New London man was stabbed early this morning in Ledyard, just minutes before a New York man was shot at the same party

New London man was stabbed early this morning in Ledyard, just minutes before a New York man was shot at the same party, police said.Police said an unidentified 17-year-old New London resident with a non-threatening stab wound to his torso drove himself to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital shortly after midnight. Minutes later, police received reports of a gunshot fired at 5 Wolf Gap Road in Ledyard—the same party police later determined the stabbing occurred. On arrival, police found an unidentified 21-year-old New York man suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower body. He was transported to The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich where he is in stable condition.Ledyard, Groton and state police from Troop E arrested three people attempting to flee the party. James Robertson, 29, of 27 Hawthorne Drive in New London, was charged with possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle and carrying a pistol without a permit after police said he was found with a loaded gun. He was held on a $10,000 cash bond.Shawn D. Rucker, 20, of 12 Harvard Terrace in Gales Ferry and Gilene Sablon, 20, of 204 Connecticut Ave. in New London, were both charged with two counts of possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle after police said three knives and a BB gun were found in their vehicle. They were each held on a $5,000 cash bond.Both incidents are under investigation by the State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad, Ledyard Police and the Ledyard Resident State Trooper.

Police said they are keeping an open mind about the motives behind the murder of a man gunned down in an alleyway.

Police said they are keeping an open mind about the motives behind the murder of a man gunned down in an alleyway.The 24-year-old victim died at the scene of the shooting in west Ealing, west London.The Metropolitan Police have launched a murder investigation but no arrests have yet been made.A member of the public alerted the emergency services, who found the body in an alley off Cavendish Avenue, west Ealing.
A spokeswoman for the London Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 8.48pm to reports of an assault in Cavendish Avenue. We sent along a fast response car, an ambulance crew and duty manager. An adult male was dead at the scene."The path was used as a shortcut to a nearby housing estate.Police said they were keeping an open mind regarding a possible motive for the killing.They said they believe they know who the dead man is but will not release his name until he is formally identified and his next of kin have been informed.Detective Chief Inspector Fiona Mallon from Operation Trident, which investigates black-on-black killings, said: "I urge anyone who witnessed the shooting or anyone who was in the area shortly before or after the shooting to please come forward to police with information.

last of three high-tech executives gunned down in their Silicon Valley office was laid to rest Friday

last of three high-tech executives gunned down in their Silicon Valley office was laid to rest Friday as friends, families and co-workers struggled to make sense of what they called an incomprehensible crime.Funeral services were held in Los Altos for Brian Pugh, 47, vice president of operations at SiPort in Santa Clara before he and two co-workers were slain Nov. 14 by an engineer who had been fired from the firm earlier in the day, police said.The company's chief executive, Sid Agrawal, and human resources director Marilyn Lewis also were killed. Suspect Jing Hua Wu, 47, of Mountain View, who was arrested last Saturday, could face the death penalty if convicted. On Friday, hundreds of mourners packed the Los Altos United Methodist Church to honor Pugh, a soft-spoken father of two who loved music, the outdoors and playing with his kids."Obviously, the last few days have been very difficult. This isn't something you can ever expect to happen," said Pugh's widow, Carol Coe Pugh of Los Altos. "But we've received enormous support from the community and the SiPort family."SiPort, a 4-year-old startup that makes wireless chips, is a close-knit firm of 38 Silicon Valley veterans who've been devastated by the killings, said vice president of marketing Sunder Velamuri."I cannot describe to you the shock," he said Friday, just as Pugh's service was getting under way. "It's surreal. People are walking around like they're in a dream. I still expect to hear Marilyn's laugh in the hallway."The staff has been undergoing grief counseling when not attending funerals, and is gradually getting back to work. The firm has had a successful year, and its clients have been highly supportive through the tragedy, said company spokeswoman Ching Wu.Still, the grief and shock will never completely fade, Velamuri said.

Steven Graham, whose nickname was "Jamaica," appeared to have been shot once in the torso while riding past the station

Steven Graham, whose nickname was "Jamaica," was an eighth-grader at Masonville Cove Community Academy in Brooklyn. He lived in the 500 block of Annabel Ave. with his uncle and other relatives.His mother lives in Jamaica. His father, also named Steven Graham, has been locked up since his arrest in June 2006. In March 2007 in Baltimore Circuit Court, Graham pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder and using a handgun to kill Donta Roberts, 28, in Northwest Baltimore. Graham is serving his five-year sentence at the Maryland Correctional Institute in Hagerstown.Wilson, 30, knew his nephew was in trouble, but he says he didn't know the extent of it. Steven was evasive when asked about his friends and activities, the uncle said.
For the past few months, Steven had been having problems. Three weeks ago, while Steven was walking home from school and wearing a red jacket -- a color associated with the Bloods gang -- he was jumped by boys who tried to beat him up, Wilson said. But he was able to run away.About a month and a half ago, Wilson said, Steven claimed that his friend had been kidnapped and shot in the neighborhood. The friend survived, Wilson said, adding that he knew little about the crime, including the friend's real name.Tuesday morning, city police officers came to his Annabel Avenue house looking for Steven's friend, Wilson said. Officer Troy Harris, a police spokesman, said the warrant apprehension task force went to the house to look for a suspect in a recent crime. The Annabel Avenue address came up because the suspect, whose name was not released, was a friend of Steven's.That evening, Steven left the house. Wilson said he didn't know where his nephew was heading.About 7:30 p.m., Kenya Johnson, a firefighter-paramedic at Engine Co. 35, was in a firehouse office when he heard a loud bang. He suspected that it was a gunshot and started walking toward the front of the station when he heard someone pounding on the large roll-up garage door and yelling: "Somebody's been shot!""I heard the shot. It was a loud shot, not a popgun," Johnson said. "That wasn't a firecracker." He and other emergency workers rushed outside. Steven was lying on the ground, about 20 feet in front of one of the garage doors. "He wasn't conscious," said Johnson, 34, a former city school teacher. "He was out that fast."
Steven appeared to have been shot once in the torso while riding past the station,Johnson said. His bike lay about two feet away. Paramedics transported Steven to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he died a short time later, police said. This year, 19 children have been ruled Baltimore homicide victims, compared with 27 last year, according to police data. The Department of Juvenile Services reports that four of those teens, including Steven, who was on probation, were under their watch.Steven was the third Baltimore 14-year-old to be shot to death this year. The others were Edward Smith on Jan. 14 in the 800 block of Bethune Road and

Ammunition plant in Petare, a suburb of the capital often counted as Latin America’s largest barrio, was found crammed with lead ingots, lathes

Ammunition plant in Petare, a suburb of the capital often counted as Latin America’s largest barrio, was found crammed with lead ingots, lathes and moulds used to make 2,000 bullets a day of various calibres.People would drop by and pick up a box of bullets as if they were buying something from the local pharmacy,” says Chief Inspector Wilmer Flores Trosel, who oversaw the raid.Mr Flores, who recently took charge of the Metropolitan police in Caracas, faces a tough task.Although the nationwide homicide rate reached 48 murders per 100,000 people in 2007 – representing a 67 per cent jump since Hugo Chávez was elected president a decade ago – in Caracas the rate is at 130 per 100,000, according to official figures. The US rate hovers around six and the UK’s is around two.“There is a civil war going on here,” says Jesus Torrealba, an activist in the Caracas slums who is critical of the government.“But because it is a low intensity war, when 50 people die a weekend in Caracas, the world doesn’t want to hear about it – unlike, say, when a car bomb kills as many in Fallujah.”Venezuela is not alone: the average homicide rate in the region is four times higher than the global average, according to a recent report by the Organization of American States.But Venezuela is one of the worst. Since 2004 its murder rate has even exceeded that of neighbouring Colombia, which has been mired in a decades-long conflict involving a guerilla insurgency, paramilitary death squads and ruthless drug cartels.A recent poll by Caracas-based company Datanalisis found that 54 per cent rank personal insecurity and the rise of delinquency as Venezuela’s principal problem. Inflation came a distant second, with just 13 per cent considering it the country’s most pressing concern.However, the violence has so far had a limited impact on Mr Chávez’s popularity, which will be tested at regional elections in a fortnight.

While insecurity has consistently topped polls of citizens’ worries for the past three years, during the same time Mr Chávez’s popularity has fluctuated wildly. It fell from 70 per cent in 2006 to 46 per cent early this year, but has since rebounded to 57 per cent, according to Datanalisis, indicating little correlation between the problem of rising crime and the president’s popularity.

“The people don’t blame the president for this,” says Luis Vicente Leon, a director at Datanalisis.

Other problems such as the high and rising cost of living, unemployment and scarcity of basic goods – coffee is the latest item to have disappeared from supermarket shelves – are likely to have a bigger impact on the election result on November 23, Mr Leon argues.

Experts point to a number of reasons for Venezuela’s plight. High on the list is the fact that of over 6m arms circulating among a population of about 27m, some 4.5m are illegal, according to official estimates. Increased drug trafficking and usage combined with brutal gang warfare have exacerbated the bloodbath. Meanwhile, a corrupt and ineffective police force has so far done little to solve the problem, contributing to a general climate of impunity.

Mr Flores argues that gun crime is an inherited problem that started to become serious as long ago as the 1980s.

“You can’t change a country in just 10 years after 40 years of misrule,” he says.

Frank T. Gonzales was pronounced dead at a hospital after he showed up at a home in the 700 block of East 35th Street bleeding profusely

Frank T. Gonzales was pronounced dead at a hospital after he showed up at a home in the 700 block of East 35th Street bleeding profusely and asking for help, police said. Gonzales did not live in the neighborhood and did not know the person who lived at the home, police said. It is believed the crime occurred elsewhere.
The resident of the home called 911 around 12:30 p.m. and Gonzales was taken to a hospital. Gang detectives were working Friday to develop suspect information, according to a news release. The gang unit is handling the case because the victim had gang ties, although police would not say that the killing was gang-motivated, according to Officer Linda Galindo, a police spokeswoman.
Anyone with information

Jaime “El Hummer” Gonzalez Duran largest weapons seizure in Mexican history.

Mexican government carried out a number of operations in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, aimed at Jaime “El Hummer” Gonzalez Duran, one of the original members of the brutal cartel group known as Los Zetas. According to Mexican government officials, Gonzalez Duran controlled the Zetas’ operations in nine Mexican states. The Nov. 7 arrest of Gonzalez Duran was a major victory for the Mexican government and will undoubtedly be a major blow to the Zetas. Taking Gonzalez Duran off the streets, however, is not the only aspect of these operations with greater implications. The day before Gonzalez Duran’s arrest, Mexican officials searching for him raided a safe house, where they discovered an arms cache that would turn out to be the largest weapons seizure in Mexican history. This is no small feat, as there have been several large hauls of weapons seized from the Zetas and other Mexican cartel groups in recent years.The weapons seized at the Gonzalez Duran safe house included more than 500firearms, a half-million rounds of ammunition and 150 grenades. The cache also included a LAW rocket, two grenade launchers and a small amount of explosives. Along with the scores of assorted assault rifles, grenades and a handful of gaudy gold-plated pistols were some weapons that require a bit more examination: namely, the 14 Fabrique Nationale (FN) P90 personal defense weapons and the seven Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles contained in the seizure.
As previously noted, the FN Five-Seven pistol and FN P90 personal defense weapon are very popular with the various cartel enforcer groups operating in Mexico. The Five-Seven and the P90 shoot a 5.7x28 (5.7 mm-by-28 mm) round that has been shown to be effective in penetrating body armor as well as vehicle doors and windows. Because of this ability to punch through body armor, cartel enforcers call the weapons “matapolicias,” Spanish for “cop killers.” Of course, AK-47 and M-16-style assault rifles are also effective at penetrating body armor and vehicles, as are large-caliber hunting rifles such as the 30.06 and the .308. But the advantage of the Five-Seven and the P90 is that they provide this penetration capability in a much smaller — and thus far more concealable — package.
The P90 is a personal defense weapon designed to be carried by tank crew members or combat support personnel who require a compact weapon capable of penetrating body armor. It is considered impractical for such soldiers to be issued full-size infantry rifles or even assault rifles, so traditionally these troops were issued pistols and submachine guns. The proliferation of body armor on the modern battlefield, however, has rendered many pistols and submachine guns that fire pistol ammunition ineffective. Because of this, support troops needed a small weapon that could protect them from armored troops; the P90 fits this bill. In fact, the P90 lends itself to anyone who needs powerful, concealable weapons. Protective security details, some police officers and some special operations forces operators thus have begun using the P90 and other personal defense weapons. The P90’s power and ability to be concealed also make it an ideal weapon for cartel enforcers intent on conducting assassinations in an urban environment — especially those stalking targets wearing body armor. The Five-Seven, which is even smaller than the P90, fires the same fast, penetrating cartridge. Indeed, cartel hit men have killed several Mexican police officers with these weapons in recent months. However, guns that fire the 5.7x28 mm cartridge are certainly not the only type of weapons used in attacks against police — Mexican cops have been killed by many other types of weapons.
While the P90 and Five-Seven are small and light, and use a small, fast round to penetrate armor, the .50-caliber cartridge fired by a Barrett sniper rifle is the polar opposite: It fires a huge chunk of lead. By way of comparison, the 5.7 cartridge is just a little more than 1.5” long and has a 32-grain bullet. The .50-caliber Browning Machine Gun (BMG) cartridge is actually 12.7mm by 99 mm, measures nearly 5.5” long and fires a 661-grain bullet. The P90 has a maximum effective range of 150 meters, whereas a Barrett’s listed maximum effective range is 1,850 meters — and there are reports of coalition forces snipers in Afghanistan scoring kills at more than 2,000 meters. The .50-BMG round not only will punch through body armor and normal passenger vehicles, it can defeat the steel plate armor and the laminated ballistic glass and polycarbonate windows used in lightly armored vehicles. This is yet another reminder that there is no such thing as a bulletproof car. The round is also capable of penetrating many brick and concrete block walls. We have heard reports for years of cartels seeking .50-caliber sniper rifles made by Barrett and other U.S. manufacturers. Additionally, we have noted many reports of seizures from arms smugglers in the United States of these weapons bound for Mexico, or of the weapons being found in Mexican cartel safe houses — such as the seven rifles seized in Reynosa. Unlike the P90s, however, we cannot recall even one instance of these powerful weapons being used in an attack against another cartel or against a Mexican government target. This is in marked contrast to Ireland, where the Irish Republican Army used .50-caliber Barrett rifles obtained from the United States in many sniper attacks against British troops and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
That Mexican cartels have not used these devastating weapons is surprising. There are in fact very few weapons in the arsenals of cartel enforcers that we have not seen used, including hand grenades, 40mm grenades, LAW rockets and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Even though most inter-cartel warfare has occurred inside densely populated Mexican cities such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo — places where it would be very difficult to find a place to take a shot longer than a few hundred meters, much less a couple thousand — the power of the Barrett could be very effective for taking out targets wearing body armor, riding in armored vehicles, located inside the safe house of a rival cartel or even inside a government building. Also, unlike improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which the cartels have avoided using for the most part, the use of .50-caliber rifles would not involve a high probability of collateral damage. This indicates that the reason the cartels have not used these weapons is to be found in the nature of snipers and sniping.
Most military and police snipers are highly trained and very self-disciplined. Being a sniper requires an incredible amount of practice, patience and preparation. Aside from rigorous training in marksmanship, the sniper must also be trained in camouflage, concealment and movement. Snipers are often forced to lie immobile for hours on end. Additional training is required for snipers operating in urban environments, which offer their own set of challenges to the sniper; though historically, as seen in battles like Stalingrad, urban snipers can be incredibly effective. Snipers commonly deploy as part of a team of two, comprising a shooter and a spotter. This means two very self-disciplined individuals must be located and trained. The team must practice together and learn how to accurately estimate distances, wind speed, terrain elevation and other variables that can affect a bullet’s trajectory. An incredible amount of attention to detail is required for a sniper team to get into position and for their shots to travel several hundred meters and accurately, consistently strike a small target.
In spite of media hype and popular fiction, criminals or terrorists commit very few true sniper attacks. For example, many of our sniper friends were very upset that the media chose to label the string of murders committed by John Mohammed and Lee Boyd Malvo as the “D.C. Sniper Case.” While Mohammed and Malvo did use concealment, they commonly shot at targets between 50 and 100 meters away. Therefore, calling Mohammed and Malvo snipers was a serious insult to the genuine article. The assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the killing of Dr. Bernard Slepian, also have been dubbed sniper attacks, but they actually were all shootings committed at distances of less than 100 meters. Of course, using a Barrett at short ranges (100 meters or less) is still incredibly effective and does not require a highly trained sniper — as a group of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agents found out in 1993 when they attempted to serve search and arrest warrants at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. The agents were met with .50-caliber sniper fire that ripped gaping holes through the Chevrolet Suburbans they sought cover behind. Many of the agents wounded in that incident were hit by the shrapnel created as the .50-caliber rounds punched through their vehicles.
While it is extremely powerful, the Barrett is however a long, heavy weapon. If the sniper lacks training in urban warfare, it might prove very difficult to move around with the gun and also to find a concealed place to employ it. This may partially explain why the Mexican cartels have not used the weapons more. Moreover, while the Zetas originally comprised deserters from the Mexican military and over the years have shown an ability to conduct assaults and ambushes, we have not traditionally seen them deploy as snipers. Today, most of the original Zetas are now in upper management, and no longer serve as foot soldiers. The newer men brought into the Zetas include some former military and police officers along with some young gangster types; most of them lack the level of training possessed by the original Zetas. While the Zetas have also brought on a number of former Kaibiles, Guatemalan special operations forces personnel, most of them appear to be assigned as bodyguards for senior Zetas. This may mean we are not seeing the cartels employ snipers because their rank-and-file enforcers do not possess the discipline or training to function as snipers. Of course, criminal syndicates in possession of these weapons still pose a large potential threat to U.S. law enforcement officers, especially when the weapons are in the hands of people like Gonzalez Duran and his henchmen. According to an FBI intelligence memo dated Oct. 17 and leaked to the media, Gonzalez Duran appeared to have gotten wind of the planned operation against him. He reportedly had authorized those under his command to defend their turf at any cost, to include engagements with U.S. law enforcement agents. It is important to remember that a chunk of that turf was adjacent to the U.S. border and American towns, and that Reynosa — where Gonzalez Duran was arrested and the weapons were seized — is just across the border from McAllen, Texas. Armed with small, powerful weapons like the P90, cartel gunmen can pose a tremendous threat to any law enforcement officer who encounters them in a traffic stop or drug raid. Over the past several years, we have noted several instances of U.S. Border Patrol agents and other U.S. law enforcement officers being shot at from Mexico. The thought of being targeted by a weapon with the range and power of a .50-caliber sniper rifle would almost certainly send chills up the spine of any Border Patrol agent or sheriff’s deputy working along the border. Armed with assault rifles, hand grenades and .50-caliber sniper rifles, cartel enforcers have the potential to wreak havoc and outgun U.S. law enforcement officers. The only saving grace for U.S. law enforcement is that many cartel enforcers are often impaired by drugs or alcohol and tend to be impetuous and reckless. While the cartel gunmen are better trained than most Mexican authorities, their training does not stack up to that of most U.S. law enforcement officers. This was illustrated by an incident on Nov. 6 in Austin, Texas, when a police officer used his service pistol to kill a cartel gunman who fired on the officer with an AK-47.
While the arrest of Gonzalez Duran and the seizure of the huge arms cache in Reynosa have taken some killers and weapons off the street, they are only one small drop in the bucket. There are many heavily armed cartel enforcers still at large in Mexico, and the violence is spreading over the border into the United States. Law enforcement officers in the United States therefore need to maintain a keen awareness of the threat.

Victor Manuel Villalpando,Noberto Estrada arrested attempting to smuggle guns and ammunition into Mexico

Law enforcement officials believe two men arrested Oct. 23 in Denton were attempting to smuggle guns and ammunition into Mexico, according to the Denton Record Chronicle.
Arrested were Victor Manuel Villalpando, 29, of Burleson and Noberto Estrada, 24, of Fort Worth.Trooper David Farrell conducted a traffic stop on the pair’s GMC Yukon on Interstate 35W near Farm-to-Market Road 407 because the truck had no front license plate.Villalpando did not have a valid driver license and both seemed unduly nervous, Farrell said. Farrell received permission to search the truck, but as he began the search, Villalpando ran away.Farrell found thousands of rounds of ammunition, more than a dozen assault rifles, several other weapons, ski masks and body armor in the truck. An inventory of the impounded vehicle later uncovered about 11,000 rounds of ammunition, numerous long guns and three handguns. About half the weapons are AK-47 rifles, police said.Farrell arrested Estrada at the scene. A helicopter and officers from several Denton County law enforcement agencies searched for Villalpando and later found him hiding in a muddy creek bed.The serial numbers on most of the weapons, which were not manufactured in the United States, had been obliterated, police said.Villalpando faces charges of possession of a prohibited weapon, unlawfully carrying a weapon, evading arrest and tampering with identification numbers on personal property. Estrada faces the same charges save evading arrest. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plans to add charges of possession of weapons with obliterated serial numbers and conspiracy to possess weapons with obliterated serial numbers to the state charges, said ATF spokesman Tom Crowley.

38 firearms were seized, along with $4,800 in cash.

“A 12 gauge shotgun within reach of the cocaine processing area, with two rounds on the table ready for immediate loading into the weapon, was seized,” Baril said in a written statement.Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, Rangeley Police Department and U.S. Border Patrol personnel were involved in the arrests of Jeffrey Wing, 51, of Madrid, and his son, Jason Wing, 32, of Strong on Nov. 7. A third man, Brian Clarke, 28, was also charged in a related arrest.Local and state agencies were involved in three arrests made Friday, as police seized illegal drugs, thousands of dollars and 38 guns after searching residences.According to the MDEA, officers served search warrants on two buildings, both owned by Jeffrey Wing, at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning. Wing himself lived in a home at 893 Reeds Mill Rd., while his son lived in a camp-like building across the street.In the residence, officers say they found two ounces of cocaine, more than one pound of dried marijuana as well as large tub filled with “partially stripped recently harvested marijuana plants. They also say they found chemicals used to cut the cocaine, a digital scale, small plastic bags and “handwritten drug ledgers.” MDEA agents estimated the street value of the drugs, once cut and packaged, to be more than $4,000.Additionally, 38 firearms were seized, along with $4,800 in cash.
The elder Wing, who was home at the time, was charged with aggravated trafficking of a Schedule Z drug, or marijuana, as well as aggravated trafficking of a Schedule W drug, or cocaine. The trafficking charges were “aggravated,” due to the presence of the firearms.Meanwhile, in a simultaneous search across the road, officers found two grams of cocaine, two ounces of marijuana and more paraphernalia in the camp. According to Special Agent Supervisor Gerry Baril, who oversees the MDEA’s Western District Task Force Office, a weapon was found near the “cocaine processing area.”
The younger Wing was not home at the time. He later turned himself in at the Franklin County Jail to the state police and was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking. Both Wings were released later that day on $500 cash bail bonds. They’re currently scheduled to appear in court in February.A third residence in Rangeley at 139 Pleasant Street, also owned by Jeffrey Wing, was later searched. There, officers say they found seven marijuana plants being grown inside the dwelling. Two guns, a loaded .44 Magnum revolver and another shotgun, were also found.Clarke, who was occupying the residence, was charged with the aggravated cultivation of marijuana. MDEA puts the value of the plants, once fully mature, at $2,000 to $3,000 in value.

Gang of men used dynamite to blow up a police station in a town in Brazil's Sao Paulo state on Monday, after seizing machine guns

Gang of men used dynamite to blow up a police station in a town in Brazil's Sao Paulo state on Monday, after seizing machine guns and a large cache of confiscated drugs from the building.Globo TV network showed images of the wrecked building with its roof blown off and patrol cars nearby covered in rubble after the attack, which took place in Botucatu around 150 miles (240 km) west of Sao Paulo city at about 5 a.m."I opened my window and saw a fire, the wall falling down, there was a lot of noise from things falling, one explosion after another," Neide Albertini, a cook who lives next door to the station, told Globo.Witnesses said the men arrived at the station in a small truck and broke down the station's front door.They took pistols, machine guns, bullet-proof vests, 220 pounds (100 kg) of marijuana and 50 pounds (23 kg) of cocaine paste and cocaine and then set fire to all the files in the building, police said.It was a very audacious act," said police chief Carlos Antonio Juliao Filho. "The station was completely destroyed."Violence by organized crime groups funded by illegal drugs is a major problem in Brazil. A wave of attacks by a prison gang against police in the financial capital Sao Paulo shocked the country in 2006, but there has been no repeat of such large-scale organized violence.

Godfrey Williams, cellphone technician and Cecil Wright, 30, labourer, both of Annotto Bay are to face a new trial.

Godfrey Williams, cellphone technician and Cecil Wright, 30, labourer, both of Annotto Bay are to face a new trial. They were charged jointly with Edgehill but the jury deliberated for almost eight hours and failed to arrive at a verdict. They have been remanded to return to court on November 14.Justice Carol Beswick presided at the trial in the Home Circuit Court.The couple who operated Penny's Supermarket in Annotto Bay, were shot several times during a robbery at their home at Bellfield, near Highgate, St Mary on July 3, 2004.The Crown represented by Diahann Gordon Harrison, acting deputy director of public prosecutions and Sanchia Burrell, Crown Counsel, relied on circumstantial evidence and common design to prove its case against the three men.A witness testified in the Home Circuit Court that the day before the Chins were murdered, he heard the three accused planning to rob them. The day after the Chins were murdered the witness said he saw the men sharing bags of money.A licensed firearm belonging to Mr Chin was recovered from Edgehill's home on July 5, 2004. Evidence was also given that, about 8 p.m. on July 3, 2004, Mr Chin came out of his motor vehicle and was about to open his gate when he was shot nine times. Eight of the injuries were to the neck.Mrs Chin came out of the motor vehicle and began to run and she was shot several times.The police testified that Edgehill gave a confession statement outlining his role in the murder. It was Edgehill's confession which led to the recovery of Mr Chin's firearm. The firearm was wrapped in a blouse belonging to Edgehill's girlfriend.The girlfriend was called as a Crown witness and, when she was shown the blouse, she told the court it belonged to her.A defence lawyer who was called to testify for the Crown said he represented Edgehill when the confession statement was given to the police. The lawyer said he advised Edgehill of his legal rights before he gave the statement but Edgehill said he wanted to do so.In his defence, Edgehill denied giving the statement. He said he was given a blank sheet of paper to sign. He said he had nothing to do with the murder.
The other two men said in their defence that they were not involved in the murder.

Dwayne Carter Aka 'Lil Wayne' Gunned Down After Show In Hometown Of New Orleans rumour ?

Dwayne Carter Aka 'Lil Wayne' Gunned Down After Show In Hometown Of New Orleans
Dwayne Carter known by his rap alias of 'Lil Wayne' is the latest victim of the notorious feud between the 'Bloods' And 'Crips'.Shortly after performing at the New Orleans Arena, Lil Wayne was involved in an altercation with members of rival gang the 'Crips', and brutally shot 6 times with a semi automatic 9mm Smith & Wesson handgunParamedics rushed to the scene and attempted to resuscitate the rapper, however were unable to prevent colossal blood losses and Dwayne Carter was pronounced dead at 02:36 Am, November 1st,shortly after arriving at Tulane University Hospital.This will be seen as a huge loss to the hiphop community, as the self proclaimed 'Best Rapper Alive' has been an integral part of the revival of the genre, going platinum with his latest release Tha Carter III within one week.
New Orleans police Chief Warren J.Riley appealed to any witnesses .RUMOUR OR FACT
Fake site

Police recovered three illegal handguns, one that had been reported stolen, one rifle

Nineteen people were arrested Saturday after police received two 911 calls in Hempstead. One of the 911 calls reported a robbery just after 1 a.m. near Meriam Street, and the other reported a person being forcibly dragged into a house on Meriam Street. Police recovered three illegal handguns, one that had been reported stolen, one rifle and one clear bag which contained a substance believed to be crack cocaine at the address. All nineteen people, thirteen men and six women, in the house at the time were arrested. They were all charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and will be arraigned in First District Court on Sunday. The investigation is ongoing.

Gunmen on motorcycles shot and wounded five teenagers at a recreational centre in a suburb of Naples

Gunmen on motorcycles shot and wounded five teenagers at a recreational centre in a suburb of Naples, home to a mafia clan, police said.The five victims, aged between 12-years-old and 15-years-old, were shot in the legs in the dilapidated neighbourhood of Secondigliano, home to a clan of the Naples' mafia, the Camorra. One of them was also shot in the arm.The reason for the attack, carried out by four people whose faces were covered by helmets, was not immediately clear, police said.The Camorra is thought to be much less unified in structure than the Sicilian mafia, made up of rival clans that often clash in turf wars.

Shooting victim on Eastwood Boulevard was identified as Jarvis Brown

Shooting victim on Eastwood Boulevard was identified as Jarvis Brown, who was in his 20s, of Alexandria, according to Alexandria Police Chief Daren Coutee.Coutee said tonight that detectives are still questioning witnesses about the incident.
Kerry Jerrod Sanders, 19, of 1701 Military Highway, No. 204, Pineville was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery, according to Rapides Parish Jail documents.A second man, Adrian Williams, 36, of 71 Eastwood Blvd., Alexandria, was wounded by gunshot in the arm during the incident, taken to Rapides Regional Medical Center, treated and released, according to Lt. Mike Rennier, shift supervisor with the Alexandria Police Department.

Chicago Tribune reported that the chrome-and-black .45-caliber pistol once belonged to Jason since Jennifer's slain brother

Chicago Tribune reported that the chrome-and-black .45-caliber pistol found by the Chicago police a block from where 7-year-old Julian King's body was discovered, was indeed the weapon used for the slaying. Furthermore, the publication noted that the police are investigating whether it is the gun once belonged to Jason since Jennifer's slain brother allegedly has an identical gun which he said to be stolen months prior to the murder. So far, authorities haven't put charges on anyone for the killings. However, Jennifer's brother-in-law and Julia's estranged husband, 27-year-old William Balfour, has been called a "person of interest" on the case. He is being held in custody on a parole violation.Jennifer Hudson’s brother might have once possessed the stolen handgun that cops suspect was used to kill him and two other members of the actress’ family, the Chicago Tribune reported yesterday. The brother, Jason Hudson, 27, told neighbors his weapon was swiped months ago, the Tribune said. Jason was found shot dead along with his mother on Oct. 24. Hudson’s nephew, Julian King, 7, was abducted and found shot to death with a .45-caliber Sig Sauer pistol three days later in an SUV. William “Flex” Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, is under arrest.

Rana Ismail, 34, of Worth, was shot multiple times at in the 7300 block of West 87th Street and was pronounced dead on the scene at 2:45 p.m

Rana Ismail, 34, of Worth, was shot multiple times at in the 7300 block of West 87th Street and was pronounced dead on the scene at 2:45 p.m., the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said. A Sunday autopsy determined she died from multiple gunshot wounds and her death was ruled a homicide.Police say this man shot and killed a woman while robbing a financial services firm Saturday morning. Ismail was working at Middle Eastern Financial Services when a man entered the business and shot her multiple times during an apparent robbery, Bridgeview police said.
The man is described as a white male, possibly of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern decent, 40 to 50 years old, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10 and weighing 200 to 230 pounds, police said.The man walked with a slight limp and was driving a newer-model, charcoal Toyota 4 Runner Sport with a luggage rack, hood scoop and six-point rims.
The vehicle had running boards on both sides and unknown Illinois registration -- possibly a handicapped registration, according to a Bridgeview police release.