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UConn player stabbed to death on campus www.privateofficer.com
Jasper Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. The dance was not related to the game, police said.
Sunday afternoon, police were still looking for the perpetrator.
“We’re actively following investigative leads,” said Major Ronald Blicher of the UConn Police, when asked if authorities have a suspect.
UConn students were being advised to be cautious, but Blicher said police do not believe the incident was a random act of violence.
University President Michael Hogan told The Associated Press the stabbing is a tragedy for the entire university community.
“I was in the locker room after the game yesterday. It was such a joyous moment,” Hogan said. “To go from that game and such a victory to the developments at 12:30 last night is such a tragedy.”
Police cordoned off the crime scene near the Storrs university’s well-known Gampel Pavilion basketball arena.
Blicher said two groups were involved in the fight.
UConn police said one of their officers was approached on Hillside Road around 12:33 a.m. and told that a stabbing had occurred. Police found Howard and another person with stab wounds, university police said in a statement. The name of the second person was not immediately released.
Both were taken by ambulance to Windham Community Memorial Hospital. Howard was later airlifted by Lifestar helicopter to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, where he died from his injuries, police said. The second person was treated and released from Windham hospital.
Howard made a key move in Saturday’s game, forcing a fumble just as Louisville was about to score. The Huskies were up 21-13 at the time. They later won 38-25. Following the game, Howard, who led the Big East in punt returns last season, talked to the AP about the play.
“I felt my hand go on the ball and I felt that I had a chance to get it out. I just stripped it out. It was a big play. We needed it,” he said.
Hogan, the university president, said the school was arranging for Howard’s mother to come to Connecticut.
“It’s such a tragedy. All I can say is how sorry we all are and how sad we all are that something like this happened in the middle of our campus,” Hogan said.
UConn police were working with a major crime squad of the state police on the case. Hogan said about 40 officers were involved.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell also visited the campus Sunday to offer her condolences.
“I have reached out to UConn President Hogan to offer him any assistance needed at this most difficult time,” she said in a prepared statement. “Beyond law enforcement, we will also make available counselors and other needed resources.”
A news conference with UConn coach Randy Edsall, athletic director Jeff Hathaway and other school officials was scheduled for the afternoon.
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Fire breaks out at California mall www.privateofficer.com
Crews immediately evacuated the mall and got shoppers and mall employees to safety while they battled the flames.
Fire engines line the outside of the town center mall as crew’s race to battle flames burning inside.
Sitting and standing shoppers and employees line the streets, on edge after being rushed out of the mall.
“I came to the entrance of the store and I could smell a little bit of smoke and got kind of panicky the upper level was filled with some the payless shoes was really filled with smoke it smelt like plastic burning,” says Laurette Thinger of Lady Luck.
When crews arrived on scene smoke was billowing from the roof.
Fire officials say construction workers were welding new parts onto a flue and residue or grease caught on fire.
They tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but the flames were too much.
“Crews were able to get water on the fire and after about a half an hour they were able to contain the fire….during that time we evacuated,” says Battalion Chief Scott Johnson of the Santa Maria Police Department.
A few hundred people were evacuated.
Mall officials credit the police department and internal emergency plans for getting everyone out of the building safely.
“Everyone gets notified immediately. Everyone closes down their store and we have our internal security team that escorts everyone out of the building. Everyone was out before the fire department rolled up, it worked very smoothly,” says construction manager Scott Biddinger.
Fire officials say with a building this size there are a lot of empty spaces and combustibles.
It could have been a very dangerous fire but great team-work on the part of firefighters played a big part in everyone staying safe.
Crews did clear all the smoke from the mall and it re-opened to the public later in the evening.
Memphis school security officer charged with rape www.privateofficer.com
Harris was also a reserve officer with the Memphis Police Department. He had been with the Reserve Commission since February 2007. Harris was immediately terminated following his arrest.
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Utah teacher arrested for sexual abuse of students www.privateofficer.com
A Pine View High school teacher was arrest by Washington City police.
Officials believe from June 2008 until August 2009 there was some kind of incident between 39-year-old John Robert James Cody and girls between the ages of 12 to 18. Cody is a history teacher and coach at Pine View high school.
The Washington County School District says they are conducting their own investigation into the alleged charges against Cody. As of Monday morning Cody was up on administrative leave pending the investigation.
Cody was booked on suspicion of sexual battery and forcible sex abuse of a child.
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Police Chief Wayne Yates arrested www.privateofficer.com
Winnsboro Department of Public Safety Chief Wayne Yates and two others are charged in connection to a fight that left the victim with a broken nose and black eye.
Winnsboro Town Manager Don Woods placed Yates on unpaid administrative leave. The decision came after Yates and Woods met behind closed doors at town hall.
“He’s on administrative leave until further notice,” said Deputy Chief Freddie Lorick, who is in charge for the next 30 days.
Lorick initially declined to comment on the Yates situation, but did say that aside from Yates’ suspended position, the town has 24 sworn officers working its streets. That’s enough manpower, he says, to keep order in town.
WIS News 10: The chief now being out of the loop, does that do anything for staffing levels right now?
Freddie Lorick: Well, we’re short an officer, but that’s it.
WIS: Something you guys can handle?
Lorick: Oh yeah, the department is in good hands. We run ourselves, basically.
Woods declined to answer questions on camera at his office Friday. However, Woods said the decision to place Yates on leave was his decision alone.
Yates was released on bond Thursday afternoon. He denies any wrongdoing and expects to be cleared of the charges.
However, sources in town said Yates has openly discussed stepping down sometime next week. Yates’ attorney said a decision on the chief’s future could come Monday.
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Apartment residents, security tangle over enforcement of rules www.privateofficer.com
One resident claimed she was assaulted and threatened by guards last week and several others say they’ve experienced similar misconduct in the past.
Residents pass through the Main Gate of Belaire Manor Apartments Friday. The gates have caused contention between residents and security guards.
However, Belaire Managing Agent Isiah Hernandez said he was unaware of any such incidents, saying none of the residents, to his knowledge, have filed any formal complaints to him or the apartment’s manager, Tony Price.
Ronica Bowman, a resident at Belaire, said she was returning home from the store when she and two Jones Security and Investigations officers got into an altercation.
Following an exchange between them, Ms. Bowman alleged one of the security guards, a black male, threatened to shoot her and another security guard, a white male, pushed her. She said she did not know their names.
“He just started talking down to me so, yes, I did cuss him out. But I never touched him. I didn’t threaten him. I didn’t do nothing,” said Ms. Bowman of her altercation with one of the guards. “I’m not outside hanging around. I’m not loitering. I’m trying to go home.”
The altercation stemmed from the complex’ walk-in gate being locked. The rules at the complex — which offers housing for low-income families — state that residents have to be inside the complex by 10 p.m.
Hernandez said the rule was implemented due to safety reasons as criminal elements outside of the Belaire community have been known to stir problems within the complex.
“It’s a very tough time,” said Hernandez. “It’s not something necessarily that we would like to continue. … But at this juncture of the property’s development and where it stands, for the good of the community and, really, just as a way of trying to identify those who don’t live there, who really are a lot of the problem, we ask that residents take any activities after 10 p.m. back in their home or within the immediate porch or area.”
Hernandez said the main issues of concern are the high number of assaults and the amount of illegal drug activity.
“We don’t think there’s a problem out there in terms of the actual selling of it. But I think mostly that’s because we’ve been pretty tough about keeping an eye on things,” said Hernandez.
“But there’s a lot of small possession stuff,” he added. “We’ve got the big stuff under control.”
Ms. Bowman said she contacted the Marshall Police Department about the incident, but that she did not fill out a complaint because she was told there was nothing they could do since she didn’t have any visible marks or bruises.
She said she also brought the issue up to the security office but that nothing has been done.
But Hernandez said, to his knowledge, that no one has filed a formal complaint to the manager of the apartment complex.
“My manager is not aware of anybody claiming, and certainly not me, people threatening to kill them,” said Hernandez. “I would certainly want to know and hear from people with those kinds of concerns because clearly if those are true, then we would have a problem with that.
“Certainly, people do at times have problems with the (guards) that are out there and a lot of times they don’t like them out there because they’re doing their job,” he said. “But you have to be open to what people are saying.”
Other residents have also alleged abuse.
Cassie Whaley said she felt the Belaire security guards were “infringing on people’s basic rights.” She noted a recent incident where a black security guard insensitively told her “some of these (expletive) need to be killed.”
“They just kind of take out their frustration on the people who are doing what they’re supposed to do,” said Ms. Whaley. “Some people don’t want to abide by the rules, so it makes it hard for the people that do.”
Marcus Johnson said he’s also experienced similar problems in the past. “They always harass,” he said. “This has happened on numerous occasions.”
Ms. Bowman’s mother, Monica Lombard, said she’s been writing letters to city officials in hopes of raising awareness on the alleged misconduct. She noted a recent altercation she had with one of the security guards and a separate incident about a month ago.
“I feel frustrated, just as a visitor, trying to see my daughter and my friends,” said Ms. Lombard. “It’s really a class issue. I really think the general population of Marshall, Texas, thinks that everybody in Belaire is no good, that they’re low-class, second-rate citizens and that’s not right. I feel defeated.”
Hernandez believes a majority of the people who live in the complex are appreciative of the security guards and said apartment officials have made an effort to establish neighborhood watch programs in the past, but that interest has been low.
Officials also have worked to establish a closer relationship with the Marshall Police Department and Hernandez said the amount of calls from Belaire to the MPD have dropped significantly as a result.
Marshall Police Detective Sonya Johnson said the department hadn’t seen any recent reports from the complex.
Hernandez said about a year ago the level of criminal activity had been so high that the apartment had to employ “24-hour entrance” guards.
“I can point you out many people who are thankful for some of the things we’ve been doing out there,” said Hernandez.
“We’d like to have people reporting things to the police and working with management to help their community develop into a better place to live.
“We’re not quite there yet, but we certainly know that that’s our goal.”
Hernandez said he plans to discuss the alleged abuses with Jones Security officials to devise a possible solution, but that progress will always be limited if residents don’t come forward with any information.
“People got to come in and talk to us at the office,” said Hernandez.
“If they don’t let us know what’s going on, then I don’t know what we can do about it.”
Efforts to reach additional Belaire residents for comment were unsuccessful and Jonathan Dungey, who works in the Jones Security office in Marshall, said he did not have the authority to comment.
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