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Armed man killed after allegedly charging at officers outside police headquarters in California

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(STOCKTON, Calif.) — A shirtless man screaming and wielding a handgun was fatally shot by police after he charged at several officers and refused to put down his gun outside the police headquarters building in Stockton, California, authorities said.

The police-involved shooting began around 8:30 p.m. local time Wednesday when the Stockton Police Communications Center began receiving reports that an armed assailant, who was not immediately identified, was firing a gun outside the headquarters building, Stockton police said in a statement on Thursday.

Six Stockton police officers charged out of the building’s front door and confronted the alleged shooter in the parking lot, according to the statement.

“The suspect was screaming and armed with a firearm. The officers told the suspect to get on the ground and drop the gun,” according to the police statement.

The man initially complied and got on the ground, but allegedly refused to drop his firearm, which police described as a Colt semiautomatic pistol, according to the statement.

As officers approached the man, he allegedly stood up and pointed his weapon at the officers, police said.

“Five officers fired their service weapons, shooting the man,” according to the police statement.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

“For a while, before they (the officers) were forced to fire, they were ordering the person to drop the gun and it wasn’t until he charged right toward them that they opened fire,” Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones said during a news conference Wednesday night.

Jones said several civilians were in the police department parking lot at the time of the shooting.

No officers or bystanders were injured in the incident.

The officers involved in the shooting were identified as Nicole Williams, Nicholas Frayer, Hao Tran, Seth Powell and Ruben Rillon. Officials said three of the officers have been on the police force since 2019, one since 2017 and one joined the department last year.

The Stockton Police Department, the California Department of Justice and the San Joaquin district attorney’s office are conducting a joint investigation of the shooting.

“I have not seen anything like this,” Jones said. “I’ve been here nearly 30 years with Stockton PD, nearly 10 years as police chief, and for somebody to come right into the police department like this and fire the weapon, and then charge right at the officers with the weapon is very unique.”

Starbucks cafe in Buffalo votes to form coffee chain’s 1st union in US

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — Workers with at least one Starbucks outpost in Buffalo, New York, voted on Thursday to form the coffee chain’s first labor union in the U.S., according to results of the vote count from the National Labor Relations Board.

The labor board still has to certify the vote, but the preliminary results are seen as a milestone win for the languishing organized labor movement in the U.S. Workers at a second location in Buffalo voted not to form a union, according the NLRB tally on Thursday. The results of the union election for a third Starbucks location in Buffalo were not available Thursday as the amount of ballots challenged by either the union or the company were large enough to sway the overall vote.

A total of 19 employees at the Elmwood Starbucks cafe, however, voted “yes” for a union, and eight voted “no,” according to the NLRB’s live count of the votes. This represents a majority of the 27 ballots counted from the Elmwood location.

The union vote count for the three Starbucks locations was scheduled for Thursday afternoon despite resistance from Starbucks, which filed a request for a review with the NLRB and sought to have all Buffalo-area stores included in the election. On Tuesday, the NLRB denied Starbucks’ request for a review, setting the stage for the votes from the three separate stores in the area that have filed for union elections to be counted. Each of the three stores voted for a unionization bid individually.

The efforts to unionize in Buffalo also come amid unique labor market conditions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the number of workers quitting their jobs hovers at record-high levels and major companies have struggled to fill service industry roles. The apparent labor shortage has given workers an edge in negotiating in the workplace, and been linked to the new labor force activism seen across the country in recent months.

The workers seek to unionize with Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, and call their group the Starbucks Workers United. The employees have received support from progressive lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

“Once again Starbucks tried to stop partners from voting, and once again they failed. At this point the company has strayed so far from its original values it’s hard to recognize the company I started with,” Michelle Eisen, a barista at a Buffalo-area Starbucks, said in a statement released by Starbucks Workers United. “This is exactly why we need a union — so our voices can be heard and we can work to make Starbucks the company we used to love.”

In a letter to employees, whom Starbucks calls “partners,” CEO Kevin Johnson reiterated the company’s wish to have all Starbucks locations in the Buffalo-area be included in the vote.

“Unlike others in our industry who operate a franchise model, we have a network of company-operated stores that work together to create a better partner experience,” Johnson wrote on Tuesday. “Why does this matter? Many of you have told me you greatly value the flexibility to work between stores, to swap and pick up shifts, giving you the opportunity to connect with partners across different stores as one community.”

“Because of this, we feel strongly that all partners in Buffalo should have a voice in the elections, which may unfortunately not be the case,” Johnson added. “While we recognize this creates some level of uncertainty, we respect the process that is underway and, independent of any outcome in these elections, we will continue to stay true to our Mission and Values.”

Johnson also touted the company’s investments in staffing, saying it’s “investing an unprecedented $1 billion in wages, training, and hours, deploying new equipment and technology and continuing to support leaders in markets across the country.”

In late October, as unionization efforts in Buffalo were in full swing, Starbucks announced it would be raising wages and making other changes to improve working conditions. By summer 2022, all hourly employees will make an average of $17 per hour, the company said in its fourth quarter earnings release, with hourly rates for baristas in the U.S. ranging from $15 to $23.The unionization bid comes after Starbucks reported record fourth-quarter consolidated net revenues of $8.1 billion.

Overall union membership has dwindled in recent decades, falling to 10.8% in 2020 among salaried and wage-earning workers in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 1983, the first year the BLS collected this data, that figure was 20.1%.

Daunte Wright’s girlfriend delivers emotional testimony at Kim Potter trial

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) — Daunte Wright’s girlfriend, Alayna Albrecht-Payton, tearfully recalled his final moments on the witness stand on day two of the trial of former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter.

Albrecht-Payton was in the passenger seat of the car when Wright was pulled over by police on April 11. She and Wright had not made their relationship official, she said, but they had been dating for a few weeks before the fatal incident.

“He was really scared — I’d never seen him like that before,” Albrecht-Payton said. “If you know Daunte, he’s really happy and positive and you can’t be sad or depressed or angry around him.”

Potter is charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Wright during a traffic stop. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Potter shot Wright in the chest after he escaped from the officers’ hold and scuffled with officers in the driver’s seat of the car. After being shot, Wright drove off. Albrecht-Payton said she did not remember Wright’s hands being on the wheel as they rode several blocks before swerving into another lane and crashing into another car.

Albrecht-Payton also testified that she does not remember some of what happened because she suffered from a concussion, a fractured jaw, a lacerated lip and had to get stitches on her ear from the car crash.

After they crashed, a video call from Wright’s mother came through and Albrecht-Payton said she picked up.

“I was delirious, I was just screaming, ‘they just shot him, they just shot him,'” Albrecht-Payton said.

On day one of the trial, Katie Bryant, also known as Katie Wright, recalled her version of the events: “She was screaming. I was like ‘what’s wrong?’ And she said that they shot him and she faced the phone towards the driver’s seat.”

Albrecht-Payton said she was sorry that she did so. She recalled the moments while sobbing, and prosecutor Erin Elridge continuously confirmed Albrecht-Payton’s statements.

“I hear you saying that no mom should see her son dead on the phone and you know that that hurt her and you apologize for that?” Elridge asked.

“Just dead, period, but yes,” Albrecht-Payton said.

She said Wright was gasping for air after they crashed the car and she begged him to talk to her, “I replay that image in my head daily,” Albrecht-Payton said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James suspends campaign for governor

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday that she’s suspending her campaign for governor and will instead run for reelection for attorney general.

James took to Twitter saying that there are “many investigations and cases underway” and that she “intends to finish the job.”

She opted to relinquish her pursuit of the governor’s office for the good of the state Democratic party, the chairman told ABC News.

“I think that she understands that we need to be united now and divisive primary is going to go against our interests. Not going to help us. This was a selfless act on her part,” state Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs told WABC.

James’ campaign did not gain significant traction despite her high profile as the state’s attorney general. Gov. Kathy Hochul locked up significant endorsements across the state in her bid to win a term outright after she assumed office upon the resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

A source familiar with the matter told ABC News Thursday James wants to depose former President Donald Trump as part of her office’s civil investigation into the Trump Organization.

She sought testimony from the former president Jan. 7, the source said, confirming a detail first reported by the Washington Post.

The attorney general’s office is investigating whether the Trump Organization committed financial fraud in the way it valued its real estate holdings. Property valuations are also under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, which is deciding whether the former president should face criminal charges.

At a press conference about COVID-19 on Thursday, Hochul told reporters that James called her in the morning to inform her about the decision. Hochul said she supports James’ reelection as attorney general.

“I want to thank her for her leadership; even last week we were together in a Brooklyn church; [we were] always very cordial, always respectful to each other. And that’s the hallmark of the two of us and how we plan to continue working together to support the important policies that she’s undertaking and her support for what we’re doing here in the state of New York,” Hochul said.

Hochul also addressed the investigations James is undertaking: “This is a very bad day for Donald Trump and the NRA when we have when we have Tish James, one of the finest attorney generals in the country, very focused on making sure that justice is done.”

James’ announcement had an immediate impact on the attorney general race, as one candidate dropped out of the Democratic primary and endorsed James.

“Her decision to run for re-election demonstrates her determination to continue her unparalleled actions on major cases and important investigations that are currently pending,” state Sen. Shelley Mayer, who launched her run for attorney general in November, wrote in a statement on Twitter.

Mayer said she will instead run for reelection in the state Senate.

James launched her campaign for governor in late October. Her public profile grew this year following investigations into the office of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for concealing the number of nursing home deaths due to COVID-19 and into sexual harassment allegations against him.

James is the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected attorney general of the state.

In 2013, she was elected public advocate of New York City, and she was reelected for a second term in 2017. She had previously served as a New York City councilmember for ten years. Before being elected to office, James led the Brooklyn Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

Two juveniles arrested in school bus stop shooting that killed 16-year-old boy

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — Two juveniles have been arrested in connection to a shooting at a Louisville, Kentucky, school bus stop that killed a 16-year-old.

The juveniles, whose names were not released, were taken into custody Wednesday on multiple charges including complicity to murder and complicity to first-degree assault, Louisville Metropolitan Police said.

Tyree Smith, 16, was killed in the Sept. 22 drive-by shooting and two 14-year-olds were injured. All three were waiting for the bus to go to Eastern High School.

Smith “was doing everything we ask of kids and he’s murdered while standing waiting on his school bus,” police chief Erika Shields said at a news conference Thursday.

“We simply must be do better,” she said.

To Smith’s family, the chief said, “I’m sorry we’re here, but hopefully, in some small way, the arrest of your son’s murderers will bring you a morsel of relief.”

Police said the investigation is not over and it is possible that others could be arrested.

Kim Potter trial updates: Trial begins over fatal shooting of Daunte Wright

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The trial of former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter charged in the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot during a traffic stop, began Wednesday.

Opening statements took place in the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis.

Potter, 49, is charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11 incident. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Potter has said she meant to grab her stun gun, but accidentally shot her firearm instead when she and other officers were attempting to arrest Wright, who had escaped the officers’ grip and was scuffling with them when he was shot.

Wright was initially pulled over for an expired registration tag on his car, but officers discovered he had an outstanding warrant for a gross misdemeanor weapons charge and tried to detain him, according to former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon.

The maximum sentence for first-degree manslaughter is 15 years and a $30,000 fine and for second-degree manslaughter, it’s 10 years and a $20,000 fine.

Wright’s death reignited protests against racism and police brutality across the U.S., as the killing took place just outside of Minneapolis, where the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd, was taking place.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Dec 09, 3:09 am
Minnesota governor prepares National Guard ‘out of an abundance of caution’

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that he is preparing the Minnesota National Guard to provide public safety assistance if necessary during Kim Potter’s trial, as requested by Hennepin County and the city of Brooklyn Center.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are prepared to ask members of the Minnesota National Guard to be available to support local law enforcement with the mission of allowing for peaceful demonstrations, keeping the peace, and ensuring public safety,” Walz said in a statement Wednesday evening.

A press release from Walz’s press office stated that, “at this time, the Minnesota National Guard will not be proactively assuming posts throughout the Twin Cities.” Guard members will only operate in support of local law enforcement “should they be needed,” according to the press release.

Dec 08, 6:49 pm
New body-cam footage shows Potter moments after shooting Wright

New body-worn camera footage played in the courtroom while the prosecution questioned Brooklyn Center officer Anthony Luckey showed the moments after Kim Potter shot Daunte Wright.

In the video, taken from Luckey’s body-worn camera, Potter can be seen falling to the curb.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” she said, before hyperventilating for several minutes with her face buried in the grass.

Luckey’s and Sgt. Mychal Johnson’s arms can be seen reaching down to Potter.

“Just breathe,” Luckey can be heard saying.

“I’m going to go to prison,” Potter said.

“No, you’re not,” Luckey said.

“Kim, that guy was trying to take off with me in the car!” Johnson said in the video.

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai among three prominent democracy activists convicted on Thursday

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(HONG KONG) — Hong Kong’s already-jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai was among three prominent democracy activists convicted on Thursday for taking part in a banned gathering in June 2020 to remember the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

Hong Kong has a long history of commemorating June 4 — it’s traditionally a day when the city’s freedoms are on show to the world — but the Tiananmen vigil has been banned since Beijing intensified its crackdown in the city after 2019’s protests, with the Hong Kong Police dubiously citing the pandemic.

Lai, who turned 74-years-old on Wednesday, was found guilty on Thursday of inciting people to join the Tiananmen gathering. Rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung and former journalist Gwyneth Ho were also convicted of taking part in the ‘unauthorized assembly’ at Victoria Park.

Judge Amanda Woodcock said that prosecutors were able to prove that Lai and Chow encouraged others to join the vigil, citing Chow’s call for people to “light candles.” Sentencing is on Dec. 13.

Lai, the founder of now-closed pro-democracy paper Apple Daily, is currently in prison serving out sentences for other charges related to his activism. He’s also still waiting to hear charges against him under the controversial national security law.

Thursday’s ruling is another worrying sign that Hong Kong’s once vibrant civil society and independent legal system is heading down a more autocratic path, in line with mainland China.

In a statement, Amnesty International said: “The Hong Kong government has once again flouted international law by convicting activists simply for their involvement in a peaceful, socially distanced vigil for those killed by Chinese troops on 4 June 1989. The authorities have deemed the vigil ‘unlawful’ because the police did not approve it, but peaceful assembly does not need government approval. These convictions merely underline the pattern of the Hong Kong authorities’ extreme efforts to exploit the law to press multiple trumped-up charges against prominent activists.”

The group added, “People should be free to peacefully mourn and remember the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown – and to prosecute people for doing so is an egregious attack on the rights to freedom of expression and assembly.”

With many of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy politicians in jail or in exile, for the first time in history the city is holding a Legislative Council election without opposition next Sunday, Dec. 19. It’s also the first city-wide poll under Beijing’s new electoral system to ensure only Chinese ‘patriots’ run Hong Kong.

In March, it passed legislation to reduce pro-democracy representation in the legislature, introducing a pro-Beijing vetting panel to screen candidates and expanding the ratio of pro-Beijing seats. This election has been postponed twice — it was originally scheduled for September 2020 — with officials citing the pandemic.

Meanwhile Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have been trying to deflect concerns about a potential record-low voter turnout. Earlier this month, an online survey found that 40% of 6,400 people polled said they “most likely” or “absolutely” would not be casting a ballot on election day.

Seemingly in response, Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam told the Chinese tabloid the Global Times that a low turnout rate “would not mean anything,” musing that it could mean that the public was satisfied with the government and didn’t need to vote.

Nevertheless, the potential turnout was sensitive enough that the Hong Kong government issued a threat to The Wall Street Journal after it published an editorial about the upcoming election. The editorial commented that ‘not voting’ is probably one of the remaining forms of protests left in the city. However, it is against the law to incite others to boycott the election or cast blank ballots.

Before the election was delayed, democrats held an unofficial primary poll to boost their chances of gaining a majority in the chamber. Forty-seven political figures involved in the election were arrested and charged with subversion under the security law. Since then, many other democratic politicians have quit or been disqualified over oath-taking requirements.

The pro-democracy camp had seen a surge in support during the 2019 protests, enjoying landslide wins in record turnout during the District Council election in November that year.

NLRB set to count votes for Starbucks union election in Buffalo, New York

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — History could be made for Starbucks workers in labor-friendly Buffalo, New York, on Thursday.

The National Labor Relations Board is set to count votes for a union election collected from three Starbucks outposts in upstate New York as the workers seek to form the coffee chain’s first union in the U.S.

The vote count is scheduled for Thursday afternoon despite resistance from Starbucks, which filed a request for a review with the NLRB and sought to have all Buffalo-area stores included in the election. On Tuesday, the NLRB denied Starbucks’ request for a review, setting the stage for the votes from the three separate stores in the area that have filed for union elections to be counted. Each of the three stores will be voting for a unionization bid individually.

The workers are seeking to unionize with Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, and call their group the Starbucks Workers United. The employees have received support from progressive lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

In a letter to employees, whom Starbucks calls “partners,” CEO Kevin Johnson reiterated the company’s wish to have all Starbucks locations in the Buffalo-area be included in the vote.

A tale of two New Yorks: COVID-19 hospitalization rate surging upstate

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — COVID-19-related hospitalizations have been on an upward trend in New York state since last month, but there appears to be a drastic divide between the Big Apple and some of the state’s more rural areas, health data shows.

In New York City, the seven-day average of new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people rose from 0.5 on Nov. 10 to 1.1 on Dec. 7, the New York State Department of Health said.

The story is different in several counties hundreds of miles north, where new COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising at a higher rate. In the Finger Lakes region, officials in several counties declared a state of emergency after the seven-day average of new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people went from 2.9 on Nov. 10 to 4.9 on Dec. 7.

David Larsen, an associate professor of public health at Syracuse University, told ABC News that there are several factors behind this divide, but the most important one is the lower vaccination rates in certain counties upstate.

“At the end of the day, you’re more likely to get severe COVID-19 symptoms and go to the hospital if you’re not vaccinated,” Larsen said.

Health experts and state officials predict the situation upstate is only going to get worse during the holidays and colder months, but the tide can be turned if more people get their shots and heed health warnings.

As of Dec. 8, 74.9% of all New York state residents have at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, but those numbers vary by region, according to state health data.

New York City and Long Island had over 78% of their populations with at least one shot, the state data showed. Further north, the rates for at least one dose in the Mohawk Valley, the Finger Lakes and North Country sections were 60.6%, 68.5%, and 63% respectively.

There is even more division within the regions when it comes to vaccination, the data shows; for example, counties that are along the Interstate 87 corridor, such as Hamilton, Schenectady and Saratoga, all have rate of at least one dose above 75% of their populations.

Counties directly west of those locations, Schoharie, Fulton and Montgomery, have one-dose vaccination rates under 65%, the state data showed.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has repeatedly highlighted that the unvaccinated are the ones suffering and being hospitalized.

“It is a conscious decision not to be vaccinated. And the direct result is a higher rate of individuals in those regions upstate as well as it has a direct correlation to the number of hospitalizations,” she said during a Dec. 2 news conference.

Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, an adjunct professor of public health at Cornell University, told ABC News that there are fewer options for upstate residents to turn to for medical help and fewer hospitals in the area are handling patients from more locations.

Weisfuse, a former deputy health commissioner for New York City’s Health Department, noted that New York City residents have much closer access to amenities like free testing sites and medical clinics than their upstate counterparts.

“If you live in a rural county in New York state and it takes a while to get to a doctor, you may put it off. So when you do eventually go get care, you may be sicker versus someone who lives closer and gets a quicker diagnosis,” he said.

Larsen added that there has been pandemic fatigue across the country, and many Americans have scaled back on mitigation measures, especially mask-wearing indoors.

While New York City requires proof of vaccination for indoor activities, such as movie theaters and restaurants, there are no such rules in many upstate counties. As a result, some upstate residents have less of an incentive to get their shots, and are less cautious in indoor group settings, according to Larsen.

“We’re doing less mask wearing. What that does is it increases transmission, which is fine for the vaccinated people but it does go to the unvaccinated people and they are higher risk,” he said.

Weisfuse said the hospitalizations are likely to grow upstate and have ripple effects for those regions. The governor has ordered elective surgeries to be postponed at 32 hospitals upstate that have seen their available beds decrease.

State officials said they are beefing up their marketing efforts to encourage eligible New Yorkers to get their shots.

Weisfuse said this outreach needs to be done meticulously if upstate officials want to avoid more overcrowded emergency rooms this winter.

“The state needs to take a good look at the pockets of non-vaccination,” he said. “They need to make some targeted intervention in those neighborhoods.”

Anyone who needs help scheduling a free vaccine appointment can log onto vaccines.gov.

Missing 15-year-old Indiana girl may be in danger, police say

December 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(INDIANAPOLIS) — Police in Indiana are asking the public to help find a missing 15-year-old girl who they said may be in danger.

Cabrini Stott was last seen on Sunday, Dec. 5, in the 5800 block of Village Plaza S. Dr. in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.

Police said in a statement they believe Stott “may possibly be in danger,” but on Thursday a police spokesperson declined to provide more information.

Stott, a 10th grader at BELIEVE Circle City High School, was last at school on Friday, the school’s executive director, Kimberly Neal-Brannum, told ABC News.

Neal-Brannum said the teen has “a smile that’ll light up a room,” describing her as “smart, funny, charismatic, athletic, involved in school.”

“She’s a good volunteer. She does a lot of community service,” Neal-Brannum said. “She definitely is a good kid.”

Cabrini has black hair and brown eyes. She stands at 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Missing Persons detectives at 317-327-6160 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.

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