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Friday 29 August 2008

Terrance Clark, 19, was arrested Dec. 11 after he pulled a .40-caliber handgun from his waistband and pointed it at four members

Terrance Clark, 19, was arrested Dec. 11 after he pulled a .40-caliber handgun from his waistband and pointed it at four members of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Violent Crime Impact Task Force on a North Side street.
Clark, who was wanted on three outstanding warrants, fled and was arrested in a nearby duplex. Senior U.S. District Judge Alan N. Bloch sentenced Clark, who pleaded guilty in June to a charge of using a firearm during a violent crime.

Grant Wilkinson was told he would serve a minimum of 11 years for converting replica Mac-10 sub-machine guns into real weapons

Grant Wilkinson was told he would serve a minimum of 11 years for converting replica Mac-10 sub-machine guns into real weapons and selling them to the criminal underworld.The judge who jailed the 33-year-old suggested that the Government might consider reviewing legislation to counter "endemic" gun crime.The sub-machine guns were made in shabby sheds converted into a workshop and test firing range at The Briars in Three Mile Cross.They were later used in at least 51 shootings and eight murders, including that of Michael Dosonmu, an innocent 15-year-old who was shot in his bedroom in Peckham, South London.Another of the guns was recovered from a vehicle in Birmingham and was later proved to have been fired at the robbery which led to the fatal shooting of Wpc Sharon Beshinevsky in Bradford.Prosecuter John Price said it was estimated that between 30 and 40 of the guns were still on the streets of Britain and that fatal shootings and injuries involving them would continue for several years.Sentencing Wilkinson today at Reading Crown Court, Judge Zoe Smith said the factory had led to an increase in the use of Mac-10s in gun crime since it was started in 2004, and added: "The continued increase in the roll call of death and injuries is inevitable."Defending, Abdullah Al-Yunusi, said his client could not be considered a serious risk of committing similar offences again.
Judge Smith said after his release Wilkinson would remain on licence for the rest of his life and could be recalled to prison at any time."This court knows from its own experience that gun crime has become endemic and it may be that the Government would wish to review this part of the legislation as a matter of urgency."

Bermuda,Gun shots were reportedly fired in the St. Monica's Road area of Pembroke yesterday morning, in the second such incident this month.

Gun shots were reportedly fired in the St. Monica's Road area of Pembroke yesterday morning, in the second such incident this month. Police responded to a report of shots in the St. Monica's / Glebe Road vicinity around 11 a.m. "Details about the incident are unclear at this time. However, Police are appealing for any passengers of the Number Five Pond Hill bus that got on or off in the Glebe Road area, that may have seen two males on a motorcycle acting suspiciously, to contact the Serious Crime Unit," said a spokesman. He confirmed that no one was hurt, but would not comment on radio news reports that a car was hit by a bullet. Reports of gun and gang activity in the St. Monica's Road area of Pembroke – known colloquially as "42nd Street" – first put the Police on a heightened state of alert at the start of the month. A press release on August 8 reported: "The Bermuda Police Service has recently received reports of suspected firearm activity in the St. Monica's Road, Pembroke area and increased violence involving young men associated with the gang culture. In light of these reports, we wish to reassure the public that the Police are aware of these activities and that we will be responding appropriately."
Ten days after that, 22-year-old Prince Barrington Edness, from Pembroke, was shot in the leg on Princess Street, Hamilton, in a drive-by shooting. Detectives were understood to be investigating claims that he was injured in a revenge attack for the St. Monica's Road incident. locals told the Police the violence stemmed from tensions between the so-called 42nd Street and Parkside gangs and that further attacks could be on the cards. In response to that, and other violence this month including the stabbing death of teenager Kellon Hill at Elbow Beach, Premier Ewart Brown announced a new "get-tough" approach that could see a US-style SWAT team hit the streets.

Tuesday 19 August 2008

Lil Wayne and Yung Berg have reportedly failed to appear in a New York court for hearings relating to gun charges.


Lil Wayne and Yung Berg have reportedly failed to appear in a New York court for hearings relating to gun charges.According to TMZ, Wayne's camp claims that the New Orleans bred rapper failed to show because of a dental condition that restricts him from driving. A reason for Berg's no-show was not given.Wayne's gun charges are from a 2007 arrest. A .40 caliber handgun was found by authorities in his tour bus last July following a performance with Ja Rule at Manhattan's Beacon Theater.Wayne, who has pleaded not guilty to the weapons possession charges, faces up to three and a half years in prison if convicted.Berg's gun charges stem from an arrest this past weekend. He also faces charges of marijuana possession and menacing.

Handgun was recovered in the car park of a south London pub after the gunman was tackled to the ground.

Handgun was recovered in the car park of a south London pub after the gunman was tackled to the ground.The drama began in Tulse Hill when three uniformed officers, including a woman special officer, attempted to pull over a car.
The green Ford Focus sped off and following a short pursuit stopped in Abbess Close where the driver was arrested.The passenger ran down an alleyway and a 27-year-old officer and the special gave chase on foot as they radioed for back-up.As they closed in on the man he stopped, pulled a gun from his waistband and shot at the officers.Neither officer was injured and they continued to give chase, eventually tackling the man outside the Tulse Hill Tavern.Acting Lambeth borough commander Alistair Sutherland said: "The incident highlights the dangerous and unpredictable nature of the work officers do everyday."Thankfully the officers involved were not injured and after being shot at they have shown great bravery and dedication to continue to not only chase the suspect but also arrest him.
"Although we would rather it did not happen in these circumstances we have also of course managed to take another gun off the streets of London."The shooting is the latest in a string of gun-related incidents to take place in the capital over the past few days.Two men, one a passer-by, were injured in a shooting just a few miles away in Camberwell.

Christopher Nakia Johnson Police believe Mr. Johnson was the masked gunman who entered a Sam's Club


Christopher Nakia Johnson, 27,arrested Friday at an undisclosed location on unrelated misdemeanor warrants, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Mr. Johnson was charged with aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana and cocaine; officers found the drugs during the arrest. He was being held Saturday morning at the Dallas County Jail on $115,000 bail.
Police believe Mr. Johnson was the masked gunman who entered a Sam's Club in the 2900 block of West Wheatland Road on June 27, grabbed off-duty Dallas police Officer Alph Coleman and pointed a gun at him. Mr. Coleman was working as the store's security guard. The attempted robbery failed after store employees locked themselves in the room with the store's vault. Mr. Coleman, 29, was arrested last week and charged with aggravated robbery. He was released on bail from the Dallas County Jail on Wednesday. Another man, who police say drove Officer Coleman's vehicle as the getaway car, faces one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He is out on bail, and police have requested that he not be identified. Police say they also have phone records indicating that Officer Coleman and the driver were in contact shortly before the robbery.

Executed a federal search warrant on the Gun Barn and seized all of the store’s guns while arresting two Highland residents


More details have been released concerning last week’s raid on a Highland Township gun store. On Friday WHMI reported that the Gun Barn on M-59 had been raided by federal agents and closed down, but authorities did not release any further information. Over the weekend, it was learned that agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a federal search warrant on the Gun Barn and seized all of the store’s guns while arresting two Highland residents, Gabriel Kish and Debbie Summers. They were charged with selling firearms without a license. ATF agent Robin Shoemaker says a yearlong investigation found the pair allegedly sold firearms even though the store's federal license was revoked in 2004 for rule violations. Both were released on $10,000 unsecured bonds, pending a September 3rd pretrial exam. A second store in Genesee County’s Otisville was also raidedThe Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Flint Field Office, executed federal search warrants Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Highland Gun Barn, located at 2525 M-59, Highland, Mich., and the Otisville Gun Barn, at 12163 M-15, in Otisville, and arrested Gabriel Kish III and Deborah J. Summers for dealing firearms without a license. The Otisville Gun Barn is licensed by ATF. However, the Highland store is not licensed due to their license being revoked by ATF in 2004 for violating the Gun Control Act. Undercover operations led to the search and seizure of more than 600 firearms from the revoked gun dealer, yesterday, by agents from the ATF Flint Field Office, the Michigan State Police, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, along with ATF regulatory investigators.
"Those who knowingly violate the federal firearms laws should be held responsible for their actions," said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Brandon of the ATF Detroit Field Division. "The unlawful sale of firearms, especially dealing firearms without a license, can put guns into the hands of criminals, and put our communities at risk." Kish and Summers were transported for their initial appearance before a federal magistrate and released on bond, they cannot possess firearms. A court date is set for Sept. 3, 2008.

Benson Keganne pulled the trigger of a pistol to kill Gloria Mahowe


Benson Keganne pulled the trigger of a pistol to kill Gloria Mahowe in the morning of Saturday March 10, 2001 - eight years ago - in a bush near Molapowabojang, little did he know that he was calling for an appointment with the hangman. The High Court has ruled that he killed the woman in cold-blood and he deserved to be hanged by the neck until he dies. He stood still with a blank facial expression as Justice David Newman delivered his ruling that he killed a "Good Samaritan" execution-style, shooting her in the rear of her neck leaving her in the bush to die.
Keganne, from Pitsane, and two South Africans from Madutle Village in the North West Province - Kagiso Sebi and Amos Moloi - were also facing charges of armed robbery with aggravating circumstances and the sentences will be read tomorrow. The men had pleaded guilty to all the charges. According to their testimony, the three spent the previous night drinking beer and smoking dagga at a bar in Madutle. In the early hours of Saturday morning, they decided to walk to Pitsane five kilometres away from where Keganne changed his clothes before they went to the bus stop. Their mission to Botswana was to come and rob people of their money, and they were armed with a pistol and a toy gun.They got a lift from Mahowe at around 7am and on the way they took her car over. Keganne then took to the steering wheel and they drove towards Molapowabojang where they drove into a bush. They told the court that on the way the deceased tried to escape, but they prevented her from doing so. When they arrived at a bush they looked for a rope to tie Mahowe to a tree so that they could go and rob more people. They found no rope and decided that they should kill her. Keganne took the woman and shot her in the neck from behind, "execution-style", Justice Newman repeated.He said that the two boys pulled the screaming woman under a tree and left her to die. They claimed that they wanted to shield her from the sun. After the murder, the three went to Mmathethe village where they robbed a couple of their money and jewellery at gunpoint before fleeing to South Africa with their loot. They dumped the stolen vehicle at the South African border with Botswana.The three, based their defence on the claim that they were drunk, which Justice Newman dismissed as 'hogwash'. He said that the three walked a long distance to Pitsane and they were aware of what was happening. He said Keganne drove carefully from the spot where they hijacked the car to the point where they killed Mahowe without causing any damage to the vehicle. He pointed out that the two South Africans were lying when they claimed that they pulled the dying woman under a tree for protection saying they did that to avoid her being seen by people. Justice Newman said the three committed the offence motivated by greed.He identified as extenuating circumstance the ages of Sebi and Moloi. They were 19-years-old, while Keganne was 26 at the time of the offence. He also found that the roles the two played were not as extreme as Keganne's although, there was no evidence that they were pressured into playing a role. Justice Newman said that there were other means the men could have used to disable the woman from disturbing them instead of taking her life. Apparently, the deceased knew Keganne very well.He reserved sentence for the two counts of armed robbery against Keganne. The judge said he would deliver the sentence together with those for the two men for murder, and two counts of armed robbery.
Meanwhile, outside court, Gloria's widower, Peter Mahowe, welcomed the sentence, but felt that the three should be forgiven and be slapped with a life sentence. He lamented that his in-laws accused him of having a role in the crime.

Carlos Gonzales Sr., 51, of Wharton, and Carlos Gonzalez Jr., 20, of Randolph, a father and son who had set up competing drug businesses


Attorney General Anne Milgram and the state director of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration came to Morristown to make the announcement this afternoon with Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi.


Photos of nine of the 11 individuals were made available by authorities.Bianchi said the five-month, gang, gun and drug investigation was one of the most successful launched in Morris County as it targeted individuals based in Dover, Rockaway, Wharton and Randolph.
He said it racked up the first major success of a newly formed intelligence crime task force, which seeks to foster more information sharing between county and local police agencies.In addition to 2,000 packages of heroin and 130 packages of cocaine, authorities said they seized $12,000 in cash and a cache of weapons that included three semi-automatic handguns and a sawed-off shotgun.
Those arrested included Carlos Gonzales Sr., 51, of Wharton, and Carlos Gonzalez Jr., 20, of Randolph, a father and son who had set up competing drug businesses that authorities said "utilized fear, intimidation and violence" to carry out their operations.The son, who is also charged with attempted murder, is begin held on $1.15 million bail while the father is being held on $250,000 bail.
The attempted murder charge stems from a drive-by shooting last Thursday on Prospect Street in Dover.

Kelly Gibbs, 39, of 1320 Elizabeth Ave., New Bern, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.


Kelly Gibbs, 39, of 1320 Elizabeth Ave., New Bern, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.Police said shots were fired during a disturbance involving a crowd at 609 Highway 55 West.The police said they went toward the sound of the shots and found Gibbs.No one was injured from gunfire and no other arrests were reported.
Gibbs was put in jail with his bail set at $5,000.Police say Gibbs is a convicted felon and could face additional federal charges under the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. The program is aimed at career criminals who commit crimes with guns.

Three people have been arrested for the shooting death of a Queen Creek teenager over the weekend.

Three people have been arrested for the shooting death of a Queen Creek teenager over the weekend.Pinal County sheriff's officials say they received several 911 calls around 2:30 a.m. reporting that multiple shots were fired and someone was face down in the street.The victim, 17-year-old Anibel Mendoza was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials say the teen was involved in an altercation with several people, and a gun fight ensued.Sunday afternoon police arrested 20 year-old Thais "Lamar" Cooper of Queen Creek and 21 year-old Johnny Lee Cooks, also of Queen Creek, in relation to that shooting. Another 17 year-old juvenile was also arrested.
They are also investigating whether alcohol played a factor.Cooper faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and child abuse. Cooks faces felony charges of endangerment and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and the 17 year old juvenile faces aggravated assault charges.

Bermudan Police officers descended on Princess Street, including officers armed with submachine guns.


young man was shot in an apparent drive-by shooting on Princess Street in Hamilton last night. Police had few details at presstime but neighbours reported that the man was shot by another man who fled as the pillion passenger on a cycle.
A source said the gunman fired several shots over his shoulder as he was being driven away at high speed. Dozens of Police officers descended on Princess Street, including officers armed with submachine guns. The victim was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment. In a statement, a Police spokesman said Police were called at 9.26 p.m. with reports of gunshots.
"Details are sketchy, but a man is in King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and being treated for non-life threatening injuries," the spokesman concluded. The violence comes just over a week since the stabbing death of promising student Kellon Hill. Five youths have been charged with his murder.
In April, 31 year old Matthew Clarke was stabbed to death in his Pembroke home. One man has been charged in connection with his death. Just over eight months have passed since the shooting death of Aquil Richardson and wounding of another man on Boxing Day. The day before, a man was injured in a shooting in Mr. Richardson's Southampton neighbourhood. Two men have been charged with Mr. Richardson's murder.

Saturday 9 August 2008

Heliberto Chi, 29, from Honduras, is set for execution Thursday evening. He'd be the second foreign-born convicted murderer in Texas this week to die

Chi, 29, from Honduras, is set for execution Thursday evening. He'd be the second foreign-born convicted murderer in Texas this week to die and the second to seek a reprieve because of what lawyers argued were international treaty violations when he was arrested.Prosecutors said there was no doubt of his guilt.
"Not only was there eyewitness testimony, but that assistant manager got out a 911 call, and you could hear Chi in the background on the phone," said Mick Meyer, a former Tarrant County assistant district attorney who prosecuted Chi. "It was pretty solid evidence right there."Witnesses said that when Paliotta, 56, shoved the gun-wielding Chi and started running, he was fatally shot.In September, Chi was spared from execution when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stopped his scheduled punishment after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider whether lethal injection procedures were unconstitutionally cruel. When the Supreme Court earlier this year upheld the method as proper, his date was re-set for Thursday.Chi was in the United States illegally at the time of Paliotta's 2001 slaying. Lawyers for the Central American country said Chi was unable to contact anyone from his government, a violation of an international treaty, after he was arrested in California and extradited to Texas.It's an argument similar to the one raised earlier this week by Mexican-born Jose Medellin, who was executed late Tuesday for his part in a gruesome gang rape-slaying of two teenage Houston girls 15 years ago.
Unlike Medellin, Chi was not among some 50 death row inmates around the country, all Mexican born, who the International Court of Justice said should have new hearings in U.S. courts to determine whether the 1963 Vienna Convention treaty was violated during their arrests.President Bush asked states to review the cases, and legislation to implement the process was introduced recently in Congress, but the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year neither the president nor the international court could force Texas to wait. State attorneys had argued against a punishment delay, saying there was no certainty the legislation ever would pass.A divided high court agreed, and Medellin's punishment was carried out, making him the fifth inmate executed this year in the nation's busiest capital punishment state.
On Tuesday, a state judge in Tarrant County refused a request from Chi's lawyer, Wes Ball, to withdraw Chi's execution date until legislation was enacted to formalize procedures for reviews of capital cases involving foreign nationals.
"It's a significant violation of international law," said Houston attorney Terry O'Rourke, who has been involved in the case. "It's just not good."
Chi's attorney also appealed Wednesday to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, citing the consular violations as reason to stop the punishment. In addition, Ramon Valladares, the Honduran consular assistance director, said from Tegucigalpa that his government was lobbying U.S. authorities to block the execution.Chi would say little about the crime in an interview with the Associated Press shortly before his execution date last year.
"My situation is not about being innocent or guilty," he said, saying only that his trial was unfair. "My rights were violated. I'm a Christian. I know about the Lord. If it's the Lord's will, things happen. I have great peace in my mind and soul."
He said he slipped into the United States through Canada.Chi was arrested in Reseda, Calif., northwest of Los Angeles, about six weeks after the robbery and shootings when his 18-year-old pregnant girlfriend turned him in, accusing him of assault. The couple had been on the run for 43 days, crisscrossing the country from Iowa to Minnesota to West Virginia and eventually to California. At the time of the arrest, authorities said the couple had been planning to flee to Honduras.
His girlfriend's brother, Hugo Sierra, is serving a life prison term for being Chi's getaway driver at the clothing store.Four other prisoners are set to die this month, including two more next week. They're among at least 15 Texas inmates with execution dates in the coming months.

Robert Perez Jr. was found guilty by a jury on Tuesday of threatening his former live-in girlfriend with a gun



Former Oxnard police officer Robert Perez Jr. was found guilty by a jury on Tuesday of threatening his former live-in girlfriend with a gun and causing her bodily injury during a domestic disturbance last year that resulted in an armed standoff with Ventura police. Perez, who had been free on bail, was taken into custody after the verdicts were announced in Ventura County Superior Court. He will remain in jail until sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 3. He faces a maximum of 12 years in state prison, prosecutors said. The jury found Perez guilty of five felony counts, including one count of assault with a firearm, three counts of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, and one count of causing bodily harm to a spouse or co-habitant. He was also convicted of a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest. The jury found him not guilty on one misdemeanor count of battery. A charge of false imprisonment by violence was dismissed. "It's never a good situation when a police officer is charged with a crime, but it does show that the law applies equally to everyone," prosecutor Andrea Tischler said in an interview after the verdicts were announced. Perez, 35, had denied that he assaulted his former girlfriend, Oxnard police officer Denise Shadinger, or refused to let her leave the couple's Ventura house after an argument last year... They had planned to ride motorcycles with a group of other riders, but Shadinger said she refused to go riding. The arguing escalated and Shadinger told Perez she was moving out. She testified that at one point Perez refused to let her leave and he became so upset with her for calling 911 that he stood over her and pointed a gun at her head...

Damien Lake arrested pointed a gun at a deputy as he exited his cruiser


arrested Damien Lake, 27, at 410 Lawnsdale Ave. at 6:21 a.m. In addition to seizing 8.7 ounces of suspected cocaine, authorities recovered 10 bindles of suspected heroin and drug paraphernalia.Lake, who reportedly was hiding in an attic at his girlfriend’s residence, was arrested for felonious assault on a peace officer. Barbara A. Neace, 21, of the same address was arrested for felony obstruction of justice.
Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Frazier was on patrol near the Forest Hill Mobile Home Park on Ashland Road around 8 p.m. July 27 when he saw a disturbance.
Frazier said Lake pointed a gun at him as he exited his cruiser, then turned and ran up a hill. Frazier said Lake pointed his gun at him a second time before escaping to a nearby apartment complex.

Teon Thomas of Seneca was sentenced today to 110 months in prison on one count of transporting stolen firearms

Teon Thomas of Seneca was sentenced today to 110 months in prison on one count of transporting stolen firearms, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Nora Dannehy and federal court records.The 23-year-old was arrested in May 2006 and last February pleaded guilty along with other conspirators involved in the commission of gun trafficking, records show.On March 15, 2006, "experienced" burglars used a sledgehammer to smash a hole in the wall of Trader's Guns Store in Taylors and, to avoid surveillance detection, cast a fishing net to retrieve the 31 guns that were stolen, according to the sentencing memorandum. Three guns were either dropped or discarded and found near the gun store. Two weeks later, two of the ultimately nine recovered guns in the case were found in Connecticut, according to records. Two of the guns were found in a New York City bus terminal restroom, discarded by one man making a return trip to Seneca from Middletown, Conn. From April to September 2006, the remainder of the guns were found after drug and shooting arrests and execution of a search warrant, records show. The guns had been sold in the Middletown area.
Thomas has been convicted on several previous theft and burglary charges in the Upstate, including the theft of condoms from a Wal-Mart and a car wash coin machine in Anderson, as well the burglaries of a bowling lane, food store and another business, according to court records.

Victor Needleman, Pembroke Park gun shop was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison


Victor Needleman, 56, whose popular Pembroke Park gun shop counted local police officers as clients, was sentenced Thursday to nearly six years in federal prison for selling dozens of weapons destined for drug dealers and other criminals. He also must forfeit $44,600 in cash and all rights to the American Range & Gun shop.
The 70-month sentence follows Needleman's guilty plea to selling high-powered rifles and automatic weapons to felons. To avoid detection, Needleman used phony "straw" buyers and falsified records to make it appear the guns were headed to lawful owners.
In truth, they were headed to Guatemala and members of powerful drug cartels involved in street battles, according to prosecutors.
"This crime was primarily based on the defendant's greed in operating what was otherwise a very profitable business," Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Walleisa said in court, arguing for the maximum seven-year prison term. "He caused dozens of weapons to be put on the streets to criminals with no concerns for how they would be used."Earlier this year, federal agents arrested a convicted felon in Miami on charges of trying to smuggle weapons to Guatemala. All of the guns came from Needleman's shop and were bought by a straw buyer with a clean record, who in turn passed them to the unidentified felon, records state.Needleman directed the purchase and taught the man and others how to subvert federal background checks and laws prohibiting felons from owning guns, according to court records. One of Needleman's students was an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent posing as a straw buyer, who bought dozens of weapons in transactions recorded on tape.Besides the Central America-bound weapons, Needleman and American Range & Gun sold more than 50 guns used in the United States and elsewhere for violent crimes such as bank robbery and assault, Walleisa said.U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas followed defense attorney Fred Haddad's recommendation for the minimum sentence under federal guidelines, making Needleman eligible for parole in about five years. Haddad emphasized his client had no criminal record and cooperated with authorities almost immediately after his April arrest.Needleman, of North Miami Beach, has a history of depression and has battled substance abuse over the years, Haddad said, adding his client has shown "great remorse."
Walleisa questioned how genuine the remorse was. Under terms of his plea agreement, Needleman must sell American Range & Gun, but prosecutors said he organized a scheme from his jail cell that would allow him to secretly keep control. He has been detained without bail since his arrest.
American Range & Gun is under new ownership and now is called Pembroke Park Range & Gun. Needleman is not affiliated with the new entity, a woman who answered the phone at the shop said Thursday. She would not give her name but derided what she called the prosecutor's "unsubstantiated allegations about Victor" trying to retain control.
American Range & Gun was one of the busiest ranges in South Broward, frequented by police officers from surrounding communities and various federal agencies.

NYPD lieutenant accidentally shot and killed the driver of a stolen car

NYPD lieutenant accidentally shot and killed the driver of a stolen car Thursday night when the car clipped him after the driver crashed into a parked SUV and drove up on a sidewalk while trying to escape, police and witnesses said.Two members of the Brooklyn auto larceny unit in an unmarked car followed the 2004 Ford Mustang GT after learning that it had been stolen several days earlier from an East Brunswick, N.J., auto dealership, police said. They called for backup, and two officers from the unit, who were watching a stolen car parked nearby, showed up to box in the sports car on Lenox Road at about 8 p.m., police said.
Four uniformed cops approached with their guns drawn, ordering the driver to stop.
During his attempt to flee, the 25-year-old driver of the Mustang, whose name wasnot immediately released, repeatedly slammed into a parked SUV, tearing off the vehicle's rear wheel and forcing its rear half onto the sidewalk.
One of the two passengers in the Mustang got out and tried to run, but officers nabbed an 18-year-old, who has prior arrests, within a block, police sources said. He had been shot in April and refused to cooperate with a police investigation, a source said. The Mustang then jumped the curb and drove into the gate of an auto mechanic's shop, police said. "I heard a boom, screeching wheels and he went up on the sidewalk," said Steven Olivo, 14, who lives nearby. "Then there was another boom." Throwing the car into reverse, the driver, who also had been arrested several times, sped back into traffic and spun the car about 270 degrees, striking the lieutenant, police said. As the car hit the cop, he accidentally fired his gun, sending a bullet through a rear window and striking the driver, a police source said. "When he got hit by the car, his gun went off," the source said. The car traveled a few hundred feet before crashing into a beauty salon, where the second passenger, 14, was arrested. The driver was taken to Kings County Hospital, where attempts to save him failed, police sources said. The lieutenant was also taken to Kings County with minor injuries.

Found the body of Joseph Clifford Johnson, 36, of the 900 block of North 30th Street in Richmond, inside the bedroom with a fatal gunshot wound

A man was shot and killed early yesterday morning in central Goochland County after he allegedly entered an unlocked mobile home and tussled with the owner, authorities said. Adam Stone, the homeowner, called the Goochland Sheriff's Office just after 3 a.m. to report that he'd shot a man with a 12-gauge shotgun. Sheriff's deputies responded to the 2300 block of Grape Ridge Court off Dogtown Road, where Stone told investigators the intruder had entered the bedroom where he and his girlfriend were sleeping before the struggle took place. When deputies arrived, they found the body of Joseph Clifford Johnson, 36, of the 900 block of North 30th Street in Richmond, inside the bedroom with a fatal gunshot wound to the neck. No arrests or charges have been made in connection with the shooting as of last night."

One of several men who stormed a suburban home Friday was shot dead by one of the residents, who blasted the intruders as they entered,

"One of several men who stormed a suburban home Friday was shot dead by one of the residents, who blasted the intruders as they entered, in an incident police were calling a home-invasion robbery attempt. Three or four men kicked in the door of the house in the 24300 block of Burbank Boulevard, setting off the gunfight, Los Angeles police said. Aside from the one intruder killed, no one was injured. "Obviously, these residents here do have a right to protect themselves," said Los Angeles police Lt. Steven Sambar. "Those people are extremely lucky." Police were searching for two or three other suspects, described as African-American men in their 20s. Gunfire and screams pierced the neighborhood's usual quiet about 2:45 p.m., after the men first knocked on the home's front door - then kicked it in, Los Angeles police Sgt. Jeff Nuttall said. Inside was a couple in their 60s and their two sons in their 20s. At least one of the sons was armed, and he opened fire, hitting one of the intruders. The man died in the doorway, clutching a revolver, Nuttall said. His identity was not immediately available. The intruders shot back, but didn't hit anyone, then fled."

"A would-be bank robber was shot with his own gun this afternoon during a botched heist attempt in Van Nuys,

"A would-be bank robber was shot with his own gun this afternoon during a botched heist attempt in Van Nuys, police said. The gun-toting man walked into a branch of Wells Fargo bank in the 6800 block of Van Nuys Boulevard around 12:30 p.m. and tried to pull off a one-man caper, said Officer Kate Lopez, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. A security guard confronted the man and "a struggle ensued," Lopez said. The robber, whose identity has not been released, was shot as the two wrestled for control of the weapon. No other details of the altercation were available and no bank patrons or employees were injured. The suspect was transported to a local hospital and his condition is not known. The guard suffered minor injuries that did not require medical attention."

Christopher Bell, 18, also was taken into custody for resisting law enforcement and possession of a handgun without a license



Two people were arrested after Evansville police stopped a pickup truck early this morning when they spotted a passenger hanging out the bed of the vehicle.
Charged with possession of marijuana is Tara Gwen Graham, 27, the driver. The passenger, Christopher Bell, 18, also was taken into custody for resisting law enforcement and possession of a handgun without a license.When police stopped the truck at 2:40 a.m. at Morton and Walnut streets, Bell jumped out and ran, but was apprehended a few blocks away.According to the arrest affidavit, Graham admitted she had “a smoke sack” and gave police a clear baggie containing a leafy substance that tested positive for a gram of marijuana.

Jovan T. Butler, 29, and Kamara C. Johnson, 31, both employed by Executive Patrol, were arrested Sunday morning after a man accused Butler of pointing

Jovan T. Butler, 29, and Kamara C. Johnson, 31, both employed by Executive Patrol, were arrested Sunday morning after a man accused Butler of pointing a gun at him while the guard was on duty at an apartment complex on Allison Court in southwest Atlanta, the police report said.
The man who made the allegations, Martey Robinson, 21, had been taken into custody for trespassing at the apartment complex where the guards were working, the report said.Butler and Johnson denied having a weapon in the guards’ vehicle, but an officer found a loaded .45-caliber gun between the driver and passenger seats, the report said.A background check revealed Johnson’s warrants in the city of Atlanta.
Johnson was arrested for her outstanding warrants on charges of aggravated assault and burglary. Butler was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, pointing a pistol at another and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to jail logs.The report states that Butler had a felony drug conviction from 1999, but Butler said in a phone interview Wednesday that he doesn’t have a felony drug conviction, but rather a 2002 felony conviction related to a domestic violence incident and an earlier misdemeanor conviction for marijuana possession.
Butler contended that he did not know there was a gun in vehicle and denied pointing it at Robinson.When reached by phone, the owner of the company, Willie Manson, said both guards had been with him for less than six weeks.
He said he did not run a criminal background check on Johnson and did not know she had warrants for her arrest. Manson said he knew about Butler’s criminal convictions when he hired him.

Tony Leroy Cleveland was arrested on complaints of shooting with intent to kill, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery with a firearm,


Tony Leroy Cleveland, 38, of Tulsa, was arrested on complaints of shooting with intent to kill, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, wearing a mask in commission of a felony and possessing a firearm, all after a felony conviction, jail records show. According to an arrest report, Cleveland was wearing a Batman mask and a red bandanna and carrying a gun when he entered the Food Pyramid on 51st Street near Memorial Drive about 11:30 p.m. The robber gathered the store employees and customers to the front of the store and demanded money. “It was a strange situation,” said Stutzman, 44. “It didn’t seem real. I thought it was a prank at first.” When another customer tried to duck behind a counter, Cleveland fired at him, missing his head by inches, the report states.
His gun jammed, and Stutzman tackled Cleveland, police said. Store surveillance video shows Stutzman single-handedly fighting to keep a hold on him, to the point the robber's shirt is pulled off. “It took me a few seconds to register that we might have an opportunity here,” Stutzman said. “From there, it just happened. It started in the store and ended outside. Everything else was a tumble, a blur.”
The struggle continued outside the store until police arrived, even after Stutzman was hit in the head and face with the gun.
Stutzman said he didn’t do anything extraordinary: “You know, it just happened. There’s no real big thing about it.”
On the contrary, said Tulsa police Sgt. Dave Walker, who said without Stutzman’s help, Cleveland would not have been arrested.
Although it appeared at first that Stutzman had a broken jaw, it was only badly bruised. He had several other scrapes on his head and legs that he sustained in the fight. Stutzman had already taken Friday off and was supposed to go to a family reuinion. “I was supposed to fly out this morning,” he said, laughing. “I guess it shows no good deed goes unpunished.” Detectives will look at previous robberies of Food Pyramids for similarities and possible additional charges against Cleveland, Walker said. Cleveland was booked into the Tulsa Jail about 4 a.m. Friday with bond set at $310,000.
Court documents show he served 10 years for Oklahoma County convictions of robbery with firearms and also has a Hughes County conviction for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Katrel Lynch and Khary Watson are set to make their first appearance in San Diego Superior Court Friday


anonymous tip 12 years later led to the arrests this week of Katrel Lynch, 32, in Albuquerque, NM and Khary Watson, 31, in El Cajon. Police also anticipate the arrest of an unidentified 36-year-old woman. On Oct. 1, 1994, Lopez and a friend were walking home from a trip to the market when they were confronted by two men, one armed with a gun, who demanded their purses, detectives said.
Lopez ran and one of the robbers caught up with her a short distance away. After a brief struggle, she was shot in the back and died, detectives said. On November 2, 2006, a tipster called San Diego police and provided detailed information on the robbery and the potential identity of the robbers, police said.
The investigation was reopened by cold case investigators, and with the help of the FBI, the tipster's information was corroborated and the evidence was looked over again. The suspects were also interviewed, detectives said.
Lynch, who was arrested Sunday, and Watson, who was arrested Thursday, are set to make their first appearance in San Diego Superior Court Friday

Abdi Hakim Omar arrested and charged him with possession of a loaded regulated firearm, possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace

Ottawa police said they seized a loaded pistol and arrested an alleged gang member as a result of a foot patrol early Friday morning.
Officers from the guns and gangs unit's direct action response team were conducting a foot patrol at a community housing development on Russell Road at about 12:15 a.m. when they seized a loaded semi-automatic pistol.
Police arrested Abdi Hakim Omar, 23, and charged him with possession of a loaded regulated firearm, possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace, possession of a firearm obtained by crime, careless storage of a firearm, use of a firearm to commit an indictable offence, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm knowing no authority and being an unlicensed person possessing an unregistered firearm.

South African women are actively arming themselves against domestic violence, rape and murder.

South African women are actively arming themselves against domestic violence, rape and murder. More women are purchasing guns and other items to defend themselves against the violence in the country. However, with the stricter weapon control measures, women need to be well-equipped to handle weapons and also understand the laws governing self-defence. In South Africa a woman is raped every 10 minutes, one is beaten up every four minutes and on average seven women are murdered every day. The latest crime statistics reveal that there has been an 8% decrease in rape. But the average figure still stands at more than 1 300 women being raped a day.
Head of media relations for the South African Police Service, Director Phuti Setati says all persons who are declared fit to possess a firearm can be issued with licences irrespective of whether the applicant is male or female. “…women are not discriminated against. We have reports where females also defended themselves using different things.”Although there are no official statistics available regarding female ownership of firearms, a gun shop owner in Bloemfontein, Peter Fredrickson says they have many female clientele, with the most common purchase being a 765 small pistol.Nico Skoonwinkel from a shooting range in Welkom says women are also very involved in shooting as a sport. “10% of the people that come to shoot at the shooting range are women, the women that are into shooting say they enjoy shooting very much and are very competitive…” Since the law changed, it has become more difficult to get a firearm's licence, with some people having to wait almost four years for it to be approved. In the meantime women wishing to own a firearm are forced to use pepper spray.

Martinez-Cura was jailed on suspicion of felony misconduct involving a weapon and on two outstanding warrants

Fernando Martinez-Cura, 37, was arrested by Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies after admitting ownership of the weapon. Deputies also determined that Martinez-Cura, the boyfriend of the boy’s grandmother, was living in the country illegally.
On Wednesday, the boy brought a loaded 9 mm handgun to school because, he said, someone was picking on him. The boy was seen showing other students how to load the gun. The investigation determined that the boy most likely acquired the gun at his grandmother’s house, where her boyfriend left it. Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Wednesday he suspected Martinez-Cura was an illegal immigrant, and that an arrest would be made because it is against the law for illegal immigrants to carry weapons.
Martinez-Cura was jailed on suspicion of felony misconduct involving a weapon and on two outstanding warrants, according to sheriff’s deputies. The 12-year-old boy may face felony charges of possession of a firearm and misdemeanor charges of endangerment, according to Arpaio. The boy’s family of six may also face deportation because the father, mother and a 10-year-old sibling were also found to be in the country illegally.

Tuesday 5 August 2008

Aaron P. Flood, 18, of Calais, Jeffery S. Croman, Chad E. Robinson, and Joshua H. Robinson, have been charged with theft of firearms

Aaron P. Flood, 18, of Calais, Jeffery S. Croman, 20, of Baileyville, Chad E. Robinson, 23, and Joshua H. Robinson, 20, both of Charlotte have been charged with burglary and theft of firearms. Flood also was charged with aggravated criminal mischief. Four people were arrested over the weekend in connection with a break-in last month in which the front door at the Four Corners Rod and Gun Shop on Route 1 in Columbia was smashed and 12 handguns were stolen.Bail for the four men was set at $10,000 each, a press release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department said.
The case also is being referred to the federal prosecutor’s office for possible firearms charges.Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith said Monday that the four men remain in the Washington County Jail. During the early morning hours of July 28, the alarm at the gun shop on what is known locally as the Four Corners went off, and Sgt. Travis Willey of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department was at the gun shop within six minutes. Twelve handguns were missing from a display case that had been broken open.

Police also found that two soda machines at the nearby Columbia Supermarket and Gasoline Station and an oil storage display rack that was locked had been broken into.

"Through cooperation from local business owners’ footage, a suspect vehicle was identified via video surveillance," the press release said.

A photograph of the vehicle was forwarded to all local law enforcement agencies.

Calais police Officer Dave Claroni recognized the vehicle in the picture as one he had seen in his patrol area.

On Thursday, July 31, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Chambers impounded Flood’s vehicle.

Two days later, the Sheriff’s Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, armed with a search warrant, searched the vehicle.

On Saturday, officers from the Sheriff’s Department, ATF, Maine State Police, Calais and Baileyville Police departments, and U.S. Border Patrol arrested the four men in the Calais area.

Two of the 12 guns were recovered.

Smith said police continue to investigate the whereabouts of the remaining guns.

"They have changed hands a couple of times," he said.

The sheriff said it was important that the handguns be recovered and said that for now the guns may be turned in to police with no questions asked.

"However," he said, "as the investigation continues, those found with the handguns will be charged."

It appears the theft was drug-related. "The initial investigation has shown us that they sold the handguns to get drugs," Smith said.

Smith credited the efforts of Washington County Sheriff’s Sgt. Travis Willey, the lead investigator, as well as the officers who assisted with the investigation.

Friday 1 August 2008

Greg Byrd was taken into custody on Thursday around 3 p.m. at his residence, and booked into the Yuma County jail on charges


Greg Byrd was taken into custody on Thursday around 3 p.m. at his residence, and booked into the Yuma County jail on charges of tampering with physical evidence, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, possession of dangerous drugs and misconduct with weapons.Byrd, who had been a criminal prosecutor with the county attorney's office since 2004, was being held at the jail pending his initial appearance in Yuma County Justice Court on Friday afternoon.
Before joining the county attorney's office, Byrd worked with the Yuma County Legal Defender's Office.Byrd, who has multiple sclerosis, was on medical leave from the county attorney's office at the time of his arrest.Capt. Eben Bratcher of the Yuma County Sheriff's Office said his office received information last week about Byrd's alleged drug use and launched an investigation, which culminated in Thursday's arrest."We worked closely with the Yuma County Attorney's Office and appreciate their support and cooperation," Bratcher said.Yuma County Attorney Jon Smith said he could not comment on the circumstances of the case, but added he terminated Byrd after his arrest."Based upon evidence provided to my office it appeared that Mr. Byrd was allegedly engaging in conduct that, although was outside the scope of his duties within this office, they were nonetheless inconsistent with the ongoing duties of a prosecutor," Smith said. "I could not allow that type of conduct, alleged or otherwise, to compromise the integrity of this office and the justice system."Smith went on to say that to avoid any appearance of impropriety or a conflict of interest, the Yavapai County Attorney's Office will be prosecuting the case."He was a prosecutor for my office so I obviously can't prosecute him," Smith said.Bratcher added that Byrd. just as any other inmate would, will be placed in an intake unit and isolated from other inmates for at least the first 48 hours.
"If it turns out to be a longer-term custody issue then we will look at the matter," Bratcher stated.

Daniel Scott Gatley was arrested as the result of undercover operation to purchase a machine gun.

Daniel Scott Gatley, 31, 115 Dogwood Terrace, Big Stone Gap, was arrested July 21 as the result of undercover operation to purchase a machine gun.Scott County Sheriff John Puckett said his officers and members of the drug task force conducted the operation in an attempt to buy a fully-automatic machine gun.According to Puckett, a police informant was able to purchase the gun from Gatley, who was arrested by county deputies and agents from the drug task force.Following his arrest, the suspect was searched and a concealed handgun was found on his person.Gatley was charged with possession of a machine gun, possession of a concealed weapon, removal of serial numbers from a gun and failure to register a machine gun with the Virginia State Police.He is being held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Duffield. He will make a court appearance on Aug. 21 at 9:30 a.m. in the Scott County General District Court.

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