Free Republic

A New York county executive plans to "deputize" legal gun owners to help law enforcement officers during emergencies, but the move is facing pushback from critics who say it will lead to acts of vigilantism. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the deputies must be over 21 years old, be U.S. citizens and Nassau County residents, undergo a full background check, take a drug test and have a valid firearm license. They would be paid $150 a day for their service, according to the plan. "They will have to be trained on the law and use of force," Blakeman, a...

Houston’s police chief has resigned after emails obtained by a local news outlet appear to show that he knew about massive failures in the department well before he said he did. Within hours of issuing a statement about the findings, he resigned. In February, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner first announced that the Houston Police Department dropped 264,000 crime reports, including violent crimes and sexual assaults, which weren’t investigated because a “lack of personnel” code was assigned to them, The Center Square reported. In March, new Houston Mayor John Whitmire appointed an independent panel to review an internal HPD investigation...

DENVER (KDVR) — Each year, U.S. News and World Report releases a report ranking each state on several factors. In the most recent report, Colorado made a top 10 list — for most dangerous states. On Thursday, U.S. News and World Report released the “10 Most Dangerous States in America” list. Each of the 50 states was judged on violent crimes and property crime rates. Colorado was recognized as the third most dangerous state, largely in part because of its property crime rate. The report pulled violent and property crime numbers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Data Explorer....

Florida sheriffs have been making news of late for doing their jobs. I say that not as a commentary on said sheriffs, but as a sad observation that in parts of this country, violent repeat criminals rule the streets. One such Florida sheriff is Lee County's Carmine Marceno, whose hard line on criminals who think they can "play" in his county is crystal clear: My message … is clear. If you think you can deal poison and commit crime, stay clear of Lee County and all the great state of Florida. We're ready, and we will absolutely find you, hunt...

News 5 has learned more about a deadly shooting that happened at a May Day celebration in the quiet community of Stockton. About 1,000 people attended a May Day event Saturday night in an open field on Upper Bryant’s Landing Road, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. “According to witnesses, the event was peaceful until an argument took place, which led to at least one subject shooting multiple rounds into the large crowd,” a BCSO spokesperson said. Eighteen people were shot, three of whom died from their injuries, according to the BCSO. “We do believe that there may have...

UPDATE (4:33 p.m.): News 5 has learned more about a deadly shooting that happened at a May Day celebration in the quiet community of Stockton. About 1,000 people attended a May Day event Saturday night in an open field on Upper Bryant’s Landing Road, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. “According to witnesses, the event was peaceful until an argument took place, which led to at least one subject shooting multiple rounds into the large crowd,” a BCSO spokesperson said. Eighteen people were shot, three of whom died from their injuries, according to the BCSO. “We do believe that...

With 54 out of 60 seats in Congress, President Nayib Bukele’s party holds significant influence over legislative decisions.El Salvador President Nayib Bukele further solidified his grip on power with last week's inauguration of a new Congress. His party, New Ideas, now controls 90 percent of the seats, giving Bukele significant influence over legislative decisions, including potential changes to the Constitution for his reelection. With 54 out of 60 seats secured by New Ideas and three seats held by its allied parties, the opposition finds itself with only a marginal presence in the new Congress. The current distribution of seats empowers...

ATLANTA — Three Atlanta police officers were hospitalized with gunshot wounds after an altercation that left a suspect dead Saturday evening, authorities said. Officers responded at 5:15 p.m. to a report of an armed man in a commercial area on Fairbanks Street and encountered a man with a handgun and a knife on Desoto Avenue, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during a news conference. “During that encounter there was a struggle, there was gunfire that resulted in three of our officers being injured. It also resulted in the death of the individual that was armed with the handgun,” Schierbaum...

Shocking video captured the moment a serial offender pulled out a massive knife and stabbed a passing tourist near Times Square in a horrifying unprovoked attack. Video of Saturday evening’s attack shows the man using a walker to exit Port Gourmet Deli at West 43rd and Eighth Avenue and loitering outside the storefront before lunging at an unsuspecting woman on the sidewalk. The attacker can be seen in the clip wearing a bright yellow sweatshirt under a dark jacket and an orange hat leaving a store and sitting outside on his walker. Two women can be seen walking toward him...

The California Supreme Court declared that law enforcement officers cannot detain individuals because they attempt to avoid police contact. This unanimous decision has stirred a significant response from police unions, who argue that it will hamper their ability to maintain public safety effectively. The court, in a 7-0 decision, stated that actions such as appearing to conceal oneself or acting nervously do not alone provide a sufficient basis for officers to detain individuals. This was elaborated in an opinion by Justice Carol Corrigan, emphasizing that while such behaviors could be considered within a broader context, they do not meet the...

Robberies in New York City are surging, police data show. While most major crimes are down, including shootings and murders, robberies shot up 5.6% so far in 2024 over the same period in 2023 — to 5,522 from 5,228 as of May 5. Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, pointed out that robberies have a low arrest rate — with only about 25% of cases solved because victims typically don’t know their attackers.

Chicago police say a 13-year-old girl was shot by a car owner Tuesday morning while allegedly trying to steal the car. Police updated information on the incident, saying that the owner shot at the 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly with her, according to ABC 7. A bullet hit the girl “in the right side of her body” and she was taken to the hospital, where she was “in stable condition.”

Traumatic footage show a transgender murder suspect running over a victim twice with a Dodge Challenger in suburban Houston - before kissing and stabbing his limp body. Law enforcement sources close to the case said the footage was some of the most horrifying they've seen in their careers, and culminated with the victim's death. The incident on Woodridge Square Drive on May 3 happened in broad daylight - with 20-year-old Karon Fisher seen careening toward Steven Anderson, 64, as he walked to retrieve some mail. Hit first and run over again as Fisher backed up, Anderson is seen looking back...

A 24-year-old man was shot and killed while walking to work on Chicago's Northwest Side Friday morning. The victim was walking in the 3900 block of North Pittsburgh Avenue around 7 a.m. when an unknown offender shot him in the chest, Chicago police said. He was taken to Loyola Hospital in critical condition and later died. In surveillance video posted on social media, a person in dark clothing was seen running southbound on Pittsburgh Avenue. A woman, who asked she not be identified, told CBS 2 she heard a gunshot and ran to help the man who was on the...

WELLINGTON, Fla. — A suspect accused of fatally shooting a Wellington couple on Saturday confessed to killing them over a dispute related to a basketball hoop, deputies said. ... As they were conversing, "at no point during this encounter" was Taylor Jones recorded being aggressive or threatening, detectives said. However, investigators said the video showed Scott "was clearly upset and appeared to be yelling at Taylor Jones" while both appeared to be looking and pointing toward the basketball hoop that rested between both homes. A short time later the affidavit said Scott reached into his right side and retrieved a...

Five shot in Northeast Side home At around 7:40 p.m. Wednesday evening, May 8, Bexar County deputies were called to home on the Northeast Side of San Antonio after reports of shots fired. Investigators would arrive to a grisly scene where some 30 rounds of ammunition were fired into the home of a family, including two adults and five children under the age of 10. All five of the family members were transported to a local hospital in critical condition, and Bexar County Sheriff Salazar said the shooters – two men donning balaclavas spotted from security cameras on neighboring homes...

Police have now ID'd a suspect in the horrific attack that put a woman in the hospital after she was strangled with a belt out in public ... and they've released pictures to help find him. NYPD shared photos taken from security cameras of the man they believe is responsible for this crime ... who seems to be wearing a similar outfit from the OG vid -- with a durag on his head looking very close to the white cloth the attacker used to cover his face.

A car thief behind the wheel of a Lamborghini in Los Angeles fled the police at more than 100 miles per hour and moments later crashed the vehicle, totaling it and getting thrown hundreds of feet from the wreck. He died at the scene. Thieves are not usually very smart and this guy was no exception. People who have never been behind the wheel of a vehicle like the Lamborghini have no idea how much power these cars have and how easily you can lose control. This man found out the hard way. This happened in April but the footage...

A known gang member with a long violent criminal history accused of shooting a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy could have been kept behind bars if not for soft-on-crime policies by the region's top prosecutor, his election opponent said. Raymundo Duran, 47, who allegedly shot Deputy Samuel Aispuro in the back at a stop light while he was sitting on his marked sheriff's department motorcycle on April 22 in West Covina, California, has been involved in a number of violent crimes, including two felony assaults that he committed while serving an 11-year sentence for manslaughter, according to court records. Aispuro,...

Credential theft is a significant factor in breaches, resulting in 38% of all incidents. Phishing is another route into the enterprise, being associated with 15% of all breaches. The most frequently used entry point for phishing is Web applications, followed by email.The report, which analyses 20,358 security incidents and 10,626 confirmed breaches offered by third-party contributors including the US Secret Service and dozens of other organizations and companies; publicly-known data breaches; and security events mitigated by its own Verizon Threat Research Advisory Center (VTRAC), emphasised the critical role the human element plays in introducing risk into the equation.