. “Can I see your hands?” he says, as the teen yells out, “It’s fake, it’s fake, it’s fake!” The officer then says, “Shots fired.” The video shows the teen on the ground being handcuffed and bleeding from the shooting. Police later learned that the gun was indeed a fake. The boy involved is 15 years old. He has not been identified. Police have not updated his condition. The Akron mayor’s office Monday released Officer Westlake’s personnel file along with the video. “The officer’s file includes a number of disciplinary actions and use of force incidents, one of which has been deemed unreasonable,” the city said in a press release. “In an effort to be as transparent as possible, we are releasing both the body camera footage showing the officer’s entire interaction with the adolescent who was shot, and the officer’s personnel file,” said Mayor Shammas Malik. “We will continue to be transparent and communicative as the process unfolds.” The officer is a 9-year veteran of the department

The Metropolitan Police Department on Friday released video that shows the dramatic rescue after one of the agency’s K-9 officers was stabbed multiple times. K9 Enzo, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, was stabbed eight to nine times as he worked to take a suspect into custody during a standoff in downtown Las Vegas last Friday. Enzo was rushed to a local animal hospital, where it was determined he would need to be airlifted to another facility for additional care. “One of our K9 officers was severely injured and everybody needed to act in order to save our K9 dog’s life,” Metro SWAT Commander Bryan Peterson said in a video shared by the department. “They all rallied behind each other, and they understood what they needed to do. Multiple officers from multiple area commands, SWAT, K9, patrol, flex teams, officers, without hesitation, knew what to do, knew how to respond, knew how to shut down traffic, and they did that.” “Ultimately, that’s what saved Enzo’s life. “ Earlier this week, Las Vegas police shared that K-9 Enzo was released from the hospital and would finish his recovery at home. The suspect, 64-year-old Thurman Lowe Jr., was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on two counts of assault on a protected person and one count each of attempting to kill a police animal, arson and resisting police while armed, records show.

Newly released body camera footage shows the moments leading up to when Surprise police fatally shot a man during a domestic dispute call in Surprise last month. The incident occurred after officers arrived at a residence near Dysart and Waddell roads around 3 a.m. on March 10, the Surprise Police Department said in a critical incident briefing video released Friday. They were responding to a call from a minor reporting a domestic verbal argument. “My parents are, uh, keep on arguing, and they’re like, keeping me up all night, and it’s just being annoying,” the caller said. After the dispatcher asked if there were any weapons inside the house, the caller replied, “Uh, no, I don’t think so. I think they’re just, like, verbally arguing, but like sometimes they do this and … it just gets out of control.” When two officers arrived, they could hear screaming inside the residence. As the officers approached the front door, a woman exited and said, “He’s trying to hit me.” One officer stayed with the woman, while the other entered into the home. As the officer opened the door, 44-year-old Trinidad Ledesma could be seen walking from the living room to the kitchen area, out of the camera view. “As the officer turned the corner, he encountered Ledesma facing him with a black shotgun in his right hand,” Sgt. Richard Hernandez said in the briefing video. Ledesma could be heard in the video saying, “Don’t come in. Don’t come near, boss.” According to Hernandez, Ledesma began to bring his shotgun up, in the officer’s direction, prompting the officer to fire his weapon at least seven times. Ledesma was pronounced dead at the scene.

North Charleston Councilman Jerome Heyward sparred with the police officer who asked him to handle a noise complaint at a Dorchester Road restaurant, body camera footage shows. The North Charleston Department released the footage on Facebook weeks after the District 5 politician protested officer James Francis Ryan’s requests to lower the music at The Montague Room. The department called the release of the 13-minute clip an "exceptional action" to promote "transparency and public trust." Heyward, meanwhile, told The Post and Courier the video proves he wasn't intoxicated, as the police report from that Feb. 24 night stated. In the video, a police officer arrives at the steak and cocktail lounge after 11 p.m., where patrons sit at tables on a mostly empty patio. Music booms from speakers. A city ordinance bars “unreasonably loud” noise within 300 feet of residences between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Heyward said the ordinance doesn't permit police to order establishments to turn music off. “We got another noise complaint,” Ryan tells Heyward, who checks his watch before promising to handle the clamor. About 90 seconds pass, the music still spilling from speakers, before the officer approaches the councilman again. The DJ briefly quiets the song. “You do what you gotta do," Heyward says. "I ain’t turning my music off, period.” As Ryan asks who he should ticket — Heyward or someone else — the councilman says the citation should be made out to him. A tense exchange follows. “You know I don’t play no games,” Heyward says. “I’m not trying to play any games either,” Ryan answers, to which Heyward responds: “I’m gonna settle this once and for all.” Moments later, he calls Deputy Chief Karen Cordray, police reports indicate. The DJ presses play, and Heyward talks briefly with Cordray before handing the phone to Ryan. He tells the deputy chief the noise complaint is legitimate. The DJ cranks up the music. The clip ends with Ryan returning to his car, calling Cordray and cutting his camera. They discussed a citation before concluding it was “best to no longer deal with the drunken and unreasonable” Heyward, the report states. Heyward said the footage proves he wasn't drunk. Kevin Smith, a manager at The Montague Room, agreed that the report and the footage differ. Smith said he believes the police report was purposefully written to tarnish Heyward's reputation. "Do you ever see me falling down in the video? Do you ever see me holding onto anything?" Heyward said, adding that there are "nothing but discrepancies throughout the whole report." He also noted two off-duty police officers, hired by the shopping center, hadn't asked the establishment to turn down the music. Heyward previously told The Post and Courier that Michelle Stent-Hilton owns The Montague Room. Documents with the S.C. Secretary of State list Stent-Hilton as the business' registered agent. Heyward's behavior that night has been condemned by law enforcement leaders including John C. Blackmon, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Tri-County Lodge #3. The FOP asked Gov. Henry McMaster in a March 24 letter to “take appropriate action” against Heyward for allegedly obstructing police officers, refusing to comply with noise ordinances and using inappropriate language toward police.

Five young people were arrested, including a 12-year-old, after crashing a stolen car following an attempted carjacking in Renton Wednesday morning. Renton Police said the car that was crashed by the suspects had been stolen in an earlier carjacking in Tukwila. The Renton incident began at around 9:45 a.m., when officers were dispatched to an attempted carjacking at a bank in downtown Renton, at 53 Southwest Sunset Boulevard. A short time later, officers spotted a car matching the description of the one driven by the attempted carjacking suspects. Officers started a chase from downtown Renton to south Renton, where the car ran a red light and crashed into another car at the intersection of East Valley Highway and Southwest 41st Street, according to Renton Police officer Matthew Nugent. One person in the car that was hit by the suspects was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The five suspects inside the car got out and ran away, but were all taken into custody a short time later, according to Nugent. Their ages are believed to be 12, 15, two 16-year-olds, and one juvenile whose age is not yet known. “There’s a little bit of a crime spree to kind of fill you in on as well,” Nugent said during a news conference. The car the suspects were in had been carjacked in Tukwila at 3:34 a.m. on Wednesday by four armed suspects, who are believed to be the same suspects who were arrested in the Renton incident. Nugent said that up to four guns were believed to have been involved in the Tukwila carjacking, and multiple gun magazines were found. He said the stolen car may have also been used in other crimes.

Four months after Fontana police fatally shot a man wanted for brandishing a gun, Chief Michael Dorsey on Thursday, April 4, publicly released visual and audio recordings and still images that show three officers chasing him apparently carrying a gun through a commercial area before firing upon him. The release came more than two months after the Southern California News Group filed a California Public Records Act request for the recordings and six days after SCNG published a story noting that Fontana police had provided the public scant details on recent shootings by its officers. Dorsey had cited legally allowed exemptions to the open-records law out of concern that releasing the recordings and images would jeopardize an investigation. Officer Steven Reed, a department spokesman, said in an interview on Thursday that the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the shooting, recently told Fontana police they could make the information public. The San Bernardino County District’s Attorney’s Office is also investigating. The name of the man killed in the Dec. 13 shooting, Jose Pena Mejia, had been among the details withheld until Thursday. Fontana police had also declined to say whether the suspect had fired on officers and elaborate on their previous statement that officers fired when the “situation escalated.” Mejia became a wanted man in November when police identified him as a suspect in a firearm brandishing at a market. Around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13, an officer pulled over Mejia’s blue pickup near Mango Avenue and Foothill Boulevard in Fontana, Dorsey says in a recording posted on the department’s Facebook page, because of a broken tail light. The officer called for backup when he ran a records check and learned that Mejia was wanted. An officer had Mejia step out of the pickup. “You have anything illegal on you?” an officer asks as he frisks Mejia, a recording shows. “I don’t have anything,” Mejia replies. But the officer felt a gun in the man’s waistband, Dorsey says, and at that moment, Mejia runs off. “He’s got a gun!” an officer shouts. “Drop the gun!” and “Stop reaching!” officers yell during the chase. While the officers are running after Mejia, one can be heard asking that a Taser be poised to deploy. No civilians could be seen in the video, but the foot pursuit approaches several businesses. Mejia appears in a recording to have an object in his hand. After several seconds, three officers shoot Mejia. They performed CPR, but he died at a hospital. “The officers perceived an active threat to their safety,” the chief said. What exactly prompted them to fire is under investigation, Reed said. A recording shows a gun that Dorsey says police found on the ground near Mejia. “Mejia set forth a series of events that forced Fontana police officers to protect both themselves and the community at large”, Dorsey says. Dorsey adds that Mejia was a documented gang member with convictions for attempted murder, domestic violence and kidnapping. Family members of Mejia accused the city of repeatedly refusing to release documents and recordings of the shooting to their attorneys, according to a lawsuit they filed in late January.

Flames can be seen flying from an apartment building in Altamonte Springs as officers and fire crews rushed to save those who might've been trapped. In one body cam video, an officer attempts to kick a door down just feet away from the flames. He then runs for cover as the smoke becomes too much to bear. A few seconds later, he sets off again, attempting to get residents out of their apartments. Fire crews then arrive on the scene as the officer continues to go door to door to alert neighbors who may still be inside their homes. "There's a juvenile inside, but it is way too hot" A second body cam video shows the perspective of an officer who arrived with the first officer at a building within the complex that appeared to be fully engulfed in flames. The officer can be heard saying, "There's a juvenile inside, but it is way too hot." That juvenile was 11-year-old Romon Thomas. The father of Romon's best friend at the complex attempted to rescue him from the apartment, but was unsuccessful as the flames were just too hot. Moments after speaking with neighbors about children who are still inside the blazed apartment complex, fire crews show up. Altamonte Springs City Manager Frank Martz says the last full fire inspection at the complex was in 2019, which the complex passed. The inspections don't happen every year, but Martz says every issue that has been observed at the complex in the past has been corrected. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Bellevue Police arrested a man who rammed two patrol cars, carjacked a second vehicle, and drove the wrong way on I-90 during a pursuit on Wednesday. The chase started around 3:25 p.m. when officers at Factoria Mall noticed a vehicle that was reported stolen. When officers approached the car, police say the suspect intentionally rammed two police cars, injuring an officer. Police say he also rammed into occupied vehicles in the parking lot in his attempt to escape. One of those vehicles had a few teenagers inside. Police then initiated a pursuit, which continued on eastbound I-90 through Bellevue, Issaquah, and into Snoqualmie, reaching speeds of over 100 mph. The suspect vehicle was disabled with spike strips in Snoqualmie, and the suspect crashed near a golf course. After police swarmed the crashed car, the suspect emerged in a second stolen vehicle near where he had just crashed. The suspect continued to drive recklessly in the carjacked vehicle, at one point driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-90. The pursuit was then terminated, but Guardian One continued to track the suspect from the air. "Unfortunately for him, what he didn’t count on was the King County helicopter," said officer Seth Tyler. Court documents state that at a nearby golf course, an officer saw "a maintenance man at the golf course screaming and pointing at a Black Subaru as it was revving its engine." The suspect was accused of driving towards the group of officers and patrol vehicles. He’s then seen from chopper footage in a stolen Subaru tearing out of the trees on the course, prompting another pursuit. In the final moments of the pursuit, he crashed through a gate at a tree farm and ditched the vehicle, with thermal imaging showing him standing in the woods. Then, he moves towards the Snoqualmie River, a King County Sheriff K-9 officer, not far behind. He’s seen on camera trying to change his clothes and shoes before heading towards the river. Tyler said he was on asteep ledge. When officers found him, they had to pull him up from the riverbank. "Once he was confronted by two deputies with a K-9 officer, he did surrender," said Tyler. Bellevue Police are forwarding charges for possession of a stolen vehicle, first-degree assault, hit-and-run, and attempting to elude police. Bail has been set at $500,000.

Police in Pacifica released additional details after officers fatally shot a woman suspected of shooting her son during a confrontation last week. On Thursday, the department provided an update on the investigation, which included identifying the woman, the officers who shot the woman, along with releasing body-worn camera video of the incident. "It is always tragic when law enforcement intervenes with deadly force, regardless of the circumstances. It impacts the family involved in the incident, our community, and the members of our police department," Chief Maria Sarasua said in a statement. "As police chief, I am committed to ensuring that all involved are treated with care and compassion while ensuring a full and thorough investigation into what occurred." The woman killed has been identified as 50-year-old Michelle Arrais. Police said Arrais shot her 23-year-old son inside their apartment on the 2500 block of Francisco Boulevard on the morning of March 27. The victim told authorities that he was awakened by the sound of gunshots in the apartment. His mother then opened his bedroom door and shot him twice. After police arrived at the scene, two officers saw Arrais driving away from the apartment complex. Video from the officers' cameras shows the woman pointing a handgun at them as she attempted to leave in her SUV. The officers opened fire. After the shooting, officers recovered a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun from the woman. Four boxes of ammunition were also recovered from her purse, which was found on the passenger seat. Despite efforts from paramedics, Arrais died at the scene. The officers who shot Arrais have been identified as Corporal Hayden Fry and Officer Kevin Contreras. Fry has been with the Pacifica Police Department for eight years, while Contreras was hired by the department last year with six years of prior law enforcement experience. The son was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. During a search of the apartment, police said they also found the family's dog dead from gunshot wounds. Investigators believe that Arrais killed the dog before shooting her son.

Two NYPD officers responding to a domestic violence call suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds in a confrontation with an ex-convict in Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon, police said. A 911 call from a mother who said she was being attacked by her adult son summoned the officers to an apartment on Bergen Street near Saratoga Avenue in Brownsville just after 3 p.m., according to cops. “It’s always an argument between mother and her son,” said neighbor Nova Fuller. “He screamed, ‘Remember what you said to me yesterday? I am not going back to jail!’” The mother said she suffered a head injury in the assault, according to police. The two officers confronted Melvin Butler, 39, and told him he was under arrest. Butler refused the cops’ instructions to put his hands behind his back, and a “violent struggle” broke out, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news conference Tuesday evening. He added that body-worn camera footage showed Butler struggling with the officers on the ground. “And then you hear an officer state, ‘He has my gun,’ and then shots are fired,” the chief said. One of the officers was shot in the left hand and the other in the left thigh, police said. At least one of the cops returned fire, striking Butler in the stomach and leg, said cops. Other first responders were also at the scene. “A cop came out of the building holding his right hand,” said neighbor Andre Garvin. “He was holding his hand with something wrapping it as he rushed to the EMT.” Both the officers were taken to Kings County Hospital, where they were reported in stable condition. Butler was taken to the same hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition, police said. Butler’s criminal record includes a February 2023 charge in a domestic violence incident, police said. He spent 15 years in prison for a 2004 attempted-murder charge and was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet during the shooting, police and sources said. One of the injured officers has been with the NYPD for more than nine years, and the other has been with the department for 16 years, said Police Commissioner Edward Caban. Their names were not released.

Christopher Mobley, 49, was arraigned on Thursday, April 4 on charges of third-degree fleeing and eluding. Officials say prior to Mobley’s arrest, he was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants, including one for felony domestic violence. He “admitted to hoping officers would run his plate and stop him, appearing to be trying to entice this interaction,” police officials said. Around 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, April 3, officers with the Berkley Department of Public Safety spotted a vehicle that had recently evaded the Birmingham Police Department. In what officials say was “a strategic measure aimed at mitigating the risk of another high-speed chase,” officers deployed spike strips, effectively flattening Mobley’s tires. Despite his flat tires, Mobley continued to speed away, leading officers on a pursuit that concluded at the intersection of 11 Mile Road and Evergreen, where Berkley and Southfield police cars surrounded his car. Mobley put his hands up but continued to refuse to unlock the doors or exit the car. He was told numerous times over several minutes to get out of the car, but refused. Ultimately, officers broke out the rear window, and warned him of being tased. When he continued to resist, officers deployed the taser and removed him from the car and took him into custody. “The Berkley Department of Public Safety extends its gratitude to the community, prosecutors, and the court system for their continued support in our endeavors to maintain public safety and address the perilous behavior exhibited by certain individuals on our roadways,” officials said in a statement. Mobley was given a $50,000 bond and will be held pending his other warrants.

The Summerville Police Department (SPD) released the body camera footage of a 13-year-old boy's arrest at a Walmart on Monday. Police say the situation started after officers noticed a juvenile selling roses at the entrance of the Walmart. They say the juvenile began to swear at the officers, refusing to identify himself or cooperate with them. The juvenile then punched a female officer in the face with a closed fist. The officers apprehended the juvenile and charged him with assaulting an officer. Video footage of the juvenile's arrest, which shows officers pinning the minor to the ground by pushing down on his neck, has generated controversy. "I was full of anger, full of rage," community activist Elvin Speights said. "It was excessive force. You can tell he was a kid, might be 120 pounds. Small kid. And this grown man is applying pressure on the back of his neck." Attorney Marvin Pendarvis, representing the juvenile's family, said, "The minor is a bright and motivated young person who was simply trying to pursue a passion and learn valuable business skills. It is unacceptable that he was targeted and arrested for his entrepreneurial efforts." The Summerville Police Department released a statement on the arrest. "The Summerville Police Department is committed to maintaining public safety while upholding the highest standard of professionalism and respect for all individuals," Police Chief Douglas Wright said in the statement. "We will continue to conduct a thorough review of this incident to ensure our officers followed proper protocols and identified any areas for improvement." "We recognize the impact such incidents can have on community trust, and we remain dedicated to fostering open communication and strengthening our relationship with the citizens we serve", he continued in the statement. Following the release of the body camera footage, the attorney for the family involved in the case released a statement stating the police department released a "heavily redacted and edited video" of the situation. "The facts are straightforward: Officer Ghi acted as the initial aggressor in this situation. Contrary to claims, there is no clear evidence showing the minor punching Officer Kirkland in the face. Instead, what the video reveals is an officer approaching a 13-year-minor with immediate aggression, threats of incarceration, and unnecessary interrogation regarding the minor’s activity of selling roses," the statement reads. "The escalation of the incident can be directly attributed to Officer Ghi’s aggressive approach. Law Enforcement officers are expected the exercise restraint, especially when dealing with minor’s engaging in non-threatening activities. If an officer lacks the temperament to handle such situations without resorting to aggression, they should reconsider their suitability for patrolling areas where minors are likely to be. "Notably absent from the released video is the moment when Officer Ghi physically grabs the minor’s neck, slamming his head into the ground, despite the minor being already restrained in handcuffs and no longer posing a threat. This blatant display of excessive force has left the minor physically and emotionally scarred. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to pursuing this matter fully. We demand a comprehensive investigation into the conduct of Office Ghi and all other involved officers. Additionally, we call on the Summerville Police Department to release the full, unedited video while still protecting the minor’s identity."

An Iosco County man is suing two Michigan State Police troopers in federal court, alleging they used excessive force after he questioned them for ticketing a friend last year. He claims he suffered injuries when the troopers arrested him that will require surgery. The suit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Bay City on behalf of Robert Bigger of Hale, records show. Bigger is seeking damages and attorney costs in the suit, filed by Michael Jones and Jonathan Marko with Marko's Detroit-based law firm. In the suit, Bigger alleges the state troopers violated his Fourth and 14th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution when they arrested him on Dec. 4, 2023, in Hale. Bigger claims he went to the scene of a car crash involving a family friend, according to the complaint. He and his wife gave the friend the vehicle she was driving when the crash happened, the filing said. While he was there, the troopers gave the woman a ticket. Bigger questioned their decision, the lawsuit said. The complaint alleges the troopers grew upset with his questions and ordered him to leave the area. He said as he was walking to his car to leave, the troopers allegedly arrested him "without provocation," grabbed Bigger and threw him to the ground. The suit said Grubbs deployed his electric stun gun on Bigger several times. His attorneys said the troopers falsely claimed Bigger resisted arrest and inflicted serious injuries. The attorneys also said the incident has caused their client to suffer anxiety and left him with fear and distrust of law enforcement officers.

In the early morning hours of December 10, 2020, Excelsior Springs Police officers were in pursuit of a stolen vehicle that was taken after an assault occurred at a local residence. The driver was also reported to be highly intoxicated at the time that she took the vehicle. She's swerving the vehicle all over the roadway, jerking it back and forth, stopping abruptly and even going head-on with other motorists. An innocent motorist pulled off to the side of the roadway in an attempt to avoid a collision with the fleeing driver. Then out of nowhere, she rams the officer's vehicle. They choose to continue their pursuit, even after being rammed multiple times by the suspect. Sergeant then pushes the vehicle, he spins it to the side, facing it toward the ditch. He exits his vehicle in an attempt to remove the driver. She quickly accelerates, nearly running over Sergeant. Believing that the vehicle is stuck in the ditch, they begin to give the suspect commands to exit the vehicle. The suspect position her vehicle yet again to Ram the officer. The officers have had enough, and they finally make the decision to end the pursuit and end the risk to the public.

Hall County Government and a Flowery Branch woman have reached a $90,000 settlement in connection with a lawsuit following her 2021 arrest. Patricia Carder filed a lawsuit in 2022 against Hall County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Kenneth Phillips and Deputy Robert Waters, alleging improprieties in her arrest on Sept. 26, 2021. Authorities were initially called to her home over allegations that Carder had kicked her son out of the home the night prior. Her son had returned to the home with another family member to retrieve his possessions. Carder is seen on body camera footage initially refusing to open her door for the officers, stating she had the right to kick her son out of her home. She eventually opens the door to the officers and tells them she has COVID-19. "I've got COVID, I hope I get you infected," Carder can be heard saying in the footage. One of the officers then grabs Carder and places her under arrest, claiming obstruction of an officer. While the civil lawsuit from Carder initially included 11 separate counts, including claims of false imprisonment, malicious arrest, malicious prosecution, battery and more, the federal court later determined 10 of those counts were unfounded. The one count that remained in question in the case was unlawful entry in violation of the Fourth Amendment. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones said the video footage was inconclusive as to whether the officer unlawfully entered Carder's home. Specifically, Jones cited "the angle of Defendant Phillips's camera and a slight visual distortion, with the position of Defendant Phillips's hand and Plantiff's upper body in relation to the door threshold." The lawsuit claims Carder was still standing inside her home when she was grabbed by the officer. Hall County Government recently agreed to a $90,000 settlement in the case, but said the settlement did not indicate acceptance of any wrongdoing. Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch released a statement on the matter Tuesday afternoon, stating he was not consulted by county attorneys prior to the settlement. “At least during my tenure, it has always been, without exception, the practice of Hall County Government attorneys to consult with me on any civil cases that involve Sheriff’s Office personnel, but that was not the case in this matter,” said Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch. “My understanding is the county attorneys felt a settlement would be more financially expedient, rather than allowing a jury to hear the accusations against our deputies. However, a settlement for any amount can give the inference of unlawful actions or deeds by our deputies, which is not the case in this incident.” In response to the statement by the sheriff's office, Hall County Government released the following statement Tuesday afternoon: "This case was settled based on the recommendation of legal counsel, who determined that settlement was the most financially prudent decision for the County based on the cost of trial and attorney’s fees," the statement from Hall County Government reads. "Legal counsel did not appropriately communicate the settlement agreement to the Sheriff’s Office and has apologized for this oversight." “Going forward, the County Attorney knows to consult me before settling any civil actions involving Sheriff’s Office personnel," Sheriff Couch said. "In some rare cases, settling a civil matter may be the best course of action. I don’t believe that was appropriate for this case. That said, we will use this incident – and the outcome - as a learning opportunity across the agency.”

The family of a Rio Linda man who was shot and killed by a Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy has released video of the incident to challenge law enforcement's response. The family says 38-year-old Christopher Gilmore suffered from mental illness and was suicidal. They said the video shows he was not a threat to responding deputies. “They failed all the way around. They failed my brother, they failed the community. They just they need better training and better officers, officers with compassion at least,” said Bobbie Gilmore, Christopher's older sister. The sheriff’s office says that Christopher Gilmore was advancing toward a deputy with a knife; however, the video is not clear enough to offer definitive evidence one way or the other. The video depicts the incident from the morning of March 23, when sheriff’s deputies responded to a call for a man who was cutting himself in the bathroom and needed help. Deputies take tactical positions on the driveway, calling Gilmore outside. He emerges, naked and bloody, stumbling through a barrage of less-lethal rounds before a deputy opens fire with his service weapon. Gilmore was pronounced dead at the scene. Now, Bobbie Gilmore says she regrets calling 911 in the first place. “Just imagine how terrible it is to say that you regret calling for help?” said Gilmore family attorney Daniel Del Rio. ABC10 showed the video to Ed Obayashi, a law enforcement policy advisor for over 100 agencies in California. He said there’s not enough information to determine whether this was a justifiable use of deadly force, but he said it may have been better had armed deputies not responded at all. “Law enforcement is not properly equipped to deal with mental health issues, such as the ones that are depicted in this incident,” Obayashi said. Obayashi advises agencies around the state to adopt a policy of not responding to suicide calls. “We’re there to help, but unfortunately, these situations result in these types of outcomes,” Obayashi said. Bobbie Gilmore said her brother wasn't trying to hurt anybody and that ultimately, his mental health crisis was met with gunfire instead of the help he needed.

The Cheyenne Police Department has released body-camera video from the March 8 fatal shooting of Patrick Flores, 47, in the 5200 block of Fishing Bridge. Some of the video’s audio has been redacted, a move to protect personal privacy and officer tactics, the department said in a news release. The unedited video will be maintained and provided to the investigating authority. Cheyenne Police Department officers were dispatched to a reported domestic disturbance at around 6:30 p.m., and were advised that the suspect had a firearm. According to the nature of the call, a heavy police response was sent to the residence in question along Fishing Bridge. Dispatch relayed that the suspect was shooting the firearm and his wife was heard screaming, the release said. “Responding officers approached the front door and made multiple announcements, commanding the occupants to exit, but there was no response. A woman screamed from inside and officers breached the front door. As officers entered, they encountered [the suspect] who was shooting his weapon and returned fire,” the release said. Officers exchanged gunfire with Flores, fatally wounding him in the process. He was declared dead at the scene. No officers were injured.