Latest news with #StandYourGround
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
No charges in killing of ex-basketball star accused of road rage, PA officials say
A driver accused of fatally shooting a former college basketball star during a road rage incident was legally justified in his actions, Pennsylvania officials said. The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said July 21 that no charges would be filed in the July 6 shooting death of Tamir Johnson, a former standout for the Division II Kutztown University basketball program. Johnson, 35, was driving an Audi in Allentown on July 6 when investigators said he overtook the driver of a Prius, then forced the Prius to the curb. Prosecutors said Johnson got out of his car and approached the other driver with a metal bat, then used it to strike the driver's side door. The driver of the Prius, who was legally allowed to carry a gun, shot Johnson, who then dropped the bat, the district attorney's office said. Johnson was taken to a hospital and died from his injuries, prosecutors said. The Prius driver was not publicly identified because no charges were filed. 'Pennsylvania law states in relevant part that the use of deadly force is justified under certain extreme circumstances,' officials said. 'Deadly force is justified when a person reasonably believes such force is immediately necessary to protect himself against death or serious bodily injury when the person against whom the force is used displays or uses a weapon that is readily or apparently capable of lethal use.' Because Johnson swung the bat with lethal force, prosecutors said the Prius driver was justified under the state's Stand Your Ground law. The Prius driver remained at the scene following the incident and cooperated in the investigation. Johnson played for Kutztown University from 2009 to 2011 and is among the program's all-time leaders in field-goal percentage. 'Tamir was a stalwart leader and quiet giant,' the program said in a July 6 post on Facebook. 'We will miss his positive impact on us and his wonderful smile.' He had plans to return to the university to pursue a master's degree, his family said in a statement to the district attorney's office. 'Johnson was so much more than a moment of conflict,' his family said in a statement. 'He was the father of three beautiful children, a devoted partner, a son, a brother, a nephew and a loyal friend.' Allentown is about a 65-mile drive northwest from Philadelphia.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
NY's failed criminal-justice reforms have just claimed two more victims — when will the madness end?
Scotty Enoe, a CVS worker, and Charles Brito, a homeless serial shoplifter, are the latest victims of New York's disastrous criminal-justice reforms. In 2023, Enoe found himself fighting for his life after Brito attacked him. The employee fought back by fatally stabbing his attacker with a pocket knife. Advertisement Now Enoe's on trial for manslaughter, facing up to 25 years in prison. And Brito is dead. It's tragic for both men. And absolutely nuts. Advertisement And it's thanks, mostly, to New York's refusal to slap meaningful consequences on shoplifters like Brito and get them off the streets — and to pro-criminal district attorneys, like Manhattan's Alvin Bragg, who target victims while bending over backward to let perps slide. Brito, after all, had been nabbed more than a dozen times and was a known drugstore thief in the area. He'd had several other run-ins with Enoe. Before the fight, Brito allegedly announced his intention to steal, bragging, 'You can't f–king stop me.' Why should any worker be put in a situation like that? Advertisement But such stories have become commonplace since Albany passed 'reforms' like cashless bail, letting perps go free just minutes after their arrests. Charging Enoe with manslaughter only makes it all the worse. And this is not the first time Bragg has dragged victims and do-gooders into court: Advertisement He went after former Marine Daniel Penny, who accidentally killed Jordan Neely while trying to subdue him after Neely threatened riders on a subway train in 2023. Bragg also charged Manhattan deli clerk Jose Alba with murder for stabbing to death an ex-con who attacked him over a bag of chips. In 2022, Alba's prosecution sparked support for 'Stand Your Ground' legislation, which would amend state law that requires New Yorkers to retreat before resorting to deadly force. At the time, GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin expressed support for the measure, telling The Post, '[If] someone comes in, forces you to defend yourself, the government shouldn't be forcing you to run away.' Amen. Predictably, opposition by progressives lawmakers killed the bill. Now New Yorkers are stuck with serial perps that repeatedly threaten public, and, as Brito taunted, nothing can be done about. When will such madness end?
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Victim's family outraged as shooter goes free in Dollar General shooting
Loved ones a York County man who was gunned down last week outside of a Dollar General in Sharon are upset that his killer won't face charges. PAST COVERAGE: Shooting at Dollar General in York County deemed self-defense by deputies Man killed in shooting at Dollar General in York County Channel 9's Tina Terry spoke with the victim's family and a friend on Thursday who said 68-year-old Joseph Lewis was kind and generous. 'He was a good guy. He really was,' said friend Tommy Childers. He heard the fight started over claims that Lewis' 18-year-old dog was being aggressive. The York County Sheriff's Office has not confirmed. Law enforcement said that Lewis, on July 9, approached the shooter's car aggressively, while making threats of violence. After threatening the driver of the car, Lewis punched the driver of the car and entered through the driver's side window, investigators said. The 25-year-old driver pulled out a gun and shot Lewis who later died, investigators said. The solicitor's office decided not to charge the driver because he acted in self-defense. Lewis' brother said on the phone that the shooter should have been charged. 'I don't think any reasonable person would consider somebody just hitting him to be fearful of their life. There were other ways he could defend himself,' he said. A release from the York County Sheriff's Office cited South Carolina's Stand Your Ground law in this case, which recognizes a person's right to defend their own house or occupied vehicle. VIDEO: Shooting at Dollar General in York County deemed self-defense by deputies
Hindustan Times
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Zul-Qarnain Kwame Natambuj, arrested Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl performer, was shot at by Antonio Brown
Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, a 41-year-old New Orleans resident, has been arrested for his actions during the Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl LIX halftime show. The background performer was seen bringing up a Sudanese flag bearing the message 'Sudan and Free Gaza' in a sign of protest 'and disrupted the halftime show by running across the field with the flag'. Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu was arrested on Thursday(X) 'We take any attempt to disrupt any part of an NFL game, including the halftime show, very seriously and are pleased this individual will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,' NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. On February 9, during Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime show at the Caesars Superdome, Nantambu, hired as an extra performer, disrupted the performance by running across the field with a Sudanese flag. The Louisiana State Police (LSP) arrested him on Thursday, charging him with resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful assembly, per a press release. Nantambu, authorized to be on the field, deviated from his role, ignored security commands, and was apprehended after a chase. He surrendered after an arrest warrant was issued and was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center, authorities said. Antonio Brown Shooting Incident On May 16,, Nantambu was allegedly shot at by former NFL player Antonio Brown during an altercation outside an amateur boxing event in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood. Brown, 36, reportedly grabbed a security guard's handgun and fired two shots at Nantambu after a fistfight, with one bullet grazing his neck. Nantambu told The New York Post that Brown thought he'd 'get a free kill' under Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' law, citing a prior dispute over a stolen pendant in Dubai in 2022. The former NFL star now faces a second-degree attempted murder charge, carrying up to 15 years in prison. Brown is yet to respond to the latest revelations.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stephen Colbert floats masked ICE agents possibly getting shot in states with 'Stand Your Ground' laws
"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert questioned whether "Stand Your Ground" laws put masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at risk of being shot during an interview with Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., on Thursday. As Democrats across the country continue to criticize the federal agency's use of masks and civilian clothing, the liberal host questioned whether officers are being put in danger in "Stand Your Ground" states like Florida. Colbert said he was alarmed because, "it does feel like kidnapping, because, as you said, unmarked windowless vans will show up. Men will get out wearing masks… no identifying patches, do not identify themselves. They don't have badges." "They grab people and put them in a van, in a state like Florida that has a 'Stand Your Ground' law and people can open carry," he went on. "It's dangerous for those officers, not just for the people, because why wouldn't you think that you were being attacked?" Despite Colbert's claim, open carry is not legal in Florida. It is allowed under certain, limited circumstances, such as hunting or fishing. In February 2025, however, Governor Ron DeSantis urged the legislature to support open carry. Earlier in the interview, Colbert asked Frost to clarify what he meant when he called the Trump administration's last round of deportations a "taxpayer-funded kidnapping operation." The Florida congressman argued that the "mass deportations" promised by President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign could hardly be classified as deportations due to a lack of legal due process for those being deported. "There is no legal process for people," he claimed. "We have ICE federal agents pulling up, terrorizing our communities, hopping out of unmarked vans, stealing — and yes, kidnapping people. Not giving them their day in court and yes — human trafficking them to other nations, other countries around the entire world." Frost also questioned why agents felt the need to conceal their identities in the first place. "My other thing is, if you are proud of what you're doing, why do you have to wear a mask to do it?" he asked. "If you are operating within the bounds of the law, you should not have to cover your face. That is the problem with ICE and with the administration right now is this whole thing is happening in the shadows." Earlier this month, Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons slammed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on "Fox & Friends" for their "disgusting" rhetoric about agents masking up, which he felt put him and his officers in danger. Wu compared ICE agents wearing masks to members of the neo-Nazi group the Nationalist Social Club-131 (NSC-131) during a press conference on June 5, amid government claims that ICE agents have faced a 413% increase in assaults. Jeffries has called for the identification of ICE agents who perpetrate "aggressive overreach."
