Latest news with #USArmyVeteran
Al Arabiya
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Ex-Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill Joins Race for District Held by GOP US Rep. David Joyce
Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill has announced plans to run for the northeast Ohio congressional seat held by Republican US Rep. David Joyce. The 78-year-old Democrat said Wednesday he is coming out of retirement because he 'can't sit idly by as my government falls apart.' 'Reasonably priced health care is out of reach for a majority of Americans, armed thugs with masks masquerading as police officers are openly violating the US Constitution, and environmental protection is a thing of the past,' O'Neill said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. He said Joyce is 'a nice guy,' but he needs to answer for his votes in favor of President Donald Trump's agenda and the actions of billionaire Elon Musk, who ran the president's Department of Government Efficiency initiative. The US Army veteran, registered nurse, and former appellate judge served on the Ohio Supreme Court from 2013 to 2018. O'Neill said that counting his judicial runs and past bids for Congress, voters in the counties comprising Ohio's 14th Congressional District have delivered him to victory nine of 12 times. Joyce, 68, is a former Geauga County prosecutor. He's served in the House since 2013. His campaign didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
CNA
14-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
US Marines make first detention in Los Angeles as more protests expected
LOS ANGELES: United States Marines deployed to Los Angeles made their first detention of a civilian on Friday (Jun 13), part of a rare use of military force to support domestic police and coming ahead of national protests over President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington. The detention of the man, a US Army veteran and an immigrant who obtained US citizenship, punctuated a series of highly unusual events that have appealed to Trump supporters but outraged other Americans who are demonstrating discontent in the streets. Trump ordered the Marines to Los Angeles in response to street protests over immigration raids, joining National Guard forces already deployed to the city over the objection of California's governor. Trump said troops were necessary to quell the protests - a contention that state and local officials dispute. About 1,800 protests are scheduled across the US on Saturday in opposition to the Washington military parade that marks the 250th anniversary of the US Army and coincides with Trump's 79th birthday. Both the military parade and domestic use of active duty troops are uncommon for the United States, as was the military detention of a US citizen on American soil. It was also unusual when federal agents forcibly removed and handcuffed a US senator on Thursday as he interrupted a press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump has thrived politically on unconventional tactics. But Democratic opponents are starting to push back. Fifteen protests are expected in Los Angeles alone, Mayor Karen Bass said, urging people to remain peaceful. "We are here today because the raids have caused fear and panic," Bass said, joined by two dozen elected officials to oppose the raids and military presence. "Can the federal government come in and seize power from a state and from a local jurisdiction? How much will the American people put up with?" About 200 Marines were assigned to protect the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, part of a battalion of 700 Marines sent to support the National Guard, said Army Major General Scott Sherman, who is in command of both the National Guard and Marine forces. The Marines and National Guard deployed in Los Angeles are assigned to protect federal property and personnel and may temporarily detain people, but they are required to turn them over to civilian law enforcement for any formal arrest. ARMY VETERAN DETAINED Reuters witnessed Marines detain one person at the Wilshire Federal Building. Reuters images showed Marines restraining his hands with zip ties and then handing him over to civilians from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nearly two hours later. The US military confirmed the detention after being presented with Reuters images, in the first known detention by active duty troops. The detained man, Marcos Leao, 27, an immigrant and a US Army veteran, said after he was released that he was told to get on the ground upon venturing into a restricted area, as he crossed a line of yellow tape to avoid walking around the building. Leao, who said he is Portuguese and Angolan and became a US citizen through the military, said he complied with all commands and that the Marines apparently mistook him for a protester when he simply had business with the Veterans Administration office inside the building. "They treated me very fairly," Leao said, adding that he was told: "Understand, this is a whole stressful situation for everybody, and we all have a job." Asked about the incident, the US military's Northern Command spokesperson said active duty forces "may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances", and that the detention would end when the person is transferred to civilian law enforcement. DHS referred press queries to the Northern Command. Meanwhile, Los Angeles demonstrations continued for an eighth straight day, after they were sparked last Friday by a series of immigration raids. The demonstrations have been concentrated in the downtown area, and fewer than 1 per cent of those present have caused problems, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Some people have been charged with assaulting a police officer, looting or damaging property. There was a "big difference" between legitimate protesters and "people who are coming out to cause problems", Luna said at a press conference in which law enforcement officers said they welcomed peaceful protests on Saturday but warned they would arrest those who harm others or damage property. Bass implemented a curfew over 1 square mile (2.6 sq km) of the downtown area, which officials said has been useful for maintaining order. Bass said there was "no termination date" for the curfew.
Malay Mail
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
US Marines detain Army veteran in LA as protests over Trump's policies grow
Marines detain man for nearly two hours, hand him over to DHS Some 1,8000 anti-Trump demonstrations planned today LA County sheriff says fewer than 1 per cent of demonstrators causing harm LOS ANGELES, June 14 — US Marines deployed to Los Angeles made their first detention of a civilian on Friday, part of a rare use of military force to support domestic police and coming ahead of national protests over President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington. The detention of a the man, a US Army veteran and an immigrant who obtained US citizenship, punctuated a series of highly unusual events that have appealed to Trump supporters but outraged other Americans who are demonstrating discontent in the streets. Trump ordered the Marines to Los Angeles in response to street protests over immigration raids, joining National Guard forces already deployed to the city over the objection of California's governor. Trump said troops were necessary to quell the protests — a contention that state and local officials dispute. About 1,800 protests are scheduled across the US on Saturday in opposition to the Washington military parade that marks the 250th anniversary of the US Army and coincides with Trump's 79th birthday. US Marines stand guard outside the Wilshire Federal Building, after they were deployed to Los Angeles as federal immigration sweeps continue, in Los Angeles, California June 13, 2025. — Reuters pic Both the military parade and domestic use of active duty troops are uncommon for the United States, as was the military detention of a US citizen on American soil. It was also unusual when federal agents forcibly removed and handcuffed a US Senator on Thursday as he interrupted a press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump has thrived politically on unconventional tactics. But Democratic opponents are starting to push back. Fifteen protests are expected in Los Angeles alone, Mayor Karen Bass said, urging people to remain peaceful. 'We are here today because the raids have caused fear and panic,' Bass said, joined by two dozen elected officials to oppose the raids and military presence. 'Can the federal government come in and seize power from a state and from a local jurisdiction? How much will the American people put up with?' About 200 Marines were assigned to protect the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, part of a battalion of 700 Marines sent to support the National Guard, said Army Major General Scott Sherman, who is in command of both the National Guard and Marine forces. The Marines and National Guard deployed in Los Angeles are assigned to protect federal property and personnel and may temporarily detain people, but they are required to turn them over to civilian law enforcement for any formal arrest. Marcos Leao, a 27-year-old veteran who was detained by US Marines at the Wilshire Federal Building, poses as federal immigration sweeps continue, in Los Angeles, California June 13, 2025. — Reuters pic Army veteran detained Reuters witnessed Marines detain one person at the Wilshire Federal Building. Reuters images showed Marines restraining his hands with zip ties and then handing him over to civilians from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nearly two hours later. US military confirmed the detention after being presented with Reuters images, in the first known detention by active duty troops. The detained man, Marcos Leao, 27, an immigrant and a US Army veteran, said after he was released that he was told to get on the ground upon venturing into a restricted area, as he crossed a line of yellow tape to avoid walking around the building. Leao, who said he is Portuguese and Angolan and became a US citizen through the military, said he complied with all commands and that the Marines apparently mistook him for a protester when he simply had business with the Veterans Administration office inside the building. 'They treated me very fairly,' Leao said, adding that he was told, 'Understand, this is a whole stressful situation for everybody, and we all have a job.' Asked about the incident, the US military's Northern Command spokesperson said active duty forces 'may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances,' and that the detention would end when the person is transferred to civilian law enforcement. DHS referred press queries to the Northern Command. Meanwhile, Los Angeles demonstrations continued for an eighth straight day, after they were sparked last Friday by a series of immigrations raids. The demonstrations have been concentrated in the downtown area, and fewer than 1 per cent of those present have caused problems, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Some people have been charged with assaulting a police officer, looting, or damaging property. There was a 'big difference' between legitimate protesters and 'people who are coming out to cause problems,' Luna said at a press conference in which law enforcement officers said they welcomed peaceful protests on Saturday but warned they would arrest those who harm others or damage property. Bass implemented a curfew over one square mile (2.5 square km) of the downtown area, which officials said has been useful for maintaining order. Bass said there was 'no termination date' for the curfew. 'We are hoping that if the cause of the turmoil ends, which is stopping the raids, then I can almost guarantee you the curfew will go away in short order,' Bass said. — Reuters
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Loved ones honor mother found dead at L.A. homeless encampment as questions linger
Loved ones held a vigil Friday night to honor the life of a 46-year-old mother who was found dead at a homeless encampment in Los Angeles, as questions remain over her cause of death. Held at the site where the body of Lucrecia Macias Barajas was found, friends and family shared their fondest memories of the U.S. Army veteran and mother of six children. 'She had her whole life ahead of her,' said Amely Becerra, the woman's daughter. 'She was still so young.' Her daughters said Barajas left her home on the Saturday before Mother's Day, and that was the last time they heard from her. After she was missing for several days and family members were unable to reach her, they eventually traced her cell phone signal to an encampment on Huntley Drive in the Westlake District near downtown L.A. Inside a locked tent, they found the bodies of Barajas and her male friend, whose identity was not released. Neighbors said at least one of the bodies had been partially eaten by dogs. Video of the scene showed Barajas' youngest daughter wailing with grief, imploring police to take her mother's body out of the tent. Officers, however, waited because two live dogs, a pit bull mix and a shepherd mix, one of whom reportedly bit into Barajas' body, were still in the tent. Her daughter told the Los Angeles Times that her mother's body wasn't removed from the tent until early the next day, after animal services, who are now holding the dogs as evidence, responded to the scene. Both Barajas' and the male victim's corpses were in the tent with the dogs for at least eight hours after they were found, her family said. Her daughters said they're unsure why their mother went to the encampment that day, but they believe the circumstances surrounding her death are suspicious. Los Angeles police detectives are reportedly investigating the case as a suspected overdose, but her family believes homicide shouldn't be ruled out and that there may be evidence of foul play. One of their issues with the alleged 'overdose investigation' is that the tent in which their mother and the man were found was secured with a lock on the outside of the entrance, presumably suggesting a third party could have bolted it as they left the scene. In addition, a neighbor told The Times that he and his girlfriend were awakened at around 3:30 a.m. that morning by sounds of a man and woman arguing, followed by a woman's screams for help before they heard silence. 'We have a lot of questions,' said Raul Claros, Founder/Director of California Rising. 'First, of what happened when she left the home — the timeline between when she left home and when she showed up [at the encampment].' Born in Nicaragua, Barajas fled with her family in 1986 amid the country's civil war. She later joined the U.S. Army between the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her daughters told The Times that they believe their mother started using methamphetamine in 2017 as a way to manage raising six children, working full-time and battling stage 3 lymphoma. The children were reportedly unaware of their mother's drug use, though they said she eventually became sober. Barajas' loved ones described her as a generous person who often delivered food to those struggling on the streets. 'Lucrecia was a wonderful person and served our country,' said Stephanie Torres, a longtime friend. 'She doesn't deserve to be swept under the rug. No, we're not going to let that happen.' The homeless encampment where Barajas was found has remained a chronic issue for many residents, who say the area attracts criminal activity, drug use and safety hazards. Neighbors said the area has been neglected by city officials and despite repeated complaints, nothing is being done to curb the growing problems. 'The family and the community believe that if these encampments were not here, these two individuals would still be alive,' Claros said. Barajas' daughters said they've spoken with LAPD detectives about the investigation and presented their theories on what they believe might have happened to their mother. 'That's all I want, is justice, and that my mother's memory won't fade,' Becerra said. L.A. city councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents the Westlake District, told The Times in a statement that she has spoken with LAPD and is working to 'ensure the family gets the answers they deserve.' 'I want people to know she wasn't a homeless drug addict, because that's not true,' Becerra said. 'Some people are coming to that conclusion, and that's not fair. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.' The cause of death for Barajas and the unidentified man remains under investigation. A GoFundMe page to help her family with funeral expenses can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Irish Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Who is Michael Kelley, the man questioned over the murder of Michael Gaine?
It is a drizzly morning in Tralee and few people seem to be paying much attention to the tall, bearded man in rain gear. He is making his way across The Square in the Co Kerry town, just another person going about their business on another grey Irish day. The man is Michael Kelley (53), a US army veteran from Maine, a northeastern state, but now resident in Tralee. He is, to date, the only man to have been questioned about the murder of Kerry farmer Mike Gaine (56) whose dismembered remains were found two weeks ago at his farm outside Kenmare, two months after he went missing. READ MORE Kelley, standing 6ft tall and lean and muscular, is firm but polite when approached by The Irish Times and other media, saying he will not be doing any other interviews beyond what he has told The Irish Daily Mirror some days earlier. He confirms that his reported comments are correct and that he was arrested by gardaí for questioning about Gaine's murder. He denied any involvement in the killing during nine interviews over 24 hours of questioning by gardaí. [ American man Michael Kelley (53) confirms he was suspect arrested for questioning about Michael Gaine Opens in new window ] Kelley has alleged he is being framed for the crime by criminals. 'There may be elements that want to string me up – people who have an interest in organised crime – people who are involved in organised crime,' he has said. He is calm and relaxed. He says he has been playing traditional Irish music, having been photographed playing the flute with a local busker some days earlier. Michael Kelley busking on the streets of Tralee, Co Kerry. Photograph: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus As he agrees to pose for a photograph, he jokes that he will have to 'start charging $10 for pictures'. Little is known about Kelley, who has become the suspect in an investigation into Gaine's gruesome murder. Kelley, whose ancestors are understood to be from east Galway, grew up in a rural part of the US, outside the small village of Swanville, which has a population of about 1,500 and is in Waldo County in central Maine, about a two-hour drive northeast of Portland, the state's capital and largest city. He was born on July 27th, 1971, the second child born to New Yorkers Patrick and Janice Kelley, who moved to Maine in 1967 with Janice's son, Damon, from her first marriage. The family settled on a five-acre holding at Upper Oak Hill Road in Swanville. [ Michael Gaine case: Investigators believe most human remains at farm have been recovered Opens in new window ] Janice Kelley had lived in the East Village in New York with her first husband and she stayed there after their marriage ended, becoming acquainted with many of the folk musicians on the coffee shop circuit and some of the leading figures in the 1960s counterculture scene before they became famous. She participated in the famous 1963 March on Washington, where she heard Martin Luther King make his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. This was to inform her political thinking in later life, when she became an ardent Democrat strongly opposed to Republican Donald Trump. Michael Kelley and his mother Janice in 2018 posted on Facebook She and her husband set up a small business where she would design houses and he, a skilled carpenter, would build them. She taught her children an appreciation of nature and growing their own food. Janice and Patrick Kelley divorced in 1974, and she moved with the children to Washington, Maine, but returned to Swanville in 1981, where she opened a second-hand store where people could buy music and jewellery as well as rock crystals and gemstones from around the world. What role or influence Janice Kelley's politics and philosophy had on her son Michael is unclear, but in 1991, aged just 19, he found himself in the US army on a military base in Germany, where, when not on sentry duty, he watched as the first Gulf war unfolded in Kuwait and Iraq. Kelley told the Irish Daily Mirror he never killed anyone when in the army and became a conscientious objector when he saw the horror of the 'Highway of Death', when hundreds of Iraqi troops were killed at night in February 1991 by American war planes as they retreated from Kuwait. What Kelley did after he quit the US army is unclear. He seems to have kept a low profile for more than a decade. On April 6th, 2006, he married Karen Harden in Northport, Maine. The couple divorced on June 23rd, 2014. On December 22nd, 2009, he found himself the subject of critical comments from Judge Donald G Alexander of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court after he appealed a decision by Judge Michael Westcott of Maine District Court over the custody of his two daughters. The judge's criticisms are outlined in a detailed eight-page published judgment . Michael Gaine, whose remains were found earlier this month, more than two months after the 56-year-old sheep farmer was last spotted in a supermarket in Kenmare Kelley had been in a romantic relationship with a woman called Alicia Snow, and they had two daughters. After they separated Kelley brought a parental-rights action over his right of access to the children, who were living with their mother, a qualified nurse. Initially the relationship between the separated couple was cordial but Kelley later claimed that Snow had breached the court order, which ruled that the children could live with her, when she took them on a visit out of state to Chicago, Illinois, to their grandfather without Kelley's consent. Judge Westcott found for Snow in the initial hearing. Kelley appealed it to the state supreme court, where he represented himself. He called his wife, Karen, as a witness. After hearing testimony from both sides, including Snow and her father, Judge Alexander affirmed the earlier court order. He said that Kelley's allegations and fears that Snow intended to move out of the state with the children were 'unfounded'. He concluded that Kelley's ability to determine fact from fiction was 'questionable', and that both Kelley's testimony and that of his wife was 'untrustworthy'. Undated photograph of Michael Kelley posted in October 2017 on the Facebook page of a relative. He said Kelley was an inflexible parent 'who makes false allegations that Snow is a witch and that she practises witchcraft on the children', while he also found that Kelley refused 'to take responsibility for his role in this conflict'. It suited Kelley to be living off the grid as he wanted to be under the radar — A local in Kenmare Judge Alexander agreed with Judge Westcott when he 'specifically stated why it did not find the testimony of Kelley and wife to be credible, including the unsupported allegations that Snow is casting spells on the children and an unwillingness to take responsibility for conflicts.' Attempts by The Irish Times to contact Alicia Snow and her attorney Thomas F Shehan proved unsuccessful, but Kelley did confirm to the Irish Daily Mirror that he had lost custody of his children, now adults with whom he is in contact, after falsely claiming their mother was a witch. Kelley says he arrived in Ireland seven years ago. From inquiries by The Irish Times, it appears he first surfaced in Kenmare about six years ago, squatting on a boat while working for a man harvesting kelp in Kenmare Bay. Garda forensics specialists at Michael Gaine's farm at Carrig East near Kenmare where partial human remains were discovered. Photograph: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus When that job ended, he reportedly lived in a shed in Templenoe, a village about eight kilometres along the Ring of Kerry route west of Kenmare, before taking up residence three km away in Scully's Wood near Dromquinna. There, he lived in a tent and reportedly used survivalist skills to live off wildlife. It was while he was there that he met Mike Gaine. 'Mike was out shooting deer with a friend in Scully's Wood when they came across Kelley,' says one local. 'It was around 2022 and Mike offered him the use of his old, abandoned family farmhouse at Carrig East in return for doing jobs around the farm and Kelley agreed.' Gaine's farm at Carrig East is about seven kilometres from Kenmare, near Moll's Gap, the scenic spot popular with tourists. 'Kelley used to earn his keep working for Mike, feeding the animals and such like. They used to go hunting together – it was a very informal, loose arrangement, there was no lease, no contract – it suited Kelley to be living off the grid as he wanted to be under the radar,' says the local. 'There was no electricity in the farmhouse, but that didn't seem to bother him – he was rarely in town – Mike used to drive him every so often in to Aldi or Lidl to do his shopping, but beyond that he never hung around, never went into pubs. 'He was just this very reclusive American drifter.' Kelley told the Irish Daily Mirror that he applied for asylum when he first arrived in Ireland but had been refused. Garda sources confirmed he was served with deportation order four weeks ago, though he remains living in Tralee. 'I've asked for an ombudsman to review my asylum but that's gone nowhere,' he said. 'I'm not surprised – I may have a claim to Irish citizenship based on the standing laws of this country based on my ancestry ... [but] I don't see that they are going to deport me in the middle of this case.'
