Posts tagged with "law enforcement"

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE UNITED STATES

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Human trafficking can be defined as “a crime that involves the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex.”

The illegal ring of human enslavement primarily for sex acts has been a problem in the United States for quite some time. The popularity of social media combined with the ongoing stresses from the COVID-19 pandemic have only furthered the presence of human trafficking in the country.

Human enslavement has been a rampant problem often stemming from the Midwest, expanding through the rest of the country. The Midwest serves as the epicenter for trafficking endeavors for several reasons. First off, the number of federal interstates that are common make it easier to transport victims. Commerce tends to be high in areas such as St. Louis and Chicago, simplifying the traveling process of victims. The Midwest has, too, been regarded as a safe part of the country, which masks the existence of human exploitation in this part of the country.

Although servitude of humans has great linkage to the Midwest, it has an intense correlation to the Black community, specifically Black woman. According to the FBI, 53% of all children involved in juvenile prostitution arrests are Black.

This linkage stems back to the racism and oppression prevalent in US history, combined with sexualization of people of color. The Center on Poverty and Inequality generated a study to investigate this point, and found that adults generally regarded Black girls as “less innocent and more adult like than white girls.” Black women continue to be targeted, predominantly by white men. A 2012 research study found that about 85% of people who purchased sex online were white men.

These prejudices impact perpetrator motives, as they are statistically more likely to go after Black girls/ women. A two-year review of alleged enslavement occurrences found that 40% of sex trafficking victims were Black women.

The pandemic and the rise of social media, too, has played its factor in the rise of human subjugation. With many individuals suffering from economic and social deficiencies, trafficking systems have grown exponentially. The victims tend to be vulnerable, often children, in search of some form of attention. Victims often are coerced into enslavement with false promises of jobs or stability.

The growing commonness of human trafficking in the US is alarming and must come to a stop. One of the key problems that prevents victims from being identified is that they often do not believe they are victims. Victims cannot comprehend or see what they’re going through to be considered exploitation, as they often form trauma bonds with their abusers, are hidden in plain sight.

Common signs that can help us identify human trafficking:

Physically appearing malnourished
Physical injuries
Avoidance of eye contact, social communication; primarily with law enforcement
Rehearsed replies in social communication
Lack of identification documents
Staying at hotels/motels with older males
- Victims refer to males as boyfriend or “daddy” – street slang for pimp
Young children serving in family restaurants
Individual not allowed in public alone, often spoken for

Trafficking cases continue to grow in numbers, with victims regularly becoming younger and younger. A North Carolina woman was recently sentenced to over 19 years in prison for sex trafficking a 13-year-old girl. This NC proceeding provides insight into common patterns that occur in human enslavement circumstances. It highlights the dominance of social media used in trafficking acts, the susceptibility that victims face and how perpetrators are typically somewhat close to victims.

Authorities were made aware of this case on January 1, 2020, when a 23-year-old girl was a believed victim of sex trafficking. They were able to uncover that from December 2 to the 25 of 2019, Simone McIllwain had been sex-trafficking the young girl in the Charlotte area.

The girl met McIllwain through a shared relationship, when McIllwain started advertising the girl online for commercial sex. She arranged that the 13-year-old girl would perform sex acts in her own hotel room, while she obtained segments of the profits.

She pleaded guilty of sex trafficking of a minor in April 2021, when she was placed in federal custody. Now, she has been sentenced to 235 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release.

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1 (888) 373-7888

SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”)

Website: http://humantraffickinghotline.org/.

Written By: McKinley Franklin

Mob Museum Celebrates 10th Anniversary

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THE MOB MUSEUM TO CELEBRATE 10th ANNIVERSARY MILESTONE WITH “UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT” GALA HONORING RETIRED UNDERCOVER AGENTS FEB. 17

In conjunction with its 10th anniversary, The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, invites guests to its “Undercover of the Night” Gala presented by the Stanley W. Ekstrom Foundation at the Museum’s historic location in downtown Las Vegas. The evening will be co-chaired by City of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman and former City of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman.

The event will celebrate a decade of accomplishments as well as pay special tribute to a number of undercover law enforcement agents and will honor a pioneering undercover agent whose work resulted in more than 200 convictions infiltrating the Bonanno and Colombo crime families in New York during the ’70s. This special honoree is widely considered to be one of the top undercover federal agents in history whose work was the basis of a best-selling book and a feature film nominated for an Academy Award. The evening will also feature special meet-and-greets and photo opportunities with other true-life undercover agents.

Guests are invited to purchase “Special Agent” tickets, which include gourmet action stations and delectable desserts, specialty cocktails, luxury auction items and live entertainment. In classic Mob Museum fashion, guests will also enjoy exhibits and meet a number of undercover agents–if you can find them.

WHO’S THERE:

Gala Co-Chair – Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman

Carolyn G. Goodman, elected to her third term in 2019, became the mayor of Las Vegas in 2011, succeeding her husband, then current mayor, Oscar B. Goodman. Carolyn Goodman has devoted much of her life to volunteerism in Las Vegas and holds national leadership roles as a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and also serves on the board of directors of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Gala Co-Chair – Oscar B. Goodman

Known for his trademark, no-nonsense style, Oscar B. Goodman served as mayor of Las Vegas for 12 years before swearing in his wife, Carolyn G. Goodman, as mayor in 2011. Passionate about downtown revitalization, Oscar Goodman is the primary visionary of The Mob Museum.

Retired Undercover Agents and Special Gala Guests:

Weysan Dun, FBI

Weysan Dun was a Special Agent of the FBI for 30 years. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest serving incumbent Special Agent in Charge, having consecutively served as the chief executive of three FBI field offices. He is an FBI certified Intelligence Officer and an FBI certified Undercover Agent who worked under deep cover for two years. He is a lifetime member of the FBI Agents Association and the American Legion FBI Memorial Post 56.

Louis Diaz, DEA

Louis Diaz is a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was largely responsible for the arrest and conviction of Leroy Nicky Barnes a.k.a. “Mr. Untouchable.” He was also instrumental in dismantling Barnes’ entire drug trafficking organization known as the “Council.” As an undercover agent, he also brought down members of the Medellin Cartel. Diaz is also an author and actor, who has participated in many major television series and Hollywood films under the pseudonym Lou Casal.

Patricia Naughton, DEA

Patricia Naughton is a 27-year law enforcement veteran. After graduating from Indiana University in 1974, she started her career as one of the first female police officers in the state. In 1978, she joined the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the one percent of female agents. Her first assignment was investigating illicit drug labs. She went on to work undercover in outlaw motorcycle gangs and the Mafia. In 1985 she became the first female weapons instructor for the DEA and a repeat instructor at the FBI training center at Quantico where she taught both FBI and DEA agents

Deborah Richard, FBI

Deborah Richard began her career in law enforcement as one of the first female patrol officers and detectives in Southern California where she also worked criminal undercover assignments. In 1976, she was recruited by the FBI as the 67th woman, out of the first 100 women, hired by the FBI. She was assigned to the Las Vegas Division where she worked numerous criminal and organized crime investigations including the investigation of Tony Spilotro, his associates and connections to the Kansas City Mob. Deborah separated from the FBI in 1986, but was asked to rejoin, and at the age of 45 became the oldest woman to complete the FBI Academy.

Giovanni Rocco, FTO

Giovanni Rocco was an undercover law enforcement officer who spent most of his twenty-six-year career as a member of state and federal task forces targeting organized crime. The culminating role of his service was the successful infiltration of the DeCavalcante Mafia family, the organization known as “The Real Sopranos.” At the conclusion of this landmark investigation, Giovanni retired from law enforcement and moved his family to a location that remains undisclosed.

Frank Panessa, DEA

Frank Panessa was a Drug Enforcement Administration agent for 28 years. He had numerous undercover roles in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Central America. He infiltrated the Sicilian Mafia in the infamous “Pizza Connection” case that resulted in the conviction of high-level Sicilian wholesale distributor of heroin. He also served in the U.S. Embassy in Rome as the government’s chief liaison to Italian police agencies. He worked as a licensed private detective in Maryland from 1998 to 2010.

Howard Blank, Auctioneer

Howard Blank has been a member of the gaming, media and entertainment industry for over 30 years and has enjoyed an extensive broadcast career. Howard is CEO of Point Blank Entertainment Ltd. and consults as a fundraising and event expert with numerous philanthropic organizations and event producers. Howard is proud to give his time and talent at a number of not for profit events each year. To date, Howard has helped raise over $900,000,000 for organizations across Canada and in the USA.

JJ Snyder, Master of Ceremonies

JJ Snyder is the dynamic host of the Las Vegas Morning Blend on ABC Ch. 13. She developed a passion for journalism working on America’s Most Wanted with John Walsh and went on to join On The Red Carpet on ABC as a national correspondent covering Hollywood movie premieres. She’s on the board of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Las Vegas FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association.

WHEN:

Thursday, Feb. 17

7 p.m.

WHERE:

The Mob Museum

300 Stewart Avenue

Las Vegas, NV 89101

COST:

Special Agent Ticket: Admission at 7 p.m. to Undercover of the Night Gala.; gourmet action stations, specialty cocktails, luxury auction items, live entertainment and meet-and-greet and photo opportunities with undercover agents. $250

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS:

Presenting Sponsor: Stanley W. Ekstrom Foundation
Deep Cover Sponsor: Greenberg Traurig
Operative Sponsor: Ernst & Young
Liaison Sponsors: Levy Production Group, Brown & Brown, Paragon Gaming, Bennett Family Foundation
Liquor Sponsor: Johnson Brothers
Hotel Partner: Golden Nugget

Tickets and more information can be found here. For more information about the Museum, please click here.

ABOUT THE MOB MUSEUM

The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a world-class journey through true stories—from the birth of the Mob to today’s headlines. The Mob Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive storylines. Numerous interactive exhibits include a Crime Lab, Firearm Training Simulator and Organized Crime Today exhibit. The Museum is also home to The Underground, a Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy and distillery. The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Museums;” one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and “Best Museum” by its 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards; one of National Geographic’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas;” USA Today’s “Best Museum in Nevada,” 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for “Best Las Vegas Attraction” in 2021, “Top Five Best History Museums in the United States” in 2021 and one of its “12 Can’t Miss U.S. Museum Exhibits;” named “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times and one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by FOX News. The Museum is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is open daily; visit the website for admission rates and operating hours.

Indianapolis FedEx Mass Shooting

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EIGHT KILLED IN INDIANAPOLIS FEDEX FACILITY SHOOTING

What we know so far

Brandon Hole, the shooting suspect, opened fire outside and inside of a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana on Thursday evening.
Eight people were shot and killed, while several others were wounded in addition to the gunman.
Police believe the gunman killed himself as officers encountered him.
The motive for the shooting known at this time.

Law enforcement were notified of a mass casualty situation at the Indianapolis FedEx location late Thursday evening. Timothy Boillat, a FedEx employee, was inside of the building when the gunshots began, according to CNN. He was on break when he heard “two loud metal clangs,” not realizing that it was gun shots. Boillat said his friend saw someone grabbing a gun out of the trunk of their car. It was at that moment that Boillat saw a body on the ground. Levi Miller was interviewed this morning by the Today Show and stated “I saw a man, a hooded figure. The man did have an AR in his hand, and he started shouting and then he started firing. I thought he saw me, so I immediately ducked for cover.”

Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigations for Indianapolis Police, Craig McCartt, stated that four of the victims were found inside of the FedEx facility and four were found outside. The suspect was found deceased, in addition to eight other people. The Indianapolis Police Department said they have an idea of who the suspect was, however, have not formally identified him. The Department believes that the shooter was using a rifle, but they do not yet have any specifics on the weapon. The police are being assisted by the FBI in searching the suspect’s house. Special agent Paul Keenan is in charge.

During a news conference McCartt stated, “This suspect came to the facility. He got out of his car and pretty quickly started some random shooting outside the facility. There was no confrontation with anyone. That began in the parking lot and then he did go into the building.”

Alfarena McGinty, the Chief Deputy Coroner at the Marion County Coroner’s Office, said that the Department is conducting an investigation, but cannot yet enter the crime scene to confirm the victims’ identity until all evidence has been collected. “We are still a number of hours out before we are able to go on to the scene to conduct our investigation, and then after that, we’ll work with the families. Following that process, what we have to do is we will perform our examinations,” she said, adding that extra staff will be called in to complete those examinations in the next 48 to 72 hours, reports CNN.

According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 147 mass shootings incidents in 2021 in the United States. The Gun Violence Archive is an online archive of gun violence incidents collected from various law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources daily in order to provide near-real time data about the results of gun violence. GVA is a non-profit corporation based out of Washington DC, as stated on their website.

UPDATE:

Indianapolis Police has released the names of the deceased victims from Thursday night’s shooting.

The victims are:

32-year-old Matthew R Alexander
19-year-old Samaria Blackwell
66-year-old Amarjeet Johal
64-year-old Jaswinder Kaur
68-year-old Jaswinder Singh
48-year-old Amarjit Sekhon
19-year-old Karlie Smith
74-year-old John Weisert

A statement by IMPD says the next of kin has been notified by the Marion County Coroner’s Office.

The cause of death will be determined after autopsies are complete, according to the statement.

IMPD said the names of those injured are not being released.

Justice for DeMarcus Walker

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DeMarcus Walker. Say his name. Say his name along with the other victims of the hate crimes that fill our society. Just over a year ago, Demarcus was going about his Saturday morning shopping just like many others. On March 7, 2020, at approximately 10:25 in the morning, Walker was run down with a Chevy Impala and then brutally beaten with a baseball bat.

DeMarcus Walker suffered life-threatening injuries and, unfortunately, was not able to pull through. He passed away April 11, 2020, from tracheal narrowing and cerebral edema and hemorrhage due to complications from blunt injuries of the head, which was noted in his autopsy. His death was ruled a homicide.

Zai’quaria Walker, DeMarcus Walker’s daughter, stated to NBC News Anchor Tom Powell “When it’s your family it’s a different kind of pain.” She desperately asked “Why that day? What was going through your head to do that then and there?”

Houston Walker, DeMarcus Walker’s father, commented during a news conference “I feel like it was a hate crime. It had to be. The way I understand in the paper, he was walking around Walmart with a ski mask on looking for people to beat up. That’s how I feel about it.”

Vaughn Lowery, President of 360 Magazine, states “Senseless violence has afflicted America throughout the weeks, and it seems that there is no end in sight. As a nation, we must unite and abandon this malevolent behavior. Once we recognize why the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities are under constant attack because they are intrinsically different, then we will begin to heal. At the end of the day, our legal system is not designed to protect them. In the case of DeMarcus Walker, justice must be served and the person who attempted to kill him must be held accountable according to the highest standards of the law. We can no longer allow malicious intent to pass unnoticed in our judicial system.”.

Police arrested 21-year-old Levi Arnold, who has recently pleaded guilty but mentally ill to charges of murder and resisting law enforcement for the cold-blooded crime he committed last year outside of the Apple Glen Walmart in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Arnold will be sentenced on April 16, 2021, and is facing 51 years in prison.

Nashville Christmas Bombing

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By Hannah DiPilato

Christmas morning had a horrific start for Nashville, Tennessee when a bomb went off at 6 a.m. Friday morning.

Planted in an RV that was parked on the street, the bomb left excessive damage for the city; over 40 buildings were impacted. The most bizarre part was the fifteen-minute evacuation warning that played before the bomb erupted. This gave the surrounding area time to evacuate in order to prevent death and injury.

The police are currently investigating the situation and believe it was a suicide bombing. Human remains have been recovered from the scene of the incident, but no fatalities have been confirmed yet. So far, three injuries have been recorded due to the blast, but all are in stable condition.

A tip released to law enforcement about the vehicle involved in the bombing has led agents to Antioch, a town just southeast of Nashville, to search a home. According to FBI spokesman, Jason Pack, they are conducting “court-authorized activity,” but have not reported who resides in the home. Law enforcement has received 500 leads and tips that are now being investigated.

Douglas Korneski, FBI special agent in charge of the Memphis Field Office, was unable to identify any potential suspects at a press conference held on Saturday afternoon. However, as of now, police have identified one person of interest.

One possible motive of the attack could be the destruction of the nearby AT&T building which caused major problems for cell service in many southern states. Korneski said the FBI is, “looking at every possible motive that could be involved,” when asked about the AT&T building being a possible target.

Mayor John Cooper has enforced a curfew in the downtown area until Sunday as a preventative measure until investigators can learn more about what occurred. The downtown area, and heart of Nashville tourism, was shut down so investigators could comb through the remains from the explosion.

Many residents of the area reported hearing gunshots at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Christmas morning. The white RV responsible for the explosion was parked directly in front of 166 Second Ave. North, which is the AT&T transmission building.

The eerie message projecting from the van said, “This vehicle will explode in 15 minutes,” according to Betsy Williams, a resident that lived nearby the scene. The message repeated for a minute and then proceeded to count down from 15 minutes. At approximately 6:30 a.m. the recording changed as the time inched closer to the threat of an eruption. “If you can hear this message, evacuate now,” the voice boomed, minutes from when the street was blown up.

Six police officers that were on the scene immediately began evacuating homes after hearing the message. No officials suffered serious injuries, one officer was knocked over by the force of the blast and another officer suffered from hearing loss.

The investigation for answers continues into Saturday night and law enforcement is working hard to keep Nashville safe in the coming days. Korneski said the investigation will take time because “the investigative team is turning over every stone.”

Oregon Decriminalizes Drugs

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By Justin Lyons

This year’s election will go down as a legendary one in the history of the United States of America, and for some of the bigger fights, the country still doesn’t have an answer.

Where answers do exist seem to be in propositions and measures, and the big winners are those hoping for the decriminalization of drugs. Mississippi, New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana and Arizona all approved the legalization of recreational marijuana.

The biggest victory for those in favor of drug decriminalization probably came in Oregon, where the penalty for small amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs was lessened.

According to Ballotpedia, Oregon’s Measure 110 would reclassify the possession of controlled substances such as those listed above from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E violation, which would result in a $100 fine or the necessity of a “completed health assessment.”

The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission estimated that convictions for possession would decrease by 90.7%.

Addiction recovery centers conduct the health assessments, which will include a screening from a certified alcohol and drug counselor and must be completed within 45 days of the Class E violation.

The funds for the assessments and the recovery programs will come from the Oregon Marijuana Account and money the state of Oregon saves from reductions in arrests, incarceration and official supervision. The recovery centers will provide treatment 24 hours per day along with health assessments, intervention plans, case management services and peer support and outreach.

The possession quantity of the now decriminalized drugs to be classified as a Class E violation are as follows: one gram of heroin or less, two grams of cocaine or less, two grams of methamphetamine or less, one gram or five pills of MDMA or less, 40 or fewer user units of LSD, less than 12 grams of psilocybin, fewer than 40 user units of methadone and fewer than 40 pills, tables or capsules of oxycodone.

A person carrying more than the specified amounts may face a misdemeanor with less than a year imprisonment, a $6,250 fine or both.

According to Yes on Measure 110, more than 125 Oregon-based organizations endorsed the measure, including Oregon Chapter of the American College of Physicians, Oregon Nurses Association, Oregon School Psychologists’ Association and Law Enforcement Action Partnership.

Ballotpedia also said the Democratic Party of Oregon, Multnomah Democrats and Working Families Party of Oregon support the bill, right alongside 11-time-GRAMMY-Award-Winning artist John Legend.

The measure is to be implemented no later than Feb. 1 of 2021.

SSPBA endorses Donald Trump

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Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Inc. (SSPBA) announced today that it is endorsing Donald Trump for President in the 2020 election. SSPBA board members and representatives met with Vice President Mike Pence in Raleigh today to announce the endorsement. SSPBA is composed of over 60,000 law enforcement officer members throughout the Southeast. This is the association’s first presidential endorsement in over twenty years.

“With the stakes as high as they are for the law enforcement profession today, we felt that we must speak up in support of the true law enforcement candidates,” said Chris Skinner, SSPBA president.

“President Trump has been unwavering in his support of law enforcement,” President Skinner continued. “He has shown time and again that he stands behind the men and women who put on their uniform and badge and go to work each day,” President Skinner said. “In these times when many are attacking the law enforcement profession, it is imperative that law enforcement officers know that they are not on their own as they face the dangers of their job. We believe that President Trump and Vice President Pence have demonstrated that they understand and appreciate the honor and sacrifice of serving as a law enforcement officer.”

“The number one priority of government is to provide for safety and protection of the citizens. We are convinced that President Trump recognizes the fact that law enforcement and law enforcement officers are vital to the strength and stability of our communities,” President Skinner added. “We support President Trump and Vice President Pence because we know that they are the candidates who will continue to support us.”

Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Inc. is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to improving the law enforcement profession. PBA members are active or retired employees of federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement and correctional agencies. This professional association provides legal, legislative, disciplinary and other representation to member officers as well as a salary replacement death benefit to members’ beneficiaries. The PBA prohibits members from engaging in or condoning any strike by law enforcement officers, electing instead to represent members through aggressive political action. For more information, please visit our website at www.sspba.org.

Joe Biden × Kamala Harris

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Presidential candidate Joe Biden has declared California Senator Kamala Harris his Vice President running mate. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris Harris shows Biden doubling down on his long history of excessive law enforcement and support for the war on drugs.

In a year of national uprising against police violence, Kamala Harris who spent 25 years in law enforcement is an ironic selection. Her campaign for president ended quickly as she dropped out of the race two months before the Iowa Caucus and three days before the filing deadline to be on the ballot in her home state of California, where she was behind in the polls. Part of her decline was caused by voter dismay at her reversal on Medicare For All, when she flip-flopped to a policy that subsidized private health insurance and misleadingly continued to call it Medicare for All.

While Joe Biden was the principal legislative architect of the drug war and mass incarceration from his time on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Harris’s record as a prosecutor and Attorney General was as a foot soldier in the drug war and mass incarceration. As the San Francisco District Attorney drug-related prosecutions increased from 56 percent in 2003 to 74 percent in 2006. In 2019, she admitted smoking marijuana in college but while Attorney General of California from 2011-2017, Harris sent at least 1,560 people to prison over marijuana-related offenses. In 2014, a week after the New York Times called for legal marijuana, Harris laughed when asked if she supported it. Now, she supports ending federal laws against marijuana, a position not held by Biden.

While Biden sponsored mandatory sentencing, Harris defended one of the worst mandatory sentencing laws in the US, California’s ‘three strikes law’ that also applied to “minor” felonies. She campaigned against a voter initiative that would have reformed this to require serious or violent felonies for life sentences. Harris did not take a position on two ballot initiatives in 2012 and 2014 that would have reduced punishment for low-level crimes and given judges more flexibility at sentencing. Both initiatives passed without her support.

After the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, police accountability was on the agenda in the California legislature. Harris refused to take a position on racial profiling by police. As Attorney General she refused to investigate highly questionable police shootings in Los Angeles 2014 and in San Francisco in 2015.

Follow Kamala Harris: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Follow Joe Biden: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Andres Guardado Killed by LASD

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By Eamonn Burke

18 year old Andres Guardado was killed by a deputy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff on June 18. Guardado was spotted by a Sheriff in front of a business with a gun in his pants on the night of his death, and allegedly pulled the handgun on police when they investigated, and resisted commands. He then ran, and a chase ensued, which ended in 6 rounds being shot at the teen and him being provinces dead at the scene.

“I don’t know — it’s still not real. I close my eyes and I hope and I pray that it’s not really happening,” said Guardado’s cousin Celina Abarca as she teared up.

It is known that Guardado was a security guard, but at the time he was not wearing a uniform or safety equipment, and he was not yet 21, the age at which a security guard can be armed in Los Angeles. So far no video evidence has surfaced, but authorities have been looking for footage. According to Sheriff Alex Villanueva, this should be yet another reason for body cameras, which the department does not currently have.

The sheriff’s department has not been cooperative in the aftermath. Their “security hold” on Guardado’s autopsy has moved the family to seek an independent one, saying that there was a lack of transparency between the two parties. Miguel Vega, Guardado’s murderer, has still not spoken to investigators. However, an attorney representing the other sheriff involved, has spoken, saying the encounter was “a justified shooting at the wrong time” and that the Sheriff’s department is “very sorry for the loss of life, sorry for the (Guardado) family.”

Protests demanding justice for Guardado have added to the nationwide reckoning against police brutality, specifically against people of color.

DON’T PLAY W/ FIRE

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By Gabriella Scerbo

Fireworks: Usually an item associated with July 4th or any sort of celebration. Every year around the major cities hundreds of people gather to watch fireworks, and are in awe of their multicolors, and unique pulsating sounds. Another thing that many love about fireworks, is the excuse to sip a cold beer (maybe a little too much) but overall spend quality time with family. This time of celebration and positive correlation seems to be out the window when discussing fireworks in the political climate of 2020.

Fireworks are illegal in many states without a permit, and police departments across the country are cracking down on the abundant use. Law enforcement is once again restating the ordinances regarding these fireworks. In Illinois, the Police Department posted a Facebook update, once again reminding residents of the policy. In June, New York City firework complaints have more than tripled within the past year. This influx in fireworks is due to the fact that large gatherings are cancelled, such as concerts, sporting events and many other celebrations due to the spread of COVID-19.

Another theory regarding the influx of fireworks, are the protests following the death of George Floyd. In New York City and major cities around the country, thousands protest police brutality and years of systemic racism, and racial injustice faced by the Black Community. The Black Lives Matter movement have also been involved in directly using fireworks in addition to peaceful protests, and a larger national conversation about the system injustices.

Pasadena, California has seen a 400% increase of fireworks related complaints. Around 40% (2 in 5) of Americans plan on buying their own fireworks this year, due to the cancellations of many celebrations due to COVID-19. In the Big Apple, Firework complaints have rose to 13,109 compared to just 32 last year.

Not only are these fireworks having a large affect on humans, they also affect everyone’s favorite member of their families: pets.

Although the fireworks seem to glisten in the sky, used for either boredom or to reiterate an important movement, they can also cause serious physical injuries. These effects include loss of fingers, hands, and even tissue damage on the face. Fireworks should be left to people that know how to properly use them.

Not only are the fireworks causing physical injuries to many, they are also causing light pollution and air pollution, which has a direct negative effect on the environment. These fireworks put harmful chemicals and smoke in the air, these chemicals have negative implications such as coughing, shortness of breath, and even heart attacks.

The loud noises are causing concern to frontline workers during the pandemic, looking to get a good night’s rest from another stressful day in the hospital. As well as officer workers, eager to get back to some sense of normalcy during Phase 2 of reopening following COVID-19.

Not only are these fireworks having a large negative on humans, they also affect everyone’s favorite member of their families: pets. Similar to humans, the loud noise is not the most pleasing one, and can cause mental problems. Dogs specifically, when hearing these noises tend to self mutilate, due to anxiety. Smaller dogs, such as border collies, Australian Shepherds and chihuahua’s can be especially sensitive.

Unfortunately, the amount of pets that are entered in the shelters post July 4th are around 80% higher than normal. Imagine the potential increase in shelters with the fireworks in 2020.

These astronomical numbers will be steadily increasing if this firework predicament is not properly taken care of. Many amazing pets lives will be destroyed, as well as there loving families.

In the grand schemes of things, fireworks are a very small issue in the sea of large issues. However, right now they have been brought into the spotlight as yet another concern for the safety of major cities around the country.