Defense request to acquit Derek Chauvin denied by judge

A Maryland state trooper responding to a couple of 911 calls fatally shot a teenager in Leonardtown who was pointing an airsoft gun at him. Talking to reporters, Superintendent Woodrow Jones II said the trooper saw Peyton Ham, 16, ’in a shooting stance’ with a weapon. The trooper then fired at Ham wounding him. He tried to get up after pulling out a knife when the trooper fired at him again.

Minneapolis police officers erected concrete barriers and fencing around the home of Kimberly Potter, the Brooklyn Center cop who shot dead Daunte Wright, NYT reported. Potter’s house is the suburb of Champlin. One of Potter’s neighbors told WSJ that the community was on the edge. Potter shot Wright, a 20-year-old black man, during a traffic stop last week. She has resigned from the police force.

Three top Biden administration health officials are scheduled to speak before the House coronavirus subcommittee on Thursday. The hearing will include Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Rochelle Walensky of the CDC and top Biden administration health official David Kessler. The hearing comes amid dozens of states abruptly stopping administering Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid vaccine.

The US Coast Guard continued to search for the missing 12 people on the boat, Seacor Power, that capsized off the Louisiana coast on Tuesday. So far, 1 body has been recovered and 6 people have been rescued. The USCG has already searched an area larger than the state of Rhode Island in the Gulf of Mexico. The boat has three long legs it can lower to the sea floor to become an offshore platform.

According to Project Veritas, a CNN staffer admitted during a sting operation that his network produced ’propaganda’ to oust former President Trump during the 2020 presidential election. Charlie Chester, a technical Director at CNN, was filmed during a series of fake Tinder dates as he explained how they ’got Trump out’ of office. Chester also explained how they overdramatized Trump health issues.

A report by the US Capitol Police has detailed a number of missteps that left the force unprepared for the 6 January insurrection. The report highlighted the use of riot shields that shattered upon impact, expired weapons that couldn’t be used, and an intelligence division that had few set standards. The report comes as the Capitol police force has plunging morale and has edged closer to crisis.

President Joe Biden’s administration said it was temporarily lifting a medication abortion restriction that requires abortion pills to be dispensed in person. Now, they can be acquired via mail during the Covid-19 pandemic. The move reverses former President Donald Trump’s policy that banned sending or receiving such pills by post. This is seen as a major victory for pro-abortion groups.

Authorities have found human remains in the Mississippi river in Reserve, Louisiana at a spot around 50 miles southeast of where the search for missing freshman Louisiana State University student Kori Gauthier was launched in Baton Rouge. Gauthier, 18, was last seen on April 6. Her car was found on April 7 abandoned on a bridge on the river, with her wallet and phone still inside.

A Minnesota officer, who shot a suspect after accidentally grabbing her gun instead of her taser, has been charged with manslaughter.

A use-of-force expert testified for the defense on Tuesday, saying that Derek Chauvin was justified in pinning George Floyd to the ground because he kept struggling. Barry Brodd, a former Santa Rosa, California officer, said ’put yourself in the officer’s shoes to try to make an evaluation through what they’re feeling, what they’re sensing, the fear they have,’ about Chauvin’s actions.

A large boat carrying 18 people capsized after a sudden storm with winds up to 112mph toppled it off the coast of Louisiana Tuesday. Six crew members have been rescued by Good Samaritans and the US Coast Guard; however, 12 people were still missing. Rescue missions were on when reports last came in. The boat, named, Seacor Power, is used to carry workers to service offshore drilling platforms.

The Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back in August has returned to regular duty. District Attorney Michael Graveley announced in January that Rusten Sheskey would face no criminal charges in the Aug. 23 incident that left Blake paralyzed from the waist down. Sheskey has also been cleared of breaking any internal policies.

The Chicago Police Department has canceled days off for certain police officers until further notice citing ’events across the country.’ This comes as parts of the US is gearing up for rising tensions over the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright in Minnesota. The CPD said members of its community safety, critical incident response and summer mobile patrol teams would no longer get days off.

The US FDA and the CDC, in a joint statement, asked the US government to pause the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine while reports of rare blood clots are being probed. Although there have been just 6 such reported cases out of around 7 million doses given, the two agencies said they were recommending the pause out of an ’abundance of caution.’ All 6 reported cases happened in women.

President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders prepared to pay their respects to slain U.S. Capitol Police Officer William ’Billy’ Evans, whose casket arrived at the Capitol on Tuesday. Evans was struck by a car and killed while he manned a barricade near the Senate side of the building. His family, including his two children, were present as his casket was carried up the Capitol steps.

Two North Carolina cops were placed on leave after at least one of them were seen throwing punches at a Black man who was taken to the ground after a foot pursuit. A clip during the arrest Monday in Kinston appears to show an officer standing over David Lee Bruton Jr. and throwing multiple punches while he’s on the ground. Kinston Police Chief Tim Dilday acknowledged that ’punches were thrown.’

Officer Rusten Sheskey, the policeman who fired several shots at Jacob Blake and injured him severely, has returned to duty. Sheskey, a white man, was not charged for shooting Blake, a black man, seven times while responding to a domestic violence call. Blake was left paralyzed from waist downwards after the incident. Kenosha’s police chief said Sheskey returned to duty on March 31.

According to statements by officials to the US media, an announcement is set to be given by US President Joe Biden where he will tell that US troops are set to leave Afghanistan by the 11th of September. A May deadline for a pull-out which was agreed by the Trump administration with Taliban will be missed by the US government.

The twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul set another overnight curfew as the local administration anticipated a third night of protests demanding justice after an officer shot dead Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man, during a traffic stop. Officials imposed restrictions on movement in the two cities from 10pm to 6am. However, the new curbs are less stringent than the ones imposed on Monday.

Virginia AG Mark Herring launched a civil rights investigation into the Windsor Police Department after video was released of officers apparently unlawfully detaining a US Army Lieutenant and pepper spraying him in his car. The video shows Lieutenant Caron Nazario repeatedly asking why he is being stopped and the officers refusing to answer while aiming firearms at him.

Tim Gannon, the police chief of Brooklyn Center and Kimberly Potter, the policewoman who fatally shot Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man, have resigned from the Minneapolis suburb’s police department. Mayor Mike Elliott of Brooklyn Center told reporters that the city was moving toward firing Potter, who is a 26-year veteran of the city’s police force. She is likely to face criminal charges.

Dr. Fauci said it is ’still not’ acceptable for Americans to eat indoors, even after they’ve received the COVID jab. ’If you are vaccinated, please remember that you still have to be careful and not get involved in crowded situations,’ Fauci said. His comments drew criticism from conservatives. Former chief of staff Meadows said Democrats had ’zero intention of giving back their newfound control.’

Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle released a statement grieving the death of Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old black man who the police shot in a Minneapolis suburb. In the joint statement, the Obamas wrote: ’Our hearts are heavy over yet another shooting of a black man, Daunte Wright, at the hands of police.’ They also called for a ’full and transparent investigation’ in the case.

A teenager was fatally shot by a Maryland State Police trooper who was responding to a pair of 911 calls. The teenager was reportedly pointing what investigators determined was an airsoft gun at the trooper. The trooper encountered 16-year-old Peyton Ham, who said he had a gun and a knife. A witness saw Ham in the driveway of the home ’in a shooting stance’ and pointing a weapon at the trooper.