Bodycam video appears to show Florida officer aiming a gun at Black student during brutal arrest
A Florida police officer had his gun aimed at a Black college student shortly before the driver was pulled from his car and beaten in a recorded encounter that recently sparked widespread outrage, civil rights lawyers said Tuesday.
The officer standing in front of William McNeil Jr.'s car appeared to have the 22-year-old at gunpoint as another officer who had just shattered his windshield began to drag him from the vehicle, according to one of the other officers' body cameras. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and other lawyers presented a still photo taken from the footage during a news conference in Chicago.
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Security guard pleads guilty in death of man restrained outside Milwaukee hotel
MILWAUKEE — The last of four hotel employees charged in connection with the death of D'Vontaye Mitchell, a Black man who was held face down outside a downtown Milwaukee hotel in 2024, has pleaded guilty. Former Hyatt Regency security guard Todd Erickson, 59, pleaded guilty on July 31 to felony murder. The plea, before Circuit Judge David Swanson, came just days before jury selection was expected to get underway in Erickson's Aug. 11 trial. The 43-year-old Mitchell died during a June 30, 2024, confrontation with security at the Hyatt, where he was pinned down to the ground for about nine minutes. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Mitchell's death was a homicide that was caused by "restraint asphyxia," a condition that develops when a person's body position prevents them from breathing. Erickson and three other men — Devin W. Johnson-Carson, Brandon LaDaniel Turner and Herbert T. Williamson — were initially charged with felony murder. Erickson and Turner were employed by the hotel as security guards; Williamson worked as a bell driver door attendant; and Johnson-Carson was a front desk agent. In Wisconsin, felony murder carries a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison. Court records show prosecutors haven't made a sentencing recommendation yet for Erickson. Swanson said in court he would "take into account" Erickson's willingness to take responsibility in the case at sentencing. Erickson remained free on bond, and will be sentenced Sept. 3 — the same day as the three other men charged in connection to Mitchell's death. Francis Gigliotti death: 7 Massachusetts officers placed on leave after man died following struggle with police What happened to D'Vontaye Mitchell? A criminal complaint said Mitchell was outnumbered during the deadly encounter, in which the 43-year-old was repeatedly punched and hit with a broom after he was brought to his knees. Surveillance footage from the hotel showed Mitchell running through the lobby into the gift shop before entering a women's restroom. Turner is seen going into the same restroom, in which then he escorts Mitchell out. A struggle then ensued between Turner and Mitchell in the hotel's main lobby, according to the footage and criminal complaint. Turner tried to grab Mitchell, but Mitchell resisted, the footage showed. Once in the lobby, the men are seen in the footage pushing each other. It's there that Turner begins punching Mitchell, who is knocked to the floor. The incident draws the attention of a hotel guest, who intervenes to help Turner. According to the complaint, the hotel guest and Turner escorted and later dragged Mitchell outside — where a female Hyatt employee struck Mitchell in the legs with a broom. The complaint said Turner then punched Mitchell about six times and footage further showed Williamson and Johnson-Carter attempting to help Erickson and Turner force Mitchell down to his stomach. 'At some point, the individuals gained control of him and got him on his stomach," Milwaukee Police Detective Martin Saavedra testified at a preliminary hearing in August 2024. Once on his stomach, Mitchell is heard on a Facebook Live video captured by a bystander repeatedly saying "I'm sorry." Mitchell died after being restrained for roughly nine minutes by the men. Report: US sets another grim record for killings by police in 2024 Mitchell's death drew comparisons to other cases The incident garnered national attention — raising questions over the use of force — and drew immediate comparisons to George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in 2020 after a former Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck and back for more than nine minutes. Mitchell's death also sparked days of protests and demonstrations leading up to the Republican National Convention, which was held between July 15 and July 18, 2024, and hosted in Milwaukee. The case drew the attention of attorney Benjamin Crump, who has represented families across the country for personal injury and civil rights violations, including those of Floyd, Tyre Nichols, and Breonna Taylor. Crump, along with Milwaukee attorneys Will Sulton and B'Ivory Lamarr, negotiated a settlement between Mitchell's family and Aimbridge Hospitality, the third-party operator that manages the Hyatt. The Plano, Texas,-based company fired all four men after the criminal charges were handed down. Here's what has happened with the other defendants Turner, 35, of Milwaukee, reached a deal in March to plead guilty to felony as a party to a crime and cooperate with prosecutors. Prosecutors agreed to recommend probation for Turner in exchange for his testimony against any remaining defendants at trial. Also in March, Williamson, 53, of Milwaukee, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery, which is punishable by up to nine months in jail, plus a $10,000 fine. Johnson-Carson, 24, pleaded guilty that same month to misdemeanor battery in exchange for his cooperation and testimony. Prosecutors are recommending Johnson-Carson be given probation.
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton immigration council ‘deeply alarmed' by reports of white nationalists training in city parks
The Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council (HIPC) says it is 'deeply alarmed' amid reports that white nationalists are gathering to train in local parks and gyms. Dubbed 'active clubs,' the far-right groups aren't 'benign social organizations,' HIPC warned in a news release Thursday. 'They are part of a transnational movement grounded in fascist ideology, white supremacy, misogyny and violent extremism.' The council's 'unequivocal' condemnation comes in the wake of a CBC News investigation which reported white supremacist groups have been training for an impending 'race war' in the Hamilton area, including public spaces like Myrtle and Gage parks, as well as a pair of local boxing gyms. The troubling activity is part of a broader trend. In ' Hate Rising ,' a multi-part series released in 2023, The Spectator reported about a group of Hamilton-grown neo-Nazis who called themselves Nationalist-13 — and who claimed to be part of the 'fastest growing nationalist community in Canada.' The investigation revealed Nationalist-13 was responsible for a sticker and vandalism campaign across Hamilton, including a white pride sticker placed over the face of a Black municipal election candidate's billboard. Existing as a white nationalist community on messaging app Telegram — like many other modern neo-Nazi outfits — the group also organized publicity stunts, such as waving racist banners over the Red Hill Valley Parkway and using Sam Lawrence Park to engage in survivalist exercise. In its July 18 story, CBC described Nationalist-13 as one of Canada's most prolific 'active clubs.' Ongoing public displays rooted in hate are particularly concerning given newcomers are among the city's largest users of parks, said Grace Baldwin, chair of the HIPC and director of Goof Shepherd's Family Centre. 'They should be able to feel safe as they go about in the city.' Immigrants most often experience discrimination in public places, according to Baldwin. She pointed to early results from HIPC's 2025 Immigration Survey — expected to be released this fall — which suggests 'stores, banks, restaurants, parks and sidewalks were among the top five contexts where participants experienced discrimination' in the past year. Baldwin said about one-third of survey participants — 630 newcomers responded — reported experiencing discrimination since 2024, with racialized immigrants more likely to be victimized than white participants. 'When we're seeing this type of (white nationalist) activity out in the open, in the community, what message is this sending to newcomers?' Baldwin said over a call. 'We felt it was important to speak about this and send a message to newcomers that there are people within this community that are here to support you.' In a statement, Coun. Nrinder Nann — whose ward includes the parks cited by CBC as training grounds for white supremacist groups — called violent extremism a 'national security threat.' 'This presence is concerning to neighbours across Ward 3 and to me personally,' said Nann, who also spoke about the issue at length in a 16-minute Instagram video July 23. 'Active clubs operate under the guise of sparring and physical training — however, their mandate is to incite national race wars.' White nationalists operating in Hamilton are not an isolated concern, according to the HIPC. Hamilton police recently reported a fourth-consecutive annual increase in hate-related incidents with 297 reported in 2024 — up 35 per cent from 2023 and well above the 10-year average of 146 per year. Staff Sgt. Ryan Hashimoto of the hate-crime unit attributed the uptick in part to more reporting, but also a rise in alt-right ideologies, anti-immigration rhetoric and geopolitical events like the Israel-Hamas conflict. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Bloomberg
5 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Epstein's Work for Leon Black Should Face IRS Probe, Wyden Says
A key Senate Democrat broadened his attack on the Trump administration's handling of records about the financing of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking network, urging the Internal Revenue Service to investigate his tax and estate planning work for private equity titan Leon Black. Ron Wyden, the Senate Finance Committee's top Democrat, wrote Thursday to IRS Commissioner Billy Long to question why the agency had not audited at least $158 million in payments that Black made to Epstein between 2012 and 2017 for complex tax-related transactions. A spokesman for Black denied that he engaged in wrongdoing.
