(MACCLENNY, Fla.) — First responders rescued an eagle impaled by a lightning rod atop a 120 -foot radio tower at St. George Elementary in MacClenny, Florida.
Fire department crews responded to a call Friday about the eagle stuck on top of the tower and contacted wildlife authorities from the scene. It was determined that someone would need to go to the top of the tower to help the eagle, MacClenny Fire and Rescue Department said in a post on Facebook.
Engineer Louis Castle and Lt. Garret Williams loaded up into a 100-foot tall tower and headed toward the elementary school, according to the fire department.
Crews gained access to the area by cutting a fence then went up 100-feet in the tower, the department said in a statement on Facebook.
Castle then exited the bucket of the fire department’s ladder and hooked himself onto the tower, using safety equipment, and climbed the remaining 20-feet, according to the department.
The eagle was found in “obvious distress,” according to the department.
Once he was at the top, Castle was able to free the bird of its impalement. It then soared down and was captured by wildlife rescuers.
As of Saturday afternoon, the fire department did not have an update on the eagle’s health status.
(SILVER SPRING, Md.) — Officers seeking a suspect in a fatal shooting at a Maryland gas station made a “surprising discovery” when they found the decomposing body of a likely pregnant woman at the man’s apartment, police said.
Torrey Moore, 31, of Silver Spring, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Friday for allegedly killing an employee at the Dash In Convenience Store in Silver Spring during an altercation the previous day, Montgomery County police said.
The investigation of the gas station shooting led detectives to an apartment complex across the street, where they executed a search warrant in Moore’s apartment, police said.
“When SWAT made entry, and after arresting Moore, they discovered a deceased female, believed to be an adult, on the floor in the apartment in an advanced stage of decomposition,” Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones told reporters during a press briefing Friday.
Moore allegedly told police that he was in a relationship with the woman and that she was eight months pregnant at the time of her death. He also allegedly said that “there had been some type of fight between the two about one month prior that led to the victim becoming deceased prior to today,” Jones said.
Police are waiting for the medical examiner to determine the cause and manner of death, to confirm whether the woman was pregnant and how far along and to verify the woman’s identity, Jones said. That process could take several days, he said.
Police were not aware of anything amiss at that apartment, or of any missing persons from that location, the chief said.
“This is very new to us, again a surprising discovery upon our entry this morning. So we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Jones said Friday. “We’re a little bit amazed that we did not receive any calls, none that we have seen, thus far, that would have given us any indication that something was occurring within that apartment.”
“We’re very concerned about what has been occurring between these two,” he said.
Jones said Moore was captured on footage leaving the gas station following the shooting Thursday afternoon and heading toward the apartment complex across the street. Detectives were able to positively identify him from several witnesses, he said, and store employees said Moore was a “problem customer” at that location.
Moore is alleged to have shot Ayalew Wondimu, 61, of Silver Spring, following a dispute at the gas station. The footage captured Moore grab a bottle of iced tea and bring it to the counter, where the altercation occurred, according to Jones.
“We did observe Moore pick up items from in front of the counter and began throwing them at the clerk,” Jones said.
Wondimu then picked up a metal pole behind the counter and attempted to strike Moore, who was on the other side of the counter, Jones said.
“Moore stepped back and for reasons unknown he retrieved a silver handgun from his vest pocket and he shot Wondimu at a point-blank range,” Jones said.
Moore allegedly then reached over the counter and fired again multiple times, before grabbing the iced tea bottle and leaving the store, said Jones, who called the incident “very troubling.”
Wondimu suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, Jones said.
Moore was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm while committing a felony and is being held on no bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
Additional charges could be likely depending on the medical examiner’s determination of the cause and manner of death of the woman found in his apartment, police said.
(WASHINGTON) — Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried will appear before Congress to testify on the collapse of the giant, $32-billion cryptocurrency exchange.
The House Financial Services Committee said Bankman-Fried will testify on Tuesday, Dec. 13 in a hearing titled “Investigating the Collapse of FTX, Part 1.”
John Ray, FTX’s new CEO guiding the company through bankruptcy proceedings, will also testify.
Bankman-Fried, in a series of tweets, said he’s “willing to testify” after initially resisting the committee’s request.
“I still do not have access to much of my data — professional or personal. So there is a limit to what I will be able to say, and I won’t be as helpful as I’d like,” Bankman-Fried wrote. “But as the committee still thinks it would be useful, I am willing to testify on the 13th.”
Bankman-Fried said he will try to “shed light” on issues surrounding FTX’s U.S. solvency, what he thinks led to the crash and his “own failings.”
“I had thought of myself as a model CEO, who wouldn’t become lazy or disconnected,” Bankman-Fried tweeted. “Which made it that much more destructive when I did. I’m sorry. Hopefully people can learn from the difference between who I was and who I could have been.”
Committee chairwoman Maxine Waters, D-Calif., amid Bankman-Fried’s initial resistance to appear before the committee, tweeted to him: “As you know, the collapse of FTX has harmed over one million people. Your testimony would not only be meaningful to Members of Congress, but is also critical to the American people.”
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have said they want to hear from Bankman-Fried after the downfall of his two companies — FTX and the hedge fund Alameda Research — and the mismanagement of customer funds.
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who will chair the committee in the next Congress, said it’s “essential that we hold bad actors accountable so responsible players can harness technology to build a more inclusive financial system.”
Democrat Sherrod Brown, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, has requested that Bankman-Fried appear on Dec. 14 to address “significant unanswered questions” about how clients were treated during the companies’ collapse.
It’s unclear if Bankman-Fried will appear before the committee. Brown, in cooperation with Republican ranking member Sen. Pat Toomey, said they will issue a subpoena to compel him to appear on Dec. 14 if he didn’t voluntarily participate.
Brown told Bankman-Fried, “you must answer for the failure of both entities that was caused, at least in part, by the clear misuse of client funds and wiped out billions of dollars owed to over a million creditors.”
Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse have called for a criminal investigation from the Department of Justice into Bankman-Fried over “the disturbing allegations of fraud and illicit behavior.”
Bankman-Fried, in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, denied that he knew “that there was any improper use of customer funds.”
“I should have been on top of this, and I feel really, really bad and regretful that I wasn’t. A lot of people got hurt. And that’s on me,” he said.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — A rally for Shanquella Robinson, the American woman who died while vacationing in Mexico in what local authorities are investigating as a femicide, is scheduled to be held Saturday.
The rally is calling for justice for Robinson, 25, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who died in October while on a trip with six friends to San Jose del Cabo, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.
The event is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. at Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte and will be livedstreamed via the Million Youth March Of Charlotte & Salisbury Teen Advisory Board’s Facebook page. Robinson’s family will be in attendance, organizers said.
“There were thousands of people that didn’t make it into the services a couple weeks ago, so this is the opportunity to come and show their support with the Robinson family again and to love on them and basically let them know that we stand with them,” Mario Black, the founder of Million Youth March of Charlotte, told reporters during a press briefing announcing the rally. “It’s justice for Shanquella Robinson until justice is served.”
Questions have mounted amid conflicting reports on what happened in the hours leading up to Robinson’s death.
The original autopsy report obtained by ABC News said Robinson died from a severe spinal cord injury and a dislocated neck. According to the document, which was dated Nov. 4, Robinson was found unconscious in the living room of a residence on Padre Kino Avenue in San Jose del Cabo on the afternoon of Oct. 29 and was declared dead within 15 minutes.
That report differs from a recent update from Mexican authorities, who said that Robinson may have been alive and received care from a medical professional for several hours before authorities arrived and she was pronounced dead, ABC News has learned.
The medical professional at the scene allegedly told Robinson’s friends that Robinson was drunk and dehydrated, and that they should take her to a hospital. However, they declined to do so, according to authorities.
Authorities have not responded to ABC News’ request for comment on the difference between their report and the autopsy.
An arrest warrant was issued last month in Robinson’s death for the crime of femicide, a form of gender-based violence, according to a local prosecutor. The warrant was issued for an unnamed alleged perpetrator, “a friend of hers who is the direct aggressor,” Daniel de la Rosa Anaya, local prosecutor for the state of Baja California Sur, said.
The FBI opened an investigation last month into Robinson’s death, though no further details were released due to the ongoing probe.
Robinson went to the Mexican resort city on Oct. 28, according to her family. Robinson’s parents said they got a frantic telephone call from their daughter’s friends the next day saying she had died from alcohol poisoning.
The Mexican Secretariat of Health’s autopsy report and death certificate do not mention alcohol.
With all the new and developing information, Robinson’s family is still seeking answers from her friends.
Sallamondra Robinson, the mother of Shanquella Robinson, told ABC News she’s happy the FBI has stepped in to help solve her daughter’s case so it “won’t go in vain.”
None of Robinson’s friends who were with her in Cabo have responded to ABC News’ repeated requests for comment.
ABC News’ Erica Y. King, Anne Laurent and Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — Two French bulldogs were stolen from a pregnant woman during an armed robbery in Los Angeles, police said.
Around 10 a.m. Friday, the nine-months pregnant woman was walking her two French bulldogs in the Studio City neighborhood when a man armed with a pistol approached, pointed the gun at her and took both dogs, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The suspect then fled with the French bulldogs in a gray SUV, according to police, who shared images of the vehicle and dogs. Police described the suspect as a Black man between the ages of 20 and 30 who was approximately 6 feet tall and 200 pounds.
The dogs — Gizmo and puppy Milo — were reunited with their owners Friday evening, ABC Los Angeles station KABC reported.
Cindy Nelson told the station she was walking the dogs by a parked car when the incident occurred.
“A man jumped out of the car with a gun in his hand and held it in front of my face and grabbed my dogs,” Nelson told KABC. “It happened all so fast.”
The dogs were left with a woman walking her dogs in the Hollywood area who then called the number on their tags, helping to reunite them with Nelson and her husband, the couple told KABC.
Nelson wasn’t hurt but was worried for her pets, including 7-year-old Gizmo, who has a spinal condition and leg problems, KABC reported.
French bulldogs are the No. 1 dog breed target for thieves, according to the American Kennel Club, with their popularity and price tag making them a prime target in dog thefts.
“I know Frenchies are a target, and I never thought that would happen here, and never thought I would be targeted in this neighborhood,” an emotional Nelson told KABC.
Last year, two French bulldogs owned by singer Lady Gaga were stolen during a violent robbery in which her dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot and seriously wounded. Authorities had said at the time they didn’t believe Fischer was targeted because he works for Lady Gaga, but because the suspects were motivated by the high value of the dogs, which can fetch thousands of dollars.
This week, the man arrested for shooting Fischer took a plea deal and was sentenced to 21 years in prison, according to The Associated Press. The suspect, James Howard Jackson, pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder, the AP said.
In a victim impact statement shared on Instagram, Fischer called the incident a “life-changing, earth-shattering event.”
“A part of me is still desperately trying to save those dogs knowing you were going to shoot me,” Fischer said in his statement while addressing Jackson in court.
(NEW YORK) — A large and powerful storm is making its way onshore from the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, bringing a range of hazards to the west over the weekend.
This storm is already in progress in Washington, Oregon and northern California. The storm will drift south during the day on Saturday, with heavy rain moving as far south as Los Angeles and San Diego heading into Sunday.
One to 2 inches of rain are likely across a wide area of the west coast, with some localized patches of 2-4 inches possible. With that kind of rain in a relatively short period of time, flash flooding will be a risk across coastal California throughout the weekend.
Storm totals may end up leaving as much as 4 to 8 feet of snow in some of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central-northern California.
There will not be extreme snowfall in the lower elevations, where most cities are located, so don’t expect to see any snowfall in Sacramento or the rest of the San Joaquin Valley.
The storm then heads east into next week, expanding in size. By Tuesday, it may stretch from the Gulf Coast to southern Canada — more than 1,500 miles long.
By Tuesday, there are two main concerns: blizzard conditions in the northern plains and severe weather in the Deep South.
Heavy snowfall and gusty winds will lead to whiteout conditions from Nebraska to Minnesota on Tuesday and Wednesday. While the other side of the storm will bring a chance for powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi on Tuesday.
Sunday snow in the Northeast
A smaller, less powerful storm system will be heading through the Great Lakes and into the Northeast on Sunday. While not a giant storm, it will bring portions of the Northeast the first accumulating snowfall of the season.
Snow will mix with rain along the coastal areas, so the major cities along the I-95 corridor, Philadelphia, New York and Boston, aren’t looking at much, if any, snow accumulation.
Upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, northwest Connecticut and western Massachusetts may see a few inches of wet snow from this storm.
Travel on Sunday evening may be tricky with snow and rain across the area. It all clears out by Monday.
(NEW YORK) — The owner of a Kentucky candle factory that was destroyed in a deadly tornado last year is facing another lawsuit from workers alleging they were threatened with termination if they left before the disaster struck.
Nine people were killed when a late-season tornado hit the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield on Dec. 10, 2021.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Graves County, several employees who were working that night allege the company “refused” to let them leave “even though it had at least three hours of notice of the danger this tornado posed to its place of business and to its employees.”
The plaintiffs include the family members of three workers who died in the disaster.
Several of the workers have also joined a class-action lawsuit against the company that has not yet been resolved.
In the latest lawsuit, the workers allege that Mayfield Consumer Products “repeatedly threatened to terminate” any employee who left due to the expected tornado, did not train the employees in emergency safety protocols and that there was only one hallway and two restrooms for its 110 employees to shelter in during the tornado.
The lawsuit further alleges that the company “defamed the character” of employees who gave interviews to news organizations about their experience.
The lawsuit accuses the company of false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress and is seeking unspecified damages.
Mayfield Consumer Products’ legal counsel did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. The company has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
A group of workers represented by Elijah Johnson, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, also alleged in a filing with the National Labor Relations Board last month that the company retaliated against them for participating in an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation earlier this year by refusing to pay their medical bills, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said.
The OSHA probe led to $40,000 in fines for seven violations, the attorneys said.
MORE: Kentucky factory survivor trapped 4 hours under rubble retells ABC News’ David Muir his harrowing rescue, thanks first responders
In a statement to WKMS-TV following the filing, Mayfield Consumer Products’ legal counsel denied Johnson’s allegations and noted that Johnson was told not to leave because a shelter-in-place policy was in effect.
“This confirms that MCP complied with federal and state law, which requires employers to ensure that employees shelter in place during hazardous weather events,” the statement said.
(NEW YORK) — Every year, an estimated 45 billion menstrual products are used around the world, with each person who menstruates generating more than 400 pounds of waste in their lifetime, according to an article from Plastic Oceans International.
It’s an environmental crisis that rarely gets talked about, due to the stigma around periods themselves, August CEO Nadya Okamoto, told ABC News. The New York-based startup claims they are trying to meet consumers’ preferences with their line of more sustainable pads and tampons.
“Because of the period stigma, there hasn’t been the same level of accountability,” Okamoto said.
Okamoto said August’s products decompose at faster rates than the standard tampons and pads, but admits they aren’t perfect. The organization’s tampon applicators are still made of plastic which, while they may be recyclable, depending on the jurisdiction, often get discarded in the trash.
“Applicators are very much a U.S. thing. I know in Europe and in places overseas, digital tampons, non-applicator tampons, are a lot more of the norm. A lot of this is from embedded fear of touching your own period blood,” Okamoto said.
The company’s tampons and pads are made of organic cotton and fully biodegradable within 12 months, Okamoto said.
But some argue that products ending up in landfills outweighs the potential benefits of using sustainable materials.
“A landfill is intended to entomb these products forever and ever, so it doesn’t really matter if it’s 500 years or three years,” Dr. Susan Powers told ABC News.
Powers studies the life cycle of period products, from extraction of materials to decomposition. She advocates for the use of reusable products over single use.
“Cardboard or no applicator is a far better choice. Plastics are recyclable, and they’ve got their little triangle on them. Well, it’s not recyclable everywhere. In general, the reusable is always going to be far superior to any disposable,” Powers said.
August argues that even in conditions where products aren’t able to degrade, using organic, biodegradable and compostable materials still reduces water usage and overall carbon emissions.
ABC News has reached out to leading tampon and pad manufactures about issues of sustainability and concerns that their products contribute to overflowing landfills and the environmental problems caused by that. They have not responded.
Single-use tampons and pads are by far the most popular choice for Americans today, but alternative options, like period underwear and menstrual cups, are gaining traction. However, the initial cost for these reusable products often sways people from making the eco-friendly switch.
In the meantime, Okamoto wants to bring more awareness to the lack of sustainability in traditional period products.
“How do we brainstorm the most sustainable solution that people will actually use as we push the whole industry to be more sustainable?” Okamoto said.
(NEW YORK) — J. Alexander Kueng, a former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s back during the fatal May 2020 arrest, was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison Friday.
Kueng, 29, had pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in second-degree manslaughter in October as part of an agreement with prosecutors. A second charge of aiding and abetting in second-degree unintentional murder will be dismissed against Kueng as part of his plea agreement.
“We appreciate very much that Mr. Kueng plead guilty,” said prosecutor Matthew Frank at the sentencing.
“We hope the conclusion of this case reaffirms that peace officers cannot treat citizens in crisis as non-people, or second-class citizens,” Frank added.
The plea was announced just as a joint state trial for Kueng and Tou Thao, another officer, was to begin with jury selection.
“J. Alexander Kueng is now the second officer involved in Floyd’s death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea. That acknowledgement hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in an October statement on the plea deal.
Floyd’s death ignited protests nationwide against police brutality and systemic racism.
“We must never forget the horror of what we all saw in that 9-minute video, and that there rightfully should be both accountability for all involved as well as deep lessons learned for police officers and communities everywhere,” said the legal team for George Floyd’s family, led by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, in an October statement on Kueng’s plea deal in October.
Both Kueng and Thao, 34, are currently serving federal sentences after being convicted in February on federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Kueng’s sentence from today will be served concurrently with his federal sentence.
The two were found guilty of depriving Floyd of his “constitutional right to be free from an officer’s unreasonable force when each willfully failed to intervene to stop … [Derek] Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force.”
Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, was found guilty on three counts in Floyd’s death: Second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes.
He had been sentenced to 22.5 years.
Chauvin had additionally been sentenced to 21 years on federal civil rights charges in Floyd’s death.
Thao waived a jury trial and his state charges will be decided by a judge. According to MPR, Judge Peter Cahill will review evidence received by Nov. 17 and has 90 days to decide the case, according to MPR News.
A third defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane, was also convicted on federal civil rights charges stemming from Floyd’s death. Lane pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Editor’s note: J. Alexander Kueng, a former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s back during the fatal arrest, is set to be sentenced Friday. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the sentencing had already happened.
ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. has swapped WNBA star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
The basketball star was taken into custody at a Moscow area airport in February in possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in Russia.
Griner pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to nine years in prison on Aug. 7. She appealed the sentence, but was quickly rejected in October.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 09, 1:53 PM EST
Brittney Griner has reunited with her wife
Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle Griner, have now seen each other in person, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed at Friday’s press briefing.
“She has been reunited with her wife, Cherelle. U.S officials who met her on the ground said she was in very good spirits, appears to be in good health,” Jean-Pierre said. “She was immediately taken to Brooke Army Medical Center [in San Antonio] where she is being offered a range of support options.”
Jean-Pierre did not give a timeline on when Griner might return home to Arizona.
“Every individual is different and those decisions are up to them and their families,” she said. “Typically upon arrival, people are offered a wide range of additional support, including full medical checkup, a mental health checkup.”
Dec 09, 1:17 PM EST
Viktor Bout gives first interview since release
Convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was traded for Brittney Griner and is now home in Russia, told Russian state-owned media outlet RT, “thank God” the exchange happened.
Asked about his first feelings at home, Bout replied: “Feelings need to be dealt with. We need to find more words to describe it all.”
Bout noted that he didn’t see any anti-Russia sentiments from prison staff.
Dec 09, 8:31 AM EST
Video shows Griner’s wife hearing she’s on her way home
The White House has shared video of the moment Thursday morning when President Joe Biden told Cherelle Griner her wife was on the way home.
“She’s on the ground,” Biden told Griner as they hugged.
“Stop it,” she replied.
‘Yep. She’s on the ground,” Biden said as she hugged him again.
The video also shows Griner exclaim, “It’s just such a good day!” as Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken look on, beaming.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 09, 8:17 AM EST
Kirby says Griner ‘appears to be in good health’
Brittney Griner is “in very good spirits” and “appears to be in good health,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
“We’ve talked to our team on the ground who met her there [in San Antonio] as well as the team that traveled overseas with her on that airplane,” Kirby said. “She’s now going to go to the treatment facility, she’s going to get looked after by docs and nurses there, just to make sure everything is OK.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 09, 6:21 AM EST
Brittney Griner arrives back in the United States
A plane believed to be carrying Brittney Griner landed in the U.S. early Friday, nearly 10 months after she was detained in Russia.
The Gulfstream jet landed at about 5:30 a.m. ET at San Antonio’s Kelly Air Force Base.
Dec 08, 10:14 PM EST
Griner family thanks Biden administration
Brittney Griner’s family in a statement Thursday night offered their “sincere gratitude” to President Joe Biden and his administration for their efforts in bringing the WNBA star home.
The family also expressed their gratitude to former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Mickey Bergman, the executive director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, for their help in facilitating the release.
The statement thanked the family of Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine still held captive in Russia, for their support during “a heartbreaking time.”
“We pray for Paul and for the swift and safe return of all wrongfully-detained Americans,” the statement said.
Griner is expected to arrive in the U.S. late Thursday or early Friday.
Dec 08, 5:21 PM EST
Viktor Bout’s attorney says swap ‘fair’
The attorney for Viktor Bout called the prisoner exchange “fair” in a statement Thursday.
“As we have urged for some time, given the fifteen long years that Viktor Bout has been in custody since the United States government targeted him in 2006, his exchange for Brittney Griner, who has only been in custody for a few months, is fair,” the attorney, Steve Zissou, said. “Like Brittney Griner, Viktor Bout will soon be reunited with his family.”
Zissou thanked the Russian foreign ministry and Russian President Vladimir Putin for Bout’s release from prison.
“Hopefully, this is just the first of many reasonable agreements between the U.S. and Russia that will lead to better relations and a safer world,” Zissou said.
The exchange has drawn concern from some U.S. lawmakers, as well as criticism from the Drug Enforcement Administration agent who oversaw the agency’s investigation of Bout.
Dec 08, 4:22 PM EST
Video shows Brittney Griner boarding plane in Russia
Video released by Russian state media on Thursday shows Brittney Griner boarding a plane in Russia and saying she’s happy to be heading home.
The video was taken before Griner was released into U.S. custody.
Dec 08, 4:00 PM EST
Griner will continue to advocate for other Americans held abroad
Lindsay Colas, Brittney Griner’s agent, said Griner “has carried herself with courage, grace and grit” and is expressing thanks to everyone who helped bring her home, including U.S. officials, the WNBA and the NBA.
Colas especially thanked President Joe Biden, who she said “kept his word.”
“Also, to so many people around the world who raised their voices and stood with us – especially Black women, the LGBTQ+ community and civil rights leaders – thank you,” Colas said in a statement.
Colas said Griner will continue to advocate for other Americans held abroad and called people out by name, including Paul Whelan, who remains imprisoned in Russia, and Americans who are in Iran, Venezuela, China, Syria, Mali and Rwanda.
“Our commitment to President Biden and to the families of Americans who are being held hostage and wrongfully detained – especially Elizabeth and David Whelan, on behalf of their brother Paul Whelan, who remains in Russia and whose continued detention weighs heavily on our hearts – is to continue our work in the movement to bring them home,” Colas said.
Dec 08, 3:44 PM EST
Swap initiated on Nov. 29 with US Marshals taking custody of Bout
The prisoner swap that resulted in Brittney Griner’s release has been in the works since at least Nov. 29, when the U.S. government requested the removal of Viktor Bout from USP Marion in Marion, Illinois, according to a court document unsealed Thursday.
The document, signed by George Turner, assistant United States attorney from the Southern District of New York, requested the Bureau of Prisons allow U.S. Marshals to take custody of Bout sometime between Dec. 2 and Dec. 16.
The move was “based on the significant foreign policy interests of the United States,” the document said, but did not mention Griner or a prisoner exchange.
The government expended significant resources and time to bring Bout to justice, but a source familiar with the prosecution of Bout said they recognized the “competing interests” that resulted in his release from U.S. custody.
Whether Bout represents a future threat, this source said that while Bout is not old he has been “out of the game,” which would impede his ability to go back to his former operations. However, the source called Bout a “shrewd operator” with “a lot of friends” in Russian military and intelligence circles.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky
Dec 08, 3:28 PM EST
Whelan’s sister: US needs to find way around Russian ‘fairy tale’ of him being a spy
Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of ex-Marine Paul Whelan, the U.S. citizen being held in Russia as an alleged spy, told ABC News in an interview Thursday she is happy for Brittney Griner, but also frustrated Paul remains in custody.
“The Russians have been clear with all of these cases that they treat them all separately,” Elizabeth Whelan told ABC News. “We try to bundle them together and get everybody out at once. We don’t want to leave anyone behind. But that is not necessarily the way our opponents are dealing with this situation.”
“We’ve always known that the Russians were treating Paul separately, and therefore, we always knew that there was a chance that this would happen, that Brittney would be released first,” she continued.
U.S. officials said they wanted to exchange Viktor Bout for both Griner and Paul Whelan, but that Russian officials would not engage on both and said either Griner could be swapped for Bout or no one could be swapped.
“I think we need to start dealing with Russia as the entity that it actually is now and not the way we might want it to be,” Elizabeth Whelan said. “They talk about Paul being a spy, but they’re the ones who set Paul up and created this spy story that is sort of based in a fairy tale [that] has to be undermined. We have to find a way around that.”
Dec 08, 2:26 PM EST
Biden delivered news of release to Cherelle Griner in person
President Joe Biden delivered the good news about Brittney Griner’s release in person directly to her wife, Cherelle, at the White House Thursday morning, according to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“Cherelle had been invited to the White House for a meeting with the national security adviser Jake Sullivan. When she arrived, she was welcomed into the Oval Office by President Biden, who personally delivered the news that Brittney would be returning home today,” Jean-Pierre said.
ABC News’ Mary Bruce pressed the White House on any plans Biden has to meet with Griner upon her return to the United States, but Jean-Pierre didn’t have any guidance.
“I don’t have anything to preview at this time. Our efforts right now, our focus, is to get her home safely and to get her back to her family, to her team, to her loved ones, and give her all the necessary tools she will need to reengage, to come back to the U.S. in the way that she chooses, right?” Jean-Pierre said.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 08, 2:13 PM EST
Senators celebrate release, but fear it incentivizes Americans being ‘scooped up’
Senators from both side of the aisle celebrated Brittney Griner’s freedom from Russian detention Thursday, but several members also questioned the decision to swap Griner for known international arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told ABC News that while he sees Griner’s return as “good news” and a “significant accomplishment by the Biden administration,” he’s worried about the precedent that could be set for exchanges of high-profile Russian criminals like Bout.
“It was clear over many months that Putin was only going to release Brittney Griner in exchange for this person,” Coons said. “And that’s the risk, is that the more we engage in such exchanges, the more Americans are at risk of being scooped up and held as leverage to try and secure the release of folks who we would rather not have to release.”
Republicans shared Coons’ concern.
“I worry about — this sets in motion, you know, just ‘grab an American,'” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said.
“Well, I hate it,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said when asked about the administration’s move to free Bout. “But I think you’re left with the decision: yes or no. And like I said, I think I would never be happy to have an American in a Russian penal colony, or under any circumstances, so unfortunately, that’s the sort of way Putin does business.”
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., agreed with that assessment.
“We traded a basketball player for a known terrorist criminal,” Marshall said, suggesting that the U.S. should have driven a tougher bargain.
-ABC News’ Allie Pecorin
Dec 08, 1:07 PM EST
Paul Whelan calls CNN from prison
Paul Whelan called CNN from prison on Thursday, saying he’s “happy that Brittney is going home today and that Trevor [Reed] went home when he did — but I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
Whelan said he’s “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release,” adding, “I was arrested for a crime that never occurred.”
Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years, said his message to Biden is: “This is a precarious situation that needs to be resolved quickly, and I would hope that he and his administration would do everything they could to get me home. regardless of the price they may have to pay at this point.”
Biden said Thursday that the prisoner swap was “not a choice” between Brittney Griner and Whelan.
“Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release we are not giving up. We will never give up,” he said.
“We’ll continue to engage the Russians on Paul, and we’ll continue to look at everything possible to bring him home,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken added.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 12:38 PM EST
Phoenix Mercury, Griner’s WNBA team, releases statement: ‘She’s on her way’
The Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner’s WNBA team, celebrated their star player’s return Thursday.
“Miraculously, mercifully, the count of days detained has ended at 294, and our friend, our sister is headed back home where she belongs,” the team wrote on Twitter. “The emotions for our organization, just like for our fans and so many across the world, are those of joyous celebration, deep gratitude, grief for the time lost, and sincere hope for all families still awaiting the return of a loved one.”
Griner has played her entire nine-year career with Phoenix, making eight All-Star teams and winning the WNBA title in 2014.
The team had posted each week, saying how many days Griner had been in detention in Russia and continuing to advocate for her release. Teammates like Kia Nurse, Brianna Turner, Sophie Cunningham and Shey Peddy tweeted their relief at Griner’s release.
“BG’s strength in this process, her unwavering belief that resolution would come, and the hope she displayed every day is what kept all of us believing this day would come,” the Mercury said in its joint statement with the Phoenix Suns.
“We no longer have to Bring BG Home — she’s on her way,” they concluded.
Dec 08, 12:29 PM EST
Griner headed to Brooke Army Medical Center
Brittney Griner is en route to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, a spokesperson at the base confirmed to ABC News. She’s expected to arrive late Thursday night or early Friday, according to the base.
-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri and Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 11:28 AM EST
WNBA, NBA commissioners praise release
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert applauded the release of Griner, an eight-time league All Star, and said she showed “extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity.”
“There has not been a day over the past ten months where we all haven’t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends,” Engelbert wrote in a statement.
The WNBA celebrated Griner all season, putting her No. 42 on every court and even having every player in this year’s All Star Game wear her number. Many players spoke out throughout the season for her release.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who had also consistently pushed for Griner’s release, said in a statement, “Brittney has had to endure an unimaginable situation and we’re thrilled that she is on her way home to her family and friends. We thank the members of the NBA and WNBA community who never wavered in their efforts to raise awareness of Brittney’s unjust circumstances.”
Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP and a teammate of Griner on both the U.S. national team and Russian squad UMMC Ekaterinburg, had posted a plea for Griner’s release every day on Twitter, counting the days and tagging President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House in the posts. On Thursday, she wrote, “BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!”
Dec 08, 9:22 AM EST
Griner negotiations were ‘painstaking,’ Russians treating Whelan differently: Biden
The road to Griner’s release involved “painstaking and intense negotiations,” President Biden said as he thanked many across his administration who “worked tirelessly to secure her release.”
“She’s relieved to finally be heading home and the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma,” he said. “She deserves space, privacy and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained.”
Biden said Griner landed in the United Arab Emirates and that the country helped facilitate the transfer.
Paul Whelan was not part of this exchange, the president said, adding, “This was not a choice of which American to bring home.”
“Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up,” Biden said. “We remain in close touch with Paul’s family — the Whelan family — and my thoughts and prayers are with them today.”
“They have to have such mixed emotions today,” he continued. “And we’ll keep negotiating in good faith for Paul Whelan. I guarantee that. I say that to the family. And I guarantee you. I urge Russia to do the same to ensure that Paul’s health and humane treat are maintained until we can bring him home. I don’t want American to be detained one extra day if we can bring that person home.”
Dec 08, 9:20 AM EST
Blinken says Russia not willing to release Paul Whelan
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he’s grateful to everyone “who worked tirelessly” to bring Brittney Griner home, but lamented that Paul Whelan and his family “continue to suffer needlessly.”
“Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been willing to bring a long overdue end to his wrongful detention. I wholeheartedly wish we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane with Brittney,” he said in a statement. “We will not relent in our efforts to bring Paul and all other U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad home to their loved ones.”
Dec 08, 9:02 AM EST
Biden says Griner will be home within 24 hours
President Joe Biden confirmed that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way back to the U.S. and will be back within 24 hours.
The president said she’s in “good spirits.”
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” Biden said.
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia held under intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along,” he said.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Biden signed off on the prisoner swap last week.
Dec 08, 8:59 AM EST
Whelan family disappointed he wasn’t included in swap
The brother of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine currently being held in Russian prison, said they were told beforehand he would not be included in the swap and were “able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us.”
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood,” Whelan’s brother, David, wrote in a statement. “And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the US government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.”
“In Russia’s case, this may mean taking more law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody,” he added. “It’s not like there aren’t plenty around the world.”
David Whelan also made sure to note he and his family were happy Griner has been released and said he knew the cases “were not intertwined.”
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home,” he wrote. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
The Whelan family issued a similar statement in April when U.S. citizen Trevor Reed was freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. David Whelan alluded to that in his statement Thursday, saying, “The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage.”
Dec 08, 8:53 AM EST
Cherelle Griner calls past months ‘one of the darkest moments of my life’
Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called the past months “one of the darkest moments of my life,” but flashed a large smile on her face knowing “BG” will be home soon.
“Today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration,” she said as she stood alongside President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a happy day for me and my family,” she said.
Dec 08, 8:45 AM EST
Lavrov confirms swap, Putin pardoned Griner
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Griner was released and the prisoner exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V.A. Bout,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused to engage in dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”
“As a result of the efforts made, it was possible to agree with the American side on the organization of the exchange of V.A.Bout for B. Griner,” he continued.
The U.S. has said for months it had offered Bout as part of a prisoner swap for Griner and Russian detained ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said Putin pardoned Griner before her release in the swap and she and Bout “should not serve the rest of their sentences in their respective countries.”
Dec 08, 8:34 AM EST
Who is Viktor Bout?
Griner has been swapped for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Bout was arguably the world’s best-known illegal arms trafficker and his capture in 2008 at a hotel in Thailand came at the end of a nearly decade-long hunt by the U.S.
Bout, 55, emerged as a kingpin in the global illegal arms trade during the 1990s, accused of fueling some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, particularly in Africa. Sourcing weapons from the huge stockpiles of the collapsed Soviet Union, the Russian used a fleet of Soviet-built transport aircraft to supply vast quantities of arm, often circumventing international embargoes.
Dec 08, 8:27 AM EST
Biden speaks to Griner aboard plane
President Joe Biden shared a photo of himself talking on the phone to Brittney Griner from the White House, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was on a plane, safe and headed home.
He is also shown hugging Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife.
