Latest news with #MauriceLee
CBS News
01-07-2025
- CBS News
Man charged in pair of credit union robberies on University of Illinois Chicago campus, two carjackings
A Chicago man has been charged in a pair of carjackings, as well as two credit union robberies on the University of Illinois Chicago campus a week apart last year. Maurice D. Lee Jr., 32, has been charged in federal court in Chicago with two counts of carjacking, two counts of robbery, and four counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the charges against Lee, on May 10, 2024, he stole a 2010 Toyota Highlander at gunpoint in the 6500 block of North Western Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Later the same day, he robbed $10,000 from a Credit Union 1 branch at 750 S. Halsted St., on the UIC campus. One week later, while still driving the stolen Toyota Highlander, he robbed $12,500 from a Credit Union 1 branch at 858 S. Wolcott Av., also on the UIC campus. That same day, he also carjacked a 2012 Toyota Prius at gunpoint. He was arrested two days after the second robbery, following a domestic disturbance in west suburban Broadview, and charged in Cook County Circuit Court with assault and weapons charges in a separate case, and has since been transferred to federal custody. Lee is scheduled to be arraigned on the federal charges on July 7. If convicted, Lee faces up to 20 years in prison for each robbery count, and up to 15 years for each carjacking count, as well as a minimum of 7 years in prison for each weapons charge, according to prosecutors.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Essex Police Museum gives insight into police life during WW2
Museum gives insight into police life during WW2 8 minutes ago Share Save Shivani Chaudhari BBC News, Essex Share Save Essex Police Special constables, pictured in Witham in 1939, were vital to the police during the war A museum has given a glimpse of what it was like to be a police officer during World War Two as the country prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. Huge crowds took to the streets on 8 May 1945 to celebrate after nearly six years of war. In a blog post, Essex Police Museum explained that the war presented new challenges to policing: air raid precautions, ration fraud and captured enemies all needed to be dealt with, on top of the usual crimes. During the war, 291 officers left the county's police forces to serve in the Armed Forces, and teenagers as young as 15 were recruited as messengers. Essex Police PC Alexander Scott, 26, and Detective Maurice Lee, 27, were killed in a German air raid outside police headquarters Essex Police The left side of the bombed police headquarters fared slightly better than the right side, thanks to the use of sandbags In total, 32 officers from the Essex, Colchester and Southend forces were killed on military service and two more died in the bombing of police headquarters in Springfield, Chelmsford. In November 1940, a German aircraft dropped bombs across Springfield and one landed in front of two officers at the main entrance of police headquarters, killing them. While sandbags saved the building from any structural problems, there was a lot of damage to the roof, windows and ceilings. An assessment showed that the clock had stopped at 19:17, the exact time of the blast, and not a single window remained intact. The second bomb landed in the chief constable's garden opposite the room where an officer named Capt Peel and his wife were eating dinner, but they managed to escape. Sandbags were stacked as high as the first floor at the old Southend Police Station in Alexandria Street. Police buildings were also subject to blackout regulations, and this combined with the sandbagging and other precautions caused stuffy and unpleasant conditions. Essex Police Outside the old Southend Police Station in Alexandria Street, sandbags were stacked as high as the first floor Insp Harold Tomalin wrote a letter describing his experience as an officer in World War Two. The letter painted a picture of the impact the war had on many officers. He said: "Whilst off duty fire-watching, we usually sat up late in case of emergency duty and then slept rough, fully clothed on camp beds, in small rooms with other men." Many officers were staying away from their families and had to be ready for duty 24/7. Essex Police Inspector Harold Tomalin wrote a letter explaining what it was like to be in the force during the war Judith Tomalin, daughter of Insp Tomalin, lived at 31 Kingston Crescent, Chelmsford, during the war and said she was often frightened by the air raids. "Some of the bombs that were dropped were called incendiary bombs and they were mostly used at night time," she said. Women and some older citizens used to be put on fire-watching duties, she said. They would warn everyone that there was a fire using a rattle and blowing whistles to ensure people knew they were in danger. There was an air raid shelter behind the house and Ms Tomalin said: "I did sleep down there a couple of times – but I didn't like it." Essex Police There was an air raid shelter in the back garden of 31 Kingston Crescent The VE Day celebrations were some of the happiest memories for local children, said Ms Tomalin. "Well, that was a very happy time... on VE night there was a huge bonfire put in the middle of the skid pan and we all went down to it," she said. "Instead of Guy Fawkes... Hitler was on the top". Essex Police An effigy of Hitler was put on top of the bonfire, said Judith Tomalin Essex Police Essex Police said every year on Remembrance Day, everyone present at HQ gathered by the stone for a short memorial service and moment of silence Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
