First responders react to passing of Binghamton firefighter
40-year-old John 'JR' Gaudet died while fighting a second-alarm fire at 1 Main Street late Wednesday night. While battling the flames, a Mayday call was sent out for three firefighters trapped inside, one of whom was Gaudet. Two of the firefighters were taken to Wilson Hospital after being pulled from the building and are currently in stable condition. Gaudet, who was also taken to Wilson Hospital, was pronounced dead upon arrival. According to a press release, Gaudet died after a wall collapsed on him while fighting the fire.
Several first responder agencies took to Facebook on Thursday to react to the loss of Gaudet including the Endicott Fire Department, Endicott Police Department, Johnson City Police Department, Binghamton Police Department, and New York State Police.
'The ability to come up with the right words is impossible. All the love goes to our Brothers and Sisters in the City of Binghamton Fire Department,' said Endicott Fire. 'Our members are your members. Our family is your family. We are here for you. The world is a little less safe today because you are no longer with us. Rest easy brother.'
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'We mourn the loss of a brave firefighter who selflessly gave his life in the line of duty, protecting the community he served with dedication and courage. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic loss,' said Binghamton Police.
Senator Chuck Schumer also released a statement regarding the tragic incident.
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'I am devastated by the heartbreaking news of the brave Binghamton firefighter who lost their life in the line of duty while fighting a fire on Main Street in Binghamton late last night. My deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and community dealing with this traffic loss. May God bless those injured and the entire Binghamton Fire Department during this difficult time,' said Schumer.
Gaudet, a Binghamton native, was an 11-year veteran of the Binghamton Fire Department.
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First responders react to passing of Binghamton firefighter
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Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘Reality TV spectacle': outrage as federal agents raid LA neighborhood with horses and armored cars
Dozens of federal officers in tactical gear and about 90 California national guard troops descended on a historic immigrant neighborhood in Los Angeles on Monday – mounting a sweeping show that local leaders denounced as a 'reality TV spectacle' and intimidation tactic. The troops were deployed to a mostly empty MacArthur Park in the neighborhood of the same name for about an hour, some on horseback and others in armored military vehicles. Agents were also operating an armored vehicle with a mounted rifle. Related: Karen Bass in hot seat as Trump targets Los Angeles – but it's not her first crisis It wasn't immediately clear that any arrests were made. But the operation on Monday morning has drawn widespread criticism from city leaders, who have characterized the militarized immigration raid as an intimidation tactic. 'What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation,' said Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, who called it a 'political stunt'. Bass said that children who were attending a nearby daycare center had to be quickly ushered inside as agents swept through the neighborhood, including through its namesake park. The agents arrived at about 10.30am, and left the neighborhood after Bass spoke to a Department of Homeland Security representative, according to reporters at the scene. LA city council member Eunisses Hernandez's office also sent constituents a warning on Monday morning that federal forces had been deployed in the neighborhood, urging: 'Please be careful and let your neighbors know.' Activists and locals – who have for weeks been documenting the ramped-up immigration raids in LA and across southern California – had also come out to witness the scene, and were prepared to call in legal support if needed. 'I definitely think it's a source of intimidation,' Jeannette Zanipatin, a lawyer with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (Chirla), told the Associated Press. 'We know that the Trump administration is trying to make an example of Los Angeles.' Chris Newman, legal director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said he received a credible tip about the operation on Monday. 'It was a demonstration of escalation,' he told the Associated Press. 'This was a reality TV spectacle much more so than an actual enforcement operation.' MacArthur Park has long been an immigrant neighborhood, with a history of political activism. In 2007, it was the center of the May Day rallies demanding amnesty for undocumented people, which were met with exceptional brutality by the Los Angeles police department. The neighborhood was also where the Trump administration kicked off its ramped-up raids in LA, sending agents to arrest undocumented day laborers at the local Home Depot store and street vendors along bustling commercial corridors. Since the raids kicked off, the normally bustling neighborhood had emptied out – fewer street vendors had been selling food and wares along the sidewalk. Many undocumented workers were avoiding reporting to their jobs at restaurants and shops, and parks and public spaces were eerily empty. Related: At Home Depot, Ice raids terrorize the workers who helped build LA: 'They just come and grab you' A defense official told reporters that the action on Monday was not a military operation, but said that the size and scope of the guard's participation could make it appear as one to the public, according to the Associated Press. 'It's just going to be more overt and larger than we usually participate in,' one of the officials said before the raid ended abruptly with no explanation. The primary role of the military service members would be to protect the immigration enforcement officers in case a hostile crowd gathered, that official said. They are not participating in any law enforcement activities such as arrests, but service members can temporarily detain citizens if necessary before handing them over to law enforcement, the official said. 'This morning looked like a staging for a TikTok video,' said Marqueece Harris-Dawson, president of the Los Angeles city council, adding if the border patrol wants to film in LA, 'you should apply for a film permit like everybody else. And stop trying to scare the bejesus out of everybody who lives in this great city and disrupt our economy every day.'
Hamilton Spectator
08-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
What to know about the troops and federal agents in LA's MacArthur Park
LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. military troops and federal immigration officers made a brief but mighty show of force Monday at a Los Angeles park in a neighborhood dubbed the 'Ellis Island of the West Coast' for its large immigrant population. The operation left local officials and organizers with many questions. Here is a look at what we know. What happened and was anyone arrested? About 90 National Guard troops and dozens of federal officers descended on MacArthur Park in the morning. But it was nearly empty, since word spread of a potential raid. Mayor Karen Bass said she pulled over on her way to City Hall to witness officers on horseback and soldiers in tactical gear walking past a playground as children at a summer day camp were rushed indoors so they would not be traumatized. The troops and officers left after about an hour. The Department of Homeland Security did not say whether anyone was arrested. Associated Press journalists who arrived as the troops and agents entered the park did not see anyone detained. Some activists showed up to take videos and record the scene. When asked about the appearance in MacArthur Park, the DHS said in an email that the agency would not comment on 'ongoing enforcement operations.' The Defense Department referred all questions to DHS. Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom called it a political stunt and spectacle meant to intimidate the city's immigrant communities. What's the history of MacArthur Park? The park dates back to the late 19th century when the city received a mudhole and trash dump spanning 35 acres in a land swap, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. After a 'generous application of fertilizer,' it said the area was turned into Westlake Park with a small boating lake. In 1942, the name was changed to MacArthur Park for Army General Douglas MacArthur, who fought in WWII. Since the 1980s, the Westlake neighborhood has evolved into a densely populated immigrant neighborhood with the settlement of Indigenous people from Mexico and Central America and other groups. It is also home to several immigrant rights organizations and legal aid offices. Eunisses Hernandez, a council member whose district includes MacArthur Park said the park 'was chosen as this administration's latest target precisely because of who lives there and what it represents: Resilience, diversity and the American dream. It is no coincidence that the president would target a place that so clearly embodies the values he has spent his time in office trying to destroy.' In recent years, the park has drawn homeless encampments. Outreach teams work there regularly, treating people with drug addiction. In 2007, the park was the site of large May Day rallies to demand amnesty for immigrants without legal status that ended with police firing rubber bullets at protesters. Demonstrators later sued the city and received a $12.8 million settlement. What did the Guard do? Defense officials had said 90 National Guard troops and over a dozen military vehicles were sent to protect immigration officers. The defense officials told reporters that it was not a military operation but acknowledged that the size and scope of the Guard's participation could make it look like one to the public. That is why the officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details about the raid before it happened. The operation in the large park about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of downtown LA included 17 Humvees, four tactical vehicles, two ambulances and the armed soldiers, defense officials said. The decision to have the soldiers provide security on the raids moves troops closer than ever before to carrying out law enforcement actions such as deportations, as President Donald Trump has promised as part of his immigration crackdown . Why were military troops in Los Angeles? Trump ordered the deployment of about 4,000 California National Guard troops and 800 active duty Marines against the wishes of Newsom in early June to respond to a series of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles. The federal troops' domestic deployment has raised multiple legal questions, including whether the administration would seek to employ emergency powers under the Insurrection Act to empower those forces to conduct law enforcement on U.S. soil, which they are not permitted to do except in rare circumstances. The Marines are primarily assigned to protect federal buildings while hundreds of the National Guard troops accompany agents on immigration operations . Newsom has sued the administration over the deployment and the case is ongoing. How did the community react? Immigration advocates urged people to avoid the area before the heavily armed troops and federal officers arrived in armored vehicles. Betsy Bolte, who lives nearby, came to the park after seeing a military-style helicopter circling overhead. She said it was 'gut-wrenching' to witness what appeared to be a federal show of force on the streets of a U.S. city. 'It's terror and, you know, it's ripping the heart and soul out of Los Angeles,' she said. 'I am still in shock, disbelief, and so angry and terrified and heartbroken.' Chris Newman, legal director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said he received a credible tip about the operation Monday. The park is normally busy with families picnicking and vendors hawking food and toys but since federal agents have been making arrests around Los Angeles, Newman said fewer people have been going out. 'The ghost town-ification of LA is haunting, to say the very least,' he said. ____ Watson reported from San Diego. Associated Press journalists Damian Dovarganes and Eugene Garcia in Los Angeles; Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California; and Tara Copp in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. 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 .
San Francisco Chronicle
08-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
What to know about the troops and federal agents in LA's MacArthur Park
LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. military troops and federal immigration officers made a brief but mighty show of force Monday at a Los Angeles park in a neighborhood dubbed the 'Ellis Island of the West Coast" for its large immigrant population. The operation left local officials and organizers with many questions. Here is a look at what we know. What happened and was anyone arrested? About 90 National Guard troops and dozens of federal officers descended on MacArthur Park in the morning. But it was nearly empty, since word spread of a potential raid. Mayor Karen Bass said she pulled over on her way to City Hall to witness officers on horseback and soldiers in tactical gear walking past a playground as children at a summer day camp were rushed indoors so they would not be traumatized. The troops and officers left after about an hour. The Department of Homeland Security did not say whether anyone was arrested. Associated Press journalists who arrived as the troops and agents entered the park did not see anyone detained. Some activists showed up to take videos and record the scene. When asked about the appearance in MacArthur Park, the DHS said in an email that the agency would not comment on 'ongoing enforcement operations.' The Defense Department referred all questions to DHS. Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom called it a political stunt and spectacle meant to intimidate the city's immigrant communities. What's the history of MacArthur Park? The park dates back to the late 19th century when the city received a mudhole and trash dump spanning 35 acres in a land swap, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. After a 'generous application of fertilizer," it said the area was turned into Westlake Park with a small boating lake. In 1942, the name was changed to MacArthur Park for Army General Douglas MacArthur, who fought in WWII. Since the 1980s, the Westlake neighborhood has evolved into a densely populated immigrant neighborhood with the settlement of Indigenous people from Mexico and Central America and other groups. It is also home to several immigrant rights organizations and legal aid offices. Eunisses Hernandez, a council member whose district includes MacArthur Park said the park 'was chosen as this administration's latest target precisely because of who lives there and what it represents: Resilience, diversity and the American dream. It is no coincidence that the president would target a place that so clearly embodies the values he has spent his time in office trying to destroy.' In recent years, the park has drawn homeless encampments. Outreach teams work there regularly, treating people with drug addiction. In 2007, the park was the site of large May Day rallies to demand amnesty for immigrants without legal status that ended with police firing rubber bullets at protesters. Demonstrators later sued the city and received a $12.8 million settlement. What did the Guard do? The defense officials told reporters that it was not a military operation but acknowledged that the size and scope of the Guard's participation could make it look like one to the public. That is why the officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details about the raid before it happened. The operation in the large park about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of downtown LA included 17 Humvees, four tactical vehicles, two ambulances and the armed soldiers, defense officials said. The decision to have the soldiers provide security on the raids moves troops closer than ever before to carrying out law enforcement actions such as deportations, as President Donald Trump has promised as part of his immigration crackdown. Why were military troops in Los Angeles? Trump ordered the deployment of about 4,000 California National Guard troops and 800 active duty Marines against the wishes of Newsom in early June to respond to a series of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles. The federal troops' domestic deployment has raised multiple legal questions, including whether the administration would seek to employ emergency powers under the Insurrection Act to empower those forces to conduct law enforcement on U.S. soil, which they are not permitted to do except in rare circumstances. The Marines are primarily assigned to protect federal buildings while hundreds of the National Guard troops accompany agents on immigration operations. Newsom has sued the administration over the deployment and the case is ongoing. How did the community react? Immigration advocates urged people to avoid the area before the heavily armed troops and federal officers arrived in armored vehicles. Betsy Bolte, who lives nearby, came to the park after seeing a military-style helicopter circling overhead. She said it was 'gut-wrenching' to witness what appeared to be a federal show of force on the streets of a U.S. city. 'It's terror and, you know, it's ripping the heart and soul out of Los Angeles,' she said. 'I am still in shock, disbelief, and so angry and terrified and heartbroken.' Chris Newman, legal director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said he received a credible tip about the operation Monday. The park is normally busy with families picnicking and vendors hawking food and toys but since federal agents have been making arrests around Los Angeles, Newman said fewer people have been going out. 'The ghost town-ification of LA is haunting, to say the very least,' he said. Watson reported from San Diego. Associated Press journalists Damian Dovarganes and Eugene Garcia in Los Angeles; Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California; and Tara Copp in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
